Dear PoPville – UPS and USPS and package thieves – if they dont pick up packages, and then they get stolen, who is at fault?

“Dear PoPville,

I’m looking for some advice/experience. I had three packages that I was trying to return. Typically, UPS and USPS leave packages for me under my front stairs, and when I have a pre-paid package for them to pick up, I do the same, and leave them a note on the door, letting them know the packages are there. This usually works ok. However, this week, I left a note on the door on Wednesday, and neither UPS or USPS picked up the packages. I left another note on Thursday. When I came home Thursday, two of three packages were gone, and I hoped they’d been picked up. But then my downstairs neighbor found one of the packages up the street, ripped open and empty. This may have been the fate of the other package as well. So, clearly, leaving packages outside for a few days is not ideal. But for the USPS package at least, I KNOW the mailman came (because he delivered the mail), so had to see my note, but ignored the package for 2 days in a row, and then it was stolen. And now I’m out the money for the goods that I can no longer return. Anyone ever have any luck recovering value for stupidly handled goods from UPS or USPS?”