If a tracking page says "delivered" but the package isn't there, don't jump straight to a chargeback. First work out whether the carrier left it somewhere unexpected, delivered it to the wrong place, or the package was taken after delivery. In the United States, that distinction affects whether the seller, carrier, insurer, or card issuer is the right next stop. There isn't one reimbursement rule or deadline for every missing package.

Start with the delivery record

Do these checks promptly, while the evidence is still available:

• Review the tracking page, delivery photo, scan notes, and any safe-place instructions. Check the porch, side entrance, garage, parcel locker, mailroom, and other places where the carrier might have left it.
• Ask household members, neighbors, building staff, and anyone else who might have accepted the parcel. A scan can be early or inaccurate.
• Save screenshots of the tracking status, delivery time, delivery photo, order confirmation, invoice, and shipping address. Note when you searched and who you contacted.
• Export camera footage before the system deletes it. Keep the original, unedited file and a separate copy that shows the date and time.
• Contact the seller or marketplace in writing. Say that you did not receive the item, ask for a delivery investigation, and request a replacement or refund under the applicable policy. Keep the case number.
• Ask the carrier for available delivery details, including the scan location, photograph, driver notes, or delivery report. Ask for its case number and claim deadline.
• If the facts suggest theft, use your local police department's nonemergency reporting method. A report can be useful for an insurance or purchase-protection claim, especially for an expensive item or repeated thefts.
• If you live in an apartment or shared building, notify the manager or package-room operator and ask in writing that lobby, entry, and package-room footage be preserved.

Don't confront a suspected thief. Send video privately to the seller, carrier, insurer, or police, and don't publicly identify someone based only on a video or appearance.

Match the remedy to what happened

The seller is often the most practical first contact because it may have purchased the shipping service or be able to authorize a replacement. That doesn't mean the seller is always legally responsible or must approve a refund. If it refuses, ask for the reason in writing and keep it with the rest of your records.

USPS claims: insurance and indemnity are not automatic

USPS reimbursement isn't a blanket guarantee for every package marked delivered. Eligibility depends on the mail class, the insurance or indemnity purchased, and the facts of the loss. Review the USPS domestic claims page before filing.

For eligible domestic claims, USPS says customers may file immediately in certain loss or damage situations, but must file no later than 60 days after the mailing date. That date is different from the delivery scan and from the date you discovered the package was missing.

Gather:

• The tracking or label number
• Proof of mailing and evidence that the relevant insurance or extra service was purchased
• The order confirmation, receipt, or other proof of the item's value
• A description of what was missing
• Delivery details, photographs, and a police report if available or requested

When contents are missing or damaged, the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, section 609 says the addressee should retain the mailing container, packaging, damaged articles, and any contents received until the claim is resolved. Keep the evidence showing that the specific USPS service or insurance was purchased as well.

USPS says it usually sends claim decisions within five to ten days. If the claim is partially paid or denied, the USPS claims page says an appeal may be filed within 30 days after receiving the decision. A second appeal is generally due within 30 days after receiving the appeal denial.

A package scanned as delivered and then taken from a porch may not qualify for USPS payment, particularly when no eligible insurance or indemnity applies. Describe the facts accurately and check the mailing date, but don't treat the filing deadline as a promise that USPS will reimburse a post-delivery theft.

UPS and FedEx disputes

UPS and FedEx procedures can depend on the service used, the shipper's account, declared value, and where the package was supposed to be left. A generic deadline copied from an old article may not apply to your shipment.

Contact the seller and carrier promptly. Ask:

• Whether the seller will open the carrier claim
• For the delivery photo, scan location, driver notes, or other available records
• Whether the address and approved delivery location match your order
• What declared value or shipping protection was purchased
• What evidence the carrier needs, including the order record, tracking history, photographs, and video
• For the claim number and the deadline for an appeal

A carrier can rely on a delivery scan while the seller still chooses to replace or refund the order under its own policy. Those are separate decisions. A carrier's claim denial doesn't necessarily determine whether the merchant will help, and a merchant's denial doesn't establish that your theft report was false.

Amazon and marketplace orders

Report the missing order through the marketplace's current order page or customer-support process after checking the delivery location. Note whether Amazon or a third-party seller arranged fulfillment. That detail can affect which refund, replacement, or escalation process is available.

Include the order number, item description, delivery date, tracking status, and a short factual account of what you checked. Add a delivery photo that doesn't match your property, a police incident number, or relevant video if the marketplace requests it. Save the confirmation showing that you submitted the report.

Don't assume every Amazon or third-party marketplace order has the same reporting window. Use the deadline displayed in the order or dispute process. If the third-party seller doesn't resolve the issue, follow the marketplace's stated escalation procedure instead of opening unrelated payment disputes at the same time.

Put the evidence into a timeline

A clear timeline is more useful than simply saying that a package was stolen. Keep one folder with:

• The order confirmation and itemized price
• Tracking history and delivery confirmation
• Delivery photographs or driver messages
• Photos of the delivery area after you searched
• The original camera file and a shorter relevant copy
• Statements from neighbors, household members, or building staff
• A police incident number, when available
• Receipts, serial numbers, or other proof of value for an expensive item
• Emails, chat transcripts, case numbers, and denial letters

Note when the video was exported and from which camera or system. Don't add captions, edit out surrounding events, or make an identification that the footage doesn't establish.

