International shipping complaints are easier to manage when you split them into two tracks from the start. The seller or marketplace usually handles the sales remedy, such as a refund, replacement, or return instructions. The carrier handles the transport investigation. These processes overlap, but one doesn't automatically replace the other.

Notify the seller and carrier promptly about non-delivery, loss, damage, or missing contents. Depending on the service, only the sender, shipping-account holder, or another eligible claimant may be allowed to open the formal carrier claim.

There isn't one international claim deadline. The exact carrier service, destination, shipping account, insurance terms, and marketplace policy control. Start preserving evidence as soon as something goes wrong, and don't assume that a carrier investigation pauses a seller, marketplace, or card-dispute deadline.

Choose the right complaint route

Problem Contact first Main evidence
The promised delivery date passed Seller or marketplace, then carrier Order confirmation, promised date, tracking history
Tracking stopped moving Seller and carrier Tracking screenshots, customs notices, correspondence
Package arrived visibly damaged Carrier and seller immediately Photos of the package, label, packing, and item
Contents are missing Carrier and seller Photos, itemized invoice, package condition, delivery record
Package is held by customs Carrier's customs team and seller Customs notice, invoice, requested documents, payment request
You were charged but never received the goods Seller and, if applicable, your card issuer Statement, order record, tracking, refund request

The seller is usually the practical route for a refund or replacement because it took the order and arranged fulfillment. A carrier claim is about the transport and may be limited to the shipper, account holder, or another claimant named in the service terms. If you bought postage through a seller, marketplace, freight forwarder, or consolidator, ask that party to file the claim if you can't file it yourself.

Preserve evidence before filing

Don't throw away the box, label, or inner packaging after a damaged delivery. The carrier or seller may request an inspection, and the packaging can help show how the damage occurred.

Save:

Keep the original packaging until the claim is closed. Don't repair, discard, or send back damaged goods before asking whether an inspection is required. If the seller authorizes a return, get the instructions in writing, use a trackable service, and save the return receipt.

Check the shipment details for mismatches

Before submitting a claim, compare the claim form with the order and shipping records. Review:

If the commercial invoice or customs form is wrong, ask the seller or shipper how to correct it. Don't understate the value, describe merchandise as a gift when it isn't one, or use an inaccurate product description. Incorrect information can create customs problems and make the claim harder to assess.

For business shipments, save any delivery term shown on the order, such as DAP or DDP. It may affect who arranged import costs and customs delivery, but it doesn't replace the carrier's claim procedure or guarantee a refund.

Check the actual carrier deadline

Use the terms for the shipment itself rather than a general blog or checklist. Check the carrier's tracking account, service guide, shipping receipt, insurance terms, and local claims portal. Damage, concealed damage, loss, missing contents, and delay may each have different reporting windows.

For example, the UPS U.S. support page says UPS encourages customers to start a damage claim within 30 days of receiving the package and open a loss investigation within 30 days of the expected delivery date. That is UPS guidance for the relevant service, not a universal deadline for every carrier or country.

DHL uses different workflows for its services and regions. Its regional DHL claims guidance says a claimant may need the air waybill number, supporting documents, photographs, and confirmation of whether they are the sender or receiver. Check the terms for the DHL service that actually carried the parcel. Don't turn a deadline shown for one DHL region or service into a worldwide seven-day rule.

FedEx, postal operators, freight forwarders, and marketplace shipping programs also set their own procedures. File as soon as the problem is clear, even if you still need to confirm the deadline. If you think the deadline has passed, submit the claim anyway, explain the reason for the delay, and ask whether a late review or exception is available.

Treat the carrier claim, seller complaint, marketplace protection window, and card billing dispute as separate deadlines. A carrier investigation won't necessarily extend any of them.

Separate a customs hold from a lost package

A customs scan or hold doesn't by itself show that a package is lost. It may be waiting for:

Ask the carrier's customs team for four specific details: the reason for the hold, the document or payment needed, the amount due, and the response date. Send the relevant order and payment records. If the seller supplied the customs information, ask the seller to correct it.

Import charges and carrier compensation are separate questions. Before paying or refusing a parcel, ask the seller and carrier what happens next. Refusal can result in a return or further delay, and the refund may depend on the seller's terms and the shipping arrangement.

File a factual, organized claim

The reviewer should be able to match each statement in your claim to a document or tracking event.

  1. Choose the correct issue. Select loss, delay, damage, or missing contents rather than a general complaint category.
  2. Enter the tracking number exactly. Compare every digit with the label and order record.
  3. Describe the merchandise precisely. Include the item, quantity, model or serial number, and value in the original currency.
  4. Set out the timeline. Give the order date, dispatch date, expected delivery date, relevant scans, and the date you noticed the problem.
  5. Attach the records. Include invoices, photographs, customs messages, proof of payment, and relevant correspondence.
  6. State the requested outcome. Ask for a transport claim review, seller refund, replacement, or another remedy allowed by the applicable terms.
  7. Save the submission. Keep the claim number, uploaded files, screenshots, and any response deadline.
  8. Appeal specific issues. If the claim is denied, request the reason, the service term relied on, and the missing evidence or appeal procedure.

