Where did it go?

Did your friend have insurance on the package?  Seems UPS includes some minimum coverage, perhaps $100.

Of course that wouldn't begin to replace the items but it might ease the loss.

I see little kids on bicycles checking for open car doors or windows, then they zip away.

Bruce, I hope your package comes home.

This country is falling apart.

Had a similar experience with USPS. Tracking said a package was "out for delivery" but at day's end there was no package. Tracking then said a signature was required and a note was left to this effect. No note was found.

The next day I talked to the mailman and he told me that he could not find the package on his truck and his choices of disposition on his tracking pad did not have this as an option so he chose one which was "close enough". I described the size of the expected package and asked him to look again and he found it. He apologized for the confusion and all ended well.

Maybe the driver is playing a similar game with you. Put a trace on it and it might be found.

Neil

A few years ago an electric bill never arrived which resulted in a small "penalty fee" the following month, and two bank statements got returned to the bank saying that I didn't live where I live.

Since then I sometimes get neighbor's mail and they get mine.

One night at midnight I got a phone call from a woman in some other state who was sure she had the right number and didn't understand why I was answering the phone when she expected someone else.

Maybe we got switched at birth and grew up in strange families.

Well, here in good ol' Bovey, the town is SO small (How small is it?) That we don't even have mail delivery EVERYTHING goes to a PO box at the post office (which is supplied to residents for free).  So, of course mail order companies insist on using UPS or FedEx, etc and need the street address (even though my creditr card billing address is the PO box so orders usually require both). Anyway...

Last Chiristmas I had ordered three rather expensive gift items for my adult children.  Two were coming via FedEx and one was coming via UPS.  The Fed Ex packaged showed "delivered" on the tracking on line, but no packages. Since this is Bovey, small town USA, I got a phone call "Hi, this is Gary down the street -- I came home from work tonight and found two packages addressed to you in my front entry.  You wanna come down and get 'em?" Yup, two Christmas gifts deliverd to the wrong house.  The boxes were clearly addressed "103 4th Ave"  and the house has a large "103" in dark brown on a nearly white background, right over the front door. But then it said #561 (our box number). Apparently he decided building 103 must be at the other corner of the block, as 561 had to have been an apartment, and that's multi unit building. the apartments there are marked A, B, C, D, and E. Near as we can guess he decided since it must be an apartment building, that's where it must go.

The UPS package, the following day also said it was delivered and the tracking said it was "left at the back door". We don't have a back door. No package was found. Called. Driver insisted it was delivered and was left at the back door.  Finally found it.  One block over, at the same house number except on the wrong street, and left at the back door.  Of a vacant house.  Where he had to walk through three feet of unshoveled snow to get to the door.

Here's what I hate. People and companies who won't mail to PO boxes. Now, I know some companies are contracted with UPS or FedEx or whoever, and they claim "UPS does not ship to PO boxes"  But they are QUITE wrong. Ups actually contracts with the post office (so does FedEx) for what they call "last mile delivery". they both deliver packages to the post office to then be delivered to the final destination. Especially in rural areas, because it's cheaper for them to pay the post office to take packages out when they're going to all the addresses anyway, than for UPS/FedEx to make a special run into the sticks where they may only have a couple stops to  make.  So both these companies stop at the PO and drop off packages for people with PO boxes. then they are delivered by the post office and not the specified carrier.  What this does is add at LEAST a day to the shipping time, sometimes more, depending on where the transfer to the postal system takes place. If you're PO box isn't inclued on the UPS/Fedex box, they have to look it up to get it to you. or like here, the postmaster knows everyone, and knows where their box is.  But SOME packages actually get delivered to the house by UPS etc. I've actually had UPS bring me a package to the house, then later in the day leave a package at the post office for me, because that particular box was contracted for the PO final delivery option. He could have left it with me when he was here, but instead it rode around with him all day, till he dropped it off at the post office half a block from my house. 

the whole system is completely screwed up.

I HATe people who won't ship to a PO box. Like its not safe or something.  They'd rather have UPS leave it in a snowbank, or FedEx leave it at the wrong house, than thip to a PO box.  When you ship to a PO box, it goes to the post office and STAYS there until the box owner comes to pick it up. it's safe inside. The box holder gets a slip to pick it up at the window. If it needs to be signed for, he's already there, rather than getting a note at home that he has to go to the PO. the package remains secure until it's in the hands of the addressee. You can't get a PO box without proving you are who you are, and that you do in fact have a legitimate, real street address.  There is no more secure way to receive a package than to a post office box, located in a post office. I hate ebay sellers who use priority mail, but then won't ship to my PO box. Stupidest thing ever. Instead they choose unsecured UPS or FedEx. Incidentally, priority mail is nearly ALWAYS cheaper and FASTER than UPS ground. Except for some large or heavy items. I've been a very active ebay seller for nearly 20 years, and am also a very active buyer, both on ebay and mail order (you kinda have to be when you live in a town of 600 people) and USPS, delivered to my PO box, has been as close to perfect as you can get.  The others are a crap shoot.

TIB

The end receiver of the package has to sign so a record is with them and can be seen online also that the package was delivered to someone....they can't just leave it on a porch. If they come twice and no answer they leave a note where to pick up and ID and a signature is needed. Someone received your parcel.

Mark