If an AliExpress item is missing, start with the individual order rather than the seller's general store page. Check whether the order was split into multiple shipments, save the order and tracking records, and use the dispute option before the deadline shown in your account.

Ask for a full refund only when the entire order is missing. If some items arrived, identify the missing line items and request a partial refund for those items. A replacement is another possible request, but a seller's promise to resend something isn't the same as a completed AliExpress resolution.

First, identify the problem

Your evidence and dispute reason should match what happened:

AliExpress labels can vary by app, country, order, and product. Choose the closest available reason and describe the facts plainly. Don't select a full-order non-delivery reason when the order was only partially delivered without explaining the missing quantity.

Check the order before opening a dispute

1. Open the individual order. Confirm the item variation, quantity, shipping method, estimated delivery date, order status, and any buyer-protection timer.
2. Look for separate shipments. A multi-item order may have several tracking numbers. Match each line item to each parcel instead of assuming everything was packed together.
3. Confirm the address. An old address, missing apartment number, or incomplete postal code can affect how the claim is reviewed.
4. Use the carrier's tracking page. Third-party tracking tools can help, but save the local carrier's record too, especially after the parcel has been handed over.
5. Check likely delivery locations. Look in the mailbox, parcel locker, mailroom, reception area, and safe-place location. Ask household members, neighbors, or building management.
6. Save the page as it appears now. Capture the order details, quantity, address, tracking history, and deadline.

If the delivery estimate has passed, don't let a long seller conversation push the claim beyond the order's displayed deadline.

Contact the seller inside AliExpress

A short message may clarify that the missing item was shipped separately or that the tracking number is wrong. Send it through the order chat so the platform can see the exchange.

You can write:

Order [order number] shows [tracking status], but I received [what arrived] and did not receive [missing item or quantity]. I checked [carrier, mailbox, parcel locker, or building]. Please confirm whether the missing item was shipped separately. If it was not, I request a [full or partial] refund through this order.

Attach the relevant order and tracking screenshots. If only part of the shipment arrived, list every missing item and quantity. Keep payment details, personal documents, and refund discussions out of unrelated channels.

The FTC's guidance on buying from an online marketplace notes that marketplaces differ in how much they help with payment, delivery, returns, and refunds. In other words, a seller's message promising a refund or replacement shouldn't be treated as the platform's final decision.

Open the dispute before the displayed deadline

If the seller doesn't resolve the problem, or the deadline is close, go back to the affected order:

1. Select Open Dispute, Refund, or the equivalent option shown for that order.
2. Choose the closest reason, such as item not received, missing quantity, or item not as described.
3. Explain what happened in order: the tracking status, what arrived, and what is missing.
4. Enter the appropriate amount. Request a full refund if nothing arrived, or a partial refund for named missing items.
5. Upload readable evidence and submit the claim.
6. Save the dispute number, submission date, screenshots, and any response or appeal deadline.

Don't rely on a universal 60-day or 15-day formula from an online guide. AliExpress deadlines can depend on the order and account. The timer on your order or dispute page, together with the applicable AliExpress Buyer Protection information, is the safer reference.

If the dispute button has disappeared, contact AliExpress through the support tools attached to your account immediately. Keep a screenshot showing the order status and the missing option.

You can request a replacement if you prefer one, but it isn't a guaranteed outcome. If the seller agrees to resend an item, ask the seller to put the item, quantity, and new tracking number in the AliExpress conversation. Don't close an active dispute just because a seller says a replacement is on its way. Wait for the platform to record the resolution and verify the replacement or refund.

Submit evidence that answers the claim

A reviewer should be able to compare what you ordered, what the tracking shows, and what was actually in the parcel. Useful evidence includes:

• The order confirmation showing the product, variation, quantity, and price
• The shipping address displayed on the order
• Tracking screenshots with dates and the latest scan
• The carrier's delivery or non-delivery response, if available
• Photos of the outer packaging, shipping label, seal, and everything inside
• A photo of an empty mailer or box if nothing was inside
• Photos showing the wrong model, color, size, capacity, or number of items
• Customs or carrier notices about a hold, return, or address problem
• Screenshots of the seller's messages and proposed solution

Use clear file names and add a sentence explaining each upload. For example: “The order contains two cables, but the parcel contained one; photo 3 shows the label and the single cable.” If you already have an unboxing video, include useful frames. Don't delay the claim while trying to create a video after delivery.

Never edit a tracking image or say an item was stolen when you only know that it wasn't found. Accurate wording is more useful than an accusation the evidence can't support.

