If an international parcel is lost, damaged, delayed, or held by customs, protect your deadlines first. Save the order and tracking records, contact the seller in writing, open the appropriate carrier or marketplace case, and use your payment provider's dispute process if necessary.

For U.S. consumers, no single rule decides every shipping dispute. The result may depend on the seller's shipping promise, the sales contract, carrier terms, marketplace policy, insurance, and the payment method.

Seven steps to resolve an international shipping dispute

1. Identify the problem and the promised date. Separate non-shipment, carrier delay, loss, damage, customs trouble, and an item that's wrong or not as described.
2. Preserve evidence. Save the order confirmation, listing, invoice, tracking history, delivery scan, customs notices, photographs, and messages.
3. Write to the seller. Explain what happened, state the remedy you want, and ask for a response before the platform or payment deadline.
4. Open a carrier inquiry or claim. Ask whether the seller, recipient, or shipper must file it.
5. Use the marketplace dispute process. Follow the deadline and evidence requirements shown for that order.
6. Protect your payment deadline. U.S. credit-card billing disputes have a specific written-notice period that can expire while a seller investigates.
7. Escalate carefully. Review insurance, the contract's governing-law and arbitration terms, and possible legal options for a high-value loss.

Don't rely on a promise that someone is "looking into it" unless you have confirmation that a deadline has been extended.

Which rule or policy controls your dispute?

The seller's shipping promise

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule applies to covered sellers that solicit orders by mail, online, or by telephone. A seller must have a reasonable basis to ship within the advertised time. If no shipping time is stated, the rule generally uses 30 days.

If the seller can't ship on time, the seller must follow the rule's delay-notice process, which includes obtaining the buyer's consent to a delay or refunding payment for unshipped merchandise. The current text of 16 CFR Part 435 contains the detailed requirements.

This rule addresses the seller's shipment representation. It doesn't automatically make a courier responsible for a late delivery, guarantee that a package will clear customs, or decide how damage claims are paid. Whether the rule applies to a particular overseas seller can depend on the transaction and jurisdiction.

The order contract and any Incoterm

Keep the order confirmation, invoice, shipping policy, return policy, and any named Incoterm together. Incoterms are contract terms that can allocate transport tasks, costs, customs responsibilities, and risk at a stated point in the journey. They aren't a universal refund program or a substitute for consumer-protection law.

Terms such as DDP and EXW can assign very different responsibilities, but the named place, the exact wording, the contract version, and the governing law matter. Don't assume that a term alone settles who must refund you.

The carrier's terms

The carrier's waybill and service terms can govern claim deadlines, required documents, declared value, exclusions, and who is allowed to file. A carrier scan is useful evidence, but it doesn't by itself decide the seller's refund obligation or the outcome of a payment dispute.

The seller may be the carrier's contracting customer, particularly when the seller purchased the label. If a courier won't let you file directly, ask the seller to open the investigation and provide the case number.

The payment method

A credit-card billing dispute is different from a debit-card, prepaid-card, bank-transfer, or peer-to-peer payment dispute. The legal protections and provider procedures aren't interchangeable.

Match the problem to the right first request

Step-by-step process

1. Build a short evidence file

Save evidence before the tracking page changes or a dispute window closes:

• Order confirmation, invoice, product listing, and promised shipping or delivery date
• The full tracking history, including "label created," acceptance, customs, attempted delivery, and delivered scans
• The delivery address, proof-of-delivery image, signature record, or GPS information if available
• Photos of the parcel, shipping label, outer packaging, inner packaging, and damaged goods
• Customs notices, duty or tax requests, payment receipts, and return instructions
• Messages with the seller, carrier, marketplace, and payment provider
• Your payment record and the statement showing the charge
• Claim numbers, case decisions, and screenshots of any deadline shown in your account

For damage claims, photograph the packaging before throwing it away or sending the goods back. For non-delivery, write down the last confirmed movement and the date the promised delivery window ended.

2. Send the seller a specific written request

Use the marketplace message system when possible. Keep the message factual and ask for one clear outcome.

