For a U.S. shopper, an international shipping dispute usually starts with the seller and the payment method, not maritime arbitration. A delayed, damaged, or customs-held package can involve several separate processes, so keep them distinct:

• The seller or marketplace: responsible for the order terms, delivery promise, replacement, or refund request.
• The carrier: responsible for the transportation record and any claim allowed under its service terms.
• Customs or a broker: responsible for import processing, documentation, and amounts assessed at entry.
• The payment provider: responsible for its billing-dispute or transaction-reversal process.

Save the order confirmation, tracking history, delivery promise, customs notice, photos, and payment record first. Then contact the seller in writing and check the deadline for the relevant carrier or payment process. A carrier claim and a payment dispute are not the same thing, and filing one doesn't automatically extend the deadline for the other.

This is general information for U.S. consumers. Cross-border contracts, carrier terms, and the law of the seller's country can change the result.

Identify the shipping problem first

Customs charges are separate from shipping charges

A checkout total may include the product price and transportation but still leave import duty, tax, or brokerage charges for the recipient. The answer depends on the order terms, the carrier's service, the goods, and the import rules that apply.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidance on internet purchases says goods valued below $2,500 may, in most cases, enter as an informal entry when shipped by mail or freight. That describes an entry procedure. It doesn't guarantee that the shipment is duty-free or exempt from other requirements.

CBP also explains that:

• A seller can help postal processing by attaching a completed CN 22 or CN 23 customs form.
• Courier, express, and other commercial shipments are commonly processed through a customs broker working with the delivery service.
• U.S. agency requirements still apply when relevant. CBP gives the Food and Drug Administration, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as examples.

If a customs or broker bill surprises you:

1. Ask for the entry number, a description of the goods, the declared value, and an itemized breakdown of the amount requested.
2. Compare the description and value with your order and commercial invoice.
3. Check the seller's checkout page and shipping terms for language such as duties included, duties unpaid, or delivery duty paid.
4. Contact the carrier or broker through the official website or a phone number on the shipment notice. Be cautious with payment links sent only by text or email.
5. Ask the seller what happens to the order and any refund if you refuse delivery or fail to provide documents.

A customs request attached to an order you made isn't the same as an unsolicited product. CBP handles import requirements; it doesn't replace your request to the seller for a missing, incorrect, or defective order.

For more background, see CBP's Customs Duty Information, including its reminder that applicable U.S. agency rules must be met for an importation.

What to do when an international package is late or lost

A tracking message such as "in transit" or "held at customs" doesn't, by itself, establish whether the seller, carrier, or customer must absorb the loss. Check the promised delivery terms and the latest scan before choosing a remedy.

Use this sequence:

1. Contact the seller first. State the order number, the promised delivery date, the latest tracking event, and the resolution you want. Ask whether the seller will replace the item, refund it, or open a carrier investigation.
2. Ask who can file the carrier claim. Some services require the sender to start a loss investigation, while others allow the recipient to submit information. Don't assume that the person who paid for the order is the person who can claim against the carrier.
3. Save every status change. Download tracking records instead of relying on a page that may later update.
4. Check all deadlines. Look at the seller's terms, marketplace rules, shipping service terms, and payment-provider rules at the same time.
5. Escalate through the payment method before its deadline. A merchant's promise to "wait a few more days" shouldn't cause you to miss a separate dispute window.

The USPS claims page states that its listed process is for domestic claims. It says a damaged item or missing contents may be claimed immediately and no later than 60 days after the mailing date, but that deadline should not be treated as a universal rule for international USPS shipments. Confirm the service-specific international terms before relying on it.

Private carriers may use different claim forms, evidence requirements, and time limits. If the seller arranged the shipment, ask the seller for the applicable terms and the claim reference number.

If the package arrives damaged

Keep the outer box, inner packing, shipping label, seals, and damaged contents until the seller or carrier tells you they can be discarded. Take clear photographs showing:

• The package before opening, if possible
• Every damaged side, corner, seal, or label
• The internal cushioning and how the goods were packed
• The item and its serial number or identifying mark
• The invoice, order value, and any shortage

Notify the seller promptly even if you plan to claim against the carrier. Describe the condition factually rather than guessing who caused the damage. Ask whether the carrier needs an inspection and whether you should return, store, or repair the item.

If only part of the order is missing, list each missing item and its value. A claim for missing contents is different from a claim for a visibly crushed parcel, and the documentation may be different.

Don't repair, discard, or ship the goods back at your own expense until you have written instructions. If a return is approved, ask who pays return postage, whether customs paperwork is required, and when the refund or replacement will be issued.

When the seller won't refund you

Send one clear written request before opening a payment dispute. Include the order number, purchase date, promised delivery date, tracking result, the problem, and the remedy you requested. Give the seller a reasonable opportunity to respond, but don't let an internal support exchange make you miss your card issuer's deadline.

Credit card purchases

The Federal Trade Commission's guidance on billing errors and unordered products says a U.S. credit card billing error must generally be disputed in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.

