According to the oxford dictionary, auction means to publicly sell goods or property that are of high value, precious or rare. So, when we talk about USPS auctions taking place one could have that the same, right? But no, USPS auctions are held for the parcels and the mails that haven’t been delivered or received to a righteous person. Or the mails that are just unclaimed.

Process of USPS auctions: –

The auctions for unclaimed or lost items that have been there in the agency’s mail recovery centre for the last ninety days are held.  The auction is held at a government website – GovDeals. com. For the auction to take place the agency should be confirmed that there are no active searches for missing mails. The item to be auctioned must have a value of twenty-five dollars minimum. Otherwise, the item will not be auctioned and thrown away.  The lost or the unclaimed item which is set up for the auction should be in a great position. No mishap of the item should be acclaimed. To bid, you need to sign up on the governmental site and once you win your item, you can make the payment through PayPal. The transfer of your bidding money, which is more than five thousand dollars, needs to be sent through a wire transfer within five days. To collect your own item, you need to schedule an appointment for your pickup and transport service of the item.  There is no return or refund policy applicable once you have won the bid.  In case of any displeasing experience with the item, the government is not responsible.

Classes of USPS mailing services: –

In all, there are six classes to USPS mailing services. According to your priority of delivery of your parcel or mail reaching on the other end, you can choose any of these. These can be decided based on the size and weight of your parcel too. The prices and speed vary according to the class of service you choose.

Priority mail expressPriority mailFirst-class mailPeriodicalsUSPS marketing mailPackage service and USPS retail groundAnd still, you are not sure which class to use as your mailing service, you can send it through an additional class – the business mail entry unit.

Conclusion: –

USPS is a governmental postal service and it may happen that many times, parcels may get lost, not be able to reach the address they were supposed to, the address may come off the stamp, or any other reasons.

United States Postal Service (USPS) auctions are held when unclaimed parcels or mails are kept at Mail Recovery Center (MRC) for more than ninety days, the items are displayed on the government’s website GovDeals.com for auctions. The items should be valuable and should be more than twenty-five dollars or more of the price is also kept in mind before they are displayed for the auction.

Frequently asked questions: –

Q1. What is the difference between UPS and USPS?

A1. UPS is used to deliver large parcels across the globe (international level) whereas USPS is used to deliver smaller items within the states (domestic level).

Q2. Within how many days will my parcel reach me through USPS?

A2. One to five business days is the time limit depending on the class you choose for your parcel to be delivered.

Q3.how to track USPS packages and parcels?

A3. To track your parcel, go to www.stamps.com/shipstatus and enter your USPS tracking number. There you will find the status of your parcel.

Q4. Is there any age barrier to bid for the USPS auctions?

A4. If you want to bid, your age should be eighteen or above.

Q5. Why do auctions of governmental services take place?

A5. These auctions can provide a home to the unclaimed items and provide some funding to the government 

Q6. How much does the government earn out of USPS auctions?

A6. The earnings depend on the bidding. The earnings are then used for the up-gradation of postal services itself.

Q7. Is there any specific day and time for the USPS auctions?

A7. The auctions are held after every ninety days of the last auction. To know the day, date, and time for the current auction taking place, you can visit the website – GovDeals.com.

Q8. Is USPS private or in association with the government? 

A8. USPS currently is operated by the federal government but there is news of it being soon sold to some private sector company.