About a month ago, I dropped a package of keycaps off with USPS to deliver to the United Kingdom.
In that time, tracking never updated from them accepting the package. I went to check on it today and while the local PO no longer has the package, USPS has lost-track of it completely. The local agent advised me to file a claim to prompt others in the chain to either look for the package or refund me; this is what happened when I did:
As much as I love the idea of the USPS as an institution, I can’t recommend using it, especially if you are sending something overseas. Apparently if they lose track of something mailed First Class International, that’s just that - it’s gone, there’s no recourse, no you cannot have your money back, no they will not look for it. 
Awesome. Now the keycaps are just gone, and I’m out the cost of shipping them into Oblivion.
Don’t be me, don’t use the USPS.
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Damn. That sucks! I’m sorry that happened to you.
Did the shipping cost include any insurance when you purchased it? If it did, I can’t imagine this would be an acceptable outcome.
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All the domestic shipments I’ve done have included some amount of insurance (and sometimes I’ve added more), but I’m not sure if this international one actually did or not - though I’m assuming at this point it did not. I’ll be going back to the PO tomorrow to see if I can get any more information.
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There might also be another form/process for dealing with international mail. Having almost had the reverse issue (something from the UK that seemingly got lost in the US on it’s way to me, but was found eventually), I remember the process seeming pretty convoluted – indeed, as the receiver, it turned out there was little I could do, as the sender seems to be the one that has to initiate the case.
Also I want to say inquiry isn’t the same thing as a package insurance claim? Hopefully your local PO can guide you better on what next steps are.
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Positive update on this; while USPS themselves were no help, (their official stance was “
hopefully it gets there”) I heard back from the recipient personally, and it turns out the package made it to the intended destination after all. USPS simply neglected to scan it at any point during the process and was subsequently unable to provide any information about what they did with the package after I left it with them.
I’m very relieved to find out the keys made it to their intended home, though I’ll still be avoiding using USPS, as I actually want to know with confidence what’s happening with packages I send, and to have international deliveries both ensured and insured. I take this as a lesson not to assume they treat international stuff the same as domestic when it comes to tracking and insurance.
If anyone is sending something internationally and prefers (or has) to use the USPS, I’d recommend avoiding “First Class” and only opting for something that explicitly includes the option of insurance and more active tracking.
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Never ship first class… Best option for UK and EU right now from USA is Fedex Connect. You can print labels through apps like shippo. Often cheaper than first class even.
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