USPS Delivery - Common Issues

The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers effective and inexpensive shipping of smaller packages all over the USA. YotaMD offers UPS services, but almost all orders ship by USPS given the cost difference.

1. "Delivered", but I don't see it?

The most significant problem with USPS that we see is that packages show "delivered", but the recipient (you) hasn't seen the package. It is extremely rare that the package is actually lost and gone. Almost every time this happens the package is simply with a neighbor. It could be next door to your house, could be one block over. Could be three blocks over. Regardless, it will almost always be turned back around to you by your neighbor quickly. As of 2024, we've shipped over 8000 packages and had 2 - yes just 2 packages actually go missing. The USPS asks that customers wait 7 days to file a claim. This is because many mis-delivered packages will get back into the system and corrected in that time.

So what do you do if you get a "delivered" tracking update and you don't see your package? You wait! That's it. Just hang on another week and see if it shows up. It almost always does. There's nothing YotaMD (and often nothing USPS) can do to help your neighbor return the package to the USPS any sooner.

2. Tracking updates haven't updated in a week or more.

This doesn't happen too often. It seems to occur when the package is stuck at a distribution center. If there's no action in a week, sometimes a ping to USPS can help someone run out to the automated lines and find something. Sometimes a label is ruined and they can pair the unidentified package to a missing gmail request. This is rare, though.

What should you do? If you see tracking that stalls for 7 days, please send us a note. We'll see if there's anything we can do. If we can't get any USPS movement, we'll send out a new kit on our dime!