If an international order is late, don't begin with a chargeback. Save the order confirmation, promised date, tracking history, and every message. Then check the last physical tracking scan and write to the seller.

Ask whether the parcel was handed to the carrier, is being held by customs, was returned, or is considered lost. If the seller can't complete the order as promised, say clearly that you're requesting cancellation and a refund. If you agree to wait, get the revised delivery date and responsibility for duties in writing.

For U.S. consumers, the right next step depends on what the seller promised, who accepted the payment, and what actually happened: the order may never have shipped, may be delayed in transit, may be held at the border, or may be marked delivered.

First, pin down what was promised

“Ships within two business days” and “delivery by Friday” are different commitments. A carrier's delivery estimate may also be only a forecast.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule guide says that a seller generally needs a reasonable basis for its shipping representation and must ship within the time it advertised. If it can't meet that time, the rule may require a delay notice and a choice between accepting a new date and canceling for a prompt refund.

When no shipping time was stated, the rule generally uses a 30-day shipping period. That concerns when the seller ships the merchandise; it isn't a universal guarantee that every international parcel will arrive within 30 days. The rule also may not cover every seller or transaction, so the order terms and applicable state or foreign law can matter.

Separate the seller, carrier, customs, and payment issues

Several systems can affect the same parcel, but they don't offer the same remedy:

• Seller terms: These may say whether a date is guaranteed, how delays are handled, and who pays duties or brokerage charges.
• Carrier terms: These govern tracking, delivery attempts, loss, and damage claims. The carrier may discuss a claim only with the sender or the shipping-account holder.
• Customs rules: Customs authorities decide whether to inspect, release, or assess charges on an import. Customs doesn't decide whether a retailer owes you a refund.
• Payment method: A credit-card billing dispute follows a different process from a debit-card, prepaid-card, wire, bank-transfer, or payment-app dispute.
• Commercial delivery terms: Incoterms such as FOB, CIF, and DDP can allocate transport costs, risk, and delivery points in commercial contracts. They aren't consumer warranties and don't automatically create a refund.
• Seller location and contract: International sales laws and court procedures vary. A commercial treaty may not apply to an ordinary household purchase.

The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, or CISG, is sometimes raised in international shipping disputes. It generally excludes many goods bought for personal, family, or household use, subject to exceptions. Even when it applies, it doesn't replace the seller's customer-service process or your card issuer's billing-dispute rules.

A force majeure clause isn't a universal excuse either. Weather, war, labor action, port closures, or government restrictions may be covered by a particular contract, but the clause, the event, notice requirements, and mitigation efforts all matter. It doesn't automatically answer whether an unshipped order must be canceled or refunded.

Read the tracking status before calling the parcel lost

Label created, but no carrier scan

A shipping label can exist before the seller hands over the package. Ask for the first physical acceptance scan, not just a label number. If there is no acceptance scan, the seller may still be responsible for explaining why the order hasn't shipped.

Customs hold

A customs authority or carrier broker may need a clearer invoice, product description, value, country of origin, permit, or duty payment. An inspection or hold doesn't by itself prove that the package is lost or that the seller breached a delivery promise.

Use the carrier's official website or phone number to find out what is needed. Don't enter payment or identity information through an unexpected text message or email link. If the order says duties are paid by the seller or uses a term such as “delivered duty paid,” save that wording and ask the seller who is handling the charge and delay.

Returned, refused, or undeliverable

An incorrect address, unpaid import charge, prohibited item, or failed delivery attempt can send a package back. Find out who caused the return, whether another shipment is possible, and whether the seller will issue a refund.

Marked delivered

If tracking says “delivered” but you don't have the parcel, contact the seller and carrier promptly. Request the delivery address, delivery photo, signature, or other proof available under their policies. Tell your card issuer the exact tracking status; don't describe a delivered parcel as simply “lost.”

A practical sequence for resolving the order

1. Preserve the record

Save copies of:

• The product page and order confirmation
• The promised shipping or delivery date
• The invoice and payment receipt
• Tracking scans, customs notices, and delivery attempts
• Messages with the seller, carrier, or broker
• Your cancellation or refund request
• Any revised date you accepted
• The card statement showing the charge

Take screenshots if the seller's page or tracking history may change.

2. Check the official tracking record

Look for the last physical scan and the country where it occurred. “Tendered to carrier,” “departed origin facility,” and a customs request each point to a different problem.

If the record has not changed for several days, ask the carrier whether it recommends a trace or missing-package inquiry. Claim and dispute deadlines vary, so don't wait for an open-ended carrier investigation before checking your retailer and payment-provider deadlines.

3. Send the seller a specific written request

Use the account or website where you placed the order. Include the order number, the promised date, and the latest tracking status.

You can write:

Order number [number] was advertised as shipping or arriving by [date]. The current tracking status is [status]. Please confirm by [reasonable date] whether the parcel was handed to the carrier, is being held by customs, has been returned, or is considered lost. If the promised shipment or delivery cannot be completed, I am requesting cancellation and a refund to the original payment method.

