NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — A Merrimack Valley family recently learned that a package containing sentimental shirts belonging to their late father was destroyed by the U.S. Postal Service.
The information and an apology from a representative followed reporting by Boston 25 News.
Tim Campbell of North Andover says he received a phone call from a USPS worker offering an apology for how the package was handled.
As Boston 25 reported in April, Campbell shipped his late father’s shirts to a quilt-making company last year. Campbell prepaid for postage and asked one of his employees to drop the package with FedEx. The worker mistakenly dropped the package at the North Andover Post Office, where it was accepted, and a tracking number was issued. But USPS never delivered the package, never gave it to FedEx, and never returned it.
Following months of frustration, Campbell connected with Boston 25 in the hopes of tracking down his father’s shirts. After, he says USPS called him and revealed the shirts were destroyed last year.
While not the answer Campbell wanted, he says he had a good conversation with the employee who told Campbell he had hoped to find the package and return it in person. Campbell said he left with “a good feeling.”
“The fact that somebody called and said, ‘I am truly sorry,’ and the fact that he wanted to be the one to hand-deliver them to me spoke volumes,” Campbell told Boston 25. “He wasn’t blowing smoke. I could tell this guy was the real deal.”
Based on the conversation, Campbell believes USPS is working to make improvements. The USPS Board of Governors appointed a new Postmaster General last year to oversee the agency and its more than 500,000 workers.
Campbell also says the apology gives him a sense of closure.
“If I still had the shirts, that would be great,” Campbell said. “But I’ve got the memories, so that’s even better.”
A USPS spokesperson declined a Boston 25 News request for an interview with the worker who spoke with Campbell and did not comment on Campbell’s claims.
Data available on the USPS website shows the service handled more than 112 billion pieces of mail in 2024, the most recent year for complete information. A survey by the website Postal found more than 15,000 pieces of mail go missing every month. In February, the Supreme Court ruled USPS cannot be sued for intentionally failing to deliver mail.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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