Help Center - A CD I requested is lost in the mail. What now?

Search Terms:

If a CD you requested does not arrive by the 21st day after it was marked mailed, it will be declared Lost in the Mail at SwapaCD. The requestor does not mark the CD Lost; the system does this. 

The requestor will get credit and transaction fee back, and the CD will go onto the Wish List (if there are no available copies in the system) or the Reminder List (if there are other copies available to request).  If the CD was a Wish List CD when it was requested before, the requestor will go back to #1 in line for the CD.

  • However, this does not mean that the CD is definitely lost.  Sometimes it is merely delayed en route.
  • If the CD arrives after it has been declared Lost, the requestor must mark it received from the Transaction Archive.
    • At this time, the credit will be taken back from the requestor's account

What you should do if a CD you requested is declared Lost in the Mail:

  • Contact the sender, to find out if mailing was delayed for some reason.
    • you can do this from your Transaction Archive, using the PM button on this Lost transaction in that list.
  • If the mailing was not delayed, the sender should call 800-ASK-USPS or go to https://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/mailthft/mlntrcvd.htm (the Postal Inspection Service's website) and input the information online there . This will help USPS try to recover the CD if it truly has been lost in the mail.
  • Don't re-request the CD for at least 2 weeks, unless you are willing to run the risk of getting two copies (and paying a credit for both).

If you are having a lot of CDs declared "Lost" en route to you:

  • You should investigate this.  Excessive unreceived CDs may jeopardize your membership.
    • Numerous CDs sent separately but not arriving at your address implies that something is wrong with your mail delivery.
  • Check your address in your account settings, to be sure that it is correct.
  • Talk to your PO and mail carrier to see if your mail is being misdelivered to a neighbor.

Related Links:

A CD I sent is lost in the mail!
I received a CD that was 'lost in the mail'
I received an empty wrapper--no CD inside!