In the current age of global shipping and eCommerce, very few tracking updates are as frustrating to receive as the “return to sender” status update.
Whether you are sending a parcel to your family member or an online retailer shipping out orders to customers, understanding what “return to sender” status means and knowing what you can do to prevent the situation is important.
This article will explore what “return to sender” means, its importance for recipients and senders, and the process to follow when navigating the situation.
Understanding “Return to Sender”
Return to Sender (RTS) is a status notification you receive from courier or postal services when an undelivered parcel or shipment is being returned to the origin.
“Return to Sender” stamps should not be confused with product return requests initiated by customers.
The courier company is the party that marks a package as “return to sender” if there are issues in the door-to-door delivery process.
Popular carrier service providers in Australia and around the world have highly specific policies to deal with undeliverable packages. These policies often vary based on the local laws, service class, and whether a return address is specified on the package.
Several reasons (some of which we will discuss in the next section) can result in the failure to deliver your shipment or your package getting returned to you. This process is generally navigated through the carrier network, and in case the return address is unclear or missing, carriers will hold onto the item for a specific duration before disposing of it.
The period for which your item will be held in storage might vary from carrier to carrier, so you should check the duration associated with your chosen shipping service provider.
4 Common Reasons Causing “Return to Sender”
Now that we have an overview of what “return to sender” status actually means, we must familiarise ourselves with some of the common reasons causing it, so that you can avoid the scenario in the first place.
Here are the primary reasons you should be wary of:
1. Incorrect or Incomplete Address
If you send the wrong items to the wrong recipient or deliver them to the wrong address, you will end up dealing with failed deliveries.
Whether you have misspelled the street names or missed mentioning your apartment number, if your parcel recipient cannot be traced based on the mentioned address, there’s going to be an RTS.
Remember, manual data entry or physical labels for addresses on shipments is a leading cause of return-causing errors.
2. Recipient Rejection or Unavailability
Another common reason for packages or shipments getting marked as RTS is rejection or unavailability of the receiver.
Depending on the contents of your package or regulations associated with it, your recipient may need to sign off on the delivery or collect it in person.
However, if they repeatedly miss the delivery or refuse a shipment, the item will be marked as RTS and sent back to the sender.
Over 30% returned packages end up in this situation because they could not be delivered even after multiple attempts.
For parcels requiring collection (carded items), carriers can mark them as RTS if they go unclaimed after the holding period. For parcels with ‘authority to leave’, RTS can still occur if delivery can’t be completed safely.
The carrier company is likely to hold on to the package for a short holding period before triggering the RTS on mail and sending it back.
3. Unpaid Postage or Customs Issues
You can get everything right, but if you navigate the customs or posting process incorrectly, your package might be sent back after a certain point.
Assuming the sender underpays the postage, or customs duties are pending, the carrier is may interrupt the process and halt your delivery management.
In most cases, such issues can almost always lead to your packaging getting automatically marked as RTS.
Such issues can especially threaten your international parcels, as they are dependent on the customs forms, and if anything is missing or improper, you can end up with a lot of delivery-disrupting issues.
4. Damage or Prohibited Items
Even if your package goes through the whole shipping process smoothly, if the shipment is damaged, it might be returned to the sender.
Additionally, if your package contains prohibited or restricted items such as lithium batteries (and certain liquids, aerosols, or dangerous goods depending on the service) or if they are flagged by security due to any other reason, the carrier might return the package to the sender for safety compliance.
Note: Bear in mind that you must address the prohibited or damaged item promptly to avoid unnecessary hassles or confiscation.
What to Do If Your Parcel is Returned to Sender?
Your package getting marked as “return to sender” is only the beginning of a long process and can leave you with pertinent questions about the costs, timeline, and the next steps.
When you are shipping your package back to the origin, there are specific implications for the sender and the recipient, such as:
Implications for the Sender
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Additional Costs: Regardless of the reasons that cause your package to be marked as RTS, the sender might incur additional costs. These additional costs generally include return shipping charges, additional processing charges, or the original shipment value in certain cases, depending on the return policies.
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Delays: When a package is returned to the sender in the middle of the shipping process, it can take a few days or weeks to reach, depending on the distance to be covered. This is especially applicable for international packages where customs is involved.
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Reputational Impact: While certain packages getting marked as RTS is unavoidable, frequent events can hurt your business reputation and even cost customer loyalty.
Implications for the Recipient
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Missed Deliveries: When a package is marked RTS, the recipient may never receive it again, and especially on time, causing a lot of drops in customer satisfaction levels.
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Refund Delays: Recipients who did not receive their orders on time can end up waiting a long time for their refunds or exchanges to be processed. As a result, it can disrupt the overall buying experience.
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Extra Fees: In some cases, if the RTS package has to be resent, the recipient may need to pay additional shipping or customs charges.
