An Post tracking status
An Post “We tried to deliver your item”: what it means
The short answer
Keep an eye on itAn Post recorded a delivery attempt, and what happens next depends on the notice and the wording. With a Sorry we missed you notice, it will not retry unless you arrange redelivery. With none, it usually tries the next day. A line saying return to sender needs action today.
When to act: If the line says the item will be returned to sender, or there is no notice and no new scan after 2 working days, file a complaint and we send it to An Post.
Also shown as: “We tried to deliver the item but the address was incomplete. The item will be returned to sender” · “We tried to deliver your post” · “We tried to deliver your post. Reason: The addressee is not at the address anymore.” · “We tried to deliver your post. Reason: The address was incomplete.” · “Delivery attempted” · “Sorry we missed you” · “Docket In Box” · “DIB notice” · “An Post ran into an issue when attempting your delivery”
What to do now
- 1
Check your letterbox and around the door for a Sorry we missed you notice, and ask your neighbours.
- 2
If you have a notice, collect the parcel from the Delivery Service Unit with the notice and personal ID, or arrange redelivery online, which costs nothing and takes about 3 to 5 working days.
- 3
Read the reason in the item history. If it mentions your address or a return to sender, check the address and Eircode on your order, and go to your local delivery office or post office the same day with ID to try to collect it.
- 4
Set a safe spot, such as a dry place out of view or a neighbour, in your An Post account for this and later parcels.
- 5
Keep a photo of the notice and screenshots. If you were home, note the time and keep any doorbell footage.
- 6
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to An Post, so you do not have to chase it yourself.
Missed delivery or a card left with another courier
- UPS: Delivery attempted
- USPS: Notice left
- Amazon: Delivery attempted
- DHL: Delivery attempted
- OnTrac: Delivery attempted
- LaserShip: Delivery attempted
- GOFO: Delivery Exception, No Access to Delivery Location
- UniUni: A delivery was attempted
- SpeedX: Attempted Delivery
- Veho: Delivery issue
- GLS: Delivery attempted
- Cainiao: Delivery failed
- Royal Mail: Delivery attempted
- Evri: Delivery attempted or action needed
- DPD: Sorry we missed you
- Yodel: Delivery attempted
- Parcelforce: Delivery Attempted
- APC Overnight: Sorry we missed you
- DX: Sorry we missed you
- ArrowXL: No one home
- Canada Post: Notice left
- Purolator: Attempted delivery - receiver unavailable
- Canpar: Sorry we missed you
- Intelcom: Delivery attempted
- Australia Post: Attempted delivery
- StarTrack: Unsuccessful Delivery
- Aramex: Missed delivery
- CouriersPlease: Delivery attempted
- Team Global Express: Attempted delivery
- NZ Post: Delivery attempted
- DPD Ireland: We tried to deliver but we couldn't locate you
What does “We tried to deliver your item” mean?
An Post says it will try to deliver at least once. If nobody can take the parcel, the postal operative should leave a 'Sorry we missed you' notice, also called a Docket In Box or DIB. The parcel then goes to your local Delivery Service Unit, and An Post does not attempt it again unless you arrange a redelivery online. If your tracking shows an attempt but you have no notice, An Post says it will try again in the next delivery slot, usually the following day.
In tracking histories people share, the line can carry a reason, such as 'The addressee is not at the address anymore' or 'The address was incomplete'. The newest form we found says more: 'We tried to deliver the item but the address was incomplete. The item will be returned to sender'. So this line can mean a return has started, and An Post's terms say post it treats as undeliverable goes back to the return address after one working day. It can also be wrong: in that one case staff at the local post office found the label intact and the parcel with another postman, and it was delivered. People also report being home when the line appeared, with no knock and no notice. In one such history the next line was 'out for delivery' and the parcel arrived the next day. Another person says the same attempted update came back each day for over a week.
Why does An Post show it?
- Nobody was home to sign for or take the parcel
- The parcel did not fit through the letterbox
- An incomplete, illegible or incorrect address
- Difficulty accessing the property
- The operative recorded that the addressee no longer lives there
- No safe spot was set for the address
- The scan was made with no knock at the door, as some people report
How long does it last?
Without a notice, the next line should be 'Your item is out for delivery', usually the following day. With a notice, the parcel stays at the Delivery Service Unit for 5 working days, 3 for Irish registered post or 16 for items from abroad, and then goes back to the sender. If the line says the item will be returned to sender, the return may already have started.
Other An Post statuses
- A customs charge has been appliedTake action
- Customs charges have been paidKeep an eye on it
- Your item is being sorted for deliveryKeep an eye on it
- Parcel delayedKeep an eye on it
- Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
- Delivered but not receivedTake action
- Your delivery is in D.S.U.Take action
- We could not deliver your itemTake action
- We have received information about your incoming item from the senderNormal
Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from An Post?
A parcel bought online from a business is usually the seller's to sort out until it reaches you. The Consumer Rights Act (section 35) leaves goods at the seller's risk until you, or a person you nominated, physically have them. The exception is a carrier you booked yourself and the seller did not propose. Section 36 requires delivery without undue delay and no later than 30 days after the contract was made, unless you and the seller agreed otherwise. Customs charges are different: An Post's customs terms make the person receiving the parcel liable for them.
When you sent the parcel yourself, you are An Post's customer and the terms of the service you bought apply. For Standard Post, compensation generally covers no more than postage and directly associated costs, often in stamps. For Express it may equal the postage, and Express with Signature is limited to the lower of the item's proven cost and €350. Registered Post is limited to the value you declared (€25 if you declared none), up to €350 plus charges within Ireland and less for places abroad.
Questions about “We tried to deliver your item”
How many times does An Post try to deliver?
At least once, An Post says. If a notice was left, it will not try again unless you arrange a redelivery. With no notice, it usually tries again in the next delivery slot, the following day.
An Post says it tried to deliver but I was home. What can I do?
Check the door, letterbox and neighbours for a notice. People report this happening, and in one shared history the parcel went out for delivery the next day. If nothing changes in 2 working days, file a complaint here and include any doorbell footage.
An Post says the address was incomplete and it will return my parcel. What now?
Act the same day. Check the address and Eircode on your order, and go to your local delivery office or post office with ID to try to collect it. In one shared case staff at the local post office found the label intact and the parcel with another postman, and it was delivered, although An Post's online assistant had said nothing could be done. File a complaint here too.
Can An Post redeliver my parcel?
Yes, once and at no charge, to the original address, if your notice offers it. It takes about 3 to 5 working days, with no tracking or advance notice. If the redelivery fails, the parcel may go back to the sender.
What is a DIB notice from An Post?
DIB stands for Docket In Box, An Post's other name for the Sorry we missed you notice. It says what An Post tried to deliver and how to collect it.
Based on
- An Post: Receiving post (Sorry we missed you notice, next delivery slot, no further attempt)
- An Post: Delivery help (missed delivery options, hold periods)
- An Post: Redelivery and its terms
- An Post: Terms and Conditions for all services (Condition 7, undelivered post)
- boards.ie: 'We tried to deliver your post' with a reason line
- boards.ie: 'We tried to deliver your post', incomplete address
- boards.ie: older history with 'We tried to deliver your post'
- boards.ie: tried to deliver, then out for delivery and arrived
- boards.ie: Amazon's line for an An Post attempt
- boards.ie: 'we tried to deliver your item' with an empty reason
- boards.ie: 'We tried to deliver the item but the address was incomplete'
- boards.ie: the same parcel, delivered after a visit to the local post office
- boards.ie: 'Reason: The address was incomplete'
- Trustpilot review: delivery attempted while at home, no notice
- Irish Statute Book: Consumer Rights Act, section 35 (passing of risk)
- Irish Statute Book: Consumer Rights Act, section 36 (delivery of goods, 30 days)
- An Post: Terms and Conditions for all services (Standard and Registered Post compensation)
- An Post: Express Terms and Conditions, single piece mail
- An Post: Customs Terms and Conditions (who is liable for customs charges)