If you are expecting a package to be delivered via UPS, you are sure to receive a ton of updates about its status. Out of all these, you might come across the most common “Your Item has been Accepted at a USPS Facility.”
Do you know what it means? Do you have to do something to get your package? Here, we have answered all your queries related to ‘Your Item has been Accepted at USPS.’
What does “Your Item has been Accepted at USPS Facility mean?”
“Your Item has been Accepted at USPS Facility” means that the shipper has successfully delivered your package to the USPS(United States Postal Service) and now it’s USPS’s responsibility to make the final delivery to the recipient’s address.
It usually means that the package has begun its journey to reach the recipient’s address via USPS. After acceptance, your package will be sorted, transported, and eventually out for the final delivery.
In the meantime, you will be provided with the tracking number that is associated with your package so that you can watch its progress and see updates on its location and estimated delivery date.
Also Read Processing at Destination USPS Meaning
Why does a Package Remain Stuck at the “Your Item has been Accepted at a USPS Facility” for So Long?
In a normal case scenario, the USPS begins with the process of sorting and transportation as soon as they accept the package. However, many people have complained that their tracking status remained stuck on the same “Accepted” Update for days without any further update.
To know more about the issue of why the Tracking status remains stuck on the “Your Item has been Accepted at a USPS Facility”. I have done extensive research and come across some of the most common reasons for this issue.
Bad Weather Conditions
This happens a lot when bad weather conditions like heavy downpours, hail storms, and severe hurricanes disrupt the entire chain of package transportation thereby resulting in delaying your package by a few days or a week.
Sometimes these courier companies reroute their package consignment to another nearby USPS facility so that as the weather clears up they can begin the process of delivering that package as soon as possible.
I know that it’s quite frustrating but trust me no one can do anything about it because when it comes to nature no one has control over it. All you can do is just wait for the weather to clear up so that the normal delivery process can resume and you can get your package.
The safety of the delivery person matters too so be patient for nature to do its magic and don’t panic.
High Volume of Packages
The other most common reason for your package to remain stuck at the “Your Item has been Accepted at a USPS Facility” is that the facility of USPS where your packages are being sorted and processed might be experiencing a heavy volume of packages.
This usually happens a lot during the time of festival sales or the holiday season when the entire USPS facility floods thousands of packages for processing with the limited staff. This results in long queues of packages waiting for days to get scanned and processed further.
When a USPS facility experiences a high volume of packages then it is sure that the delivery time of all the packages in that area(region) will be exceeded by 1-2 days. If some other issue also arises then it can stretch to a week.
The package missed a Scan
When processing thousands of packages every single day, there is a fair chance that a small size (sometimes a normal package) parcel can easily miss a scan. That can cause the tracking status to remain stuck on the ‘Item has been Accepted at USPS’ but in reality, your package has already reached the required regional distribution center of USPS for the final delivery.
This issue automatically gets fixed when your package gets scanned upon arriving at the required regional facility of USPS. But keep in mind, that sometimes this can cause your package to be sent to the wrong regional distribution center which in turn takes a few extra days to rectify the issue and send it back to the correct regional distribution center so that the final delivery can take place.
Mechanical Failure
Breaking down of delivery trucks and planes can also result in delays which further depends upon the severity of the damage. To make it worse, if you are living in a secluded part of the state(county) then you might have to wait of few weeks to receive your package for USPS.
Sometimes the delivery truck breaks down in the far remote section making it nearly impossible to fix the issue right there. To tackle the issue another delivery truck is sent to load up all the packages and get them delivered as soon as possible.
If the company is experiencing a shortage of drivers then congratulations(sarcasm) you are sure to get your package after a few weeks.
If the failure issue is minor then it can’t delay the delivery of the package as it can get fixed within a few hours or a day, but if some big has broken down(engine) then it causes a long delay in the delivery time of the packages.
Tracking Page wasn’t Updated
It doesn’t happen that often but it can also cause the tracking status to remain stuck at the “Accepted at USPS facility”. It mostly happens when the postal staff forgets to update the tracking page.
Some people have shared their stories on Reddit where they have mentioned that their tracking status directly changes from “Accepted at a USPS facility” to “Out for Delivery” without any update in between.
In these scenarios, the culprits of the issue are mostly the employees who somehow forget to update the tracking page which causes great stress to the customer as they might be confused that their package has been lost.
If your tracking page remains stuck for too long then you need to contact the USPS to get it resolved as soon as possible.
What You Should Do When My Package is Stuck on “Accepted at a USPS Facility?“
These are a few things that you can do when your package remains stuck on the “Accepted at a USPS Facility” update.
Wait for a Reasonable Timeframe
It’s okay to be concerned, but have some patience & allow at least 2-3 business days for initial processing, especially if the package was accepted on a weekend or holiday. The Delays are more likely to happen during the peak seasons or due to unforeseen circumstances like shortage of staff, mechanical failure, and bad weather conditions.
Track your Package Regularly
If your package seems to be stuck on the same update then you need to check the USPS tracking website or app for updates. Even if the status hasn’t changed, the tracking information might reveal additional details like the facility where the package is located or the next anticipated scan point for more information.
Contact USPS customer service
If there are no updates after 4-5 business days, then need to contact USPS customer service right away. Provide them with all the required information as they have access to more information about your package and they can tell you what’s wrong with your package.
If the package seems to be lost, then you can initiate a search request to locate it within the USPS network and get it delivered even after crossing the estimated delivery time.