what is package research case closed

What Does “Package Research Case Closed” Mean? (USPS)

If you are expecting a delivery from USPS and have received a “ Package Research Case Closed ” tracking update, you might now be wondering when your mail will arrive.

If you are the recipient, you likely opened the original research case. As the sender, you will be hoping that the mail item has been found and that delivery is imminent.

Either way, let’s look at what the update means and if there is anything you need to do…

Summary: Package Research Case Closed

The “Package Research Case Closed” update means that USPS has looked into the whereabouts of a missing mail item and has reached a conclusion. Namely, it has been found or the loss has been confirmed. You should find out the outcome via an update following the alert.

Package Research Case Closed – Guide

Needless to say, this tracking update is what follows the “ Package Research Case Created ” alert. Normally, it is the recipient that opens a case of this nature .

When a mail item doesn’t arrive, the tracking doesn’t update and the recipient suspects it might be missing, they have the opportunity to open a package research case, ( see full article here ).

USPS will then begin looking into the potential location of the package and will aim to get it moving again toward the destination address.

Once USPS has concluded the case, (which can take anything between 5 and 10 days), they will notify both parties (recipient and sender) via a tracking update .

However, the “Package Research Case Closed” will be automatically triggered before the new update is sent out.

• Related Content: USPS Tracking: “Delivered, Left with Individual” – What Now?

No Update After a “Package Research Case Closed” Alert

This scenario is probably why you have reached this article in the first place.

USPS has opened a research case on a missing package you have been expecting, you have received the new “Package Research Case Closed” alert but then received no new information.

In fact, another day or two has passed and there is still no sign of your mail item.

In most situations, the package is on its way to you when this happens. As mentioned above, the “Package Research Case Closed” update is triggered automatically once USPS has enough information about the whereabouts of the item for it to continue its journey.

In other words, transit toward the destination address is again underway, however, no new scan has been created of the package to signify that it is moving.

It will either have to reach a facility or local post office or even receive an out-for-delivery scan before you are made aware of its location.

Long story short, the “Package Research Case Closed” update generally means that USPS has found your mail item and it is making its way to you via the normal delivery process.

It is of course late by now, so you may have means of compensation depending on the delivery service used .

Update Confirming That the Package is Lost

If after the “Package Research Case Closed” tracking alert you receive confirmation that USPS cannot locate your mail item, you will have grounds to begin a missing item claim .

The full process for this is beyond the scope of this article, however, you can find more about that here .

• Related Content: Check Lost in Mail: A Complete Guide

Tracking Stuck on “Package Research Case Closed”

If you receive no follow-up alert after several business days, (enough time for the delivery to resume and be completed) you will have to contact USPS for more information .

There are several forum posts online from disgruntled USPS customers who have received this alert and then waited and waited for their package to arrive, yet to no avail.

USPS Customer Services can be contacted here . Explain that you opened a Research Case, that seemingly reached a conclusion and no further information has been received.

With any luck, the representative will be able to provide more details on the location of the item and whether it is lost.

If the latter proves true, you will need to begin a missing item claim for compensation.

Final Words

Essentially, the “Package Research Case Closed” tracking update means that USPS has concluded the missing item case that the recipient has opened.

In most cases, the package has been found and the item will be arriving at the destination address.

You should receive follow-up updates that confirm the whereabouts of the mail item and whether there is anything you need to do. 

If no information is forthcoming, you will need to contact USPS directly .

I’m a 25 year veteran of USPS. I’m retired now, but as the editor of Mailbox Master, I can’t quite remove myself from the carrier industry just yet. 🙂

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Lost Packages

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Head here for more details of our privacy policy.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

• May 13, 2024 in Memo 726 // USPS SHIPPING RATE HIKES ANNOUNCED
• May 13, 2024 in Memo 726 // USPS Reports Second Quarter FY 2024 Results
• May 13, 2024 in Memo 726 // Delivery Performance By Class Jan-Mar 2024
• May 13, 2024 in Memo 726 // Free Virtual Conference May 15 For Managing Mail, Documents and Distribution
• May 13, 2024 in Memo 726 // Professional Certification Opportunities in 2024
• May 1, 2024 in Memo 725 // Postal Service Launches Eight New Sorting and Delivery Centers
• May 1, 2024 in Memo 725 // July 2024 Rate Hike PDF Presentation
• May 1, 2024 in Memo 725 // DRUPA: Implementation of AI-supported Workflow in the Printing Industry
• May 1, 2024 in Memo 724 // EZ-Flats Autofeed Mail Sorting System Speeds Manifest Mailings
• May 1, 2024 in Memo 724 // 2024 Data Quality & Enrichment Catalog
• May 1, 2024 in Memo 724 // How to Simply Manage Print & Digital Communications
• May 1, 2024 in Memo 723 // “Mailtropolis of Tomorrow” To Be Featured at DRUPA 2024

Postal Mail Tracking Codes: What They Mean

Posted on September 19, 2018 by mailomg in memo 304 , Uncategorized // 0 Comments

What does “Received By Agent” mean? You probably have seen that and a dozen other terms and not understood. The USPS uses such terminology as part of its mail and package tracking known as PTR (Product Tracking Codes).

