What is a UPS Overgoods Location?

A UPS Overgoods Location is a facility where UPS keeps packages when a label has been used twice or if it was shipped long after the original shipping date. UPS also sends package contents to these locations when they become separated from their packaging.

Table of Contents

• UPS Overgoods Locations are Used for More Than Housing Lost Items
• Can You Recover Items from a UPS Overgoods Location?

UPS Overgoods Locations are Used for More Than Housing Lost Items

A common situation when an item gets sent to an Overgoods Location is when it gets separated from its packaging at any point during transit. For instance, let’s say you’re sending a box full of 10 dolls, and one of them falls out at some point when UPS is handling the package on its journey. Chances are, UPS will send that doll to an Overgoods Location while the box of the nine other dolls will make its way to the final destination.

However, UPS uses these Overgoods facilities for more than just housing lost items. UPS also sends packages to these facilities when a duplicate shipping label has been used, or if a package is sent too long after the ship date. While UPS doesn’t provide exact guidance for how long to wait to hand them packages, shippers are encouraged to hand over their packages as close to the label’s ship date as possible. If UPS determines that too much time has passed between the ship date on the label and the actual date they receive the package, there’s a chance they will send it to an Overgoods Location.

Can You Recover Items from a UPS Overgoods Location?

Recovering items or a package from a UPS Overgoods Location is difficult, but not necessarily impossible. First, let’s talk about ownership of a package (i.e. whose property it is).

While a package is in transit, it technically still belongs to the shipper (or the person who paid for the shipping label). This gets confusing in the world of eCommerce because the recipient is the one who purchases the goods that are being shipped. As such, many recipients think the package and its contents belong to them while it’s in transit. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case! The package only becomes the recipient’s property when it is delivered or handed over to them. Tricky, right?

Since the shipper is the one who owns the package and its contents, the shipper needs to file a claim when something is lost and ends up in a UPS Overgoods Location.

If you’re a shipper who wants to recover a lost item, you’ll need to first create a UPS account and file a claim. When filing it, it’s important to give as detailed a description of the item as possible. If the description in your claim matches the description that UPS gives an item when it reaches their Overgoods facility, there’s a chance that you may get the item returned to them. However, may also be responsible for any additional postage with UPS to cover that item’s return journey.

If you’re a recipient and want to attempt to recover a lost package, your best bet is to contact the shipper and have them follow the above process.