Short answer: For a lost, delayed, or damaged international order, contact the seller or marketplace in writing, preserve tracking and delivery evidence, and file the appropriate carrier or payment dispute before its deadline. The correct route depends on who charged you, who promised delivery, and which company’s policy applies.

A carrier investigation and a buyer refund are separate matters. The courier may decide whether a shipment was lost or damaged, while the seller, marketplace, PayPal, or card issuer decides whether you receive money back.

U.S. focus: Consumer protections differ when the seller is overseas. A U.S. agency’s guidance may help with a U.S.-based seller, but it doesn’t automatically control a foreign merchant, carrier, or marketplace transaction.

Which rule controls your shipping complaint?

The shipping label alone doesn’t determine who must solve the problem. The order terms, carrier contract, marketplace rules, and payment method all matter.

Build an evidence file before you complain

Save the evidence before tracking pages change or a seller deletes a message. Keep one folder containing:

• The order confirmation, invoice, seller name, and transaction ID
• The promised shipping or delivery date
• The tracking number and screenshots of every relevant scan
• The date and time of each contact, including the time zone when it matters
• Photos of the shipping label, outer box, seals, inner packaging, and damaged item
• Proof of payment and the item’s purchase price
• Customs notices, commercial invoices, packing lists, duty receipts, and brokerage invoices
• Emails, chat transcripts, and the seller’s refund or replacement offer

For damage, photograph the package before throwing away the box or repairing the item. If the delivery service gives you a delivery record or damage notation, keep a copy. Don’t alter photos or guess at the item’s value.

A claim form may ask whether the problem is non-delivery, damage, shortage, or an item that was not as described. Choose the category that accurately matches the facts. A damaged item that arrived is not the same claim as a package that never arrived.

Ask the seller for a remedy first

Send a short written request through the seller’s support system and by email if possible. State the order number, promised date, current tracking status, and the remedy you want.

Order [number] was expected on [date]. Tracking currently shows [status]. I am requesting [a refund or replacement]. Please confirm whether you will open the carrier investigation and how you will handle the shipping charge, taxes, or duties. I’ve attached the order record, tracking screenshots, and photos.

For online sellers covered by U.S. rules, the Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on orders that never arrive says sellers should ship when they or their advertising promised. If they can’t, they generally must tell the customer and give the customer a chance to cancel for a full refund.

That guidance doesn’t automatically make an overseas seller or a delivery company responsible under U.S. law. Still, it gives you a clear starting point: ask the seller to honor the delivery promise or explain the delay and refund process.

Give the seller a reasonable written response deadline, but don’t wait past a marketplace, PayPal, card, or carrier deadline while hoping for a reply.

File the right type of international shipping complaint

Delayed package

A delay isn’t necessarily a lost shipment. Check whether the parcel is:

• Waiting for customs information or payment
• Moving between postal or carrier networks
• Held because the address or phone number is incomplete
• Marked as delivered even though you didn’t receive it
• Stuck without a new scan for an unusually long period

Ask the seller and carrier for the latest physical location, the reason for the hold, and the next expected scan. If the seller promised a date and won’t provide a remedy, open the marketplace or payment dispute before its deadline.

Lost or missing package

Ask the seller to start a carrier search or claim if the carrier requires the sender or account holder to file. The shipping contract may give different filing rights to the sender, recipient, or person who paid for shipping.

Give the carrier the tracking number, label, proof of value, and a precise description of the contents. A carrier claim may lead to compensation under the shipment’s terms, but it doesn’t always send the payment directly to the buyer or resolve the seller’s refund obligation.

If tracking says “delivered” but you don’t have the parcel, tell both the seller and carrier that the order was not received. Check building staff, household members, neighbors, and the delivery location, but keep the written complaint open while the investigation is pending.

Damaged goods

Take photos of:

1. The unopened or partially opened outer package
2. The shipping label and any damage to the box
3. The inner cushioning and signs of impact or water
4. The product and every damaged part
5. The serial number or identifying mark, if relevant

Keep the item and packaging until the seller, carrier, or marketplace tells you what to do. Don’t accept a partial repair or discard the product before you understand whether the claim requires inspection.

Ask for a replacement, refund, or return instructions in writing. If a platform requires a return, use the specified method and retain the tracking receipt.

Customs hold or unexpected charges

A customs delay is different from a carrier loss. Check the official carrier or postal service site and the customs notice to identify what is missing. The issue may involve an invoice, product description, valuation, import permit, duty, tax, or recipient information.

Ask the seller for the commercial invoice and packing list. For international shipments, UPS’s forms guidance explains why commercial invoices and packing lists can be needed and advises uploading customs documents after label creation when applicable.

Don’t falsify the item description or value to avoid a charge. If you’re asked to pay through a text message or an unfamiliar link, verify the request through the carrier’s website or the marketplace order page. Ask the seller, carrier, and customs authority separately who assessed the charge and whether any amount is refundable. A seller refund for the goods doesn’t automatically answer how duties, taxes, or brokerage charges will be handled.

How to file a carrier claim

Use the carrier’s official website, not a link in an unexpected text or email. The current shipping terms and claim form control the deadline and required documents.

UPS

UPS’s claim page supports claim reporting and the upload of supporting documents or photos. Prepare the tracking number, a clear description of the problem, proof of value, and photographs where appropriate. Keep the claim number and screenshots showing that your documents were received.

DHL, FedEx, and USPS

Use the official claim or support area associated with the tracking number. Before submitting, check:

• Whether the sender or recipient must file
• Whether a delivery exception requires a search request first
• The deadline for loss, damage, or delay claims
• Whether declared value or optional insurance changes the process
• Which documents must be uploaded
• Where any approved payment will be sent

There is no reliable universal rule that every international carrier gives buyers 14, 28, or 30 days. Deadlines vary by carrier, service, origin, destination, account, and claim type. A carrier’s notice deadline may also be different from a marketplace or payment-dispute deadline. File promptly and save a copy of the carrier’s terms that applied to the shipment.

