Write the retailer first, and do it in writing. The seller can confirm whether the order shipped, send a replacement, cancel for a refund, or tell you which carrier process applies. Contact the carrier too if tracking has stalled. A carrier claim still does not automatically refund a retail purchase.

U.S. rules may let you cancel and get a refund when a seller misses its shipping commitment. They don't automatically pay you for inconvenience. The next step depends on whether the order never shipped, is moving late, is marked delivered, or was charged to a credit card but never received.

This is general U.S. consumer information, not legal advice. State law, the contract, marketplace policy, product type, and payment method can change the result.

Identify what went wrong

A carrier's estimated delivery date is not always the same as the retailer's shipping promise. Save the exact wording from the order page or confirmation, such as "ships by Friday" or "arrives by Friday."

What rule or policy controls a shipping-delay complaint?

Several systems can apply. Don't treat them as the same thing.

The FTC Mail Order Rule

For many U.S. merchandise orders placed online, by mail, or by telephone, the seller generally must ship within the time it represented. If it made no shipping-time representation, the default period is generally 30 days.

If the seller can't meet that deadline, the FTC's Business Guide to the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule says it must send a delay notice and give you a choice: accept the delay or cancel for a prompt refund. For a long or indefinite delay, the notice may say the order will be canceled automatically unless you affirmatively agree to wait. The rule text is in 16 C.F.R. 435.2.

The rule is about the seller's shipping representation. It does not set a universal delivery deadline for UPS or FedEx, require a carrier to pay you, or guarantee a credit for inconvenience. If the seller shipped on time and the carrier later ran into trouble, the retailer's policy, the carrier's terms, and your payment protections matter more.

Marketplace and retailer policies

Amazon, other marketplaces, and individual retailers can offer their own late-delivery guarantees, replacement procedures, and refund rules. Those policies may be more specific than federal law, but eligibility and filing windows vary. A marketplace guarantee is a platform policy. It is not a substitute for the FTC rule or a credit-card billing dispute.

Payment protections

The payment method controls the dispute route. The federal 60-day billing-error process below applies to credit cards. It does not automatically apply the same way to debit cards, prepaid cards, payment apps, bank transfers, or cash.

How to file a shipping delay complaint

1. Check the order and tracking information

Record:

• Order number, purchase date, and amount charged
• The promised shipping or delivery date
• The current tracking status and every recent scan
• The carrier, service level, and tracking number
• Any address, customs, weather, or delivery exception
• Whether the item was sold and shipped by the retailer or by a marketplace seller

"In transit, arriving late" usually means the carrier recognizes a delay. It doesn't prove the package is lost, and it doesn't prove a refund is due. "Label created" can mean the seller hasn't handed the parcel to the carrier yet.

If tracking says "delivered," check the delivery address, building reception, household members, neighbors, and any carrier photo or location note. Write down when you checked.

2. Contact the retailer in writing

Use email, the retailer's support form, or the message function on the order. A written request creates a record of what you asked for and when.

Ask for one clear remedy:

• A firm revised shipping or delivery date
• A replacement
• Cancellation and a refund
• An explanation of the delay and the next available option

You can use this message:

Subject: Order [number]: shipping delay and requested resolution

Hello,

I placed order [number] on [date]. The order confirmation or product page stated that it would [ship/arrive] by [date]. Tracking number [number] currently shows [status].

Please confirm by [date] whether you can provide a firm revised date. If the order cannot meet that date, I am requesting [a cancellation and refund/replacement]. Please respond in writing and confirm the next step.

Thank you,
[Name]

If you're canceling under a delay notice or before shipment, say that directly. If the package is already moving, ask whether the retailer will replace the order, accept a return, or issue a refund after the carrier confirms a loss.

3. Escalate to the marketplace when appropriate

For an Amazon order, open it in Your Orders and use the help or problem option for a late or missing delivery. For a marketplace seller, send a message through the order page and keep the reply.

If regular support doesn't resolve it, review the current eligibility rules for Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee in your account. Amazon's screens, deadlines, and qualifying conditions can change, so don't rely on an old filing deadline from a third-party guide. Save case numbers, messages, and screenshots before you close the request.

An A-to-Z claim is separate from a credit-card billing dispute. If the credit-card deadline is approaching, don't wait indefinitely for the marketplace process.

4. Contact UPS or FedEx for a tracking investigation

Carrier support can identify a stalled scan, address exception, customs hold, or delivery error. Give them the tracking number, destination, promised date, and last known scan.

For a monetary claim, the shipper or account holder may be the party authorized to file. Ask the retailer to open a UPS or FedEx claim when it purchased the label or shipping service. A claim for the package's insured or declared value is not the same as your request for a refund on the retail order.

Service guarantees, claim procedures, and deadlines depend on the service agreement. Check the terms for that shipment. Don't assume every late package qualifies for a carrier refund.

