Looking for an out-of-the-box way to liven up online shopping? Consider bidding on unclaimed mail and packages.
In the age of Amazon, odds are good that you've had a package get "lost in transit." It can happen for any number of reasons, with your precious parcel potentially getting misplaced during a handover between trucks, lost in a warehouse or maybe even held up because of an error in the shipping information.
While the intended recipient might shrug off this scenario as an annoyance and press the seller for a refund or replacement, that's not the end of the story for the original package they never received. As long as the items weren't lost at sea or stolen by bad actors, these unclaimed packages can be auctioned off by whichever entity is stuck with them, be it Amazon, a different online marketplace or the US Postal Service -- often for rock-bottom prices.
If you're intrigued by the possibility of finding treasures among these piles of lost goods, several sites will allow you to go hunting for deals or perhaps take a chance on the contents of a mystery box.
In 2021, the internet was abuzz with hype for videos on social media about buying unclaimed packages, with creators turning up choice finds like gift cards or pieces of name-brand apparel. Fast forward to 2024 and videos about buying lots of unclaimed mail or lost Amazon packages are still racking up millions of views on YouTube, further fueling the interest in this new-age online shopping treasure hunt.
For more, here's how to keep packages safe from porch pirates and our picks for the cheapest home security systems.
When do USPS and Amazon resell undelivered packages?
Both USPS and Amazon retain undelivered items for a period of time before designating them for resale, with the latter also taking steps to ensure the quality of the item first.
Under USPS policy, a lost or forgotten parcel can be sent off to auction if it hasn't been claimed within 90 days. For Amazon, the company similarly waits 90 days for a undelivered parcel to be claimed before sending it off for resale, but before that can be done, an employee must open the package and inspect the item, making sure it is in good enough condition to justify being sold again.
How to buy or bid on unclaimed mail packages online
For many unclaimed packages, you can do much of the work right from your home. Visit Liquidation.com, and you can choose which retailer you'd like to view products from, including Walmart, Target, Amazon, Home Depot, Overstock and Wayfair. This site operates on an auction format, prompting interested customers to place competing bids on the lots they want. Sites like this are also where retailers will send products that have been returned by customers, with multiple similar returned products frequently being bundled into lots and sold in bulk.
With some digging, you may be able to find desirable items at bargain rates. For example, one featured lot from the end of September included several Sony over-ear noise-canceling headphones that had been returned to an unnamed electronics retailers. With a total MSRP value of around $2,600, the top bid as of Sept. 25 was $286, a nearly 90% markdown. The only risk involved in the process for a lot like that one is the fact that none of the returned items have been tested, so you're out of luck if any are defective.
For packages or items retained by the postal service, check out GovDeals.com, which handles a variety of government surplus resales. This includes consumer goods that might have gotten turned around in the mail, like clothing, beauty products, sports equipment or video games. You can also find items that fall into a whole load of other categories pulled from other government agencies, allowing people with deeper pockets to bid on farming equipment, aircraft or even garbage trucks.
The viral nature of these unclaimed mail lots has also led to the creation of FunDelivered.com. With its colorful site design and motto "A Little Fun Never Hurt Anyone," FunDelivered taps into the thrill of taking a gamble on these lost packages, exclusively selling customers "mystery boxes" full of unclaimed items. The store restocks with new bundles every Friday at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT).
Try buying these unclaimed mail items in-person
If you'd rather see items in person, check for unclaimed package at a local swap meet. Swap Madness allows you to browse vendors that might potentially have these items for sale, broken down by state and city. These listings are not a guarantee that you'll find an unclaimed package sale at any given time, so it's advised that you call ahead to find out before heading over to one.
For more, check out our guide to making shopping lists with Google Home and what you need to know about the next Amazon Prime Day.
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