920 Inquiries and Claims

921 Inquiries

921.1 Definition

“Inquiry” is a general term that includes:

Requests concerning the disposition of an item mailed to or from a foreign country.
Complaints or reports concerning the loss, damage, missing contents, or improper delivery or return of an item mailed to or from a foreign country.

921.2 Initiating an Inquiry

Inquiries can be initiated for Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) items, Priority Mail Express International items, Priority Mail International items, and registered items. Inquiries are not accepted for ordinary letters or M-bags. Customers must wait a reasonable amount of time for an international item to be delivered in the foreign country before initiating an inquiry. Customers must initiate inquiries within the time limits in Exhibit 921.2.

Exhibit 921.2

Time Limits for Inquiries

Product or Extra Service	Who	When to File an Inquiry (from mailing date)
Product or Extra Service	Who	No Sooner Than	No Later Than
Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) ¹	U.S. Sender Only	3 days 2	30 days
Priority Mail Express International	U.S. Sender Only	3 days 2	90 days
Priority Mail Express International With Money-Back Guarantee ³	U.S. Sender Only	3 days 2	30 days
Priority Mail International or Registered Mail	Sender or Addressee ⁴	7 days	6 months

The Postal Service does not process online inquiries and claims for Global Express Guaranteed service. To initiate a claim, call 800-222-1811.

No sooner than 3 days or the scheduled date of delivery.

For a list of participating countries, refer to 221.2.

Only the U.S. sender can initiate an online inquiry.

921.3 How to Initiate an Inquiry

To initiate an International Inquiry Online at usps.com/help/claims.htm, the customer must be the U.S. sender and a registered usps.com account holder — U.S. senders without a registered usps.com account must create an account at the beginning of the online inquiry process (see 921.41). Also, the customer must do the following:

Create an International Inquiry Online within the time limits listed in Exhibit 921.2.
Provide information regarding the mailing, including but not limited to the following:

The USPS Tracking number that appears on the receipt.
The sender’s name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number.
The addressee’s name and mailing address.
The addressee’s email address and telephone number, if available.
The date of the mailing, weight, postage paid, and additional fees (if applicable).
A description of the contents.
Evidence of mailing.
Evidence of value.

921.32 Telephone Inquiry

To start the inquiry process by telephone (see 921.42), the customer must be the U.S. sender. Also, the customer must do the following:

Call 800-222-1811 within the time limits listed in Exhibit 921.2.
Provide information regarding the mailing, including but not limited to the following:

The USPS Tracking number that appears on the receipt.
The sender’s name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number.
The addressee’s name and mailing address.
The addressee’s email address and telephone number, if available.
The date of the mailing, weight, postage paid, and additional fees (if applicable).
A description of the contents and its value.

921.4 Inquiry Process

921.41 Online Inquiry Process

After the Postal Service customer provides the relevant mailing information and documentation online, the following occurs:

The International Research Group corresponds with the appropriate foreign post and advises the customer of the results by updating the customer’s online inquiry. For inquiries on Priority Mail International items or Registered Mail items, customers must allow foreign posts approximately 60 days to research and respond to the International Research Group.
When the International Research Group determines that an inquiry is eligible for a claim, it changes the claim status to “Claim Sent for Review” and emails the customer a notification of a change in claim status.
After the International Research Group notifies the customer, the Accounting Service Center begins the claims process.

921.42 Telephone Inquiry Process

After the Postal Service customer provides the relevant mailing information by telephone, the following occurs:

The International Research Group corresponds with the appropriate foreign post and advises the customer of the results of the inquiry. For inquiries on Priority Mail International items or Registered Mail items, customers must allow foreign posts approximately 60 days to research and respond to the International Research Group.
When the International Research Group determines that an inquiry is eligible for a claim, it mails a claim packet to the customer. The packet includes a letter of instruction on how to complete and submit the claim by mail.
After the Accounting Service Center receives the completed claim packet, the claims process begins.

921.5 General Procedures

921.51 Nondelivery

The U.S. Postal Service will initiate an inquiry within the timeframes specified in 921.2 with the destination postal administration in any case involving a Priority Mail Express International item, a registered item, or a Priority Mail International item that has not been delivered. Inquiries are not accepted for ordinary letters or M-bags. For nondelivery of Global Express Guaranteed shipments, see 212.46.

921.52 Return Receipts Improperly Completed or Not Received

If the sender receives an improperly completed return receipt (see 341 for completion at destination) or if a return receipt is not received, the sender may go to any Post Office and request a refund of the return receipt extra service fee. If the sender wants to inquire about the delivery of the article, the sender must call 800-222-1811 to initiate an inquiry (see 921.1).

921.53 Priority Mail Express International Items, Registered Mail Items, and Insured and Ordinary Parcels With Damaged or Missing Contents

Customers must go to a Post Office to report items that are damaged or are missing contents. Postal personnel should complete PS Form 673, Report of Rifled Parcel, in accordance with POM 169.3 or PS Form 2856, Damage Report of Insured Article and Contents, in accordance with POM 146.112 for international and/or domestic articles as applicable.