When a piece of mail is incorrectly routed during processing or transit within the United States Postal Service (USPS) network, it is considered to be dispatched in error. This situation arises when a letter or package is sent to the wrong facility or placed on the wrong delivery route. For instance, a package destined for New York City might mistakenly be sent to a processing center in Los Angeles.
The occurrence of this issue can lead to delays in delivery and customer frustration. While the postal service employs various tracking and routing mechanisms to minimize such incidents, the sheer volume of mail processed daily makes it statistically likely that errors will occasionally occur. Historically, efforts to improve automation and streamline logistics within the USPS have aimed to reduce the frequency of these routing errors, improving overall service efficiency.