Here is an updated list of the codes, terms, and descriptions utilized to track mail and packages. To see a complete PDF of the codes and terms with other information click here :

Event Code / Description

01  DELIVERED The article has been delivered and a delivery scan recorded the time and date of delivery.

02  NOTICE LEFT Delivery was attempted. The notice shows options for pickup or re-delivery.

53  RECEPTACLE BLOCKED The path to the delivery receptacle was blocked by some physical condition.

54  RECEPTACLE FULL/ITEM OVERSIZED The item could not be placed in the delivery receptacle, either because the receptacle was full or because the item was too large to fit.

55  NO SECURE LOCATION AVAILABLE There was no location deemed safe to deliver the item and there was no endorsement to ‘leave if no response’.

56  NO AUTHORIZED RECIPIENT AVAILABLE The item could not be delivered because a signature was required.

03  USPS IN POSSESSION OF ITEM If the item was picked up, either as part of a scheduled pickup or by the carrier on the route, the event will display as ‘Picked Up’. If the item was scanned in the office, either at the retail counter or on the back dock, the event will display as ‘USPS in possession of item’.

04  REFUSED The item was refused at the time delivery was attempted or after delivery to customer.

05  UNABLE TO DELIVER PROBLEM WITH ADDRESS One or more of the address elements was incorrect, and the item could not be delivered.

06  FORWARDED The addressee has an active forwarding order on file and the item was sent to the new address.

07  ARRIVAL AT UNIT The item has arrived at the local Post Office on the day indicated and is scheduled for delivery. Usually, if the item arrives before 9:30 am, it will be delivered that day; if after 9:30 am, on the next business day.

08  MISSENT USPS redirected the item to the correct delivery unit on the next mail dispatch after it was routed incorrectly.

09  RETURN TO SENDER The item is being returned to sender for one of the following reasons:

21  NO SUCH NUMBER Some component of the delivery address was missing or invalid.

22  INSUFFICIENT ADDRESS There is not enough information in the address to make a delivery.

23  MOVED, LEFT NO ADDRESS The addressee has moved and no forwarding order is active.

24  FORWARD EXPIRED The addressee’s forwarding order has expired and the item is being returned to sender.

25  ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN The addressee is not known at the address on the item.

26  VACANT The house or business is vacant.

27  UNCLAIMED/BEING RETURNED TO SENDER A notice and reminder were left but no one claimed the item before the DMM stipulated hold period (typically 15 to 30 days) was over.

28  RETURN TO SENDER The item was returned to sender for a reason not specified elsewhere (typically when the recipient is deceased).

29  RETURN TO SENDER The item was returned to sender for a reason not specified elsewhere.

10  PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY The item was sorted in the processing facility indicated by the city, state and ZIP Code. Depending on the class of mail, or origin and destination of the parcel, customers may see more than one of these events, but only the first / last such scan at each site on a calendar day; others are suppressed. Note that on USPS internal sites the event is referred to as “Enroute / Processed”.

11  SEIZED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT The item is in the possession of a law enforcement agency.

12  VISIBLE DAMAGE This event indicates that a USPS noticed and documented damage to the item being delivered.

14  AVAILABLE FOR PICKUP The item may be picked up at the post office or caller or firm service location.

15  MIS-SHIPPED This use case is specific to packages destined to a military location.

16  AVAILABLE FOR RETURNS AGENT A shipping partner or their agent responsible for transporting the item to USPS dropped it at the wrong USPS facility.

17  TENDERED TO RETURNS AGENT Indicates a returned package is ready for pick up by Returns Logistics Agent at one of the Post Offices or Processing Facilities designated as a Parcel Return Service location. This event is applicable to Parcel Return Service only.

30  NO ACCESS USPS handed off a Parcel Return Service package to the Returns Logistics Agent that processes returns for the shipping customer or merchant that sold the original item being returned.

31  RETURN TO SENDER / NOT PICKED UP The item was attempted but not delivered because the employee could not access the delivery location (e.g., gated community where an access code is required).

32  DISPOSED BY POST OFFICE This is an event used primarily for Parcel Return Service or Hold for Pickup Items.

33  DEAD MAIL / SENT TO RECOVERY CENTER The mailed article cannot be delivered, forwarded or returned. Because the item was perishable, the local post office disposed of it.

34  n/a This event is specific to Registered Mail. Your item arrived at our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination. OrYour item departed our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

35  VAULT TURNOVER This event is specific to Registered Mail. Your item arrived at our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination. OrYour item departed our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

36  TRANSFER TO EMPLOYEE This event is specific to Registered Mail. Your item arrived at our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination. OrYour item departed our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

38  REGISTERED MAIL DISPATCH SIGNATURE This event is specific to Registered Mail. Your item arrived at our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination. OrYour item departed our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

39  REGISTERED MAIL DISPATCH WITNESS This event is specific to Registered Mail. Your item arrived at our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination. OrYour item departed our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

40  TRANSFER FROM VAULT This event is specific to Registered Mail. Your item arrived at our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination. OrYour item departed our USPS facility in CITY, STATE ZIPCODE on DATE at TIME. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

41  RECEIVED AT OPENING UNIT An Open & Distribute shipment has been received and opened at the destination processing facility or post office so the contents can be sorted.

