If tracking says "delivered" but the package isn't there, start with a missing-delivery check rather than an accusation. Verify the address, delivery photo, and nearby drop-off points. If the package still cannot be found, contact the seller or marketplace and the carrier. File a local police report when the facts support suspected theft. For a USPS delivery, report suspected mail theft to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service as well.

A police report creates a record, but it doesn't force a refund or guarantee that the package will be recovered. The outcome usually depends on the seller's policy, the carrier's claim process, available insurance, and the way you paid.

1. Confirm that the package is really missing

A delivered scan can be wrong, early, or tied to a different drop-off location. Before calling the package stolen:

  1. Review the tracking details. Check the shipping address, delivery date, time, photo, signature, and driver notes if they are available.
  2. Search likely delivery spots. Look at side doors, garages, parcel lockers, mailrooms, behind furniture, and other places where a driver might leave a package.
  3. Ask people who may have moved it. Check with household members and nearby neighbors. In a shared building, ask the leasing office, reception desk, building manager, or package-room attendant.
  4. Check for split shipments. One order can have several tracking numbers and different delivery dates.
  5. Contact the carrier and seller. Ask whether the package was scanned at the correct address and whether a delivery investigation can be opened.

There isn't one waiting period that applies to every carrier or marketplace. Some systems can show a completed scan before the item is found. If customer service tells you to wait, record the date, the representative's instructions, and the case number. Follow up when that period ends.

Use precise language when describing the problem:

2. Preserve evidence before it disappears

Save the tracking record before it changes, and preserve evidence before requesting a replacement or deleting camera footage. Useful records include:

Export camera footage before the service overwrites it. Keep the original file unchanged, then make a separate copy if you need to trim or blur a clip for a private submission. Video can support your account of what happened, but don't assume every clip will be treated as conclusive proof.

Protect your privacy while keeping the evidence usable. Submit full-resolution files through an official police, carrier, or insurance channel. Don't post your home address, tracking number, faces, license plates, or real-time delivery habits on a public neighborhood page.

3. File a package theft report with local police

Use the police department that serves the location where the package was left. For a non-emergency property crime, use the department's online reporting system if it has one, call its non-emergency number, or visit the station. Call 911 only for an active theft, immediate danger, a confrontation, or a suspect who is still present.

Give the officer or online form facts that can be checked:

Describe what you know instead of guessing. For example, say that a video shows a person taking a box at 2:14 p.m. Don't identify a neighbor as the thief unless you have reliable evidence.

Ask for the incident or report number and find out how to provide video or other files. Keep the submission confirmation and a copy of everything you gave the department. The report may give investigators a record to compare with other incidents or support a carrier or insurance claim, but recovery and reimbursement aren't guaranteed.

USPS deliveries

The USPS mail theft guidance directs consumers to report mail theft to local police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Follow the reporting instructions on that page for a package delivered by USPS.

If the concern involves suspected misconduct by a postal employee or contractor, the USPS Office of Inspector General complaint form is a separate reporting channel. It doesn't replace a local police report for an immediate theft or safety issue.

4. Ask the seller or marketplace for a resolution

Once you've checked for a delay or misdelivery, open a case with the retailer or marketplace. The seller is often the party that can decide whether to issue a replacement or refund and whether to open a claim under its shipping account.

Include:

For Amazon and other marketplaces, use the order's current customer-service or missing-package process. Options can differ depending on whether the item was fulfilled by the marketplace, sold by an independent merchant, or shipped by another carrier. Save the case number and request the decision in writing.

If the seller says the carrier must handle the matter, ask whether the seller or shipper needs to open the claim. Some carrier procedures direct recipients back to the sender, particularly when the shipping account and claim payment belong to the shipper. You can still provide your evidence and ask the seller to review the delivery location.

If the tracking page provides a UPS or FedEx claims process, follow it while notifying the seller. Check who is eligible to file, what documents are required, and the claim deadline. Keep the carrier's claim number. A carrier claim investigates the shipment; it isn't the same as a police report or a credit-card billing dispute.

A "delivered" status can make a refund harder, but it doesn't settle every case. A delivery photo showing the wrong doorway, a scan at a different address, or evidence of driver error may support your request. If the carrier records delivery to the correct location, the seller may apply its own policy. Ask for the specific reason for a denial and the available appeal process.

