Let’s go over three common USPS statuses involving the addressee, or the person receiving the shipment.
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Tips for International Statuses
Some of these statuses are for international shipments.
For more accurate tracking information, check the local country’s postal service.
For example, if the recipient is in Ireland, use the An Post site to track the package.
Alternatively, use an all-in-one tracking site like Parcels to find the associated country’s postal service tracking.
Be proactive with automatic shipment issue notifications. Have all of your shipments automatically imported into ShipAware from your online stores and shipping platforms.
Addressee not available (international)
This status is often accompanied by the phrase ‘Scheduled for another delivery attempt today’ or the phrase ‘Will attempt delivery on next working day’.
You see this USPS status when you or the recipient are not available for delivery. This could be due to the shipment requiring a signature.
Fortunately, the local postal service will let you know what to do next. The package is usually held at the local PO, designated on the slip left by the carrier.
Remember to check the country’s local postal service for more detailed tracking rather than usps.com.
Contact the recipient if they do not receive the package after the first or second delivery attempt (depending on the tracking details) to prevent the package from being held indefinitely or returned to sender. The example below shows why this is important:
Addressee Being Notified (International)
The addressee being notified status usually results from a failed delivery attempt. Here’s an example and an illustration of how the local country’s postal service offers more information on their tracking pages than USPS:
USPS tracking:
Canada Post tracking:
If you do not receive a slip with instructions
Call the local postal office, since the package may still be there for a few days before it’s returned to sender.
Unpaid Charges
Sometimes the recipient owes duties, taxes, or other fees if it’s a higher value order. The local postal service holds the package until fees are paid.
Addressee Unknown
This status is caused by a variety of reasons.
The recipient moved
This results in the ‘Moved, left no address’ status and the package is returned to sender.
Incorrect Address
The sender or recipient may have provided an incorrect address. Google the address to see if it’s correct.
New Construction
If the address is in a new development, it may not be in USPS’s system yet. In this case, contact your local jurisdiction (not USPS) to make your new construction address official.
It could be a glitch or a carrier planning to deliver tomorrow
Sometimes a USPS glitch results in many packages being marked as addressee unknown.
Contact Your Local Post Office
If all else fails, contact your local post office (or the addressee’s local PO) to see why the address is unknown.
Let addressees know when there’s an issue
If you’re waiting for customers to contact you after a missed delivery, there’s a better way.
Send automatic customer notifications when there’s a delivery issue by using ShipAware. You can opt to have the same notification delivered to your email:
Or, if you’re a recipient, utilize ShipAware’s free plan to enter important shipments and receive notifications for shipping issues and if shipments are running late.