Are you worried about the wrong delivery of your parcel? If yes, this article can be your ultimate stress burster, as we will talk about how you can retrieve your parcel. Besides this, we will also take into account the probable reasons behind this incorrect delivery.
The United States Postal Service is entitled to provide errorless delivery within a very short time. USPS is recognized for its organized and efficient delivery system. However, sometimes the delivery staff may fail to read the address correctly, or the people working at the post office may write an incorrect address on the mail. This can ultimately lead to delivery at the wrong address.
There is no need to worry as USPS takes full responsibility for resending the mail or the parcel at the right address if the fault is at their end. You need to inform your local post office, and that’s it! You are done! However, make sure that you have not made any mistake on your part by writing the wrong address in the mail. In the next section, we will be talking about these reasons in detail. Stay tuned!

Check: USPS Processing Exception: What to do?
Contents
Reasons behind the USPS delivery to wrong address
1. Error at the post office or by the delivering staff:
The people working over there may write an incorrect address on the mail, or the delivery guy may get confused among so many mails and land up at the wrong address. Whatever may be the reason, if the fault is on their part, they will take charge of it.
What you have to do is to inform your local post office about this. After getting the complaint, USPS immediately comes into action. Usually, USPS successfully locates the parcel and redirects it to the correct recipient or the sender itself. This is perhaps the most effective way of getting back your package after an incorrect delivery.
2. Error at the sender’s end:
The next possible reason behind the wrong delivery may be the wrong address written on the mail, and the sender commits this mistake. So usually, in this case, USPS does not take charge of the problem, and you have to manage it on your own.
If you are the receiver, then the best option will be to contact the sender as soon as possible and get it sorted among yourself. Things will be much easier if you two already know each other. Even in this case, USPS might help you by providing the receiver’s details written on the airway bill. After that, you need to contact the receiver with your relevant documents and get your parcel back.
How to tackle the wrong delivery?
You must have heard of the famous proverb which says “Prevention is better than cure”. Here we mean that there are certain ways by which you can tackle this wrong delivery which will prevent you from all the fuss created afterward. Let us check them out one by one.
Track your parcel:
Since USPS provides an excellent feature by which you can track your package at any point in the entire journey, you can use this feature to know whether your parcel is moving in the right direction or not. Besides, suppose you get a notification saying that the package was delivered. In that case, that may indicate a wrong delivery or some blockage, resulting in the parcel’s return to the local post office.
So whatever may be the scenario, it is always advisable to keep an eye on the status of your parcel after certain time intervals to avoid any complication. You can get the tracking number from the mail receipt or through the confirmation email.
Check your mailbox:
This is very important in the case of international deliveries. You need to check your mailbox from time to time to not miss out on any notice sent by your local post office regarding the pick up of your parcel. Also, you need to check the name and address on the mail and verify whether it truly belongs to you or not before signing on it. In case of wrong delivery, you must contact your local post office and return it as soon as possible.
Contact the USPS post office:
Sometimes, you may get a notification that the package has been delivered, but the recipient has not received the package. Don’t worry! It does not necessarily mean that your package has reached the wrong address. In most cases, after waiting for a day or two, you will receive the box without giving any extra effort.
However, you can always contact your local USPS post office if you face this kind of situation to be assured that your package is not moving here and there and they are in safe hands. You need to keep in mind that in the case of international deliveries, you have to contact the customs office instead of the USPS because once your parcel has reached some other country, USPS cannot get its details.
Conclusion
This is all you need to know about the USPS delivery to the wrong address. Be careful while writing the recipient’s address on the mail to avoid any mistake on your part as that will cost you a lot of effort and money to get back your lost parcel. USPS will help you retrieve your parcel whether it’s their fault or not.
So that’s it for today! We will be back with another fascinating and informational article that will help you know more about every aspect of the delivery services provided by the USPS. Thank you for reading!
FAQs on USPS delivered to wrong address
1. .Can you keep a misdelivered USPS package?
If you receive the wrong parcel, it is always advisable to get in touch with your local post office or the sender so that you can return the parcel and it can reach its actual recipient without any further delay.
2. Is it illegal to open someone else’s package?
Yes, it is illegal to open or make any changes in the package that are not addressed. If you intentionally open a package that is not sent to you, you are creating a hurdle in delivering the package to the correct recipient, which is against the law.
3. How often does USPS deliver to the wrong address?
USPS provides quality service to the users and generally does not deliver on a wrong address. However, sometimes there may be some human error, resulting in an incorrect landing of the mail. If it happens, USPS takes the responsibility of returning the parcel to the sender or the right receiver as soon as possible.