42  USPS HAND OFF TO SHIPPING PARTNER The item — typically Parcel Return Service — has been handed off to a returns agent. This activity takes place at a USPS processing facility (as opposed to a delivery unit). Note: the 42 event may also be seen on GXG items. This is when GXG items are added to a firm book for tender to the GXG partner.

43  PICKED UP The item was delivered to the recipient. The 43 event indicates that the delivery took place at a postal facility.

44  INTERCEPTED The mailer has authorized USPS to intercept a package before delivery and return it to the sender.

45  TENDERED TO MILITARY AGENT The item has left the custody of the USPS (outbound) or has left the ISC enroute to inbound mail processing.

46  DUPLICATE 1 XXX (where XXX is the type of event duplicated). The item is being flagged as having a tracking number that is the same as a tracking number on a different package.

51  BUSINESS CLOSED The item cannot be delivered because the business is closed.

52  NOTICE LEFT The item could not be delivered because of instructions provided by the customer.

57  DELIVERY EXCEPTION LOCAL WEATHER DELAY The item could not be attempted and / or delivered due to local weather conditions.

58  HELD AT POST OFFICE AT CUSTOMER REQUEST The item is being held at the post office because the customer has made a request to that effect.

59  ON ROUTE A physical scan event stating that the article has left the delivery office with a carrier, and delivery is intended on that day. This scan is generally used for items that are being redelivered (following a failed first attempt).

60  TENDERED TO AGENT FOR FINAL DELIVERY The item has been delivered to an agent of the residence or institution to where it has been addressed (college, hospital, condominium, etc.).

71  RESCHEDULED TO NEXT DELIVERY DAY The local post office has indicated that there is a delay impacting the delivery of the item.

72  DELIVERY EXCEPTION ANIMAL INTERFERENCE The local delivery employee has indicated that because of interference by an animal at the delivery location, the employee could not attempt delivery of the item.

A1  ARRIVE USPS FACILITY This is a trailer arrival event, meaning that the item was nested to a container that was scanned as arriving at a USPS facility.

AD  ACCEPTANCE AT DESTINATION The item has arrived at the USPS destination entry processing facility or post office.

AE  ARRIVE USPS FACILITY The item is in an Open & Distribute container that received an Acceptance (03) event.

AX  n/a The item, following an acceptance event, is moving toward its destination.

B1  CUSTOMS CLEARANCE The article has cleared US Customs and will be tendered to USPS.

B5  OUTBOUND – OUT OF US CUSTOMS US Customs has released the article to USPS.

DE  DEPART USPS FACILITY The item is in an Open & Distribute container that received an Enroute (10) event.

DX  DELIVERY STATUS NOT UPDATED An acceptable delivery event (Delivery, notice left, etc.) has not taken place within 14 hours of the Out for Delivery event

E1  DEPARTED The item is nested to a container that was scanned as departing a facility.

EF  DEPART USPS FACILITY Sortation process at the distribution facility is complete; the item is being dispatched on the next available transportation to the next processing facility or the destination delivery unit.

GC  RETURN RECEIPT ASSOCIATED Receipt Service, PS Form 3811 (Hard Copy Green Card). This event indicates that the tracking number for the host item and its Return Receipt tracking number have been associated during the acceptance process.

L1  DEPART USPS FACILITY The item is nested to a container that was scanned as being loaded onto transportation at a USPS facility.

LD  ARRIVAL AT DESTINATION ADDRESS USPS has used geo-location data and analytics to determine that the letter is on the delivery route to be delivered with today’s mail.

LX  PROCESSING EXCEPTION USPS has detected a processing irregularity for the item.

MA  n/a USPS has received the electronic transmission of manifest shipment information from the sender. This does not signify receipt of the shipment, only the intent to tender it to USPS. Once the shipment is received by USPS, tracking status will be updated and an expected delivery date will be made available. This event is displayed on USPS.com USPS Tracking only when it is the earliest status for the item.

MR  n/a A Reverse Manifest has electronically recorded the item and the Reverse Logistics provider has sent the data to USPS in advance of payment.

MU  ALERT MID USER NEEDS TO BE REGISTERED This is generated when the PIC MID does not exist in PTR’s customer reference data.

MX  ALERT MID HAS BEEN INACTIVATED This is generated when the mailer ID in the EFN is not certified. This also gets generated if the PIC MID is not certified.

NT  N/A This event helps to fill a visibility gap for customers using the tracking web site.

OA  ORIGIN ACCEPTANCE A calculated event attaching acceptance to an item based on the first processing scan at a sort facility.

OD  PROCESSED AT USPS DESTINATION FACILITY The item is in an Open & Distribute container that received a Received at Opening Unit (41) event.

OF  OUT FOR DELIVERY The item is out for delivery. This may be triggered by the ‘Sorting Complete’ event or the employee’s scanning of the Depart2Route barcode. Additionally, if / when the event is generated by TRP, it may be triggered by the employee breaking the geofence, by the employee’s scanning of the Depart2Route barcode, and / or the employee’s scanning of the Hotcase barcode.

OX  PROCESSING EXCEPTION OTHER DELAY The item was either being processed from or headed to a location that is being impacted by a delay of some sort.

