First...just about everything I send via USPS gets a tracking number. A little letter with a simple stamp doesn't, but if it's important, I ask the counter people to put tracking info. It's cheap.

A few months back someone sent me parts from Canada via USPS. I'm in NE IL. You can track from home almost immediately. I saw package sitting in NY. I asked our local postmaster for help & she did. She said the computer read the zip code (hand written) wrong according to the computer read. The package thought it was in the correct zip code but couldn't find a town by the name of Chebanse in NY, or probably no where else. Luckily the shipper was one of those guys that covers all bases. He had sent me cell phone photos of the pkg just as he handed it to the PO folks up by him. My zip code was very legible & there was no mistaking the numerals. Also, the entire address was extremely legible, but hand written. Our postmaster called the PO in NY & asked them to get the pkg to us ASAP. I had the pkg 2 days later.

Sometimes there are problems, but luckily the USPS folks I deal with are quick to admit that & utilize the human element for corrections. Of course, I'm from the era prior to zip codes & I wonder quicker attention wasn't drawn to the fact that Chebanse IL is not anywhere close to a PO in the state of NY.