If a U.S. online order never arrives, ask the seller or marketplace for a refund first. If that fails, use the platform's buyer-protection process or dispute the payment before a deadline expires.

There isn't one universal waiting period. The controlling deadline may come from the seller's shipping promise, eBay's policy, PayPal's terms, or the 60-day written billing-error period for credit cards.

Start with these five steps

1. Check the order details. Confirm the promised delivery date, shipping address, seller name, payment method, and tracking number.
2. Check for a delivery mistake. Look at the mailbox, parcel locker, building reception area, porch, household members' locations, and nearby delivery notices. If the status changed only recently, check again later or the next business day because scans can be premature.
3. Save evidence. Screenshot the order confirmation, delivery promise, tracking history, and any "delivered" notice. Keep messages with the seller and marketplace.
4. Contact the seller in writing. Ask for a refund to the original payment method or a clear update with a new delivery date.
5. Escalate before the applicable deadline. Open the marketplace case, PayPal dispute, or credit-card billing dispute when the seller doesn't resolve the problem.

Don't describe the transaction as fraud unless you truly didn't authorize the purchase. An order you made but never received is generally a non-delivery or merchandise-not-received dispute.

Identify what went wrong

The right remedy depends on the delivery record:

• The seller never shipped the order: Ask to cancel and receive a refund. The seller's promised shipping time matters.
• Tracking stopped moving: Ask the seller to open a carrier investigation or trace. Keep pursuing the seller if the payment deadline is approaching.
• Tracking says delivered, but you don't have the package: Check for misdelivery, a locker or reception handoff, and possible theft. Ask for available delivery evidence.
• Only part of the order arrived: Request a refund for the missing items rather than disputing the entire transaction.
• The charge itself was unauthorized: Use the bank or card issuer's fraud process instead of claiming non-delivery.

A carrier's tracking status is evidence, but it doesn't automatically answer whether the seller, marketplace, carrier, or payment provider must reimburse you.

What the FTC shipping rule does—and doesn't—do

The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule covers many merchandise orders made by mail, internet, or telephone.

Generally, a seller must ship within the time it promised. If no shipping time was stated, the rule generally uses a 30-day period. If the seller can't meet the promised date, it generally must notify you about the delay and offer the option to cancel for a prompt refund.

This rule controls a seller's shipping and delay-notice obligations. It's not the same as:

• eBay's Money Back Guarantee deadline
• PayPal's Purchase Protection deadline
• your credit-card issuer's billing-dispute procedure
• a carrier's lost-package or insurance process

Save the product listing or checkout page showing the promised date. If the seller missed that date and refuses to provide a reasonable solution, make the request in writing and keep the response.

Ask the seller or retailer for the refund

Use the retailer's official account or support channel so the order number and conversation stay connected.

Your message can be short:

Order number: [number]
I ordered [item] on [date]. The promised delivery date was [date], but the order hasn't arrived. Tracking number [number] shows [status]. Please issue a refund to the original payment method or explain the resolution in writing.

Give the seller the facts, not an accusation. Ask whether the package was shipped to the correct address, whether a replacement is being offered, and when the refund will be processed.

If the seller offers a replacement, decide whether you want to wait. A replacement isn't the same as a refund, so record the new delivery date and keep the original evidence. If the seller promises a refund, don't close an open dispute until the credit actually appears or the platform tells you to do so.

Marketplace refund options

Marketplace protection is a company policy, not a universal legal right. Eligibility can depend on the seller, order category, tracking record, country, and the way you paid.

Amazon orders

Open the order in Your Orders and select the delivery-problem or package-not-received option shown for that transaction. If a third-party seller fulfilled the order, message the seller through Amazon so there's a platform record.

If Amazon displays an A-to-Z Guarantee or another review option, follow the order-specific instructions and deadline. Don't rely on an old deadline found in a forum or blog; Amazon's available remedies can depend on the order and current policy.

If tracking says "delivered," explain why the delivery is disputed. Check the address, delivery photo, locker, reception desk, and carrier record before submitting the claim. Ask Amazon or the seller what delivery evidence they relied on.

eBay orders

Use eBay's item not received process rather than relying only on private messages. The eBay Money Back Guarantee policy says a buyer generally must report the issue within 30 calendar days after the estimated or actual delivery or collection date has passed.

eBay may rely on tracking and delivery confirmation when deciding the case. Upload the complete tracking history and explain any mismatch involving the address, delivery date, or recipient.