The FTC also explains that:

• The card issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days, unless it resolves the matter sooner.
• The issuer generally must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving the dispute.
• During the investigation, you don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges, although you should continue paying amounts that aren't disputed.

Follow your issuer's instructions for where and how to send the written dispute. Attach the order confirmation, delivery estimate, tracking history, messages to the seller, and any carrier claim number. State precisely what was not received or what was materially different.

Some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed, but don't assume an extension exists. Ask the issuer and document the answer.

A credit card billing dispute is not a guaranteed refund and isn't the same as a carrier claim. The issuer evaluates the transaction under the applicable billing rules and its procedures.

Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and payment apps

The credit card timing rules above don't automatically apply to a debit card, prepaid card, electronic bank transfer, wire transfer, or peer-to-peer payment. Contact the financial institution or payment service immediately and ask for its specific process and deadline.

For any payment type, contact the seller first when practical, but don't delay reporting an unauthorized transaction or suspected scam. A seller's return policy, a payment platform's buyer-protection policy, and federal credit card billing rules are separate systems.

If you received something you didn't order

First check whether the package was:

• A gift from someone in your household
• A replacement for an earlier order
• Part of a subscription
• A second shipment from a split order
• Addressed to the wrong person
• A customs or broker notice connected to an order you did make

If the merchandise truly wasn't ordered, FTC guidance explains protections for consumers who receive unordered products. Don't pay an invoice merely because a parcel arrived, and don't assume you must pay return postage. Keep the label and packaging, notify the seller or platform in writing, and follow the FTC guidance for the situation.

An unsolicited product and an unsolicited payment request can also signal account misuse or a scam. Review your shopping accounts and card statements, change a compromised password, and contact the payment provider if you see an unfamiliar charge.

FOB, CIF, bills of lading, and other commercial terms

FOB and CIF usually appear in business-to-business cargo contracts rather than ordinary consumer checkout pages. If either term appears on your order, ask the seller to identify:

• The named delivery place and the version of the term
• Who pays freight, duties, insurance, and brokerage
• Who bears the risk during transit
• Who must file a carrier claim
• What happens if the shipment is refused, returned, or held at customs

Don't read "CIF" as a promise that the seller is responsible for every problem until the package reaches your home. Don't read "FOB" as proof that you have no remedy against the seller. The order terms, carrier contract, insurance terms, and applicable law all matter.

A bill of lading or sea waybill may control a carrier's commercial cargo claim, but it isn't the same as the retail order confirmation. A letter of credit is a trade-finance arrangement and isn't the normal payment process for an online consumer purchase. Hague-Visby rules and maritime arbitration clauses may matter in a large commercial shipment, but they aren't a substitute for checking the seller's refund process or your payment provider's dispute rules.

Claims and payment disputes: what does not automatically control

Several assumptions commonly send consumers to the wrong process:

• A customs hold doesn't automatically prove the seller breached the order. It may reflect missing information, restricted goods, or an amount due at entry.
• A carrier's liability isn't automatically the full purchase price. Declared value, insurance, service terms, and exclusions can affect a carrier claim.
• A shipping insurance policy doesn't necessarily decide the merchant refund. It may be a separate contract with its own claimant and deadline.
• The 60-day credit card rule doesn't govern every payment rail. Confirm the rules for debit, prepaid, bank transfer, wire, or payment apps.
• A tracking scan doesn't establish delivery to the correct person. Preserve the full tracking history and ask who confirmed delivery.
• A seller's request to wait doesn't suspend every deadline. Record the date and check the carrier and payment rules immediately.

A practical evidence checklist

Create one folder containing:

1. Order confirmation and product listing
2. Checkout page showing shipping, duties, taxes, and return terms
3. Commercial invoice and customs declaration
4. Tracking history and delivery estimate
5. Photos of the parcel, labels, packing, and damage
6. Customs or broker notices
7. Card or account statement showing the charge
8. Every message with the seller, carrier, broker, and payment provider
9. Carrier claim and support ticket numbers
10. A short timeline of what happened and when

Use the same facts in every message. Avoid changing the description from "missing" to "damaged" unless the evidence supports the change, and explain if the problem is both delay and physical damage.

A simple escalation plan

Follow these steps in order, adjusting them when a deadline requires faster action:

1. Save the evidence and confirm the exact issue.
2. Ask the seller or marketplace for a replacement, refund, investigation, or written explanation.
3. Contact the carrier or broker about tracking, delivery, damage, or customs documentation.
4. File the carrier claim within the service's stated deadline.
5. Contact the card issuer or other payment provider if the seller doesn't resolve a valid non-delivery or billing problem.
6. Keep paying any undisputed balance and respond to requests for evidence.
7. If the order involves restricted goods, false customs information, or a suspicious payment demand, use the relevant official agency or payment-provider reporting route.

Screenshot the tracking page and the charge on your card or account statement today. Then send the seller one written message with the order number, promised delivery date, latest scan, a concise description of the problem, and the refund or replacement you want. After that, check the carrier claim window and your payment-provider deadline so a promise to wait a few more days doesn't cost you a separate process.