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International shipping complaints usually have two separate tracks: the transport claim and the purchase or payment complaint. Use the template below to create a clear record, then follow the carrier, marketplace, and payment terms that apply to your shipment.

A letter won't guarantee compensation. It can make the facts easier to review.

Copy-and-paste international shipping complaint letter

Subject: Formal complaint and claim request for [delayed/lost/damaged/non-delivered] international shipment, tracking [number]

[Date]

To: [Carrier, seller, marketplace, or customer service department]
Attention: [Claims team or customer service manager]

Dear [Name or Customer Service Team],

I am writing about shipment [tracking number or Air Waybill number], sent on [shipping date] from [origin country] to [destination country]. The tracking record currently shows [exact status]. The package was expected on [expected delivery date], but [describe what happened in plain factual language].

Please investigate this shipment and explain the next steps under the terms for the service used.

Shipment details

Tracking or Air Waybill number: [number]
Carrier and service: [DHL Express, FedEx International, UPS, USPS service, or other]
Sender: [name and location]
Recipient: [name and location]
Order number: [number]
Declared value: [amount and currency]
Insurance or additional protection: [yes/no and amount]
Customs or import charge, if relevant: [amount and currency]

The issue has caused the following loss or inconvenience: [brief description]. I am requesting [a delivery investigation, reimbursement, replacement, refund, damage review, or customs-fee review] for [amount or requested remedy], subject to the applicable shipping and purchase terms.

If a customs fee appears incorrect, please provide the itemized basis for the charge and explain the correction or review process. I am not assuming that the fee is refundable; I am asking for the documents and procedure needed to challenge it.

Please confirm:

  1. The claim or case number.
  2. Whether you need more documents, an inspection, or sender authorization.
  3. Who may receive any approved payment.
  4. The next response date or appeal deadline under the applicable terms.

I have attached [receipt or invoice, tracking history, photos, packaging images, customs documents, proof of insurance, and previous correspondence]. I am keeping the original packaging and shipping records while this matter is under review.

Please reply in writing to [email address]. Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,
[Full name]
[Address]
[Email address]
[Phone number]

Send the complaint to the right party

The right recipient depends on what went wrong. A carrier handles transport questions, while the seller or marketplace usually controls the order remedy.

Problem Start with Ask for
Package is delayed or missing Seller or sender, then the carrier A delivery investigation and the available replacement or refund options
Package arrived damaged Carrier claims team and seller A damage claim, inspection instructions, and the purchase remedy
Customs charge looks wrong Carrier's customs team or broker, then the seller An itemized explanation and the process for correcting the charge
Marketplace order was not received Marketplace dispute channel and seller A response under the order's delivery and refund terms
You paid by credit card Seller first, then the card issuer Billing-dispute options for merchandise you did not receive

Carrier claim ownership can be awkward. If the portal says only the sender can submit the claim, ask the seller or sender to file it and send you the case number.

Gather evidence before you submit anything

Strong documentation makes the complaint easier to verify. Keep the original files, not just cropped screenshots.

Take photos before throwing anything away. That includes the box.

File the claim without losing other options

  1. Record the current tracking status. Save a screenshot with the date. Write down the last scan, customs message, delivery attempt, or notice of damage.

  2. Check the exact service terms. Look at the carrier, service name, origin, destination, declared value, optional protection, and claim window. A general shipping deadline may not apply to your service.

  3. Notify the seller or sender. For a marketplace purchase, use its dispute process before the deadline shown in your order or account. Keep the carrier complaint and the seller complaint connected by using the same tracking and order numbers.

  4. Submit the carrier request through its official channel. DHL's published regional instructions ask for the 10-digit Air Waybill and verification that you are the sender or receiver. For damage, they also recommend photos of the box, packing, and contents; see DHL's published lost and damaged shipment instructions. For FedEx and UPS, open the claims page from the shipment's official tracking or account site and confirm the requirements for that service. USPS directs customers to gather documents and create an inquiry through its USPS international claims page.

  5. Save the confirmation number. Put the next response date in your calendar. If the carrier asks for an inspection or more documents, answer in the same case rather than opening several duplicate claims.

  6. Use the payment route only when it fits. If the seller does not resolve a non-delivery and you paid by credit card, call the issuer using the number on the back of the card. Ask about its billing-dispute process for merchandise not received. This is separate from a carrier claim, and the issuer decides under its own rules.

Do not copy a deadline from the wrong service

Claim windows vary by carrier, service, shipment type, destination, and whether the problem is loss or damage. The sender, recipient, and person who purchased protection may also have different roles.

For example, USPS publishes a 60-day filing period for certain damaged or missing-content claims on its domestic claims page. That number should not automatically be copied into an international case. The USPS International Mail Manual lists international products and document requirements separately. For some services, the mailing receipt or the relevant customs and shipping form is essential.

DHL's regional guidance says an update may arrive about three days after a claim is submitted. Treat that as page-specific guidance, not a universal promise for every DHL shipment or country.

FedEx and UPS deadlines should be checked against the exact service terms shown for the shipment. Do not rely on an old chart or a blog post. The same carrier can use different rules for loss, visible damage, concealed damage, declared value, and guaranteed delivery.

A customs hold is not automatically proof that a parcel is lost. Ask whether the carrier needs identification, payment, a corrected invoice, or another document before describing the package as missing.

Short wording for common problems

Delayed package

Tracking has shown [status] since [date]. Please confirm whether the shipment is delayed, awaiting customs action, or considered lost. Tell me what information or document is required from me and when the next review will occur.

Damage on arrival

The package arrived on [date] with [describe visible damage]. I photographed the outer packaging, inner packing, shipping label, and contents. Please open a damage claim and tell me whether an inspection is required. I will retain the packaging until you provide further instructions.

Customs-fee review

I am requesting an itemized explanation of the [amount] charge for shipment [tracking number]. Please identify the duty, tax, brokerage, or other component and explain how I can request a correction if the invoice or classification is inaccurate.

Seller refund or replacement request

The carrier record shows [exact status], but I have not received the order. Please confirm whether you will resend the item or issue a refund under the order terms, and tell me the date by which you will decide.

Keep these messages factual. Avoid guessing that a parcel was stolen, misdeclared, or lost unless the evidence supports it.

If the carrier rejects the complaint

Ask for the decision in writing. You need the reason, the term or exclusion relied on, any missing evidence, and the deadline for an appeal or reconsideration.

A rejection because the wrong person filed is different from a rejection based on packaging, declared value, customs rules, or an excluded item. The next step changes with the reason. Ask the sender or seller to file when authorization is the problem.

If the dispute is with a credit card issuer or another covered financial company rather than the carrier, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint process may provide a separate escalation route. The CFPB accepts complaints about products such as credit cards and says companies generally respond within 15 days. Consumers have 60 days to provide feedback on the response. It is not a courier complaint office.

What the letter cannot override

A complaint letter cannot extend a carrier's claim window, turn a delivery estimate into a guaranteed delivery promise, or force a customs authority to cancel a valid assessment. It also cannot make a card billing dispute automatic.

It can document notice, organize the evidence, and state exactly what you want reviewed. That distinction matters.

This guidance is for U.S. consumers, but the carrier's service terms and the destination country's customs rules may add requirements. Today, replace every bracket in the template with exact facts, submit it through the official seller or carrier channel, and save the confirmation number.