Here is how to complain to USPS: use the online email form at emailus.usps.com or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777). If nothing changes, take it to your local postmaster. Theft and fraud go to a different office, the Postal Inspection Service.
Knowing how to complain to USPS in the right order saves weeks. Most complaints stall because they reach the wrong desk. A late package, a rude clerk, a carrier who skips your street and a stolen parcel each need a different channel.
How to complain to USPS: every channel and what it is for
USPS publishes several contact routes on its Contact Us page. The table matches each one to the problem it handles best.
| Channel | Contact | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Email form and chat | emailus.usps.com | Service problems you want in writing, with a record of what you reported |
| Customer service phone | 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) | General complaints, delivery problems, questions about a case |
| Tracking support | 1-800-222-1811 | Package tracking problems |
| Technical support | 1-800-344-7779 | Claims, PO Boxes and online accounts |
| Local postmaster | Your local post office | Problems with one carrier, one route or one branch |
| District Consumer Affairs Office | Through 1-800-ASK-USPS or the local Post Office | Escalation when the local Post Office cannot resolve the issue |
| Postal Inspection Service | 1-877-876-2455 | Mail theft, package theft, mail fraud, counterfeit postage |
| Postal Regulatory Commission | prc.gov | Formal legal complaints after other steps fail |
The three USPS phone lines run Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 8:30 PM Eastern. On Saturday they run 8 AM to 6 PM Eastern. Deaf and hard of hearing callers can reach them through TTY or TRS by dialing 7-1-1.
Which number to call for which problem
The three phone lines are not interchangeable. Calling the right one avoids a transfer.
Use 1-800-ASK-USPS for general complaints and delivery problems. Use 1-800-222-1811 when the issue is a tracking status. Use 1-800-344-7779 for claims, PO Boxes and online accounts.
If the call does not fix it, send the email form the same day. Then you have a written account next to the phone record.
How to submit a service request to USPS
A service request is the case USPS opens when you report a problem through its email form or by phone. It gives the issue a record. You can refer back to it later.
To submit one online, open the email form at emailus.usps.com and describe the issue. Chat is also offered there. Phone is the other route if you would rather talk to someone.
Write down the date, the time and any case or reference number you are given. Keep that record. It helps if you need to escalate, and it shows you reported the problem on a specific day.
What to include when you complain about USPS
A short, specific complaint gets handled faster than a long one. Stick to facts that someone at USPS can check.
- Your name, full delivery address and a phone number or email.
- The date and approximate time of each incident, and how many times it happened.
- Tracking numbers, the mailing date and the sender, if a package is involved.
- The branch, route or carrier description, if it concerns a person. Describe what happened, not what you assume about them.
- What you want done, such as a redelivery, a correction or a call back.
Photos help for damage, a misdelivered package or a mailbox problem. Keep copies of everything you send. If you call, note the name or ID of the agent and the date.
How to report a USPS driver or carrier
Start with the local post office and ask for the postmaster. They supervise the carriers on that route. They can act on a repeated problem, such as missed deliveries or packages left in the wrong place.
If you cannot get anywhere locally, file the same details through the email form or 1-800-ASK-USPS. The PRC lists the phone line, the postmaster and the District Consumer and Industry Affairs offices as the first stops for local problems.
Escalating to the Consumer Affairs Office
Every Postal District has a Consumer Affairs Office. USPS describes it as the initial point of escalation when a local Post Office cannot resolve a customer’s issue to their satisfaction, and it oversees the resolution of customer issues and congressional inquiries for the district.
USPS does not publish a direct phone list for these offices. Ask for a referral to the district Consumer Affairs Office by phone at 1-800-ASK-USPS or at the counter, and quote the case number from your earlier service request so the office can see what the local branch already tried.
If a carrier has done something dangerous or criminal, call 911 for anything happening now. Otherwise use the Postal Inspection Service for crimes involving the mail.
Mail theft and fraud go to Postal Inspectors
The Postal Inspection Service takes reports of mail theft, package theft, mail fraud, identity theft through the mail and counterfeit postage. You can call 1-877-876-2455 or report mail theft online at mailtheft.uspis.gov. Mail fraud and scams have their own online form.
These routes come from the Postal Inspection Service reporting page.
Scam emails and texts that pretend to be USPS can be forwarded to spam@uspis.gov. For a package that simply never arrived, start with our guide to USPS tracking that is not updating first, since many delays are not theft.
When a USPS complaint goes nowhere
The Postal Regulatory Commission is the final, formal escalation point. It accepts formal complaints that USPS is not following the law or its regulations. The legal basis is Section 3662 of Title 39 of the federal code, which governs postal law.
The PRC calls this a complex legal process that usually calls for an attorney.
If you only want an issue looked at, the PRC documents your inquiry and may forward it to USPS for investigation within 45 days. For ordinary service problems, try the postmaster and the phone line first. The PRC consumer assistance page has its current rules.
How long a reply takes
Knowing how to complain to USPS also means setting expectations about the wait.
USPS does not publish a guaranteed response time for complaints on its contact or FAQ pages, so any specific number you see elsewhere is a guess. Plan on following up if you hear nothing after a few business days. Quote your case number when you do.
For a lost package, a complaint is not the same as a search. Use the Missing Mail process, which you can start 7 days after mailing and up to 365 days after.
Complaint, search or claim: pick the right one
Three processes get mixed up. A complaint reports poor service. A Missing Mail search looks for one item, and a claim asks for money back.
Missing Mail is filed on the USPS missing mail page, one request per mailpiece.
You need both addresses, the mailing date and a description of the container and contents. A tracking number is recommended.
USPS cannot search for hazardous materials, live ammunition, opened beauty products, drugs, perishables or handguns. Recovery is not guaranteed.
| Process | Use it when | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint | Service was poor, late or rude | Any time, through the channels above |
| Missing Mail search | One item is missing | 7 to 365 days after mailing |
| Claim | Insured mail is lost or damaged | Lost Priority Mail Express: after 7 days, before 60. Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, Insured Mail and Registered: after 15 days, before 60 |
Either the sender or the recipient can file a claim. You need the mailing receipt, proof of value and the tracking number.
USPS may not legally pay for uninsured items. Online filing is fastest, and paper forms are available by phone at 1-800-332-0317.
Why people think USPS is so bad
Most frustration comes from a few repeat problems. Tracking that stops updating, delivery times that vary by route and branches with short counter hours are the usual complaints. The complaint channels above exist for them.
Some of these are not failures. If your issue is timing, check what time USPS delivers before you complain.
Counter hours also differ by branch, so see what time USPS closes.
For a package that has sat for days, read about tracking that says in transit for days.
You can also compare expected timing with the delivery time estimator.
Tips that make a USPS complaint stronger
- Complain about one issue per message, so it is not lost in a long story.
- Report a repeated problem each time it happens, with dates.
- Stay factual and polite. It gets the case read and acted on.
- Follow up in writing after a call, and keep your case number.
If the same carrier or branch keeps failing, bring the full list of dates to the postmaster in person. A pattern is harder to dismiss than a single bad day, and the postmaster can then act on the whole route.
The bottom line on complaining to USPS
Use the email form or phone line for most problems. Go to the postmaster for anything about one carrier or branch.
Send crimes to Postal Inspectors and keep the PRC for formal disputes. Clear dates and a case number help at every step. To understand who you are dealing with, read about what USPS is.
