How to buy unclaimed packages and discover hidden gems (2024)

FAQs

Can you buy unclaimed mail from the USPS? ›

If an item is lost or unclaimed for 90 days through the United States Postal Service, it may be auctioned off on GovDeals. This site works with the USPS to claim and sell unclaimed mail. You'll most likely have to pick up whatever you buy though and packages may be sold in lots. GovDeals is like eBay for governments.

One of the primary avenues for buying lost packages is through auctions and liquidation sales. Courier companies and postal services often auction off unclaimed parcels to recoup some of their losses.

Yes, you can legally buy unclaimed Amazon packages.

USPS also sells off or gives away some of their unclaimed packages that aren't picked up within 60 days by the intended recipient.

The allure of unclaimed packages is the possibility of striking gold. However, it's best to adjust your expectations. It's likely these packages contain everyday items. While there's a chance you might find something valuable or unique, it's just as likely you'll end up with something mundane.

The MRC is the Postal Service's “lost and found” department, serving a vital customer service role by processing undeliverable and lost items. The MRC receives items deemed “undeliverable” from Postal Service facilities throughout the country, including post offices, delivery units, and distribution centers.

Can I get a parcel delivered to a Post Office branch? Look for retailers that offer the Royal Mail Local Collect option. You can then choose to have your item delivered direct to one of 10,500 Post Office branches that offer the Local Collect service. Find one near you with our branch finder.

Use a package receiving service

If you are wondering how to get a package without an address, a package receiving service can be a great solution. These services offer a physical street address where you can have your parcels delivered, and they will hold onto them until you are ready to pick them up.

Amazon return pallets generally cost between $300 and $400. However, prices can fluctuate above or below this range depending on the size and contents of the package. The specific types of items included significantly influence the total cost.

What happens with unclaimed packages? ›

Auction or Disposal of Unclaimed Packages

If the rightful owner does not claim a package sent through the USPS, the contents of the package are then sometimes sold by auction.

Amazon's mailers can be thrown right into your curbside recycling bin—just like a cardboard box and other paper products.

Final thoughts. Selling Amazon Return Pallets can indeed be profitable, but it's important to remember that it also comes with its share of risks. If you're lucky, you may get a pallet full of items prime for reselling, or you may get stuck with a pallet full of broken and defective items.

Amazon will refund the cost of your stolen item, and they'll even send you a replacement if it was damaged or broken (if the merchant is still in business). It can help you catch the thief. If you work with the police, they may be able to track down where your stolen item ended up and who was selling it.

When packages from Amazon or USPS go unclaimed, the unclaimed items are auctioned off by the postal service in bulk. The auction buyers then resell the unopened boxes individually and in return, shoppers receive a mysterious gift that was once destined for someone else, but never made it.

Mailpieces are scanned and those that are determined to contain items of value are opened in an attempt to identify an address where the piece can be forwarded or returned. The Mail Recovery Center (MRC) is the U.S. Postal Service's official “lost and found” department for undeliverable and non-returnable mail.

These facilities are now known as mail recovery centers (MRC). Other former names include the dead letter branch and the dead parcel branch. The USPS mail recovery center is located in Atlanta, Georgia.

If a Postal Service package hasn't been claimed within 90 days, it'll likely be auctioned on GovDeals, a company the US Postal Services contracts with to sell unclaimed items. Items could be sold in lots, rather than individually — so you may wind up with a bunch more stuff to sift through, resell or donate.

But sometimes all efforts fail and after 90 days the bags and boxes are auctioned off in bulk by the postal service. Many of the packages are bought in pallets by GovDeals.com or Liquidation.com.