PC  SORTING/PROCESSING COMPLETE All packages intended for today’s delivery have been sorted to their respective carrier routes or Post Office Box sections. This event may trigger the ‘Out for Delivery’ scan event.

RB  LISTED ON REGISTERED MAIL DISPATCH BILL Used for Registered Mail only. Item has been added to a Registered Mail Dispatch Bill.

RC  DISPATCH FORM DISCREPANCY Used for Registered Mail only. The employee has noted a discrepancy related to the Registered Dispatch Bill.

SF  DEPART POST OFFICE Articles receiving an Acceptance scan at the retail window or by a carrier have left the local Post Office and are enroute to the first USPS processing facility.

T1  DEPART USPS FACILITY The item is nested to a container that was scanned as having departed a USPS facility.

TM  SHIPMENT RECEIVED ACCEPTANCE PENDING An Acceptance event generated when a USPS employee scans PS Form 5630 (SCAN), the online manifest form.

TX  PROCESSING EXCEPTION REG TRANS DELAY The item was either being processed from or headed to a location that is being impacted by a transportation delay (e.g., air or surface transport not available)

UA  ACCEPTED AT USPS FACILITY XX (where XX is the event that triggered the UA: 07, 10, or GX/MA An Acceptance event generated for a single piece that was not part of a mailer’s manifest and which did not receive a physical acceptance scan.

VC  PACKAGE RESEARCH CASE CREATED XXX (where XXX is the case number if available) A customer has initiated a case on the item via the call center. When this event is extracted, it is accompanied by the case number.

VF  REMINDER TO SCHEDULE REDELIVERY The PTR system has determined that the item has met the published “second notice” number of days since the attempt event. The goal of this event is to let customers know that they should pick up or schedule a delivery for their item.

VH  DELIVERY INSTRUCTION REQUEST FAILURE A shipper attempted to make a delivery instruction request on behalf of their customer, but the request failed to be processed. This is typically because insufficient or incorrect information was provided by the shipper about the delivery address (e.g., no street address provided).

VJ  DELIVERY INSTRUCTION UNFULFILLED The item’s delivery instructions were not fulfilled. This may be because of safety concerns or another reason.

VP  CARRIER PICK-UP The customer has scheduled a carrier pickup request. Currently, this is applied to the manifest record, but not to the associated mail pieces.

VR  REDELIVERY SCHEDULED The customer has scheduled a redelivery for the item using the Redelivery website or application or by calling the Customer Care Center.

VS  PACKAGE RETURN NOTICE GENERATED The item has been held for the maximum time period awaiting customer action to schedule redelivery or pick it up, and a message has been generated to indicate that the item will be returned or dispositioned locally, depending on the product class and Ancillary Service endorsements.

VX  PACKAGE RESEARCH CASE CLOSED XXX (where XXX is the case number if available A case that had been opened on an item has not been closed. When this event is extracted, it is accompanied by the case number.

WN  n/a The WN event is provided to PTR when an expected delivery window has been calculated for the item. PTR shares the WN information in conjunction with the Out for Delivery event.

WX  WEATHER DELAY The item was either being processed from or headed to a location that is being impacted by a weather delay (e.g., major snow storm).

61  RECEIVED BY AGENT USPS has delivered the item to an agent of the residence or institution.

62  RECIPIENT NOTIFIED BY AGENT The agent notified the addressee that an item is waiting and available for pickup at the mailroom.

63  DELIVERED TO RECIPIENT BY AGENT The agent has delivered the item to the addressee.

64  UNDELIVERABLE TO RECIPIENT BY AGENT The agent was unable to deliver the item to the addressee and the item will be returned to the sender.

GX  SHIPPING LABEL CREATED A shipper has created an address label and tracking barcode for the item.

80  PICK UP BY SHIP PTNR USPS AWAITS ITEM The item is part of a shipment that the mailer has turned over to a consolidator or contractor for transport to USPS.

81  ARRIVED SHIP PTNR SITE USPS AWAITS ITEM The item has arrived at the shipper’s depot for transport to USPS.

82  DEPART SHIP PTNR SITE USPS AWAITS ITEM The shipper has dispatched the item and it is enroute to a USPS facility.

83  TENDERED TO POSTAL SERVICE The shipper has turned over the shipment to USPS for processing and delivery. Starting with PTR release 12.0, this event will be suppressed on USPS.com USPS Tracking.

89  N/A The shipper has indicated to USPS that a merchant has received an order for your shipment.

84  ARRIVED AGENT FACILITY Parcel Return Service only — a PRS item has arrived at the return agent’s facility.

85  DEPART AGENT FACILITY Parcel Return Service only — a PRS item has left the return agent’s facility and is enroute to the merchant.

86  DELIVERED TO AGENT BY MERCHANT Parcel Return Service only — a PRS item has been tendered by the return agent to the merchant.

87  FINAL DISPOSITION BY AGENT Parcel Return Service only — a PRS item is in the possession of the merchant.

Click to download full PTR PDF

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• definitions
• mail terminology
• Official Mail Guide
• Package Tracking terms
• Postal Service
• Received By Agent
• Updated 9-19-18

Search the Official Mail Guide

LATEST NEWS

Usps shipping rate hikes announced, usps reports second quarter fy 2024 results, delivery performance by class jan-mar 2024, free virtual conference may 15 for managing mail, documents and distribution, professional certification opportunities in 2024, postal service launches eight new sorting and delivery centers, july 2024 rate hike pdf presentation, drupa: implementation of ai-supported workflow in the printing industry, new in the omg:.

