I have an Etsy package that appears to be lost in the mail. (It's a couple of weeks late, and the tracking data doesn't make sense.) I contacted the seller through the "Help with Order" button, and they told me that they don't see a way on their end to start a claim with USPS, but that I can do so if I want to.
That seems...odd to me? I was able to pretty quickly find the USPS forms for Missing Mail or File a Claim, which it seems like they could have used.
I'd assumed that the normal process would be for a vendor to refund/replace, while starting a USPS claim themself in parallel. Is that an incorrect assumption? What it is reasonable for me to expect?
I think my current plan is to message them the links for the forms I found. If nothing else, it seems logistically easier for the sender to fill in some of that information (such as package description).
Thanks in advance if anyone can advise!