General Operations
Q. Where do I pick up my packages?
A: Each of the College Houses is assigned a package room. The Information Center Specialist in your building will be able to direct you to your building's package room. The locations of the package rooms may also be found online.
Q. When are the package rooms open?
A: The Housing Services Package Room hours are generally 9am to 8pm Mondays – Fridays and 10am to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays except for Hill House where the hours are 9am-2am Mondays – Fridays and 12pm-2am Saturdays and Sundays. Hours (including any temporary changes) are posted at your building’s Information Center and on the Package Room door.
Q. Are packages delivered on the weekend?
- UPS and FedEx can deliver packages on Saturday for an additional fee. There is no Saturday delivery from the U.S. Postal Service.
Q Who is in charge of student mail at Penn?
A. In all buildings, with the exception of Hill College House, mail is sorted and delivered by Datrose, Inc., an outside vendor contracted by the University to manage residential mail and package services. At Hill, the package room is operated by students.
Package Delivery Questions
Q. How long does it take for my mail/package to arrive?
A. Below are the estimated shipping times to Penn’s campus. Please keep in mind that these are estimates provided by USPS, FedEx and UPS.
• FedEx Express (1 -2 days)
• FedEx Ground (3 days)
• FedEx Home (3-7 days)
• UPS Express (1-3 days)
• UPS Ground (3-7 days)
• USPS Basic (3-10 days)
• USPS Priority (2-7 days)
• USPS Express (1-2 days) * unless arrival date is Saturday, and then add an additional day
Q: What about delivery confirmation? Someone sent me a package and received a delivery confirmation from the post office that it had been received, but I haven’t gotten it yet.
A: The U. S. Postal Service offers various delivery services which allow you to trace parcels to a final destination point. The most commonly used service is "Confirmation Mail.” Delivery of confirmation mail is tracked to the Philadelphia Central Postal Facility only. Confirmation of final delivery to Penn's residences is unfortunately not part of this service.
Q. Why does it take so long from confirmation with the U.S. Post Office to delivery at Penn?
A: Mail can take anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks to travel through the postal system There are many reasons why your USPS mail may be delayed, but one of the most common is that an incorrect address format was used. All USPS mail is scanned electronically. Pieces that do not use the official USPS format will not be accepted by the scanning machinery and must be processed manually – which can result in a delay of up to eight days. Proper mailing addresses for the College Houses and Sansom Place can be found on the housing website.
Q: My dad sent my airline tickets via certified mail. He mailed them on several days ago, but they aren't here yet.
A: The U.S. Postal Service recommends that if you need to securely send articles of value to any addressee you should use certified or registered mail. These services take longer, though, because a signature is made at every stop on the way through the postal system. An alternative to the U.S. Postal Service is to use a commercial carrier (such as FedEx, UPS) that requires a signature only upon delivery to its final destination point.
Problem Resolution
Q. What do I do if I think that my mail has been lost?
A. Official loss reports should be made after two weeks has passed. Datrose performs postmark checks on a periodic basis and verifies that mail travels through the mail stream at a variable rate prior to arriving at Penn.
Q: My mother sent me a letter with some money in it and it never arrived. Can you trace it or find it?
A: First class mail is only stamped mail. It can't be traced. You can file a report of lost or missing mail through your mailroom, though. Make sure your family and friends do not send money, valuables or important papers in first class mail. Valuables should be sent via certified or registered mail is you are using the U.S. Postal Service or by commercial carrier such as FedEx or UPS.
Q: My mail arrived and appears to have been opened. What can I do?
A: Datrose will attach a notification to any damaged mail that they identify, letting you know that the letter arrived damaged. Copies of these notifications are also sent to the U.S. Post Office. Housing Services takes any complaint of mail tampering very seriously. Mail Complaint forms can be obtained from and returned to your building's Information Center or Package Room. You may also contact the Housing Services at 215-898-3547, or via email housingmail@lists.upenn.edu.
Mail and packages arrive through many different carriers to Penn's campus. Contacting the carrier that delivered your mail or package to Penn is also recommended.
Q: How do I contact Housing Services with a problem or complaint?
A: Mail Complaint forms can be obtained from and returned to your building's Information Center. If you have questions or need additional assistance, email housingmail@lists.upenn.edu or call 215-898-3547.