If eBay makes a decision against you, the policy allows the buyer or seller to appeal within 30 calendar days of the decision. Check the transaction page for the current appeal instructions.

Etsy, Temu, Shein, AliExpress, Wish, and other marketplaces

Open the order's current Help, Dispute, or Item not received process before the displayed deadline. Policies and screens change, and some marketplaces use different deadlines for orders shipped from different countries.

Keep all communication inside the platform when possible. If the seller tells you to move the conversation or payment outside the marketplace, don't do so merely to speed up a refund. That can make it harder to prove the transaction and may affect platform protection.

PayPal disputes for an order that never arrived

PayPal has its own Purchase Protection process. Under the PayPal U.S. Purchase Protection terms, a dispute must be opened within the applicable time limit. The terms state that the dispute must be opened within 30 days of the delivery or fulfillment date, when applicable, or within 180 days of the payment date, whichever is sooner.

Because that wording can make the deadline earlier than expected, open the dispute promptly and follow the date shown in your PayPal Resolution Center.

The usual process is:

1. Open a dispute for Item Not Received in the Resolution Center.
2. Describe the order, promised delivery date, and tracking history.
3. Upload the order confirmation, seller messages, and carrier information.
4. Try to resolve the issue through the dispute.
5. Escalate it to a claim if you and the seller can't resolve it within PayPal's stated process.

PayPal decides the claim under its terms and the evidence submitted. Purchase Protection doesn't guarantee reimbursement for every transaction. Some payment types, products, or circumstances may not qualify.

If your PayPal payment was funded by a credit card, ask the card issuer which billing-dispute process applies and disclose the PayPal case. Don't accept duplicate refunds from two providers; tell each provider if another dispute has been resolved.

Credit-card chargebacks for non-delivery

A U.S. credit-card purchase for merchandise that was never delivered may qualify as a billing error. The FTC's guidance on using credit cards and disputing charges says to dispute the error in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.

The 60-day period is generally tied to the statement date, not simply the order date or expected delivery date.

How to send the dispute

1. Find the first statement showing the disputed charge.
2. Write to the card issuer using its billing-dispute instructions and address, rather than relying only on a telephone call.
3. Identify the charge, amount, merchant, order date, and reason: merchandise was not received.
4. State the refund or correction you want.
5. Attach copies of the order confirmation, tracking, seller correspondence, and platform decision.
6. Keep a copy of the letter and proof that the issuer received it.

A phone call can alert the issuer quickly, but a written notice is the safer way to use the federal billing-error procedure. The issuer must generally acknowledge a written dispute within 30 days unless it's already resolved it. It must generally resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving the dispute.

During the investigation, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges under this process. Pay the rest of the statement on time. A card issuer may have a longer period for some delayed shipments, but don't wait for an extension when the 60-day period is running.

A chargeback is an investigation, not an automatic refund. The merchant may provide delivery confirmation or other evidence, and the issuer will decide whether the charge should be reversed.

Debit cards, bank transfers, and payment apps

The credit-card billing-error procedure doesn't automatically apply to a debit-card purchase. Contact your bank as soon as the delivery problem is clear and ask specifically for a merchant dispute for merchandise not received. Ask for the bank's filing deadline, required documents, and the correct dispute category.

Be precise about the payment type:

• Debit card: Use the bank's merchant-dispute process and keep enough money in the account for undisputed transactions.
• ACH payment: Contact the bank and seller immediately. Recovery options and timing depend on the transfer and account terms.
• Wire transfer: Ask the bank at once whether a recall or fraud review is possible. A reversal isn't guaranteed.
• Person-to-person payment app: Report the transaction through the app and contact the linked bank if appropriate. An authorized payment may be harder to reverse than an unauthorized one.
• Unauthorized transaction: Say that the payment was unauthorized and follow the bank's fraud or electronic-transfer instructions. Don't relabel a purchase you made as unauthorized simply because it wasn't delivered.

If you paid through a buy-now-pay-later service or another intermediary, review its dispute instructions immediately. The service's deadline may not match the retailer's deadline.

When to contact the carrier

A carrier investigation can help establish what happened, but it may not be the same as a refund claim against the seller.

