How I Built a USPS Delivery Verification SaaS to Solve the ‘Marked Delivered But Never Arrived’ Problem

Ever had that sinking feeling when USPS says “delivered” but your $900 coin order is nowhere to be found? That happened to me. And instead of cursing the postal system, I built DelivTrace – a SaaS that tackles the “marked delivered, never arrived” nightmare head-on.

This is the story of how I turned personal frustration into a working solution. Not as a tech guru with VC funding, but as someone who just really wanted their coins back. I’ll show you how we can fix this broken system together, and how these same principles apply to any SaaS idea worth building.

Why “Delivered” Often Means “Nowhere Near Me”

That “delivered” scan? It’s more fragile than you think. As a founder shipping high-value items, I discovered three hard truths:

• GPS data stays locked up: Carriers log exact scan locations, but keep this crucial info behind closed doors
• No one watches the gaps: No alerts when “delivered” means 100m from your actual address
• Claims get dismissed: Insurers ignore GPS evidence, sticking to the binary “delivered/not delivered” myth
• PO Boxes offer false hope: Even these aren’t safe from human error

One scan at the wrong porch. One transposed address (320 vs 230 Main St). One driver’s pocket scan. All create “delivered” labels that lie to customers and cost businesses real money.

My Tech Stack: Built for Speed, Not Show

I needed to move fast. No time for over-engineering. Here’s what got us from idea to working MVP in six weeks:

Core Architecture

• Backend: Node.js + Express on AWS Lambda (cheap, scales automatically)
• Database: PostgreSQL via Supabase (open-source with real-time features)
• Frontend: Next.js + Tailwind CSS (for quick, clean interfaces)
• Carrier API Integration: USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL via our own @delivtrace/sdk (makes carrier data talk to each other)
• GPS & Geocoding: Google Maps Platform (turns addresses into precise coordinates)
• Notifications: Pusher (real-time alerts), Twilio (SMS), SendGrid (email)
• Authentication: Auth0 (secure login without the headache)

We broke everything into bite-sized pieces:

• Tracking Sync Engine: Checks carrier APIs every 15 minutes
• GPS Validator: Compares scan location with your actual address
• Anomaly Detector: Flags deliveries that don’t make sense (wrong street, impossible distance)
• Claims Assistant: Creates solid PDF reports with GPS, photos (when available), and clear analysis

Here’s how we catch those sneaky transposed addresses:

// Comparing addresses is simple with geocodingconst fromCoords = await geocodeAddress('3721 Main St');const toCoords = await geocodeAddress('3712 Main St');const distance = haversineDistance(fromCoords, toCoords);if (distance > 100) {  // More than 100m? Definitely not your package  triggerAnomaly(trackingId, 'Transposition suspected');}

Building the Right Way: Fast, Focused, and Customer-Driven

No fancy labs. No six-month R&D. Just problem → solution → feedback → improvement. Here’s our path:

Phase 1: MVP (Weeks 1-4)

First rule: Validate the pain is real.

• Started with CSV imports of tracking numbers
• Daily email reports showing GPS vs. address mismatches
• Basic dashboard highlighting delivery issues
• Tested with 10 e-commerce founders (yes, including fellow coin collectors)

Result: 7 out of 10 saw discrepancies in their first week. Problem? Confirmed.

Phase 2: Real-Time Fixes (Weeks 5-8)

Next: Stop the bleeding in real time.

• Auto-import tracking numbers from delivery emails
• Instant GPS checks at scan time
• Slack and SMS alerts for mismatches
• Added photo verification when carriers provide it

Result: Three customers recovered packages the next day using GPS evidence we provided to neighbors.

Phase 3: Claim Smarter (Weeks 9-12)

Now: Help customers actually get refunds.

• One-click claims packages (GPS proof, photos, discrepancy analysis)
• Direct submission to USPS Missing Mail form
• PO Box support with manual flagging for extra scrutiny

Result: 85% of claims approved. Industry average? Around 30%.

How We Launched Fast (Without Breaking the Bank)

Twelve weeks. $0 in ads. Here’s the playbook:

1. Pre-Sell Your Idea

Sold MVP access for $99/year. Not to get rich, but to:

• Cover AWS and Google Maps costs
• Get real users testing the product
• Build an early community of advocates

2. Use What’s Already Built

For the first dashboard, we used existing Supabase UI and Tailwind templates. Saved weeks of coding time. Focus on what’s unique, not recreating the wheel.

3. Find Your Niche Allies

Posted in 50 e-commerce and coin collector Facebook groups. Offered free access in exchange for feedback. Result? Over 200 signups in two days.

4. Make Onboarding Effortless

Built one-click imports from Amazon, eBay, and Shopify. Cut setup from 15 minutes to under two. Friction kills adoption.

Bootstrapping Works: Surviving (and Thriving) Without VC

Solo founder. No investors. Prioritized:

• Revenue from day one: $99/year with a 30-day trial
• Serverless infrastructure: AWS Lambda costs pennies at low usage, scales as we grow
• Open-source power: Supabase, Next.js, Tailwind = faster builds, fewer headaches
• Listen to customers: Every feature request from early users got a look

Six months in: $15K monthly recurring revenue. Total costs? Under $2K.

Lessons for Any SaaS Builder

This experience hammered home five truths:

• Your frustration is your compass: The worst problems you face? Others have them too. Solve one, and you solve many.
• Data carriers hide is valuable: GPS coordinates are sitting there. We just need to use them.
• “Lean” means smart, not cheap: Serverless, no-code tools, open-source – use them to move faster, not cut corners.
• Your early users are your partners: They’ll shape your product and bring in their friends.
• Recovery should be easy: Make claiming effortless. Trust follows.

If you’re building for logistics, e-commerce, or anything physical-digital, remember: trust, but verify. Use GPS, photos, and real behavior to build what carriers won’t: a truth layer for delivery.

Got a package “delivered” but not received? Don’t just wait. Start building the tool that fixes this mess. Your frustration might be the spark.

The Real Problem: It’s Not Just USPS

“Marked delivered, never arrived” isn’t a carrier failure. It’s a data visibility failure. By using lean methods, modern tools, and real customer pain, I turned a personal gripe into a working solution. Whether you’re shipping rare coins, SaaS integrations, or IoT devices, the rules stay the same: find the real problem, build fast, listen closely, and automate the fixes. The future of delivery isn’t just knowing *when* something arrived. It’s proving *where*.

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