Packages

Each student attending Eckerd College is assigned a Campus Box where they can collect their mail. All student mailboxes are located outside the Mail Center in Edmundson Hall.

When a package is delivered to Mail Services, it is signed for by a member of the staff. The package is then scanned into the internal tracking system. Using this tracking software, Mail Services will send e-notifications to students indicating that a package has arrived and is available for pickup. Notifications will be made by an email message sent to the student’s Eckerd email account only. (Students may receive an email from the carrier saying their package has been delivered, however, they should NOT come to Mail Services until they receive an email from Mail Services.)

If a package is not picked up within three (3) days of the initial notice, a Second Notice will be emailed to the student’s Eckerd email account. This notice offers the student the ability to contact Mail Services to make arrangements if they are unable to retrieve the package within the time frame indicated in the e-notice.

Should a student fail to respond to the Second Notice within two (2) days, a Final Notice will be emailed to the student’s Eckerd email account. This notice warns the student that failure to retrieve the package within three (3) days will result in the package being returned to sender.

Packages not picked up three (3) days after the Final Notice will be returned to sender.

This escalation procedure of multiple e-notices is designed to give the student sufficient time (at least 8 days) to pick up packages while ensuring that Mail Services’ limited storage capacity is not misused. Mail Services will investigate the status of a student who has not responded to the e-notices to ensure that the student is not on Study Abroad or to verify that no extenuating circumstances exist which might have prohibited the student from responding to the e-notices.

Only the student whose name appears in the delivery address may pick up a package. Students must have their Student ID with them in order to retrieve any packages.

Students are required to sign for all packages retrieved.

Packages may be collected at the service window during normal business hours. Students must show their Eckerd ID (or other government issued photo ID) to claim their package, no exceptions. Once the student’s signature is recorded, the package is released.

Packages will only be released to the named recipient on the address. Roommates, siblings and/or friends are not permitted to retrieve packages for other individuals.

If you are expecting an important package such as medicine or a perishable item and you know you will not be on campus to retrieve it during normal hours of operation, you may authorize Mail Services to give your package to a roommate or friend. This authorization must be in writing, an email from your Eckerd email address (not a personal email address) or a signed note is sufficient. The note must include the name of the person retrieving the package. Please note: this is the exception to the rule. Students should not make a practice of doing this for convenience sake. If it appears that a student is abusing this policy, the student’s request may be denied.

Send the email to mailservices@eckerd.edu

Possible Delays

All shipments come directly to Mail Services. The carrier, such as UPS, will combine all the deliveries addressed to students, faculty and staff that day on a single manifest, which is signed for by Mail Services staff. This manifest may contain only a few packages or a few hundred. At that time, the carrier considers these packages as being “delivered” (and marks them as such in their online package-tracking system), even though they have not been received by the recipient. It still may be a couple hours (or longer, depending on the quantity of items received) before the package is processed through the internal tracking system and the student is notified.

Another reason for the delay may be that Mail Services is unable to identify the recipient. The tracking system includes the names of all students, however, if the name on the package does not match the name in the system, the package is set aside due to inadequate information. This will always result in delay the package. Also, it is not unusual for some students to share the same name. In this circumstance, absence of the Campus Box number may cause confusion and delay.