A response date such as three business days helps create a record. It isn't necessarily a legal deadline.

4. Decide whether waiting still makes sense

Waiting may be reasonable when the parcel is moving and the seller gives you a specific revised date. Ask the seller to confirm that date in writing.

A cancellation request is more practical when the seller hasn't shipped, can't provide a credible status, misses an agreed revised date, or won't explain the delay. If the seller says the parcel is lost, ask whether it will issue a refund or send a replacement and who will file the carrier claim.

Ask separately about the item price, original shipping charge, duties, and brokerage fees. The answer may depend on who collected each charge and what the order terms said.

5. Contact the payment provider if the seller won't resolve it

For a credit card, the FTC says a billing error involving merchandise you never received should generally be disputed in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. Send the notice to the billing-inquiry address on the statement, not only to the payment address.

Include the order details, promised date, seller correspondence, tracking record, and cancellation request. The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days unless it has already resolved it. It generally must complete the investigation within two billing cycles and no more than 90 days.

During the investigation, the FTC says you don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges, but you should continue paying the undisputed portion of the bill. Some issuers may extend the 60-day period for a delayed shipment; don't rely on an extension when you can submit the written dispute on time.

The FTC's consumer guidance on disputing credit-card billing errors applies to credit cards. Don't assume the same 60-day process applies to a debit card, prepaid card, bank transfer, wire, or payment app. Contact those providers promptly and ask for their specific merchandise-not-received procedure.

A card dispute isn't an automatic refund. Describe the facts accurately: say whether the item was never shipped, is still in transit, is held by customs, was returned, or was delivered according to tracking.

6. Use marketplace and carrier procedures

If you bought through a marketplace, open its formal “item not received” or order-problem case before the platform's deadline, even if the seller says it will handle everything.

For loss or damage, ask who is allowed to file the carrier claim. The sender or shipping-account holder may be required to do so. If the package arrives damaged, keep the packaging and labels and take photographs. An itemized value statement may also be required under the carrier's policy.

Choose the remedy deliberately

These outcomes are not interchangeable:

• Seller refund: The retailer reverses the charge. This is usually the simplest result when the order is canceled.
• Replacement: The seller sends the goods again. Get the new delivery date and responsibility for any additional duties in writing.
• Carrier claim: The carrier evaluates loss or damage under its service terms. A claim may not resolve the seller's separate refund obligation.
• Credit-card billing dispute: The issuer investigates the transaction. It is a payment remedy, not a court judgment.
• Formal complaint or legal claim: This may be worth considering for a high-value purchase, repeated conduct, or a serious contract dispute, but cross-border enforcement can be difficult.

Don't accept a merchant refund and quietly pursue the same amount through a card dispute. Tell the issuer about any refund, replacement, or later delivery. If a canceled package arrives afterward, notify the seller and follow its return instructions.

Mistakes that can weaken the dispute

• Treating a label-creation scan as proof that the parcel shipped
• Waiting for a carrier investigation while a card-dispute deadline approaches
• Relying on a phone call without confirming the result in writing
• Assuming a customs delay automatically makes the seller liable
• Refusing duties without checking whether the parcel will be returned
• Disputing a charge after agreeing to a revised delivery date without explaining that agreement
• Sending a full card number or identity documents through an unverified message
• Assuming FOB, CIF, CISG, or force majeure settles a consumer refund question

The FTC rule may give a U.S. consumer a route when a seller misses a shipping representation, but it doesn't guarantee that every international order qualifies or that a card issuer will decide in the consumer's favor. The payment method, seller's terms, tracking record, and communications still matter.

Questions consumers often ask

Can I get a refund because customs is holding my package?

Not automatically. Find out whether customs needs documents or payment, whether the seller promised duties-paid delivery, and whether the seller's stated delivery date was guaranteed. Then tell the seller whether you want to wait or cancel.

Can I dispute a late package with my credit-card company?

You may be able to dispute a charge for merchandise you never received. The issuer decides whether the claim qualifies. For the FTC's written billing-error process, watch the 60-day period measured from the statement date, not simply the date you placed the order.

Does the CISG control my online purchase?

Often not for a normal household purchase. The CISG generally excludes many personal-use purchases and mainly concerns qualifying international sales contracts. Check the order terms and the law that applies to the seller and transaction rather than assuming the treaty supplies a refund.

Should I contact the carrier or the seller first?

Contact both when necessary, but put the seller first because it accepted the order and can confirm shipment, replacement, cancellation, or a refund. The carrier may not discuss claim details with you if the sender owns the shipping account.

For a valuable or repeated dispute, keep the complete record, check the seller's jurisdiction and contract terms, and identify the available complaint route before paying for formal legal help. Put any seller response date and payment-dispute deadline on your calendar today.