Card Mailing System

Tabbing & Labelling System

Sort-to-Light For Flats, Parcels

Pitney Bowes SendPro C Auto

Seal-Tight Concentrate For Postage Meters

Convert Flats To Envelopes

PB Intelligent Lockers

Increase Output With Quadient iX-9

Full Color Inkjet Direct Mail Printer

Fusion Speed Hits 30K Envelopes/Hr

Make Shaped Mail

SMART Shipping System

Prepare USPS Mailings In Cloud

Mail Matching System – Updated

Mail Tray Carts

Open/Scan/Email Incoming Mail

Correct Elect Vote by Mail

Forms Processing Equipment

EZ-Letters Sorting Solution

MAIL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY

Sorter Tray Racks Speed Mail Processing

Integrated Solutions For Expediting Mail Trays

MAI Parcel Handling Processing Systems

VIDEO: Mail Tray Automation In Action

TrayTruker Carts Move The Mail

TRITEK TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Should You Presort Your Own Mail?

How to Finally Deal with Returned Mail

Tritek Celebrates 35 Years of Mail Innovation

Tritek Shows New Oasis Sorter Technology At MAILCOM ’19

Tritek Vote-By-Mail System

Copyright © 2024 Excelsior All rights reserved.

• Service Guides
• CANADA POST

USPS “Package Research Case Created” – Tracking Guide

• by Nic Smith

Welcome to our comprehensive tracking guide for USPS packages. In this article, we will be discussing the “Package Research Case Created” update from USPS and what it means for you as a sender or recipient. Understanding this update is crucial for tracking your package and knowing the next steps to take. So, let’s dive in and unravel the details of this important USPS tracking status.

Key Takeaways:

• The “Package Research Case Created” update indicates that a package has been reported missing, and USPS has opened a case to locate it.
• This update is typically initiated by the sender after not receiving the package within the expected timeframe.
• USPS will review the tracking information and any details provided by the person who opened the search case, usually the recipient.
• The duration of the research case can range from 5 to 10 days, depending on the postage service used.
• The outcome of the research case will be communicated through a subsequent tracking update.

What Does the “Package Research Case Created” Update Mean?

The “Package Research Case Created” update from USPS signifies that a package has been reported missing and a case for locating the item has been initiated. This alert is often triggered by the sender after not receiving the package within the expected timeframe.

USPS will start the process of locating the missing package by reviewing the tracking information and relying on any details provided by the party who opened the search case, typically the recipient. For eCommerce transactions, the recipient may request a refund or replacement item from the seller upon receiving this update.

Whether the sender can recoup the cost through USPS will depend on the outcome of the research case and the level of delivery service initially purchased. The research case typically takes between 5 and 10 days to reach a decision, with different timeframes for opening a case depending on the postage service used.

USPS does not disclose the specific actions taken during an open research case, but the final outcome and any necessary follow-up will be communicated through a subsequent tracking update.

How Long Does a “Package Research Case” Take?

The duration of a “Package Research Case” opened by USPS can vary depending on the type of postage service used and the timing of opening the case. Generally, USPS will take between 5 and 10 days to reach a decision and provide a resolution for the missing package .

The specific timeframe for opening a case differs based on the postage service. For Priority Mail, First Class, and Certified Mail classes, a case can be opened 7 days after the original postage date. Domestic Registered and Ground services require a 14-day waiting period before a case can be opened.

It is important to note that the case itself should be resolved within the 5 to 10-day window once it has been requested. During this time, USPS will investigate the whereabouts of the package, including its last scanned location and any relevant tracking information.

The final tracking update after the research case will be “Package Research Case Closed,” indicating the outcome of the case – either the package is considered missing and eligible for an insurance claim, or the package has been located and is on its way to the destination address.

Note: The durations mentioned above are subject to change and may vary based on USPS policies and regulations.

In conclusion, the “Package Research Case Created” update from USPS indicates that a package has been reported missing and a search case has been initiated to locate the item. If you receive this alert, it means that the sender has not received the package within the expected timeframe and has taken action to find it.

USPS will review the tracking information and any details provided by the person who opened the search case, typically the recipient, to begin the process of locating the missing package. The duration of the research case varies depending on the type of postage service used and the timing of opening the case, usually taking between 5 and 10 days to reach a resolution.

During the research case, USPS investigates the whereabouts of the package and takes necessary actions to locate it. The outcome of the case will be communicated through a subsequent tracking update, which will indicate whether the package is considered missing or if it has been located. If you encounter a “Package Research Case Created” alert, it is important to follow USPS guidelines and wait for the resolution of the research case.

What does the “Package Research Case Created” update mean?

The “Package Research Case Created” update from USPS indicates that a package has been reported missing and a case for locating the item has been opened. This update is usually triggered by the sender after not receiving the package within the expected timeframe. USPS will initiate the process of locating the missing package by reviewing the tracking information and any details provided by the person who opened the search case, usually the recipient. The sender may be notified of the case through this update, and it can lead to the recipient requesting a refund or replacement item. The duration of the research case will vary depending on the type of postage service used, typically taking between 5 and 10 days to reach a resolution. USPS does not provide specific details about the actions taken during the research case, but the outcome will be communicated through a subsequent tracking update.