A carrier’s denial should identify the reason. If it says the sender must file, send that decision to the seller and request that the seller open the claim.

Marketplace and PayPal disputes

Open the case from the original order page whenever possible. AliExpress, eBay, Amazon, and other marketplaces can apply different deadlines and eligibility rules based on the seller, item, destination, shipping program, and payment method. Don’t rely on an old deadline found in a general FAQ.

Upload the same evidence in a logical order:

1. Order confirmation and promised date
2. Tracking history
3. Photos or customs notices
4. Your messages to the seller
5. The seller’s response or lack of response
6. The specific refund or replacement requested

PayPal

PayPal’s U.S. Buyer Protection terms require a dispute to be opened within the applicable time limit. The policy states that the deadline can be 180 days from the payment date and that some transactions are also subject to an earlier deadline of 30 days from delivery or fulfillment, whichever applies first. Check the live terms and the transaction page rather than assuming every PayPal purchase has the same deadline.

The usual process is:

1. Open a dispute in PayPal’s Resolution Center.
2. Describe the issue accurately as non-delivery or an item that is materially different from the listing, when applicable.
3. Upload tracking, order records, photos, and seller communications.
4. If the dispute isn’t resolved, follow PayPal’s process to escalate it to a claim.

PayPal decides eligibility under its own policy and may request more information. Evidence improves your position but doesn’t guarantee a refund. If you also consider a card-issuer dispute, tell both providers about the existing case and don’t seek payment twice for the same loss.

Credit card, debit card, and bank disputes

If an online order never arrives and the charge appears on your credit card statement, the FTC says to dispute the charge with the card issuer. If you paid by debit card, contact the debit card company, bank, or credit union promptly. The issuer will explain its process and may request the order confirmation, promised delivery date, tracking history, and your attempts to contact the seller.

Describe the transaction accurately. A purchase you authorized but never received is different from an unauthorized transaction. Follow the issuer’s instructions and keep the submission confirmation. A payment dispute can be useful when a seller stops responding, but it doesn’t replace a carrier investigation or an FTC fraud report.

Spotting and reporting shipping scams

Common warning signs include:

• A tracking link that goes to a misspelled or unfamiliar domain
• A demand for payment through a text message rather than the order platform
• A seller who refuses to provide an invoice or verifiable address
• A name-brand product offered at an unusually steep discount
• Pressure to pay by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift card, or another hard-to-reverse method
• Tracking that works only on the seller’s private page and never appears on the named carrier’s site

The FTC warns that steeply discounted name-brand goods may be counterfeit. If you suspect a scam, file a report through ReportFraud.ftc.gov. A report helps the FTC and other law-enforcement agencies identify patterns, but it isn’t a private refund claim. Continue pursuing the seller, marketplace, PayPal, bank, or card issuer separately.

What to request in a refund

Ask for an itemized answer rather than simply asking whether the shipment is “covered.” Identify each amount:

• Price of the merchandise
• Original shipping charge
• Return shipping, if the platform or seller requires a return
• Taxes, duties, or brokerage charges
• Any partial refund already offered
• Replacement cost and expected delivery date

Eligibility for each amount depends on the seller’s terms, marketplace policy, payment protection, and the carrier contract. Don’t assume a carrier will reimburse every fee, and don’t assume a seller will automatically refund customs charges. Ask who is responsible for each amount and request the answer in writing.

If the seller offers a replacement, confirm whether the original order will be refunded, whether a new tracking number will be issued, and what happens if the replacement also fails.

Escalation path when the complaint is denied

Use this order, adjusting it when a deadline is close:

1. Seller: Request a refund, replacement, or written explanation.
2. Marketplace: Open or escalate the order case using the original transaction page.
3. Carrier: File a loss, damage, or search claim and keep the claim number.
4. Payment provider: Use PayPal, a credit card dispute, or a debit-card bank process where appropriate.
5. Regulator or fraud report: Report suspected deception to the FTC.
6. Further advice: For a high-value dispute, review the applicable terms and consider advice from a qualified professional in the relevant jurisdiction.

Don’t close a marketplace or PayPal case just because the seller promises to refund you. Close it after the money has arrived or the platform tells you that doing so is safe. If the package arrives after a refund, notify the seller and follow the seller’s or platform’s instructions.

FAQ

Is there one deadline for an international shipping complaint?

No. The carrier, marketplace, payment service, and applicable law can each use a different deadline. PayPal publishes specific time limits for its U.S. protection process, while carrier and marketplace periods vary. Check the current terms and file the earliest available complaint instead of waiting for a carrier investigation to finish.

Should I complain to the carrier or the seller?

Usually do both when the shipment is lost or damaged. The seller may control the carrier account and the refund, while the carrier controls the transit investigation. If the carrier says only the sender can file, send that instruction to the seller.

Can I get a refund if tracking shows delivery?

You can still report non-receipt. Provide the tracking record, delivery address, building or mailbox details, and any evidence that the parcel wasn’t received. The seller, carrier, marketplace, or payment provider will decide under its applicable process.

What if the seller says the carrier is responsible?

Ask the seller to identify the remedy available under the order terms and whether it will file the carrier claim. A carrier’s investigation may be necessary, but it doesn’t by itself answer whether the seller, marketplace, or payment provider owes you a refund.

Is an FTC complaint enough to recover my money?

No. The FTC complaint route is for reporting suspected scams or unfair practices. Pursue the refund separately through the seller, marketplace, PayPal, bank, or card issuer, and attach the same evidence to each case.