A very high percentage of shipments that are lost are due to the shipping label coming off the package. This is especially true for duffel bags, plastic bins, or suitcases. When the package is found to have no label, the package is shipped to location called Overgoods. There is typically one for every country.
The Overgoods department will open the package, take photos of the content, and create a detailed description so that they can easily search for it within their database.
Traces (aka. investigations) can take the carrier up to 8 business days to perform. Throughout these days, the carrier will attempt to do a number of things from contacting the recipient (this is the first thing they do), to checking the warehouses for the package(s), and checking their Overgoods department multiple times. Sometimes it takes up to the 8th business day for the package to be found because when it is shipped to Overgoods, it is done by ground service so it can take 5 business days to reach this department. It also takes a bit of time for the department to receive and catalog the items within their system. When packages travel to international locations (ei. Canada to US), they may have to check the Canadian Overgoods department as well as the US Overgoods department.
So what do you do?
You will need to ask Secureship to start a trace with the carrier. To do so, we need the following two things:
1. Provide the receiver's daytime phone number.
This can be their work phone with extension number, cellphone number, or best number for the carrier to contact the recipient of the package. If the carrier is unable to get a hold of the customer, this will stall the investigation.
2. Provide a detailed description of the package and its contents.
We can't stress how crucial this is. A bland description such as "23 Inch Monitor" can come back with 300 returned results and the carrier telling you, we're unable to locate the package (because they can't say without a doubt that this is your package).
Look for anything unique that can be used to describe the contents of your package - a logo, business card, customer invoice, check amount, serial number, exact make and model of your item, colors of your items, packaging material, etc. Anything that will help locate your package if you were searching for it in a database of lost items.
3. Provide the value of each item within the lost package.
Please be as accurate as possible on this. The carrier always asks for proof of value.
Note: As a best practice, you should include a spare shipping label inside your packages. Make sure to write VOID on the spare label!
Secureship will then start a trace with the carrier and keep you posted on the outcome of the investigation.
