As part of the United States Postal Service’s “Missing and Lost Mail” process, the USPS has a Mail Recovery Center that collects undeliverable mail that wasn’t able to be returned to the sender. Each parcel that the MRC receives is cataloged so that future “Missing Mail” searches can be assisted. However, unclaimed mail pieces may eventually be auctioned.
About USPS
To maintain the postal service in the United States, including its insular areas and associated states, the United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the federal executive branch of the United States federal government.
What was the reason for the USPS mail recovery center receiving your package?
Packages that end up in the USPS MRC are most often there because USPS was unable to deliver them to the recipient, or return them to the sender. Although the Postal Service makes a valiant effort to deliver your packages, after a few failed attempts, it is left with little choice but to send the package back to the sender.
However, the issue arises when the label is damaged during shipping or if it comes off during the shipping process. Therefore, it’s extremely important to write that pertinent information directly on the packaging and not rely only on printed labels. The USPS tracking may say “Dead Mail/Sent to MRC” at some point after you notice your package has not arrived.
About USPS mail recovery center
As the fate of parcels when they cannot be delivered or returned to sender is unknown, USPS has set up a Mail Recovery Center, formerly known as Dead Mail. Some items do end up going up for auction on GovDeals including some items that go up for auction via GovDeals, but a descriptive Missing Mail Search claim increases the probability that your parcel will eventually make it to you.
Where is the US Postal Service Mail Recovery Center located?
As the map shows, the area is not marked from the highway, which will likely discourage people from strolling since it is a pretty unassuming area. Research indicates that the full address is 5345 Fulton Industrial Blvd, SW Atlanta, GA 30378.
MRC was the subject of a story by Local 12 of Cincinnati in 2019 which revealed the MRC operations were shrouded in mystery and secrecy.
A military base-like security structure protects MRC and its partner, GovDeals. A military base would have something similar to this, according to the article’s author. Therefore, if you’re in the Atlanta area and were anticipating going to pick up a lost package, that will not be possible. Instead, you’ll have to follow the proper channels as well.
USPS Mail Recovery Center: What Does It Do?
The MRC sorts mailpieces after they arrive. Packages that were incorrectly delivered to the MRC are immediately identified by the sorting system.
In those cases where the items were sent to the Murfreesboro Reconnaissance Center (MRC), the facility opens the items to try and identify any further details about the sender and recipient. If adequate information can be gathered from the contents, the MRC will send the items back for delivery. In other cases, the staff conducts a thorough inventory of the contents so as to determine if the contents are eligible for Missing Mail claims or how much value they have.
Additionally, USPS holds missing parcels that have sentimental value or are worth 25 dollars or more for at least 30 days if they are claimed by someone. As soon as the two-week waiting period is over, get your Missing Mail claim in as soon as possible. In the case of items that are deemed to be unclaimed by MRC, then MRC will have one of three options; destroy, recycle, or auction the items.
U.S. Postal Service sells unclaimed parcels through GovDeals.com in an auction-style marketplace.
What Is The Process For Receiving Packages From USPS Mail Recover Center?
When initiating a Missing Mail Search, you need to provide as much information as possible about the package’s physical characteristics and content in order to be able to obtain it from the US Postal Service MRC. Ideally, this should occur after you have submitted a Help Request Form at your local post office, but it has not been returned. MRC employees who took the inventory of your package performed the same action when they performed the inventory of your package on the other side.USPS should be able to make a match if your descriptions were as detailed as possible.
It is likely that you, as the recipient, will have less information than the sender, so you will probably need to ask them for assistance in providing the information. Moreover, you may opt to forward the Missing Mail Search claim to the sender in order to allow the person who saw, touched, or packaged up the parcel to deal with any questions.
Conclusion
Known formerly as the Dead Mail Recovery Center, the USPS Mail Recovery Center is where parcels are sent when they cannot be delivered or returned to the sender due to circumstances beyond their control. There is the possibility that the item may end up being auctioned off on GovDeals, but the likelihood of your parcel being returned to you is considerably improved by a descriptive Missing Mail Search claim.
Frequently asked questions
How does USPS handle unclaimed mail?
If an unclaimed Postal Service package has not been claimed within 90 days, it is likely that it will be sold through GovDeals, a company that contracts with the US Postal Service to sell unclaimed parcels. It may be possible to sell items in lots as opposed to individually, which would end up leaving you with a lot more stuff to sort through, resell, or donate.
