If tracking says “delivered” but your package is missing, reimbursement isn’t automatic. Start with the retailer, ask the carrier to investigate the delivery, and then check coverage through your credit card or renters or homeowners insurance.

The right path depends on what happened. A package that was misdelivered or never arrived is different from one stolen after a correct delivery. There’s also no single U.S. rule requiring every retailer or carrier to refund a package marked delivered.

First, confirm whether the package was stolen

Before filing a theft claim, check:

• The delivery address and any alternate location listed in the tracking record
• The carrier’s delivery photo, if available
• Household members, neighbors, building staff, reception desks, and package rooms
• Mail lockers, parcel lockers, garages, side doors, and other usual delivery locations
• Whether the tracking scan may have been made early or attached to the wrong package

If you find evidence of theft, save it immediately. If the parcel arrived open or empty, photograph the packaging, label, seals, and contents before throwing anything away.

Separate these three situations

Lost or misdelivered before you received it: Contact the retailer and carrier. The seller may replace the item, refund you, or open a carrier investigation.

Stolen after delivery: A retailer’s theft policy, card benefit, or insurance policy may help. A carrier may deny responsibility if its records show delivery to the correct location.

Missing contents or damage: The carrier’s insurance or claims process may apply, especially if the shipment was insured. The evidence and filing deadline depend on the service used.

Follow these steps to seek reimbursement

1. Gather proof before contacting anyone

Create one folder containing:

• Order confirmation, invoice, and payment record
• Tracking number and screenshots showing the delivery date and time
• Delivery photo, signature record, or stated delivery location
• Doorbell or security-camera footage
• Photos of the delivery area or damaged packaging
• Messages from neighbors, building staff, or the carrier
• A police report or incident number, if you filed one

Keep the original video files and note their timestamps. A police report can support your account, but it doesn’t by itself require a company or insurer to pay.

2. Report the problem to the retailer

Contact the retailer through the order page, app, or customer-service channel. Describe the facts accurately:

• Say “misdelivered” if the carrier left it at the wrong address.
• Say “stolen after delivery” if it arrived and was later taken.
• Say “missing contents” if the box arrived opened or incomplete.

Ask these questions:

1. Does the retailer have a package-theft or delivery-protection policy?
2. Will it replace or refund an order marked delivered but not received?
3. Does the retailer require a police report or other documents?
4. Must the retailer, seller, or carrier open the claim?
5. What is the case number and expected response process?

For a marketplace purchase, contact both the third-party seller and the marketplace. A seller’s policy may differ from the marketplace’s buyer-protection terms. Don’t assume a marketplace guarantees reimbursement for every theft.

3. Ask the carrier to investigate the delivery

Give the carrier the tracking number and ask it to review:

• GPS or scan location
• Delivery photo
• Driver notes
• Signature details
• The address and location used for delivery
• Whether the parcel was scanned prematurely or delivered to a nearby address

Some carriers require the shipper or account holder to open a formal claim. If so, ask the retailer to submit it and provide you with the claim number.

For Amazon, UPS, and FedEx orders, use the current order-help or claims process shown in the relevant account. Deadlines, eligible claim types, and reimbursement limits vary by service and shipment terms, so don’t rely on a generic 60-day rule or assume an uninsured-package limit.

4. Use the coverage that matches the loss

USPS claims

The USPS domestic claims page says customers may file immediately when an item arrives damaged or has missing contents, but generally must file no later than 60 days after the mailing date for the applicable claim type. USPS also says claim decisions usually arrive within five to 10 days.

If USPS partially pays or denies a claim, the page says you can appeal within 30 days of the decision. A second appeal must generally be filed within 30 days of the appeal denial.

A package marked delivered and then stolen from a porch isn’t automatically covered just because the service included insurance. USPS will apply the service’s coverage rules and review the evidence.

