Start with written notice and evidence, not a lawsuit. If a shipment to or from the United States is lost, damaged, delayed, short, held by customs, or billed unexpectedly, notify the seller or sender and the carrier promptly. Preserve the package and records, then check the written claim deadline for the service.

There is no single international claim form, deadline, or automatic refund rule. The purchase terms, waybill, carrier conditions, insurance, transport mode, payment method, and customs decision may control different parts of the dispute. This checklist is for U.S. consumers. Commercial freight contracts and destination-country rules can produce different results.

Identify the dispute before filing

A tracking page shows operational events, but it doesn't by itself decide who is responsible or how much you can recover.

Immediate shipping dispute checklist

Take these steps as soon as you discover the problem:

1. Save the shipment record. Download the tracking history, delivery scan, delivery photo, shipping label, order confirmation, and carrier messages.
2. Inspect before discarding anything. Photograph the entire package, label, seals, wrapping, and contents from several angles. Keep the box and packing material in their current condition unless the carrier or insurer gives different instructions.
3. Notify the relevant parties in writing. Contact the carrier, seller, and sender when they are different people or businesses. A phone call can help, but follow it with an email or online claim.
4. Choose the correct claim category. Select lost shipment, damaged shipment, missing contents, delay, or billing dispute accurately. These categories may have different evidence requirements and deadlines.
5. Confirm who may file. Some services require the sender, account holder, or person who paid for shipping to submit the claim. If you're the recipient and the carrier won't accept your claim, ask the seller or sender to file and give you the reference number.
6. Calendar every deadline. Record when you discovered the problem, the carrier's claim deadline, and any appeal deadline. Don't assume a customer-service conversation extends those dates.
7. Prevent further damage. Keep damaged goods dry and secure, but don't repair, sell, return, or throw them away before documenting them and checking the claim instructions.

Use the carrier's official website or app rather than a link in an unsolicited message. Verify the tracking number and claim status directly.

What controls the claim

Gather the documents that define the shipment before arguing about responsibility. No single document necessarily controls every part of the dispute.

• Purchase terms: The seller's return, replacement, delivery, and refund policy may offer a remedy separate from the carrier's claim process.
• Waybill or bill of lading: This identifies the service, parties, shipment description, and sometimes liability limits or the claim procedure. Air shipments may use an airway bill.
• Carrier terms: These can set claim categories, deadlines, excluded causes, documentation requirements, declared-value limits, and appeal procedures.
• Insurance or declared value: A purchased policy and a carrier's declared-value option aren't necessarily the same. Check the covered events, exclusions, deductible, valuation method, and filing instructions.
• Customs decisions: A customs hold, duty assessment, refusal, or seizure follows a government process. A carrier damage form won't automatically overturn it.
• Payment method: A credit-card billing dispute, debit-card claim, payment-app recovery request, and wire-transfer recall are separate processes with different rules.

Incoterms are not a general consumer refund rule

Incoterms (R) terms such as FOB, CIF, and DAP are mainly used in commercial transactions. They allocate certain costs, delivery duties, and risk between a buyer and seller. They don't automatically determine whether a consumer receives a refund, replace the carrier's claim procedure, or override the purchase contract.

If you bought goods for a business and the order uses Incoterms (R), read the exact term and version named in the contract. For a personal online purchase, start with the retailer's written shipping and refund terms instead of assuming an Incoterm controls your remedy.

Build an evidence file

A clear file helps the carrier, seller, insurer, or payment provider understand what happened.

Include:

• Order confirmation, receipt, or commercial invoice
• Shipping label, tracking number, and waybill or bill of lading
• Sender and recipient names and addresses
• Tracking screenshots showing dates, locations, delivery scans, and exceptions
• Photos of the outer package, labels, seals, packing material, and damaged contents
• A written description of what was missing or damaged
• Proof of the item's value and payment
• Repair, replacement, or disposal estimates when relevant
• Customs forms, duty notices, or brokerage invoices
• Insurance certificate or declared-value confirmation
• Emails, chat transcripts, claim numbers, and delivery correspondence

Keep the original files and send copies. Make a timeline showing the date, event, person contacted, and response. Use the time zone shown by the carrier when recording tracking events.

For a valuable or freight-sized shipment, an independent inspection may help establish the condition and likely cause. Ask the carrier or insurer whether it requires a survey before paying for one.

