Emily’s wedding ring might be on your doorstep right now.

This is not quite the standard case of lost-and-found … Emily‘s wedding ring was lost because of a delivery mistake, and it might be on your doorstep, or somewhere else a parcel would be left:

West Seattle, I need your HELP. Thursday afternoon my wedding ring was supposed to be delivered to our home at 46th/Admiral (we had it remade for our ten year anniversary) and it was delivered to the wrong house (the package required a signature yet the driver left the package anyway) and it is currently missing. Knowing how small West Seattle is, and that everyone knows everyone, I’m asking you all to PLEASE SHARE this, in the hopes that someone will come forward. We are offering a reward, no questions asked. This is obviously heartbreaking and the sentimental value is something that can never be replaced. Thank you for your help!

You can reach Emily at 503.784.0079.

31 Replies to "Emily's wedding ring might be on your doorstep right now."

  • H November 8, 2014 (11:07 am)

    I’ve noticed UPS has been ignoring “signature required” for quite some time now. Have had many high-value packages left on my doorstep out in the open that were specifically marked as such, very frustrating. Seems UPS doesn’t particularly care one way or the other as it saves them time to just leave it, and customers don’t seem to be raising enough of a stink about it for them to care about the bad PR.

    Sorry to hear about your ring, hope it gets returned.

  • heather November 8, 2014 (12:05 pm)

    I took a screen shot of this and posted it on the Buy Nothing West Seattle FB group. If someone doesn’t see it here, maybe they’ll see it there.

    • WSB November 8, 2014 (1:00 pm)

      Heather, you can also just share the link on Facebook or any other website (unless they have a rule prohibiting sharing URL’s?) You can get the URL to any WSB story by right-clicking on the headline. That way people will also be able to see the comments, updates, etc. (Or if you did that too, thanks.)

  • miws November 8, 2014 (12:06 pm)

    These two points may be too obvious, but Emily, did you thoroughly check around the outside of you Home, in all areas it could have possibly been left by the Driver, to keep it out of plain sight? Also, if you subscribe to UPS Tracking, check that for a note on the specific location it was left at?

    .

    Earlier this week, I had a Parcel on the way, that Tracking told me it would be (Estimated) delivered between 2:30pm and 6:30pm.

    .

    It was a “Signature Required” Package, (likely at the Vendor’s request, as I did not request such), and I was going to head down to Thriftway, leaving Home around 10:00am, hoping to be back around 11:15, so even though I somewhat seriously considered doing the Signature Release on Tracking, thought “Naw, I’ll be Home well before it’s delivered, even if it shows up early like at 1:00-1:30″.

    .

    Well, the bus headed to Thriftway was about ten minutes late, which meant I had to catch a 1/2 hour later than planned bus back Home, and guess what? the package was there, and in checking Tracking, it had been delivered fifteen minutes earlier!

    .

    I checked Tracking, out of curiosity to see if the Apartment Owner(s) had signed, as they have been right out front lately, on a maintenance project, to see if it indicated they had signed (still haven’t asked them yet!). Tracking simply stated “Left on Porch”, (actually in the flower bed, hidden behind a shrub, which I appreciated).

    .

    I was actually relieved that the Driver had left it, as I was going to be gone for a few hours the next day. If He/She didn’t get a Sig from one of the Owners, perhaps the Driver talked to them, or just in seeing them there decided it would be safe to leave.

    .

    But, yeah. Besides not expecting anywhere near that early, I figured on the “slim chance” I’d miss the delivery, it was a large, 17lb box (folding chair) that would be rather awkward for someone to just swipe and run.

    .

    Mike

  • bree November 8, 2014 (12:06 pm)

    We have had no problems with UPS leaving tags that they have a package for signature. We even attempted to help a friend who was out of town receive a package needing signature and the UPS driver was adamant that it had to have the person’s signature. We are wondering if on top of Emily’s package not being signed for if someone might have stolen it from her porch? We hope you get your ring back.

  • MAS November 8, 2014 (12:41 pm)

    UPS also makes it a huge pain to return this kind of thing. You would think you could just give them the address that they mis-delivered the item to, and they could come by and pick it up, but they act like you are trying to send a new package (asking for personal info, etc)

    It’s always been easier for me to just hand-deliver to the correct address than try and deal with UPS.

    That said, when this has happened to me (three times – thanks UPS) as the incorrect recipient, each time the correct address was my house number, one block N or S. You might try asking the folks at those addresses if they have seen anything.