Contact the carrier when:

• tracking has stopped for an unusual period
• the package is marked delivered to the wrong location
• the seller asks for a missing-mail search or delivery investigation
• the shipment may have been damaged, returned, or refused
• you need a case number for the marketplace or card issuer

Some carrier claims must be filed by the sender, and insurance coverage, eligible services, filing periods, and payment amounts vary. If the carrier requires the seller to file, ask the seller to open the claim and give you the case number.

For a package marked delivered, check neighbors, household members, building staff, parcel lockers, and the delivery photo or signature if available. Ask the seller or carrier whether the delivery record identifies the correct address. If theft is suspected, document what you know and make a police or insurance report only when appropriate to your situation.

Don't let a carrier investigation cause you to miss a PayPal, marketplace, or credit-card deadline. You can preserve your payment rights while the carrier reviews the shipment.

Deadlines that matter

These periods can overlap. Filing with the seller doesn't pause every other deadline, so write down the earliest one that could apply.

Evidence that makes a non-delivery claim stronger

Create one folder with:

• order confirmation, invoice, and receipt
• product listing showing the promised shipping or delivery date
• tracking number and the full tracking history
• screenshots showing "delivered," "returned," or no recent movement
• the shipping address and any delivery instructions
• seller, marketplace, carrier, and PayPal messages
• carrier investigation or missing-package case number
• delivery photo, signature record, locker record, or building log, if available
• credit-card statement showing the charge
• records of any replacement, partial refund, store credit, or cancellation offer

Write a brief timeline with the order date, promised date, actual tracking events, contact dates, and the resolution requested. Submit copies rather than original documents, and don't email a complete card number or other unnecessary sensitive information.

If the seller or platform denies the claim

Ask for the reason in writing. A denial based on "delivered" is different from a denial based on an expired deadline or an ineligible transaction.

Then:

1. Compare the reason with the tracking address, date, signature, and order terms.
2. Reply with the specific contradiction and attach only relevant evidence.
3. Use the platform's appeal process if one is available.
4. Dispute the charge with the payment provider before its deadline.
5. If the seller appears deceptive or repeatedly takes payment without shipping, file a report through ReportFraud.ftc.gov. A regulatory report documents the conduct but isn't a substitute for requesting a refund or filing a payment dispute.
6. Consider your state attorney general's consumer-protection office or small claims court for a significant loss.

Small-claims limits, filing fees, deadlines, and venue rules vary by state. If the seller is overseas, check the marketplace's dispute terms and the payment provider's rules before assuming a U.S. court will be practical.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting 30 days because you assume every platform uses that rule
• Missing the credit-card statement deadline while waiting for a carrier
• Using a fraud reason for a purchase you authorized
• Disputing the entire order when only one item is missing
• Relying on a tracking screenshot without saving the order confirmation
• Ignoring a request for more information from the bank, marketplace, or PayPal
• Closing a platform case because a seller promised a refund
• Accepting store credit without checking whether it satisfies your goal
• Opening overlapping disputes without telling each provider
• Sending sensitive payment details through an unverified email address

Frequently asked questions

Can I dispute an Amazon order with my credit card?

Yes, a credit-card issuer can review a properly documented merchandise-not-received billing dispute. Start with Amazon's order-support process when practical, but don't allow Amazon's review to make you miss the card issuer's written-dispute deadline. The issuer—not Amazon—decides the billing dispute.

What if tracking says the package was delivered?

Check the delivery location, neighbors, mailroom, locker, and delivery evidence. Contact the seller and carrier, then explain any address or delivery mismatch in the platform or payment dispute. A delivered scan can make a claim more difficult, but it isn't a reason to stop documenting a possible misdelivery.

Does filing an FTC complaint get my money back?

No direct refund is guaranteed. The FTC's reporting system helps document suspected deceptive conduct for enforcement and consumer-protection work. Request the refund from the seller and use the marketplace or payment-provider dispute process for recovery.

Is PayPal's non-delivery deadline always 180 days?

Don't assume that. PayPal's U.S. terms include a 180-day payment limit but also refer to a 30-day delivery or fulfillment condition, when applicable, with the earlier deadline controlling. Open the dispute promptly and check the current terms and Resolution Center.

Should I wait for the carrier before disputing the charge?

No. Ask the seller or carrier to investigate, but track the earliest marketplace, PayPal, and credit-card deadlines separately. A carrier case number can support your claim, while waiting too long can limit your payment options.

Before contacting the seller, gather the order number, promised delivery date, tracking history, and payment statement so your first request is easy to verify.