Protect other people's privacy. Send footage directly to the organization handling the matter rather than posting faces, license plates, apartment access details, or home addresses online. Recording and privacy rules can vary by state.

Could homeowners or renters insurance cover it?

Some homeowners and renters policies may cover stolen personal property from a doorstep or another location outside the home. The Northwest Insurance Council's package-theft guidance describes this type of coverage, but the policy terms control your claim.

Check the policy for:

• Coverage for theft from an exterior delivery location
• The personal-property limit and any sublimit for particular goods
• The deductible
• Whether payment is based on actual cash value or replacement cost
• Exclusions for unattended property, jewelry, electronics, or other high-value items
• Notice deadlines and required documents
• Whether filing could affect your claims history or future premium

For a low-value package, the deductible may be higher than the possible payment. Ask the insurer about the likely effect of filing before opening a formal claim, but don't wait to preserve video or meet a notice deadline.

If you file, provide the tracking record, invoice, photographs, camera footage, and police report or incident number if requested. Describe the delivery and loss precisely. Tell the insurer if the seller, carrier, or card issuer later provides a refund or replacement; don't collect twice for the same loss.

Credit-card billing disputes and purchase protection

A credit-card billing dispute may help when a merchant charged you for goods that were never delivered or did not arrive as agreed. It isn't an automatic theft reimbursement when tracking shows that the package reached the delivery location and was taken afterward.

For a genuine credit-card billing error, FTC guidance says to dispute the charge in writing within 60 days after the statement containing the error was sent. Include:

• Your name and account information
• The amount and date of the charge
• The item and order number
• Why you believe the charge is an error
• Copies of the order, tracking record, and communications with the seller

Use the issuer's billing-dispute instructions and keep proof that the letter was delivered. 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 later than 90 days after receiving the letter.

During the investigation, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges, but you should continue paying the rest of the bill on time. Some issuers may extend the 60-day period for a delayed shipment. Ask the issuer about that possibility rather than assuming an extension applies.

A theft after delivery is a different question. Ask whether your card has a separate purchase-protection benefit and review its terms. The benefit may have its own definition of theft, deadline, deductible, coverage limit, and police-report requirement. Don't describe a purchase you authorized as an unauthorized transaction just because the package later disappeared.

Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and payment apps use different procedures. Contact the provider promptly and ask which error or fraud process applies. The credit-card 60-day billing-error rule shouldn't be assumed to cover those payment methods.

Apartment and shared-building deliveries

A package room, locker, concierge desk, or lobby creates a different evidence trail from a private porch. Check locker codes, pickup records, delivery logs, and sign-in records. Ask the carrier whether it delivered to the building's designated location or to another entrance.

Notify management in writing with the date, approximate time, tracking number, and delivery location. Ask that relevant video be preserved. If staff accepted the parcel for residents, ask who had custody after delivery and request a written response.

The lease, building rules, carrier agreement, and state law may affect responsibility. Don't assume the landlord must reimburse you, but don't assume the building is never responsible either. For recurring problems, ask about a secured locker, staffed desk, scheduled access, or carrier pickup location.

When a claim is denied

Ask for the denial in writing and identify the exact reason. Common explanations include:

• The item wasn't covered by the carrier's insurance or indemnity
• Delivery records exist, but the claim doesn't show a qualifying loss
• The filing or appeal deadline was missed
• The insurer applied a deductible, exclusion, or coverage limit
• The seller's policy excludes theft after delivery
• The payment dispute used the wrong transaction type

Choose the escalation that matches the denial:

1. Ask the seller or marketplace for a supervisor review and provide any new delivery evidence.
2. Appeal an eligible USPS decision within the stated 30-day period.
3. Ask the insurer to identify the policy provision supporting its decision, then request a claims-supervisor review.
4. For a credit-card billing error, send the required written dispute even if a phone representative already opened a case.
5. If an insurer doesn't explain a covered-claim decision, contact your state's insurance department about its consumer complaint process.

Tell each provider about any open claim, replacement, refund, or payment. Conflicting descriptions or duplicate claims can make the review harder.

Avoid these mistakes

• Waiting to save camera footage until a carrier investigation ends
• Treating a delivery scan as conclusive proof that you personally received the package
• Filing a USPS claim without checking whether the service included eligible coverage
• Confusing the USPS mailing-date deadline with the delivery or theft date
• Assuming the credit-card 60-day rule applies to debit cards or payment apps
• Calling an authorized purchase fraud because the package later disappeared
• Editing video or publicly identifying a suspected thief
• Overlooking the insurance deductible, sublimit, or policy exclusions
• Filing duplicate claims without disclosing another reimbursement
• Missing a written denial or appeal deadline

Save the tracking record and export any available video now. Then send the seller or marketplace a factual written report. If USPS coverage might apply, check the mailing date immediately; if the package was delivered and then stolen, compare the deductible and requirements for insurance or card purchase protection before deciding which claim to pursue.