  • justme November 8, 2014 (1:18 pm)

    Good advice MAS.
    We’ve had an entire computer delivered and left on our porch due to our home number being the same as the true recipient, but one street over.

  • S.Young November 8, 2014 (1:19 pm)

    If it was delivered by UPS they know where it was delivered. It should have a GPS stamp in their system from when they scanned it at time of delivery. If it was delivered to the wrong address even if it was misaddressed by the sender they are suppose to retrieve it. They may require the sender to initiate the trace and they may have to return it to the sender however. MAS is correct, they do make it a pain. If it was USPS it will be much harder to locate.

  • KatherineL November 8, 2014 (1:38 pm)

    Not a helpful comment, but a story. I recently ordered a teakettle from Target. It was coming via USPS. One night about 6 PM, I noticed my cat staring fixedly at the front door. This usually means there’s a cat out there. I went to check, found my teakettle sitting against the door.

    It had been sliced open at the top, then taped back with a single piece of tape sideways across the flaps. Not the way it was packed.

    I suspect I have a neighbor to thank for my teakettle.

  • Karen November 8, 2014 (1:42 pm)

    I always request jewelry be sent by Registered Mail. That is still the most reliable for high value items. Sorry for your loss, Emily! :(

  • AD November 8, 2014 (1:49 pm)

    So sorry to hear about your ring. I hope its sitting on somones porch just waiting to be found.
    You may want to check the free newspaper stands in the area. I’ve seen the under the bridge kids stick what appears to be packages in there, only to have others come by to retrieve, open, and inspect the contents. If its is a good find they stash the loot in the bushes by the bridge/dentist office.

  • Michele November 8, 2014 (2:01 pm)

    If this was a delivery mistake by UPS I will be completely shocked. An employee is putting his/her job on the line by delivering a signature required package w/out an actual signature. That bring said however, sometimes shippers try to pull a fast one and throw a signature required sticker on a package without paying for the actual signature service which sometimes requires up to 3+ attempts to deliver and therefore is an extra cost. This leaves the customer thinking that UPS is in the wrong for delivering it without a signature when they have actually not paid for that service. ^^^S.Young is correct though that every package delivered has a scan that gives a time stamp and GPS location as to where it was delivered. If indeed it was a UPS mistake they will start a “follow-up” process in which case I hope that the ring is recovered. This is heartbreaking :(

  • Emily November 8, 2014 (2:15 pm)

    Thank you all for your comments. The package was sent via FedEx, and I specifically stayed home that afternoon during the delivery time so I wouldn’t miss it. Ups delivered a package, but other than that, nobody came up our steps. The driver who delivered it came over yesterday once our claim/trace was started and told me that he delivered the package and didn’t deliver it to us….he stated that he hadn’t been to our house. He was genuinely sorry and felt terrible and said he would retrace his steps, but unlike ups, FedEx doesn’t use gps when leaving packages. He made a major error and I have to leave that in the hands of he company to deal with I suppose. My hope is that the person who got the package brought it inside and planned to drop it back of with a FedEx driver or return to sender, or otherwise do the right thing. We are filing a police report, so we hope that the person checks their conscience instead of committing a felony. We have insurance, but it isn’t the monetary value, obviously the sentimental value that makes this so sad. Thanks again to everyone for reposting and to WSB for publishing!!

  • seaopgal November 8, 2014 (2:24 pm)

    Could one of you “in the know” UPS folks please call Emily directly about the GPS thing, just in case she doesn’t know about it?

  • JayDee November 8, 2014 (2:43 pm)

    Emily:

    An earlier poster said that their package got delivered to the right address one street over. I typically get mail for someone with a similar address, on my street. My address is 32XX and theirs is 33XX. About three times a year I have to schlep a package up a block to deliver it. I am hoping yours is coming to you even as I type.

  • Rose November 8, 2014 (2:53 pm)

    Ohhhhh, Emily wishing you the very best. Losing something of sentimental value is the absolute worst… West Seattle has always been GooD to me. I hope whomever received it returns it soon.

  • fiz November 8, 2014 (3:16 pm)

    We’ve spent weeks and considerable effort to replace a vehicle title that FedEx ‘delivered’. A former neighbor has multiple franchise FedEx routes and I wouldn’t trust him to deliver anything.

  • flimflam November 8, 2014 (3:34 pm)

    i’m sure the driver feels bad and all but that is a pretty major error seeing is that is the point of the company – bringing things to certain specific addresses.

    .
    hopefully the package is found quickly.