How long does a “Package Research Case” take?

The duration of a “Package Research Case” opened by USPS can vary depending on the type of postage service used and the timing of opening the case. Generally, USPS will take between 5 and 10 days to reach a decision and provide a resolution for the missing package. The specific timeframe for opening a case differs based on the postage service. For Priority Mail, First Class, and Certified Mail classes, a case can be opened 7 days after the original postage date. Domestic Registered and Ground services require a 14-day waiting period before a case can be opened. It is important to note that the case itself should be resolved within the 5 to 10-day window once it has been requested. During this time, USPS will investigate the whereabouts of the package, including its last scanned location and any relevant tracking information. The final tracking update after the research case will be “Package Research Case Closed,” indicating the outcome of the case – either the package is considered missing and eligible for an insurance claim, or the package has been located and is on its way to the destination address.

Join the conversation Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Postal Facts - U.S. Postal Service

Delivering Justice to Opioid Dealers

Justice to Opioid Dealers

The Inspection Service is committed to using the most advanced technology to stop fentanyl traffickers.

Postal Inspectors use data, forensics and citizens’ tips to protect Americans and apprehend opioid dealers who send illegal drugs through the mail.

• 3,158 synthetic opioids seizures by the Inspection Service between FY 2018 and FY 2022
• 5,083 pounds of synthetic opioids seized by the Inspection Service between FY 2018 and FY 2022
• 1,334 synthetic opioid seizures totaling 3,255 pounds in FY 2022
• More information can be found at uspis.gov/the-opioid-epidemic

  Since fall 2019, the Inspection Service has noted there have been no fentanyl seizures directly from China. Furthermore, since 2020, a vast majority of synthetic opioids and methamphetamine seizures originated along the U.S. Southwest border. In 2022, Postal Inspectors conducted phase two of its Southwest Border Initiative, resulting in the seizure of 170 pounds of methamphetamine, 136 pounds of fentanyl, 56 pounds of cocaine, 4.1 pounds of PCP, 19 pounds of amphetamine and more than $465,000 in illicit proceeds.

The Eagle Logo, the trade dress of USPS packaging, the Letter Carrier Uniform and the Postal Truck and the following marks are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: Click-N-Ship ® , Deliver The Win ® , EDDM ® , ePostage ® , Every Door Direct Mail ® , Express Mail ® , First-Class™, First-Class Mail ® , First-Class Package International Service ® , Forever ® , Global Express Guaranteed ® , IMb ® , Informed Delivery ® , Intelligent Mail ® , Label Broker™, Parcel Select ® , P.O. Box™, Post Office ® , Pony Express ® , Postal Inspection Service™, PostalOne! ® , Postal Police ® , #PostalProud ® , Priority Mail Express International ® , Priority Mail Flat Rate ® , Priority Mail International ® , Priority: You ® , Registered Mail™, Standard Mail ® , The Postal Store ® , United States Postal Inspection Service ® , United States Postal Service ® , U.S. Mail ® , U.S. Postal Inspector™, U.S. Postal Service ® , USPS ® , USPS BlueEarth ® , USPS Mobile ® , USPS Operation Santa ® , USPS Tracking ® , usps.com ® , We are people delivering to people™, ZIP+4 ® and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.

  Non-Postal Trademarks

Dollar General ® , Forest Stewardship Council ® , How2Recycle ® , McDonald’s ® , National Dog Bite Prevention Week ® , Starbucks ® , Subway ®, Sustainable Forestry Initiative ® , The Climate Registry ® , Vans ® .

Postal Facts 2023 provides the public with information about the U.S. Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, in a business, informational or academic context and the like, and in the body of text discussing factual subject matter relevant to the fact being presented. However, these facts may become outdated after publication and seeking the latest information is advised.

Produced by U.S. Postal Service Corporate Communications

© 2023 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

© 2016-2024 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

English Use arrow key to access related widget.

• Customer Service
• My USPS ›
• Español

Top Searches

Alert: Some of our applications may be unavailable during routine maintenance from Saturday, May 11 through Sunday, May 12. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Alert: Severe weather in the South, Southeast, and Midwest may impact package delivery. Read More ›

Alert: The online Postal Store is currently unavailable. We are working to resolve the issue and apologize for the inconvenience.

Alert: We are currently experiencing issues with some of our applications. We are working to resolve the issues and apologize for the inconvenience.

Alert: USPS.com is undergoing routine maintenance from 10 PM ET, Saturday, March 9 through 4 AM ET, Sunday, March 10, 2024. During this time, you may not be able to sign-in to your account and payment transactions on some applications may be temporarily unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Alert: Severe weather conditions across the U.S. may delay final delivery of your mail and packages. Read more ›

Alert: USPS.com is undergoing routine maintenance from 11 PM ET, Saturday, March 2 through 4 AM ET, March 3, 2024. During this time, payment transactions on some applications will be temporarily unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Alert: We are currently experiencing issues with some of our applications. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Alert: Payment transactions on some applications will be temporarily unavailable from 11 PM ET, Saturday, January 6 through 3 AM ET, Sunday, January 7, 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Alert: Some of our applications are undergoing routine maintenance on Monday, October 30 from 10-11 PM ET and may be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Alert: Some of our applications are undergoing routine maintenance from Saturday, August 26 through Sunday, August 27 and may be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Find Missing Mail

Whether you are sending it or receiving it, your mail is important to you and the U.S. Postal Service ® . When mail is lost or delayed, we want to find it. If you think your package or mail is lost or delayed, follow these steps to help us find your mail.