5. Use the credit-card billing-error process if the goods were not delivered

If you paid by credit card and the merchandise was not delivered as agreed, you may be able to dispute the charge as a billing error. The FTC's consumer guidance on goods you never received says to dispute the error in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing the charge was sent.

That 60-day clock is tied to the statement, not necessarily the promised delivery date. Your written dispute should include:

• Your name and account information
• The charge and statement date
• The order number and promised date
• Tracking records
• Copies of your requests to the retailer
• The resolution you want

Send it the way the issuer instructs, keep a copy, and pay the rest of the undisputed bill on time. Under the process described in the FTC's credit-card dispute guidance, the issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days unless it has already resolved it, and must resolve it within two billing cycles, with a maximum of 90 days.

A phone call can help, but follow up in writing if you want the protections tied to the written-dispute process. Some issuers may extend the 60-day period for delayed shipments. Don't count on an extension without confirmation.

The same federal process does not automatically cover a debit card, prepaid card, payment app, wire, or bank transfer. Contact that provider promptly and ask about its nondelivery dispute rules and deadline.

Refunds, replacements, and compensation

A refund and a carrier claim are different.

If a covered seller can't meet the applicable shipping deadline and you cancel under the required delay notice, the FTC rule generally requires a prompt refund. A seller may also offer a refund, replacement, store credit, or shipping refund under its own policy. Check whether that policy treats an unshipped order, a lost package, and a late arrival as the same problem.

A credit-card billing dispute asks the issuer to investigate a charge. It is not an automatic refund, and the issuer may ask for evidence.

A late package does not, by itself, entitle you to cash for inconvenience, missed plans, or time spent on hold. You can ask for a goodwill credit. Whether the seller agrees depends on its policy and the facts.

If the order arrives after you filed a complaint or billing dispute, tell the retailer and the card issuer. Don't keep both a refund and the merchandise contrary to the instructions you receive.

If the delay has made the purchase useless, say that and ask to cancel rather than accepting an open-ended estimate.

If you're the business responding to a delay

Separate a missed shipment promise from a carrier delay, and give the customer a concrete choice. Don't bounce them between the store and the carrier with no owner.

Use this checklist:

1. Confirm the order, the promise shown at checkout, and the actual handoff date.
2. Check whether the problem is fulfillment, inventory, address information, customs, or carrier movement.
3. Notify the customer as soon as a material delay is known.
4. Give a revised date only when there is a reasonable basis for it.
5. Offer the appropriate choice to wait or cancel, including the required refund option for covered orders.
6. Tell the customer who is handling any carrier investigation.
7. Keep the order record, notification, tracking history, and refund confirmation together.
8. Set an internal goal of replying within one business day. That is a service standard, not a universal legal deadline.

A delay message can be concise:

Subject: Update on order [number]

Hi [Name],

We're sorry that your order has not [shipped/arrived] as expected. The latest tracking status is [status], and the current estimate is [date]. We are [opening a carrier investigation/releasing a replacement/checking the shipment].

You can [wait for the revised date or request cancellation and a refund, if available]. Reply to this message with your preference, and we'll confirm the next step in writing.

We're sorry for the disruption,
[Name or support team]

Don't call a major delay "slight," blame the customer for a carrier problem without evidence, or promise a credit you can't deliver. A carrier claim can recover a business loss. It should not be used to make the customer manage the retailer's shipping contract.

Common questions about delayed deliveries

Should I complain to the retailer or the carrier?

Start with the retailer. It accepted the order and can usually provide the replacement or refund. Contact the carrier for a trace or delivery investigation, especially when tracking has stopped or shows an address problem.

Does "in transit, arriving late" mean my package is lost?

No. It means the carrier has recorded a delay or missed estimate. The package may still arrive. Ask the retailer for a firm resolution if the new estimate is unacceptable or keeps changing.

Can I get compensation for a late package?

You can request a shipping refund, credit, replacement, or other goodwill remedy. None of those is guaranteed just because delivery was late. A qualifying cancellation under the FTC rule, or a valid credit-card billing dispute, is different from a request for inconvenience pay.

Can a retailer refuse to help because the carrier caused the delay?

The retailer may need to investigate with the carrier, but keep your refund or replacement request with the seller. Ask the business to put its proposed resolution and deadline in writing. Don't accept an indefinite instruction to "wait for the carrier."

Official sources

• FTC's Business Guide to the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
• 16 C.F.R. 435.2 - Mail, Internet, or telephone order sales
• FTC: What To Do if You're Billed for Things You Never Got
• FTC: Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges

Save the order confirmation and tracking screenshots now. Send the retailer a written request that names one remedy and a response date. If you paid by credit card, check the 60-day statement deadline before you wait for a reply.