  • Kate November 8, 2014 (4:09 pm)

    I once had a UPS package get “delivered” (I lived in a large complex) but I never got the package. It was just shoes, so I contacted the store and they sent a replacement.

    HOWEVER the original shoe box was found by the gardener 4 months later when he was trimming the shrubs.

    So – I second the suggestion check every area EVERY area around your door.

  • Robbie November 8, 2014 (4:10 pm)

    Call 1-800-742-5877, it will be a computer. After the initial, “Spanish or English” question, press 8 3 times until it says it will get you through to a representative. Tell them you need to set up a tracer on a package that was misdelivered, give them the tracking number, tell them the situation, they can find it.

    I work at a UPS Store. I’ve never once seen a UPS package go missing for more than a few minutes, especially after they put a tracer on it. They will contact the center that delivered it to you, who will contact the driver that delivered it, who will tell them where it was delivered.

    EDIT: OH, sent via FedEx, that’s why it got lost.

  • GAnative November 8, 2014 (4:29 pm)

    Like some of the others posted here I get FedEx envelopes for the house with the same house number but 1 street over. Maybe start knocking on the doors of houses around you with the same house number.

  • coffee November 8, 2014 (5:15 pm)

    I clearly should start a package acceptance service! Robbie, I have to say our business routinely has lost and never again found UPS packages. I would say we file 6 claims a year minimum.
    Seriously I would be interested in knowing how many people would use a receiving service so that their packages would not get ripped off.

  • Gary November 8, 2014 (6:56 pm)

    Emily,
    I’ll keep my eyes open for sure btw!

  • goodgraces November 8, 2014 (8:49 pm)

    @coffee: There are “package acceptance service[s]” all over West Seattle. We pay for a box at Admiral Junction Mailing (on California, by Lafayette Elementary) so that they can receive packages for us. Porch package thefts are far too common these days, and it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.

  • Wsrez November 8, 2014 (9:20 pm)

    Boy- this stinks! Happened to us- a HUGE box of energy efficient lightbulbs ($700 value) was delivered to the same numerical portion of the address, different street. I would start there. Unfortunately for is, the nice woman who was “holding” the package, apparently she said someone stole it within the 24 hrs and we never retrieved. I reallllly hope some good person finds your ring and returns it. I can’t help but wonder why someone would mail such a valuable piece.

  • heather November 8, 2014 (9:30 pm)

    WSB – in response, that group prohibits url’s. But I included WSB header in my screen shots, although, they pulled the post anyway. I did see that someone typed the info and that post remained. So, at least, that’s something.

  • AIDM November 9, 2014 (9:27 am)

    I have learned to take the UPS delivery records with a grain of salt. I had a package ‘delivered’ last year that was nowhere to be found. I tracked it online and saw that UPS records showed that it had been delivered to my address. When I called them, they reported it as stolen and I was supposed to wait 48 hours before trying to seek a refund from them. Low and behold, when I called back, they reported that the delivery record was false and the package had actually been delivered to the wrong address. From a logistics perspective, UPS would be smart to equip its drivers with GPS units, so that delivery logs could be correlated with GPS to easily find the location of missed deliveries. The lesson I learned is that stolen packages are sometimes just mis-delivered and mis-logged packages.
    **
    Ideally, the ring is insured for the ‘replacement cost’ and a custom jeweler can replicate the ring from your photo records to help alleviate the sentimental loss.

  • SM November 9, 2014 (1:20 pm)

    Suggestion (I did not read all replies above first), check with Alki Mail & Disp 4701 SW Admiral, maybe just maybe it was delivered there with many other packages by mistake.

    GOOD LUCK!!

  • nemobeansmom November 9, 2014 (3:31 pm)

    Why is everyone bad mouthing UPS when they weren’t even the company that lost Emily’s ring???
    As AIDM…hope you had it insured.

  • Emily November 10, 2014 (11:20 am)

    Thanks everyone. Want to reiterate again that it was not UPS, it was FedEx. UPS has actually been very proactive about helping, even though they weren’t the ones who shipped the package! They have contacted me several times with suggestions and asking if they can help. Frankly I wish it had been sent UPS! FedEx is investigating, but considering they couldn’t even get my package from point A to point B, I’ll take that with a grain of salt, and keep spreading the word wherever I can! Thanks again to everyone for your help.

  • Emily November 10, 2014 (4:30 pm)

    MY RING HAS BEEN FOUND! The delivery driver went to every house on his route…at this house and particular, they saw the news story and didn’t even realize it was in their screen door. My faith in humanity has been restored :) Thanks to everyone for your prayers and positive thoughts!!!

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