How to Start Your Search

1. check the current status.

Before you begin your search, if your package or mail has tracking, check USPS Tracking ® to see its current status.

Go to Tracking

Informed Delivery ® Users Informed Delivery provides a digital preview of your incoming mail. There may be occasions where a mail item may be delayed in reaching its destination. For additional information, please visit Informed Delivery FAQs .

2. Complete a Help Request Form

We recommend that you complete our online help request form before you start a missing mail search. Please use a desktop computer to submit your form.

We'll forward your request to your local Post Office ™ facility to help locate any missing items.

Start Your Form

3. Submit a Missing Mail Search Request

If after 7 business days from when you submitted your online help request form your mail or package hasn't arrived, submit a Missing Mail search request with the following information:

• Sender mailing address
• Recipient mailing address
• Size and type of container or envelope you used
• Identifying information such as your USPS Tracking number(s), the mailing date from your mailing receipt, or Click-N-Ship ® label receipt
• Description of the contents such as what it is and the brand, model, color, or size, if applicable
• Pictures that could help us recognize your item

Start Your Missing Mail Search

What to Expect Next

Usps ® mail search.

When we receive your Missing Mail search request, we will send you a confirmation email. We will also send you periodic updates about the search.

If we find your package or mail, we will send it to the address you provided. Please note, sometimes we cannot find missing mail items. It is also possible that your package or mail will not be recovered because it was not safe to forward.

Missing Mail Recovery Restrictions

Requesting a Refund

If you used a service with a money-back guarantee such as Priority Mail Express ® , you may be able to request a refund.

Learn about Refunds

File a Claim

If your mail or package included insurance, you may be able to file an insurance claim. For damaged or missing contents, we recommend filing a claim immediately, but you must file no later than 60 days from the date of mailing.

Learn about Claims

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• NATURE INDEX
• 01 May 2024

Plagiarism in peer-review reports could be the ‘tip of the iceberg’

• Jackson Ryan 0

Jackson Ryan is a freelance science journalist in Sydney, Australia.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Time pressures and a lack of confidence could be prompting reviewers to plagiarize text in their reports. Credit: Thomas Reimer/Zoonar via Alamy

Mikołaj Piniewski is a researcher to whom PhD students and collaborators turn when they need to revise or refine a manuscript. The hydrologist, at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, has a keen eye for problems in text — a skill that came in handy last year when he encountered some suspicious writing in peer-review reports of his own paper.

Last May, when Piniewski was reading the peer-review feedback that he and his co-authors had received for a manuscript they’d submitted to an environmental-science journal, alarm bells started ringing in his head. Comments by two of the three reviewers were vague and lacked substance, so Piniewski decided to run a Google search, looking at specific phrases and quotes the reviewers had used.

To his surprise, he found the comments were identical to those that were already available on the Internet, in multiple open-access review reports from publishers such as MDPI and PLOS. “I was speechless,” says Piniewski. The revelation caused him to go back to another manuscript that he had submitted a few months earlier, and dig out the peer-review reports he received for that. He found more plagiarized text. After e-mailing several collaborators, he assembled a team to dig deeper.

Meet this super-spotter of duplicated images in science papers

The team published the results of its investigation in Scientometrics in February 1 , examining dozens of cases of apparent plagiarism in peer-review reports, identifying the use of identical phrases across reports prepared for 19 journals. The team discovered exact quotes duplicated across 50 publications, saying that the findings are just “the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to misconduct in the peer-review system.

Dorothy Bishop, a former neuroscientist at the University of Oxford, UK, who has turned her attention to investigating research misconduct, was “favourably impressed” by the team’s analysis. “I felt the way they approached it was quite useful and might be a guide for other people trying to pin this stuff down,” she says.

Peer review under review

Piniewski and his colleagues conducted three analyses. First, they uploaded five peer-review reports from the two manuscripts that his laboratory had submitted to a rudimentary online plagiarism-detection tool . The reports had 44–100% similarity to previously published online content. Links were provided to the sources in which duplications were found.

The researchers drilled down further. They broke one of the suspicious peer-review reports down to fragments of one to three sentences each and searched for them on Google. In seconds, the search engine returned a number of hits: the exact phrases appeared in 22 open peer-review reports, published between 2021 and 2023.

The final analysis provided the most worrying results. They took a single quote — 43 words long and featuring multiple language errors, including incorrect capitalization — and pasted it into Google. The search revealed that the quote, or variants of it, had been used in 50 peer-review reports.

Predominantly, these reports were from journals published by MDPI, PLOS and Elsevier, and the team found that the amount of duplication increased year-on-year between 2021 and 2023. Whether this is because of an increase in the number of open-access peer-review reports during this time or an indication of a growing problem is unclear — but Piniewski thinks that it could be a little bit of both.