Credit-card protection and billing disputes

Purchase protection is a card benefit, not a universal legal right. Read the benefits guide for the card used to pay and check:

• Whether theft after delivery is covered
• How soon the loss must be reported
• Whether a police report is required
• The maximum benefit and deductible
• Excluded purchases, delivery methods, or circumstances
• Whether the benefit administrator or issuer handles the claim

A billing dispute is a separate process. The FTC’s credit-card dispute guidance says a billing error generally must be disputed in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. The issuer must generally acknowledge the dispute within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days.

The FTC’s guidance on products you never received explains this process for goods that were never delivered as agreed. A card issuer may view a package stolen after a documented delivery differently. Don’t describe a theft as “never shipped” or “never delivered” if that isn’t what happened.

Pay the undisputed part of the bill on time and follow the issuer’s instructions for sending a written dispute. Keep a copy of everything you submit.

Homeowners and renters insurance

A homeowners or renters policy may cover a stolen package as personal-property theft, but the policy controls. Check:

• The deductible
• Whether theft away from the residence is covered
• Special limits for certain types of property
• Required proof of ownership and value
• Whether a police report is required
• Any notice deadline

If the package was worth less than the deductible, an insurance claim may not produce a payment. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ homeowners insurance guide explains how deductibles, personal-property coverage, and policy limits affect a claim.

Ask the insurer whether filing a small claim could affect your claims history or future premium before proceeding. If the insurer denies a loss you believe is covered, request the reason and the specific policy provision in writing. You can then use your state insurance regulator’s consumer complaint process.

What evidence makes a claim stronger?

The most useful evidence connects the order, delivery, and loss:

1. Proof of purchase: invoice, order number, item description, and price.
2. Proof of delivery: tracking record, photo, signature, scan time, and stated location.
3. Proof of theft or non-receipt: video, witness statement, building records, or evidence that the delivery photo shows a different location.
4. Proof of value: receipt, product listing, or payment statement.
5. Prompt reporting: dated messages to the retailer, carrier, insurer, or police.

Submit clear copies and keep the originals. Explain any apparent inconsistency, such as a delivery photo taken at the wrong doorway or a household member who initially accepted the parcel.

Common reasons reimbursement claims fail

A claim may be denied because:

• The tracking record shows delivery to the correct address and there’s no evidence of a misdelivery.
• The claim was sent to the wrong party.
• The shipment wasn’t insured for the type of loss claimed.
• The retailer’s policy excludes the seller, item, or delivery arrangement.
• The card benefit excludes theft after delivery or the purchase wasn’t eligible.
• The insurance payment would fall below the deductible.
• The filing deadline passed.
• The account, address, order value, or description doesn’t match the documents.

A denial isn’t always the end of the process. Ask for the decision in writing, identify the rule or policy term used, and respond with targeted evidence rather than sending the same request again.

What does not guarantee reimbursement?

Several actions can help prove what happened without creating an automatic right to payment:

• A police report: It documents an allegation but doesn’t establish coverage.
• A delivered scan: It proves the carrier recorded a delivery, not necessarily that the package reached the intended person or location.
• Carrier insurance: It applies under the shipping service’s terms and may not cover post-delivery theft.
• A state porch-piracy law: A criminal law can help law enforcement prosecute theft without requiring a retailer to refund the customer.
• A credit-card dispute: It must fit the billing-error rules or the card’s separate benefit terms.

There is no universal U.S. reimbursement amount for a stolen package. The possible payment may be a retailer refund, a carrier payment limited by shipping coverage, a card-benefit payment, or an insurance payment after the deductible.

A message you can send

Use a factual message such as:

Tracking number [number] shows delivery at [date and time], but the package was not received. I checked with household members, neighbors, and building staff. [If applicable: Security footage shows it was taken after delivery.] Please open a delivery investigation and tell me whether the retailer or recipient must file the claim, what documents you need, and which policy applies.

Save the message, attachments, reply, and case number. If the retailer, carrier, card issuer, or insurer denies the request, ask for the next appeal or complaint step before the applicable deadline expires.

Start today by saving the tracking record and contacting the retailer. That preserves your evidence while the delivery details are still available.