I have ordered a photo filter from an online store. After waiting for 4 weeks I finally received an order update stating that the item has been shipped and was given a tracking number.

I have checked my letterbox every day, but there was nothing except of a lot of paper spam. So today I have checked the item status via track & trace on the swisspost webpage. To my surprise, it stated that the item was delivered on 30.03.2011 to my letterbox ("Status: Delivered to letterbox, Processed by: 1310 Daillens Base de distribution").

How can it be? I definitely do not remember seeing any parcel in my letterbox. I think I couldn't throw it away together with spam ads, since a parcel doesn't resemble a spam ad in anyway. Could it be that a postman dropped my parcel to some other letterbox by mistake?

Also it's strange that they dropped it into my letterbox (of course if they did it). Because so far all deliveries from online stores I have received only through a counter.

Anyway, tomorrow morning I'm going to the postoffice. Is there any chance they can find the parcel? Can I claim a refund from Swiss Post in case they don't find it.

Could just be a simple case of theft which is probably out of the control of the Swiss Post. If the tracking system says they delivered it, unless it was sent with a signature on delivery, you've got little recourse.

If it was sent on a service which doesn't require a signature, you could take it up with the company that sent it. What kind of outfit sends something like that normal post anyway?

Good luck tracing it.

I only have to go to the post office If I am not present for the delivery and there is something to sign or pay.
It is for me a change to have the postman ringing instead of just leaving a note

Is it possible the postman found you were out, left you an official Post Office note saying collect it within 5 days? And you threw the note away with all the advertising rubbish? Take the tracking number with you to the post office, maybe they have your parcel there.

This is the first time I receive such called 'Delivered to letterbox'. Before that I always picked up my stuff at the post office, because I'm usually not at home and the postman always leaves me a note for the pick up (and they gave it status 'Delivered over counter' on the tracking webpage).

But this time there wasn't any note from the postman (I always carefully check all the paper junk in order not throw away some important letter), nor the item in the letterbox - only 'Delivered to letterbox' status on the tracking webpage.