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A failed delivery in Canada usually ends with a notice card, not a lost parcel. The carrier leaves a card telling you where the parcel is held and the deadline to collect it. You can pick it up, request another delivery attempt, or have it held at a pickup point. If nobody claims it, the parcel goes back to the sender.
One thing to be clear about up front: LetterAgent provides the shipping label, but what happens after a failed delivery is the carrier's process, not ours. A LetterAgent label is a Canada-only, flat-rate Canada Post Xpresspost label for parcels up to 5 kg, so the steps below describe Canada Post handling. Couriers follow the same general pattern with their own cards, depots, and deadlines.
It depends on the parcel. If the item does not need a signature and the carrier judges the spot safe, they may leave it at the door, in a parcel locker, or with a building concierge, and the tracking record will say so. If a signature is required, or the spot looks unsafe, the carrier takes the parcel back to the depot and leaves a delivery notice card at your door or in your mailbox.
The notice card is the key document from this point on. It carries the tracking number, the pickup location, and the date by which you must collect the parcel. Photograph it as soon as you find it: cards are small, they blow away, and they are easy to lose in a pile of flyers.
Take the notice card and photo ID to the pickup location printed on it, which is usually a nearby post office or a retail outlet that handles parcels. The name on your ID should match the name on the parcel; if someone else is collecting for you, check the carrier's rules first, because some locations ask for a signed note from the addressee plus the collector's own ID.
Pay attention to the deadline on the card. Pickup windows are limited, and once the window closes, the parcel is sent back to the sender rather than held longer. If you cannot make it in person before the deadline, act early: most carriers let you request a change of plan online using the tracking number, before the parcel is returned.
| What the notice card tells you | What to do with it |
|---|---|
| Pickup location | Go there with the card and photo ID; check the location's hours before you travel. |
| Pickup deadline | Collect before that date, or arrange redelivery or a hold change before it passes. |
| Tracking number | Use it online to check status, request redelivery, or redirect to a pickup point. |
| Delivery attempt details | Confirms which attempt failed and whether another attempt is already scheduled. |
| Charges owing, if any | Duties or fees marked on the card are usually payable at pickup, in person. |
Often, yes. Canada Post and most couriers let the recipient request a second attempt through their tracking page or by phone, using the tracking number from the notice card. You can usually pick a different day, and some services let you redirect the parcel to a pickup point near your work instead of your home address.
Redelivery is not guaranteed for every service level, and a second failed attempt usually means the parcel goes straight to the pickup location rather than out for a third try. If you know you will be away, redirecting to a pickup point on the first failure is more reliable than hoping the second attempt catches you at home.
After the pickup window closes, the parcel is returned to the sender. The return trip takes time, and in some cases the sender is charged for the return leg, which is one reason sellers ask buyers to watch for notice cards. Once it arrives back, the sender decides what happens next: reship it, refund it, or hold it for the buyer to arrange a new shipment.
If you are the sender and a parcel comes back, check the label and packaging before reshipping: return trips add handling, and a box that survived two journeys may not survive a third. Re-tape the seams and confirm the address before sending it out again.
Check three places before assuming the worst: around your door and any sheltered spot a carrier might use, with neighbours or a building desk, and in parcel lockers or community mailboxes. Carriers sometimes scan a parcel as delivered a stop early, or leave it somewhere unexpected.
If it still does not turn up, contact the carrier with the tracking number and ask for the delivery details, including the exact scan location. Senders can also open a trace from their side, and for a parcel sent with a LetterAgent label, the sender can ask their AI assistant to check the job's status. Act promptly either way: the sooner a trace starts, the better the chance the parcel is still nearby.
Give the carrier something to work with. A buzzer code or delivery note helps in apartment buildings, and choosing a pickup point at checkout removes the guesswork when you know you will be out. For parcels that need a signature, tell anyone else at the address to expect it so a family member can sign.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
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