4-Step to Navigate A Typical “Return to Sender” Situation
Now that we are on the same page about the meaning and implications of marking a package as “return to sender”, let us delve deeper into the process associated with it. As a sender, if you end up in a situation where your package is marked RTS, here are the steps you should follow:
1. Identify the Reason Behind the Status
When a shipment is marked RTS, most carriers will also mention the reason behind designating it as that, when returning it to the sender.
Ensure that you can identify the reason behind the status in the tracking updates or carrier notifications.
For instance, if your package was returned due to an incomplete delivery address, the package is likely to be marked as RTS - Address Incomplete in the update.
As a sender or recipient, you can also contact the carrier directly to get more information about the shipping process or the RTS. Be prepared for the carrier’s response, as they may require an inquiry before releasing enough information.
2. Notify the Sender/Recipient
As a sender, you must inform the recipient about the RTS, or vice versa. This is especially important when you are dealing with refunds or replacements.
If you are an eCommerce company or an online retailer, you should also proactively monitor your shipping dashboards, track your RTS updates, and issue prompt alerts to buyers. Either way, both parties should know about the exact status of the package at all times.
3. Figure Out What Happens to the Package
In most cases, a package marked as RTS is returned to the sender’s address. However, if the address is missing or incomplete, it will be held by the carrier for a specific holding duration.
They hold the right to discard the package after the holding window is over. However, the handling process may vary based on the shipping carrier’s return policies and international rules for retail returns.
4. Learn About The Expected Delivery Timeline
The whole process of a package getting marked as RTS and delivered back to the sender can be straightforward, but time-consuming.
As a result, some RTS shipments can take as long as the original outbound journey, and even longer in case of backlog or customs.
In such cases, senders must track the package to confirm its return and inspect the RTS package thoroughly before issuing a refund or replacement.
3 Actionable Ways to Prevent Return to Sender Issues
We have now covered the basics of returning a package to the sender, and the reasons that lead up to that situation.
With that in mind, here are a few actionable ways to prevent any kind of “return to sender” spell or issues:
1. Accurate Addressing and Labeling
You must always double-check the sender and recipient addresses thoroughly before you move it forward in the shipping process.
If you deal with large post or package volumes, consider implementing address validation tools for all your online orders.
You can also use automated labelling systems when possible, to eliminate human errors in written or typed addresses, as it is a top RTS driver. If you are dealing with international shipments, you must comply with the local address format to avoid failed deliveries.
2. Ensuring Recipient Availability
Most carrier companies will have the sender mention the contact details of both parties on the package.
When the package is already in the destination city, some carriers may call and confirm whether the recipient is available at the destination location.
Additionally, you, as a sender, can monitor the tracking updates and inform the recipient, especially for signature-required shipments.
Some companies even offer delivery time slot selection features or the option to pick up the package from a secure locker. In case you are dealing with a regular sender or address that has recurring RTS, you must address the issue with the sender and confirm all the details.
3. Pay Taxes, Duties, or Fees in Advance
To ensure a seamless shipping and delivery process, you must proactively communicate potential duty and customs fees to recipients.
Doing so will help you decrease the odds of a refused delivery or miscommunication. You may also opt to pay all your customs and duties-related fees with DDP (Delivery Duties Paid) services in advance (if available) to successfully avoid any customs-related delays.
Concluding Remarks
Your packages getting marked as “return to sender” is an aggravating but avoidable setback in the modern shipping process.
By ensuring meticulous data entry, validation, delivery communication, and addressing customs and duty issues in advance, you can reduce the risk of having to return mail to sender.
Whether you are an individual or a business, you must identify the root of RTS to build trust among customers and elevate the delivery experience.
Get a quote from PACK & SEND to get timely updates from a reliable and experienced carrier when shipping packages for your business or personal requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How does “Return to Sender” happen for courier deliveries?
A courier shipment is usually marked “Return to Sender” when the carrier can’t complete delivery — for example due to an incorrect or incomplete address, failed delivery attempts, recipient refusal, unpaid duties/taxes, or restricted/prohibited contents. In these cases, the carrier initiates the return and sends the shipment back to the sender’s return address based on their undeliverable-item policy.
2. If a package is returned to the sender, can you resend?
Yes. Once the package is returned to the sender, they can fix the issue that caused the return in the first place and send it right back to the recipient by registering it as a fresh shipment. Some courier companies may also call the sender to understand and resolve the issue on their end before re-initiating the shipment process.
3. How to return mail to the sender?
Once a package or mail is marked as “return to sender”, it is sent back to the shipper’s address registered when lodging the shipment.
4. How long does return to sender take?
Depending on whether your shipment or mail is international or domestic it can take between a couple of days and to couple of weeks for your returned parcel to reach the shipper or sender.
5. Does return to sender cost money?
In most cases, returning the mail or package to the sender does not entail any additional compensation. However, in some cases, especially if it is an international shipment, marking a package as “return to sender” can cost money.
6. How to return a letter to the sender?
Whether it is a package or a letter, there are a wide range of reasons that can cause it to be returned to the sender. For any of these reasons, your package can be marked as “return to sender” and sent back.