5. Consider a credit-card billing dispute

Ask the seller for a refund first, but don't let that conversation make you miss a payment-dispute deadline.

The FTC's guidance on credit-card billing errors says that a billing error generally must be disputed in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent to you. Send the notice to the billing-dispute address shown on your statement. It may be different from the address used for ordinary customer service.

A phone call or online chat can alert the issuer, but a written notice is the safer way to preserve the federal billing-error process. Some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed. Ask promptly if that exception is available, and don't assume an extension applies unless the issuer confirms it.

Include:

Don't put your full card number in an email or public complaint. Use the issuer's secure channel or the address on the statement, and keep proof that the dispute was sent.

Under the FTC guidance, the issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved the matter. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no more than 90 days, after receiving the letter. During the investigation, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges. Continue paying amounts you aren't disputing and follow the issuer's instructions.

A credit-card dispute isn't an automatic refund. If the seller can show delivery to the agreed location, the issuer may decide that the goods were delivered. A package stolen after a proper delivery can be treated differently from one that was misdelivered or never received. Describe the facts accurately, and don't report an authorized purchase as an unauthorized transaction.

The federal credit-card billing-error procedure doesn't automatically apply to debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH transfers, peer-to-peer payments, or wire transfers. Contact the provider immediately, ask for its error or dispute procedure, and confirm the deadline that applies to that payment method.

Check renters or homeowners insurance

Review your policy before filing an insurance claim. Ask whether package theft is covered, what proof is required, whether a police report is needed, and how the deductible compares with the loss. Coverage and exclusions vary, so don't assume a stolen package will be reimbursed.

Apartments, shared buildings, and gifts

Apartment and condominium deliveries require a few extra checks:

If the package was a gift, the purchaser may need to contact the seller because the order receipt and shipping account are in that person's name. Give the purchaser your photos, video, and police report number so the claim contains consistent information.

If the package contained a check, identity document, medication, or financial information, contact the relevant bank, issuer, or agency promptly in addition to reporting the theft. Watch for follow-up fraud, and don't share sensitive account details with anyone who contacts you claiming to have found the package.

Which reporting route should you use?

Route What it can do Important limit
Local police Creates an official incident record and may connect the theft to other reports It doesn't order a seller or carrier to issue a refund
USPS or another carrier Can review delivery scans, location details, and shipment claims Deadlines and eligible claimants vary
Seller or marketplace May provide a replacement, refund, or internal investigation Its policy may treat a confirmed delivery as completed
Credit-card issuer Reviews a possible billing error under credit-card rules Written notice and the 60-day deadline matter
Renters or homeowners insurer May cover an eligible loss under the policy The deductible, exclusions, and documentation requirements apply

Use more than one route when appropriate. You can file a police report, request a seller investigation, and preserve your credit-card rights at the same time. Filing one report doesn't replace the others.

Common mistakes to avoid

FAQ

Do I need a police report to get a refund?

There is no single requirement for every seller or insurer. A business may approve a claim without one, while an insurer or carrier may request it. A report supports your account of the incident, but it doesn't guarantee a refund.

Is a seller responsible if tracking says delivered?

Not automatically, and not automatically free of responsibility either. The delivery location, delivery instructions, seller policy, carrier records, and applicable law can all matter. Ask the seller to investigate whether the package was misdelivered or left somewhere unauthorized.

Can I dispute a stolen package with my credit-card issuer?

You can ask the issuer to review the charge, especially if the goods weren't delivered as agreed. For the federal billing-error process, send a written dispute within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent to you. A confirmed delivery to the correct location may affect the outcome.

What should I do if package theft keeps happening?

Switch future deliveries to a locker, pickup point, staffed reception desk, signature service, or trusted person. Use tracking alerts, retrieve packages promptly, and ask building management about secure storage or access controls. Don't confront suspected thieves; give new evidence to police instead.

This information is for U.S. consumers and isn't legal advice. Police procedures, seller terms, carrier rules, insurance coverage, and state laws can differ. Start by saving the tracking record and opening a written case with the seller today.