Don't inflate the value or add unrelated losses without checking the contract. Carrier payment may be limited by the service terms, declared value, or purchased protection. Confirm whether the claimant must be the sender, recipient, or shipping-account owner.

Complaint message you can adapt

Subject: International shipment claim for tracking number [number]

Order: [order number and date]
Problem: [delayed, lost, damaged, or missing contents]
Timeline: [dispatch, expected delivery, and relevant tracking dates]
Merchandise: [item, quantity, and value]
Evidence attached: [invoice, photographs, tracking record, customs notice, and messages]
Requested resolution: [refund, replacement, investigation, or claim review]

Please confirm receipt of this complaint, provide the case number, and tell me whether any additional document or inspection is required.

Contact the seller or marketplace in parallel

Message the seller even if the carrier says it is investigating. Ask the seller to confirm:

Use the marketplace's official order-dispute or buyer-protection route when one exists. Don't assume that a seller chat opens a formal case. Marketplace names and deadlines differ, so follow the instructions attached to the specific order rather than relying on a rule associated with Amazon, AliExpress, eBay, or another platform.

If tracking says "delivered" but you don't have the parcel, request proof of delivery and check the address, mailroom, neighbor, and local delivery partner. Tell the seller immediately that the package was not received. If it went to the wrong address, include that fact in both the seller complaint and the carrier investigation.

U.S. credit-card disputes

This section applies to U.S. credit-card billing disputes, not to every international payment.

A charge for merchandise you never received may qualify as a billing error. The Federal Trade Commission's guidance on billing errors says to dispute the error in writing within 60 days after the statement containing the error was sent. Send the notice to the billing-inquiries address or follow the issuer's required process; that address may be different from the payment address.

For a qualifying dispute, the issuer generally must acknowledge the notice in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved the problem. 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 and other charges, but you still need to pay amounts that aren't disputed.

These are credit-card billing-error rules. They don't create a carrier deadline, extend a marketplace protection period, or automatically apply to debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, money-transfer services, or peer-to-peer payments. Contact the provider promptly and ask which error process applies.

Describe the transaction accurately. An authorized purchase that was never delivered isn't the same as an unauthorized fraud claim. For damaged goods, explain the condition and ask the issuer whether its dispute process or any separate purchase-protection benefit applies. If the seller later issues a refund, tell the issuer so you don't receive a duplicate recovery. Some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed, but don't wait for an extension to be granted.

If the seller or carrier denies the complaint

Keep the appeal narrow and document-based:

  1. Ask for the decision and reason in writing.
  2. Request the exact service term, insurance term, or order rule used.
  3. Compare that reason with the tracking record and your photographs.
  4. Send only the missing or clarifying evidence in a short appeal.
  5. Ask the seller or shipping-account holder to appeal if you can't file directly.
  6. Protect any marketplace or card-dispute deadline while the appeal is pending.

A regulator or consumer-protection report may help document deceptive conduct or a broader pattern, but it usually isn't a substitute for the seller's dispute process, a carrier claim, or a card billing dispute. When the seller is outside the United States, the available consumer-law remedy may depend on the seller's country, the contract, and the payment method. Don't assume that U.S., UK, European Union, Colombian, or other local rights apply without checking the relevant jurisdiction.

FAQ

Should I contact the seller or the carrier first?

Contact both promptly. The seller or marketplace is usually the route for a refund or replacement, while the carrier handles the transport investigation. If only the shipper can file, ask the seller to open the claim and give you the case number.

Is a delayed package the same as a lost package?

No. A delay may involve customs, a missed scan, or a local delivery partner. Ask for a trace and written status before calling it lost, but protect any seller, marketplace, or card-dispute deadline while the trace is open.

What should I do if the package arrives damaged?

Photograph the unopened package, label, packing, and item if possible. Notify the seller and carrier, keep everything, and ask whether an inspection or return authorization is required before repairing or disposing of the goods.

Does a carrier claim extend a marketplace deadline?

There is no general rule that it does. File the formal marketplace case separately if the platform requires one, even while the carrier investigates.

Is there one standard DHL claims deadline?

No. DHL procedures vary by service and region. Check the terms and claims portal for the shipment, and don't apply a seven-day rule unless the terms for that specific service say it applies.

Can I dispute an international purchase with my credit-card issuer?

A U.S. credit-card charge for goods not received may qualify as a billing error, but the dispute isn't automatic. Follow the issuer's written process and protect the 60-day period described by the FTC. Other payment methods may use different rules.

Before you submit

Confirm that you have:

If a deadline is close, file the formal seller, marketplace, carrier, or card notice now and add supporting documents through the permitted process rather than waiting for every record to be perfect.