Order number: [number]
Tracking number: [number]
The order was expected to [ship or arrive] by [date]. Tracking currently shows [status].
Please confirm by [reasonable date] whether you'll provide a replacement or refund of [amount]. If you believe the carrier is responsible, please open a carrier investigation and send me the case number. I'm preserving my marketplace and payment-dispute rights.

Request the item price and shipping charge separately. Ask about customs fees, return postage, or insurance only if the contract or applicable policy may cover them. Avoid accepting store credit or signing a release until you understand what it ends.

3. Open the carrier investigation or claim

Start with a tracking inquiry if the carrier has a separate process for locating a parcel. A formal claim may require proof of value, shipping documents, photographs, and evidence of damage or non-delivery.

For USPS shipments, the USPS international claims page instructs customers to gather the 13-digit tracking or label number and supporting documents before creating an inquiry online.

DHL, FedEx, UPS, and other private carriers don't share one universal international claim deadline. Check the current terms for the exact service and waybill rather than relying on a generic 30-day or 60-day rule. File promptly, and ask the seller to file if the carrier limits claims to the shipper.

For a damaged parcel:

• Keep the box, label, wrapping, and packing materials.
• Photograph every side of the parcel and the damage.
• Don't discard or return the goods until the seller or carrier gives written instructions.
• Keep repair estimates or an inspection report for expensive items.
• Describe the damage accurately; don't call a missing item "damaged" to fit a form.

A carrier payout may be limited by declared value, insurance, service terms, or exclusions. It may also be paid to the shipper rather than directly to the recipient.

4. Use the marketplace process before its deadline

A marketplace decision is based on platform policy and evidence. It's separate from the seller's legal obligations and from your card issuer's billing-error process.

PayPal: PayPal's U.S. Purchase Protection terms list eligibility requirements and deadlines. The terms include a 180-day period from payment and, for applicable disputes, a 30-day period from delivery or fulfillment, whichever is sooner. Check the terms that apply to your transaction, open the dispute in the Resolution Center, and escalate it if direct discussion doesn't resolve the issue.

PayPal also states that you can't pursue its Purchase Protection program at the same time as a claim with your card issuer or seek double recovery. If you paid PayPal with a credit card, contact the issuer promptly about its process and choose a route without allowing the issuer's deadline to pass.

AliExpress: Use the order's Buyer Protection workflow and keep the conversation attached to the order. The AliExpress Buyer Protection page says the program is in addition to mandatory statutory consumer rights and explains that some refunds may be offered to the original payment method or a fast-refund balance subject to conditions. Save the deadline displayed for your order; don't rely on an old deadline copied from a general guide.

Amazon: For an Amazon marketplace order, use the official help, return, refund, or guarantee workflow attached to that order. Eligibility and timing can depend on the order type and current marketplace terms. Screenshot the displayed instructions and submit tracking, photos, seller messages, and customs records through the platform rather than relying only on email.

5. Consider a U.S. credit-card billing dispute

If you were billed on a U.S. credit card for merchandise you never received, the FTC says to dispute the billing error in writing. Your letter should reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent to you. Send it to the billing-dispute address listed by the issuer, not merely to a general customer-service address.

Include:

• Your name and account details
• The transaction date and amount
• The seller's name and contact information
• The promised shipping or delivery date
• Tracking results and the date you contacted the seller
• The reason the merchandise wasn't received or was materially different
• The refund or credit you're requesting
• Copies of supporting documents, keeping the originals

The FTC's credit-card billing dispute guidance says the issuer must acknowledge a written dispute within 30 days unless it's already resolved it. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days, under the stated process. During the investigation, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges, but you should continue paying the undisputed part of the bill.

A phone call to the merchant or issuer can help, but it doesn't replace the written notice needed for the statutory credit-card process. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, wires, and peer-to-peer payments may follow different rules and provider agreements. Contact those providers quickly, but don't assume the credit-card 60-day procedure applies.

Customs delays and unexpected import charges

A customs hold isn't automatically proof that a parcel is lost. Ask the carrier or customs contact:

• Which document or payment is missing
• Who's listed as the importer or responsible party
• The deadline to respond
• Whether the parcel will be returned if no action is taken
• Whether the issue involves duties, restricted goods, an incorrect description, or an address problem

Compare the demand with the checkout page, invoice, and shipping terms. If the seller represented that import handling was included, preserve that representation and ask the seller to resolve the charge through the agreed process. If the buyer was identified as responsible for import charges, a refund may be more difficult and may depend on the seller's policy, the contract, and local customs rules.

