In the age of Amazon, there’s a good chance a package will be “lost in transit.” This can happen for various reasonsyour precious package may be misplaced during transfer between trucks, lost in a warehouse or perhaps even held up due to an error in shipping information.

While the intended recipient may ignore this scenario and pressure 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 have not been lost at sea or stolen by bad actors, these unclaimed packages can be auctioned off by the entity holding them, whether it’s Amazonanother online marketplace or the US Postal Service – often at unbeatable prices.

If you’re intrigued by the possibility of finding treasures among these mounds of lost possessions, several sites will allow you to go bargain hunting or perhaps try your luck on the contents of a mystery box.

Back in 2021users were abuzz with social media videos about buying unclaimed packages, with creators offering choice finds like gift cards or designer clothing. Fast forward until 2024 and videos about buying lots of unclaimed mail or lost Amazon packages are still racking up millions of views on YouTube, further fueling interest in this new online shopping treasure hunt.

To find out more, here’s how Protect your packages from porch pirates and our choices for cheapest home security systems.

When do USPS and Amazon resell undelivered packages?

Both USPS and Amazon hold 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 in the first place.

Per USPS policy, a lost or forgotten package may be sent to auction if not claimed within 90 days. For Amazon, the company also waits 90 days for an undelivered package to be claimed before sending it out for resale, but before that can be done, an employee must open the package and inspect the item, s ensuring that it is in good enough condition to be able to sell it. justify being resold.

How to Buy or Bid Online on Unclaimed Postal Packages

For many unclaimed packages, you can do much of the work right from home. Visit Liquidation.comand you can choose the retailer you want to view products from, including Walmart, Target, Amazon, Home Depot, Overstock, and Wayfair. This site operates in an auction format, encouraging interested customers to place competing bids on the lots they want. Sites like this are also where retailers will send customer returned products, with several similar returned products frequently being bundled into lots and sold in bulk.

With a little digging, you may be able to find sought-after items at great prices. For example, a bundle presented at the end of September included several Sony noise-cancelling over-ear headphones that had been returned to an unnamed electronics retailer. With a total MSRP value of approximately $2,600, the highest bid as of September 25 was $286, a reduction of almost 90%. The only risk involved in the process for a product like this is the fact that none of the items returned have been tested, so you’re out of luck if any are faulty.

For packages or items held by the postal service, consult GovDeals.comwhich manages various resales of government surpluses. This includes consumer goods that could have been returned by mail, such as clothing, beauty products, sports equipment or video games. You can also find items that fit into a whole host of other categories from other government agencies, allowing wealthier people to bid on farm equipment, airplanes, or even garbage trucks.

The viral nature of these unclaimed mail batches has also led to the creation of FunDelivered.com. With its colorful site design and motto “A little fun never hurt anyone”, FunDelivered exploits the pleasure of betting on these lost packages, by selling exclusively to its customers “mystery boxes” filled with unspecified items. claimed. The store restocks with new packages every Friday at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT).

Try buying these unclaimed mail items in person

If you prefer to see items in person, check for unclaimed packages at a local swap meet. Swap the Madness lets you browse vendors who may sell these items, broken down by state and city. These listings do not guarantee that you will find an unclaimed package sale at any given time, so it is advisable to call ahead to find out before you go there.

To learn more, check out our guide to creating shopping lists with Google Home and what you need to know the next Amazon Prime Day.