Receiving a “processing exception” update on the tracking status of your package can be confusing and quite annoying if you don’t know what it means. In this article, we have tried to cover everything related to USPS processing exceptions about why it happens what you can do to get it resolved, and how much delay it can cause during the package delivery.
What’s the Meaning of the USPS Processing Exception?
The update indicates that there are some interruptions in the delivery process of a package causing the package to get delayed beyond its expected delivery time. Processing exceptions can occur at any point during the whole journey of the package from the sender facility to the recipient’s address.
To be very simple and precise, It refers to an issue or delay that occurred during the processing of a male in the shipping carrier system. These are some common issues after USPS processing exceptions:
- Wrong address
- Damage labeling
- Issues with custom processing
- Bad weather conditions
- Unscannable bar codes
If you have received this update and there is nothing to worry about it’s just an update showing that your package might get delayed if the issue is not resolved within the required time frame.
Why does a Package get this Processing Exception update?
There can be a lot of reasons why a package gets the USPS processing exception update. These are the most common reasons:
Incomplete & Wrong Address
If the provided delivery address is incomplete, wrong, or has some minor errors such as incorrect street names, and zip codes then it can cause a delay in the routing and delivery of the package. If the initial delivery attempt of the package gets failed then the consignment might be put on hold until the correct delivery address is provided.
Unfavorable Weather Conditions
Unfavorable weather conditions such as snowfall, heavy downpours, flooding, tornadoes, and cyclones can also temporarily disrupt the transportation and delivery of packages. In such scenarios, recipients are only left with one choice which is to wait until the weather is cleared up.
Damage During Transportation
Sometimes packages can also get damaged while they are being transported to another shipping facility. If the party seems to be damaged or the content seems to be exposed then The shipping carrier might halt its delivery journey to evaluate the situation and do the right thing.
If the content of the package seems to be intact then the shipping carrier just changes the outer covering of the package and sends it to the recipient’s address for the final delivery.
Custom Delays
In the case of international shipments firstly they are required to go through customs to get a clearance before they make it to the recipient’s address. If somehow the important documentation is found to be missing or there is some issue with your package then the officials might seize or put your package on hold until all their queries are cleared.
Scanning Error
During the transit, if the barcode of your package has been damaged or unable to read due to excessive tempering then it can potentially delay the package. The carrier is required to contact the sender and fetch all the relevant details that are required for the delivery purpose.
High Volume of Packages
If the shipping carrier experiences a high volume of packages then it often creates long queues of packages that remain in their shipping facilities until all of them of processed and scanned further. If the facility is already piled up with thousands of packages then you might have to wait at least for a few days to see some progress in the tracking status of the package.
Common USPS Processing Exceptions
These are some of the most frequent processing exceptions and delivery scans that you can expect to see when the tracking status of the package.
- In Transit, Arriving late: The status is usually provided when the package has missed its expected delivery date and it may get delivered within one or two days.
- Delayed: It indicates that the package has been held up somewhere during its transit and it will be delayed than its expected delivery time.
- Available for Pickup: It means your package has been held at the local postal facility from where the response can retrieve it instead of being delivered. It usually happens when the initial delivery attempt of the package has failed.
- Arrived at Post Office: It indicates to recipients that the packages finally have arrived in their local delivery area and very soon the consignment will be delivered to their delivery address.
- Departed Shipping Facility: It’s usually the initial stage when the package finally departs from the shipping facility to reach the other nearby facility where it gets scanned in the carrier system and a tracking number is generated for the recipient to track their consignment.
How long does a package take to get delivered after the USPS processing exception?
In most of the processing exceptions, the package ends up getting delivered with a delay of only two to three days. However, the package may get stuck for longer, if there is any serious reason for the delay. Here’s a brief overview that will give you some idea about how long it actually takes.
- Wrong Delivery Address: More than a week.
- Damage Package: Depending upon the situation, it can easily take up to 2 weeks.
- Bad Weather: Depends upon the severity and how long it lasts.
- Barcode Tampered: A few days.
What To Do If My Package Has the Processing Exception?
- Have Some Patients: Be patient at least for a few days as most of the exception delays clear up on their own without doing anything. So allow at least two to three working days the issue may get resolved on its own.
- Reach out to USPS customer service: If a significant amount of time has passed and you have a notice or got any received from the shipping carrier, then it is a perfect time to contact the shipping carrier and ask them about the true status of your package.
- Request Redelivery: If somehow you have provided the wrong delivery address to the shipping carrier then you can still have a chance to get the package delivered. To resolve this issue the recipe needs to contact the shipping carrier provide the accurate delivery address and request a redelivery attempt.
- Open a Dispute: In case a package has been lost or damaged then you can open up a dispute or even file a claim to get the compensation. Mixradio provided all the details along with the evidence that the package content had been damaged or lost.
Can I Get a Refund for USPS Processing Exceptions?
Recipients can only get the refund for USPS processing exceptions if they are using the priority mail express service. In such scenarios, if the guaranteed delivery deadline has been missed by the shipping carrier due to processing exceptions then the residents are eligible for a postage refund.
If that’s the case with your package then you need to contact the USPS customer service and provide them the tracking number and all the information about the expected and the actual delivery date. The representative can submit a refund request on your behalf once the process is initiated the eligible user should get the refund within 30 days of reporting.