Don't abandon or refuse a parcel solely because you assume a refund will follow. Ask the seller or marketplace in writing what will happen first, especially if a platform deadline is approaching. The FTC shipment rule doesn't by itself decide whether duties, storage charges, or customs-related return costs must be reimbursed.

Carriage conventions such as the Hague-Visby Rules may apply to some forms of international transport, but they don't automatically govern every courier parcel or consumer purchase. Mode of transport, countries involved, shipping documents, contract terms, and insurance can change the analysis.

Deadlines worth protecting

A platform or seller investigation doesn't necessarily pause a card issuer's deadline. If you're considering a credit-card dispute, ask the issuer about the process early while continuing the seller or platform case.

Escalation when the claim is denied

Send one final written request with:

1. A short timeline
2. The amount paid and the remedy requested
3. The evidence supporting your position
4. The seller's response or lack of response
5. A reasonable date for resolution

Then choose the route that matches the unresolved issue:

• Marketplace appeal: Use the platform's appeal or review option if the order remains eligible.
• Payment-provider review: Follow the provider's formal reconsideration process and submit new evidence, not repeated messages.
• Shipping insurance: File under the insurance policy and check declared-value limits and exclusions.
• Contract or legal review: For a large loss, review the governing-law clause, forum-selection clause, arbitration provision, and who the contract identifies as responsible for transport.

A court claim against a foreign seller can involve service, jurisdiction, translation, travel, and enforcement problems. Check those issues before paying a filing fee. A convention or liability limit quoted in a seller's message may not apply to your specific shipment.

Don't pursue duplicate recovery for the same amount. Tell the marketplace, payment provider, insurer, or carrier if another route has already paid you.

If you're the seller

A seller handling U.S. orders should state a realistic shipping time and keep records supporting that representation. If the order can't ship as promised, follow the applicable delay-notice and refund process described by the FTC and the official Mail Order Rule guidance.

Keep the carrier acceptance record, packing photographs, address used, customs documents, insurance details, and buyer communications. If the carrier requires the shipper to claim, open the case promptly and give the buyer the case number. A tracking label that was printed but never accepted by the carrier is weaker evidence than an acceptance scan.

Common questions

Does a "delivered" scan automatically defeat a refund request?

No. It's important evidence, but the parties may still need to examine the delivery address, signature, delivery photo, safe location, and any mismatch with the order. Ask the carrier for available proof of delivery and explain the discrepancy to the seller or platform.

Can I file both a PayPal claim and a credit-card chargeback?

Don't file simultaneous claims for the same transaction without understanding the terms. PayPal's U.S. Purchase Protection terms say you can't pursue that program at the same time as a card-issuer claim or obtain double recovery. Protect the card deadline while you ask the issuer and PayPal which route applies.

Is there one international shipping-claim deadline for DHL, FedEx, and UPS?

No. The deadline can vary by carrier, service, country, claimant, declared value, and contract. Check the waybill and current official carrier terms, and start the claim as soon as the problem is clear.

Does an Incoterm decide who must refund me?

Not by itself. It may allocate transport, customs, cost, and risk between the parties, but the order contract, marketplace policy, payment method, mandatory consumer law, and governing law may also matter.

Can I sue an overseas seller in small claims court?

Possibly, but the court must have jurisdiction and you may face problems serving the seller or enforcing a judgment abroad. Review the contract and consider local legal or consumer-help advice before filing.

What should I do today?

Screenshot the order page and tracking history, write down the payment-dispute deadline, and send the seller one concise request with the remedy and response date. That record gives the carrier, marketplace, or card issuer a clear timeline to review.

Official references

• FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
• 16 CFR Part 435 in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
• FTC guidance on billing for merchandise you never received
• FTC guidance on using credit cards and disputing charges
• PayPal U.S. Purchase Protection terms
• AliExpress Buyer Protection
• USPS international claims