Should USPS Priority always be tracked? I think it might be a liability otherwise.

I've been using DNMs since the early SR1 days. Many, many successful transactions. Only few failures were either international, or clearly the fault of the vendor (or both).

I have a couple of very safe drops I use for personal amounts. No fakes names, etc. (do not want to go into more specifics). The two drops are unconnected, except for they get mail from the same local USPS.

Between these two drops, in the last three weeks I have had three priority flat-rate boxes no show (from three different vendors). In talking with the vendors, I do not think I have been scammed. Though it is curious that none of them had any tracking info to provide me.

I'm going to burn these drops now; but it begs the question how (and if) the packages had been profiled for interception?

We have seen the guidelines before that they use to profile (express mail, handwritten addresses, no return address, etc.) but I feel those guidelines might be outdated. With the USPS's new emphasis on online postage ordering, and free tracking included with all priority mail, I wonder if priority packages WITHOUT tracking might stand out, and meet the USPS internal criteria for further investigation?

For now, I think I am going to start using vendors who promise to always attach a form 400 tracking label along with their metered or stamped postage. It might be the only compromise between printed (and therefore archived) postage labels, and a more-likely profiled package.


Comments


[1 Points] None:

Most reputable vendors to pay for tracking, but they will usually only check it if a dispute is filed with the market's support system, to protect both you and them.

Now that I think about it, I don't think there's any way you can get the flat rate priority boxes without shipping, but I might be wrong on that. I only have experience shipping legal stuff, so it's not something I've ever worried about.

Would you mind letting us know which vendors you used? And have you filed a dispute on any of them?


[1 Points] None:

what vendors?


[1 Points] None:

Tracking comes with priority shipping through USPS, so they either just didn't keep track of tracking numbers or lied about it being shipped priority.