Why would a peer reviewer use plagiarized text in their report? The team says that some might be attempting to save time , whereas others could be motivated by a lack of confidence in their writing ability, for example, if they aren’t fluent in English.

The team notes that there are instances that might not represent misconduct. “A tolerable rephrasing of your own words from a different review? I think that’s fine,” says Piniewski. “But I imagine that most of these cases we found are actually something else.”

The source of the problem

Duplication and manipulation of peer-review reports is not a new phenomenon. “I think it’s now increasingly recognized that the manipulation of the peer-review process, which was recognized around 2010, was probably an indication of paper mills operating at that point,” says Jennifer Byrne, director of biobanking at New South Wales Health in Sydney, Australia, who also studies research integrity in scientific literature.

Paper mills — organizations that churn out fake research papers and sell authorships to turn a profit — have been known to tamper with reviews to push manuscripts through to publication, says Byrne.

The fight against fake-paper factories that churn out sham science

However, when Bishop looked at Piniewski’s case, she could not find any overt evidence of paper-mill activity. Rather, she suspects that journal editors might be involved in cases of peer-review-report duplication and suggests studying the track records of those who’ve allowed inadequate or plagiarized reports to proliferate.

Piniewski’s team is also concerned about the rise of duplications as generative artificial intelligence (AI) becomes easier to access . Although his team didn’t look for signs of AI use, its ability to quickly ingest and rephrase large swathes of text is seen as an emerging issue.

A preprint posted in March 2 showed evidence of researchers using AI chatbots to assist with peer review, identifying specific adjectives that could be hallmarks of AI-written text in peer-review reports .

Bishop isn’t as concerned as Piniewski about AI-generated reports, saying that it’s easy to distinguish between AI-generated text and legitimate reviewer commentary. “The beautiful thing about peer review,” she says, is that it is “one thing you couldn’t do a credible job with AI”.

Preventing plagiarism

Publishers seem to be taking action. Bethany Baker, a media-relations manager at PLOS, who is based in Cambridge, UK, told Nature Index that the PLOS Publication Ethics team “is investigating the concerns raised in the Scientometrics article about potential plagiarism in peer reviews”.

How big is science’s fake-paper problem?

An Elsevier representative told Nature Index that the publisher “can confirm that this matter has been brought to our attention and we are conducting an investigation”.

In a statement, the MDPI Research Integrity and Publication Ethics Team said that it has been made aware of potential misconduct by reviewers in its journals and is “actively addressing and investigating this issue”. It did not confirm whether this was related to the Scientometrics article.

One proposed solution to the problem is ensuring that all submitted reviews are checked using plagiarism-detection software. In 2022, exploratory work by Adam Day, a data scientist at Sage Publications, based in Thousand Oaks, California, identified duplicated text in peer-review reports that might be suggestive of paper-mill activity. Day offered a similar solution of using anti-plagiarism software , such as Turnitin.

Piniewski expects the problem to get worse in the coming years, but he hasn’t received any unusual peer-review reports since those that originally sparked his research. Still, he says that he’s now even more vigilant. “If something unusual occurs, I will spot it.”

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01312-0

Piniewski, M., Jarić, I., Koutsoyiannis, D. & Kundzewicz, Z. W. Scientometrics https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-024-04960-1 (2024).

Article   Google Scholar  

Liang, W. et al. Preprint at arXiv https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2403.07183 (2024).

Download references

Related Articles

• Peer review
• Research management

Illuminating ‘the ugly side of science’: fresh incentives for reporting negative results

Career Feature 08 MAY 24

Algorithm ranks peer reviewers by reputation — but critics warn of bias

Nature Index 25 APR 24

Researchers want a ‘nutrition label’ for academic-paper facts

Nature Index 17 APR 24

Structure peer review to make it more robust

World View 16 APR 24

Is ChatGPT corrupting peer review? Telltale words hint at AI use

News 10 APR 24

Mount Etna’s spectacular smoke rings and more — April’s best science images

News 03 MAY 24

How reliable is this research? Tool flags papers discussed on PubPeer

News 29 APR 24

Head of Operational Excellence

In this key position, you’ll be responsible for ensuring efficiency and quality in journal workflows through continuous improvement and innovation.

United States (US) - Remote

American Physical Society

Rowland Fellowship

The Rowland Institute at Harvard seeks outstanding early-career experimentalists in all fields of science and engineering.

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Rowland Institute at Harvard

Postdoctoral Fellowship: Chemical and Cell Biology

The 2-year fellowship within a project that will combine biochemical, cell biological and chemical genetic approaches to elucidate migrasome biology

Umeå, Sweden

Umeå University

Clinician Researcher/Group Leader in Cancer Cell Therapies

An excellent opportunity is available for a Group Leader with expertise in cellular therapies to join the Cancer Research program at QIMR Berghofer.

Herston, Brisbane (AU)

QIMR Berghofer

Faculty Positions at the Center for Machine Learning Research (CMLR), Peking University

CMLR's goal is to advance machine learning-related research across a wide range of disciplines.

Beijing, China

Center for Machine Learning Research (CMLR), Peking University

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies