GLS tracking status

GLS “Delivery attempted”: what it means

The short answer

Take action

A GLS driver logged a delivery attempt without leaving the package, usually with a short reason on the line. Use the Re-Schedule link in your GLS notice or on the tracking page. Some reviewers dispute these lines, so keep any camera footage.

When to act: If no new attempt or delivery has happened after 2 business days, file a complaint and we send it to GLS.

Also shown as: “DEL ATTEMPTED - RCPNT NOT HOME” · “Delivery attempted- Security Gate” · “UNSAFE LOCATION” · “no adult” · “RTS”

What to do now

Read the reason on the line and note its date and time.
Use the Re-Schedule link in your notice or on the GLS tracking page to pick a new day.
Look for a door tag on your door or gate, as GLS's FAQ mentions them.
If you were home, save doorbell or security camera footage around that time.
If it needs a signature, plan for someone to be there. For alcohol, the person signing must be at least 21.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to GLS, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

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Missed delivery or a card left with another courier

What does “Delivery attempted” mean?

The words on the line are the reason. 'RCPNT NOT HOME' reads as recipient not home, 'Security Gate' as a gate the driver could not pass, and 'UNSAFE LOCATION' as a spot the driver would not leave the package in. 'No adult' is reported on packages that need an adult to sign. One reviewer says tracking read 'RTS' with nobody there to sign, and in parcel shipping that commonly means return to sender. GLS does not publish these meanings, so this is a plain reading. Its FAQ says a home delivery with no signature needed is left only if the spot is safe and dry, and that 'Signature Required' packages are not left without one.

GLS publishes no number of attempts. It does say that after a missed attempt or a door tag you can reschedule with the link in your tracking notifications. Reviewers report anything from one attempt and delivery a couple of days later to 4 or 5 attempts, and some say their cameras show no driver came, or that they have no gate at all.

Why does GLS show it?

Nobody there to sign for a signature package
A locked gate or building code
The driver judged the spot unsafe or not dry
A wrong or incomplete address
An attempt made before the time you were given

How long does it last?

Another try on a later delivery day, or on the day you pick with the link. If tries keep failing, reviewers report the package going back to the sender, with no published time for that, and one says they were told to pick it up at a warehouse more than an hour away.

Other GLS statuses

SHIPMENT DATA RECEIVED - PENDING GLS RECEIPT SCANKeep an eye on it
Out for deliveryNormal
Delivery RescheduledKeep an eye on it
Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
Delivered but not receivedTake action

All GLS statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing package from GLS?

If you bought online from a business, the seller chose GLS and is its customer, so a late, lost or missing order is in most cases for the seller to put right. GLS's terms and claims page also give the remedy to the shipper, the person or company that sent the package, and GLS says a package in transit can go to another address only with the shipper's authorization.

If you sent the package yourself, you did so on a GLS account and your contract is with GLS under its Terms and Conditions. Liability is limited to the lowest of the contents' full value, your actual damages or $100, unless you paid to declare a higher value, up to $10,000 per package. Ground packages earn no credit for late delivery.

Questions about “Delivery attempted”

What does 'DEL ATTEMPTED - RCPNT NOT HOME' mean on GLS?

It reads as a delivery attempt with the recipient not home. GLS does not define the line. One reviewer saw it at 5 p.m. on a Friday, and says the package came a couple of days after posting the review.

What does 'unsafe location' mean on GLS tracking?

GLS does not define it. It leaves a package at a home only if the spot is safe and dry, so it reads as a driver not willing to leave it there. One reviewer saw it on two separate days and disputes that anyone came.

How do I reschedule a GLS delivery?

GLS says to use the link in your tracking notifications after a missed attempt or a door tag. Its tracking site also has a Re-Schedule link at the top.

GLS says it tried to deliver but nobody came. What can I do?

Save camera footage and a screenshot of the line, then reschedule. Reviewers report the same, some with cameras showing no driver. File a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to GLS.

Can GLS send my package back?

It can. Its terms let it hold or return a package when it judges delivery unsafe or impractical, and reviewers report packages going back to the sender after failed tries. A new address needs the sender's authorization, and GLS does not deliver to P.O. boxes.

Based on

GLS US: FAQ (notifications, signature options, rescheduling, rerouting, P.O. boxes)
GLS US: Terms and Conditions, parcel tariff (days of service, signature options, liability, delays)
GLS US: tracking site and its script (alerts, Re-Schedule, proof of delivery images, feedback reasons)
Trustpilot: reviews of GLS US ('no adult', 'unsafe location' on two days, cameras showing no driver, no gate)
Trustpilot: reviews of GLS US, page 2 ('Delivery attempted- Security Gate', 'UNSAFE LOCATION', 4 or 5 attempts, sent back, warehouse an hour away)
Trustpilot: reviews of GLS US, page 3 ('DEL ATTEMPTED - RCPNT NOT HOME', 'RTS', returned to sender)
GLS US: Terms and Conditions, parcel tariff (liability, declared value, late delivery)
GLS US: Claims (filed by the shipper)
GLS US: FAQ (account needed to ship, rerouting needs the shipper's authorization)