How to file a carrier claim

Find the service-specific claim page

Use the carrier's official website, shipping account, receipt, or terms. A freight forwarder's form may not be the same as the actual carrier's form. Check whether the service has separate procedures for lost parcels, damage, shortages, delays, or billing.

Carrier procedures differ. For example, the USPS International Claims page tells claimants to gather the tracking or label number and supporting documents before starting an inquiry. For services covered by that process, it specifies a 13-digit tracking or label number. The page lists covered number prefixes and says the number ends in US. Eligibility depends on the mail service and destination, so follow the instructions for the specific shipment.

DHL also distinguishes between a shipment that is completely lost and one where the recipient receives the shipment but some pieces or contents are missing in its lost and damaged shipment claims guidance. That page is tied to a particular DHL market. Use it as an example of why local service terms matter, not as a U.S. deadline.

Describe the event precisely

State:

• What was shipped and in what quantity
• The tracking or waybill number
• The pickup and delivery dates
• Where the tracking record changed or stopped
• The condition of the package at delivery
• What is missing or damaged
• The amount you're requesting and how you calculated it

Use facts rather than accusations. If you don't know where the loss occurred, say so.

Request permitted, documented amounts

Base the request on the purchase price, documented repair cost, replacement value, shipping charge, declared value, or insurance coverage that the applicable terms allow. Don't add an unsupported estimate for lost time, lost sales, or other consequential losses unless the contract or applicable law clearly permits it.

Preserve the submission

Save the claim number, confirmation email, uploaded documents, and date of submission. Ask the carrier to identify any missing evidence and to provide the appeal process if it denies the claim.

If the portal accepts additional documents, submit them before the stated deadline. If it doesn't, send a written message through the carrier's official channel and keep proof of delivery.

A practical claim message

Subject: International shipment claim - [tracking or waybill number]

I am the [sender/recipient/account holder] for shipment [number], sent from [country] to [country].

On [date], the shipment was [lost/delivered damaged/delivered with missing contents/delayed]. The tracking record shows [brief factual description].

The item or items affected are [description]. I am requesting [amount or replacement] based on the attached [receipt, invoice, declared-value record, repair estimate, or insurance document].

Attached are the tracking record, photographs, proof of value, and [other documents]. Please confirm receipt, provide a claim number, identify any missing documents, and explain the appeal deadline if the claim is denied.

Name: [name]
Address: [address]
Email and phone: [contact details]

This message requests a review. It doesn't establish that the carrier must pay the amount requested.

Track the deadlines separately

The applicable deadline may appear in the carrier's terms, receipt, waybill, insurance policy, or purchase contract. It can also depend on whether the matter involves a parcel, air cargo, ocean freight, customs, or a billing charge.

Track at least four dates:

1. Notice date: When you first told the carrier or seller about the problem.
2. Formal claim date: The last day to submit the carrier or insurer's required claim.
3. Appeal date: The deadline for challenging a denial or requesting a second review.
4. External action date: Any limitation period or contractual deadline for arbitration or court action.

Don't assume an online complaint or support ticket counts as a formal claim. Likewise, a carrier's promise to investigate may not extend a contractual or legal deadline unless the carrier confirms that in writing. For a high-value loss, read the governing terms promptly and consider qualified legal advice before an outside deadline approaches.

Special problems

Lost shipments

Ask the carrier to open a trace and confirm whether the package is delayed, held for customs, misrouted, or considered lost. Ask the sender or retailer to open a second case if the carrier limits claims to the shipping account holder.

If the seller promised delivery and the shipment never arrived, ask what remedy the seller's order terms provide. A carrier investigation and a seller refund request can proceed at the same time.

Damage and missing contents

Photograph the package before opening it when possible. If damage is visible at delivery, ask the carrier to record it on the delivery record. If the damage appears only after opening, note when and how you discovered it and retain every part of the packaging.

For missing contents, record signs of tampering and compare the contents with the invoice or packing list. The original package weight, if shown in tracking or on the label, may help, but it doesn't alone prove when the shortage occurred.

Delayed delivery

Check whether the service included a delivery guarantee or a specific remedy for late delivery. An estimated delivery date doesn't automatically create compensation. Ask the seller and carrier whether the service terms provide a refund, credit, or other remedy, and keep evidence of any loss caused by the delay.

