A New Jersey resident was left frustrated after discovering that a package from their mother had allegedly been placed inside a shed on their driveway without any notification from USPS. The package, an Easter basket sent from Illinois roughly three weeks earlier, had gone unnoticed until the recipient eventually found it.
“Who knows how long it’s been there?” the recipient wrote while sharing their frustration on r/mildlyinfuriating, where the post quickly drew attention and sparked a lively discussion.
Posting under the username TheCaptainOfMistakes, the New Jersey homeowner said this was not the first time they had experienced USPS ignoring delivery instructions. “We have a mailbox. We have delivery instructions,” they wrote, emphasizing that they did not believe they were responsible for the problem.
Previously, TheCaptainOfMistakes explained that USPS couriers had left several deliveries—including time-sensitive food and medication—in hard-to-find locations. OP then expressed frustration that, despite clear instructions to leave packages at the front door, drivers frequently leave them almost anywhere else.
Commenters Questioned Why the Recipient Hadn’t Put up a Sign or Designated a Specific Bin
One Reddit commenter asked why the homeowner hadn’t posted a sign after encountering the same problem repeatedly. “Delivery drivers can’t read,” the OP replied in frustration. Another commenter offered a more practical suggestion: “Until you put a package bin in front of the shed, you’re going to keep dealing with this frustration.”
Several other Redditors shared similar stories about mail couriers “hiding” their packages in places they never would have thought to look. “One time they put a package behind a car in some bushes. Like, it was OUTRAGEOUS,” one person recalled. “Typical postal disservice,” another user sighed.
Drivers often do this to deter theft, but the lack of communication about the packages’ location has frustrated both TheCaptainOfMistakes and other commenters. One widely upvoted response recommended signing up for Informed Delivery through the USPS website, a service that allows recipients to track incoming packages and better anticipate when they will arrive.
When asked whether OP had reported the issue to USPS regarding their “hidden” deliveries, they explained: “We contacted the provider, and they essentially told us, ‘We don’t control the delivery service.’” Unfortunately, that response does not seem to have been what they were hoping for.
