I was at a company offsite in early November. By chance, I had dinner with a few coworkers in another organization. In conversation it came up about the company issued backpacks and how when we were much smaller, we had been gifted a backpack with our initials on it. The person at the table had the same initials as I do and asked if I was using mine. I am not and I said I would consider giving it to her, but this was a prized sentimental artifact.
The very next day I decided I would gift her the backpack as she wanted it far more than I did. All it was doing was collecting dust on my wall. When I arrived home, I finally found the right box to mail it. Printer out a label with her address on it. Brought the package to my post office and sent it on its way. Priority mail, no less. She would have it within a few days. I sent her a message on our company chat that it was on its way along with the tracking number.
Two weeks go by and I never heard from her. Not even a thank you. Then I hear from her. It seems the backpack never made it. I checked the tracking number and it went to the central sorting facility in Indianapolis and that’s it. No further updates.
I submitted a support request to the Post Office and they replied with the shrug emoji. I then submitted an insurance claim without a proof of purchase for the backpack which meant the insurance was worthless. No hope. Just a lost backpack.
Fast forward to last week. I get a phone call in the morning before my run. It was a local number I did not recognize, so naturally I let it go to voicemail. When I returned from my run and listened to the voicemail, my jaw dropped. Somebody in my town had sent a package to their friend in Germany the same day I sent mine. Somehow their label made it onto my package and away it went to Germany.
I was connected with the person who now has it in Germany and has been working to reunite it with the future owner. I had to pay duty fees and postage from Germany to California. So worth it though as I am invested. We agreed they would then go to the German post to see how much it would be to mail out the backpack. Within a week, I was messaged that it was on its way and I immediately reimbursed them for the cost of postage. I am now at least $110 into this backpack making it to the new owner, well exceeding the price it cost. It is currently en route and I check the tracking number once a day.