Customs holds, refusals, and seizures

A customs problem is different from a routine carrier loss or damage claim. First identify whether the shipment is awaiting documents, duties, inspection, a permit, or a formal government decision.

Follow the instructions in the customs notice and use the authority's official contact details. Provide accurate invoices, descriptions, value information, and permits when requested. Don't ask a seller or carrier to alter an invoice or understate the value.

If customs refuses or seizes the goods, the notice's review or contest process controls. A carrier claim may address transportation loss, but it doesn't replace a customs appeal. Ask the seller whether its order policy addresses a refused import. Separate the goods' price, shipping charge, duties, taxes, and brokerage fees in any request.

Unexpected shipping, storage, or freight charges

Request an itemized bill showing the charge, dates, shipment number, free time or delivery window, and the contract or tariff provision relied on. Compare it with the original quote and ask the billing company to correct any arithmetic, duplicate, or unsupported charge.

For an ocean common-carrier charge that may violate the U.S. Shipping Act, the Federal Maritime Commission's Complaints and Assistance page explains available options. The FMC says any person may submit a complaint about certain common-carrier charges believed not to comply with sections 41104(a) or 41102 of the Shipping Act. For alleged violations involving $50,000 or less, it describes a small-claim process. The page also distinguishes voluntary assistance through CADRS from a formal complaint or a report of a violation. A charge complaint may be investigated by the Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations, and Compliance and could result in a Commission decision requiring a carrier to refund or waive a noncompliant charge.

This route isn't a substitute for every carrier claim, insurance claim, payment dispute, or court case.

Freight forwarder disputes

Send notice to both the forwarder and the underlying carrier when you're unsure who accepted responsibility. A forwarder may arrange transport without being the actual carrier, but the contract and shipment documents control that distinction. Keep every page of the waybill, booking confirmation, quote, and invoice.

Insurance and payment disputes use separate routes

Shipping insurance has its own coverage terms and claim procedure. A carrier's limited liability, a declared value, and a separate cargo policy aren't interchangeable. Check whether the policy covers physical damage, theft, delay, temperature loss, customs action, poor packaging, prohibited goods, or only particular causes of loss.

Tell the insurer about any payment or refund received from the seller or carrier. Use the same documented value in each process. If an insurer denies the claim, request the denial and the specific policy provision in writing, then use the policy's internal appeal process.

If you paid by credit card, contact the card issuer promptly and ask whether its billing-dispute process applies to nondelivery or merchandise not received. That process is separate from a carrier claim and may have its own deadline. Debit cards, prepaid cards, payment apps, and wire transfers use different procedures, so don't assume a credit-card remedy applies to them.

What to do after a denial

1. Get the reason in writing. Ask the carrier or insurer to identify the exact term, exclusion, missing document, or deadline behind the decision.
2. Separate procedure from responsibility. A missing photograph may be fixable. A liability-limit or excluded-cause decision requires a different response.
3. Submit targeted evidence. Answer each reason separately and attach only relevant documents.
4. Use the appeal route. Save the appeal instructions and proof that you submitted before the deadline.
5. Pursue the seller separately. A carrier denial doesn't necessarily resolve the seller's obligations under the purchase terms.
6. Review the payment route. If the seller didn't deliver or won't follow its stated policy, ask the card issuer or payment provider about its own dispute process.
7. Escalate high-value matters carefully. Arbitration clauses, forum terms, liability limits, and short filing periods can affect the next step. A qualified attorney or local consumer agency can help assess those terms.

Don't sign a release or accept a settlement marked as full resolution until you understand what claims it closes. If you accept partial compensation, confirm in writing whether the remaining dispute stays open.

A practical escalation order

Use the least costly route that fits the problem:

1. Written claim to the carrier or forwarder
2. Written request to the seller or sender
3. Carrier supervisor or formal appeal
4. Insurance claim or insurance appeal
5. Payment-provider dispute, where applicable
6. Regulator or industry dispute process that fits the shipment
7. Mediation, arbitration, or court after reviewing the contract

For ocean charges involving a U.S. common carrier, review the FMC process described above. For USPS shipments, start with the official USPS international claim instructions, including its document and tracking-number requirements, rather than relying on a general customer-service message.

Today, download the tracking record, photograph the package, send written notice, and calendar the formal claim deadline in the applicable terms.