Common missing-item situations

Tracking stopped updating

A tracking pause doesn't by itself prove that the parcel is lost. Check the local carrier, confirm the address, and save the last scan. If the delivery estimate has passed, submit a timeline that states:

• The shipment date shown in the order
• The last tracking event and location
• The expected delivery date
• The steps you took to locate the parcel
• The refund or replacement you want

Tracking says delivered, but the package is missing

Check the delivery location, parcel locker, mailroom, and nearby addresses first. Then contact the local carrier and ask whether it can provide a delivery location, GPS detail, delivery photograph, or case number. Record the date and the response.

Report the problem through the AliExpress order promptly. A “delivered” scan can make a non-delivery claim harder to prove, and the platform may distinguish a carrier problem from theft after a successful delivery scan. If the carrier confirms delivery to the correct location, check whether your building, delivery service, or insurance provider has a separate claim process.

Only part of the order arrived

Count what you received against the order page. Then check whether the missing products have their own tracking numbers or shipment records. Identify each missing line item and request the corresponding partial refund. Don't request a full refund for the entire order when you received part of it without explaining why.

The seller sent the wrong item

Choose the reason that best fits a wrong or materially different product. Photograph the received item beside its label or the relevant listing details. State the exact discrepancy: model, size, color, capacity, specification, or quantity. “The item is wrong” is less useful than a direct comparison.

Customs or a carrier is holding the parcel

Save customs, postal, and carrier notices. Find out whether the parcel is waiting for information, payment, pickup, or a return-to-sender decision. Tell AliExpress exactly what the tracking and notices say.

If you declined a required customs payment or failed to collect the parcel, don't describe the situation as ordinary seller non-delivery. Explain what happened and ask what remedy the order terms allow.

Refund timing

Several clocks may apply:

• The AliExpress claim window: Use the deadline displayed on the order or dispute page.
• The review period: Follow the response and evidence deadlines shown inside the dispute.
• Payment processing: An approved refund may take additional time to appear with the original payment method. The dispute page and your bank or card account are better references than a generic estimate.
• A payment-provider dispute: Your card or wallet may have a separate deadline, which can run from a different event such as a statement date or transaction date.

Check the dispute details for the decision, refund amount, and payment reference. If AliExpress marks the refund as completed but it doesn't appear after the stated processing period, contact the payment provider with the order number, dispute ID, refund reference, and screenshots.

If AliExpress rejects the dispute

Read the decision before submitting anything else. It may identify a specific problem, such as an incomplete tracking record, the wrong claim reason, or photos that don't show the missing quantity.

If an appeal or additional-evidence option appears:

1. Address the stated reason for rejection instead of repeating the original message.
2. Add a carrier response, clearer photos, or an item-by-item quantity comparison.
3. Keep the explanation chronological and concise.
4. Submit before the displayed appeal deadline.
5. Save the new case number and decision.

If no appeal option is available, use the support route attached to the order and provide the dispute number. Avoid opening duplicate claims for the same transaction unless AliExpress tells you to do so.

Payment disputes for U.S. consumers

An AliExpress dispute and a credit-card billing dispute are separate processes. If you paid with a qualifying U.S. credit card, the FTC's guidance on credit-card billing errors says a billing error generally must be disputed in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.

The issuer generally must acknowledge the written dispute within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no more than 90 days, after receiving the letter. If you follow the issuer's procedure, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges while the investigation is pending. Continue paying the undisputed part of the bill and follow the issuer's instructions. The FTC notes that some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed, but contact the issuer promptly rather than assuming an extension applies.

Send the notice to the address and in the manner specified by the card issuer, and keep proof of delivery. Explain whether the merchandise was not received or part of the order was missing. Include the order record, tracking, seller messages, and AliExpress decision.

The federal credit-card process doesn't automatically apply to debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, or digital wallets. Those providers have different procedures and deadlines, so contact them quickly. Don't dispute an amount twice after receiving a refund, and don't give inaccurate information to either AliExpress or the payment provider.

Reduce the risk on future orders

• Verify the seller's contact information, listing details, variation, and quantity before paying.
• Review the seller's history across several sources. The FTC recommends considering where a review appears, who wrote it, and how the review was obtained.
• Use end-to-end tracking for higher-value purchases and choose a signature or secure delivery option when available.
• Check the shipping address immediately after placing the order.
• Keep the order confirmation and tracking history until you've inspected the parcel and the dispute window has passed.
• Photograph the label and contents before discarding packaging, especially for multi-item or high-value orders.
• Pay with a method whose dispute process you understand.
• Start a carrier inquiry as soon as tracking says delivered but the package is absent.

Open the affected AliExpress order now, record the deadline shown there, and make a list of the exact item or quantity you received and the exact item or quantity still missing.