If an international order is late, missing, or damaged, start with the seller's promise and your payment method. Save the order page, tracking history, and messages before you ask for a refund or dispute the charge.
Match the next move to the failure. This template is for U.S. consumers buying ordinary merchandise online. It isn't a cargo-claim manual for importers, exporters, carriers, or freight forwarders. The distinction matters. A bill of lading or Incoterm may affect a separate transport dispute, but it won't automatically decide your consumer refund request.
Identify the problem before you write
"Shipping dispute" is too vague to guide the next step. Compare the problem with the record you have.
| Problem | What to confirm | First move |
|---|---|---|
| The seller never shipped | Promised ship date and order status | Contact the seller |
| Tracking stopped | Last scan, location, and customs message | Contact the carrier and seller |
| Tracking says delivered | Delivery photo, address, and household checks | Contact the seller and carrier |
| The item arrived damaged | Packaging, photos, and return terms | Document damage before returning anything |
| A canceled order was still charged | Cancellation record and card statement | Ask the seller for the refund, then review card rights |
Customs review isn't the same as nonshipment. Describe the facts shown by the order and tracking records.
The shipping promise usually controls the first step
For a U.S. consumer order covered by federal law, the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule is a sensible place to check the shipment rules. Read the FTC Business Guide to the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule and the text of 16 CFR Part 435.
The seller generally needs a reasonable basis for the shipment time it advertises. If it gives no shipment time, a 30-day period generally applies.
Watch the wording. "Ships within 72 hours" usually describes dispatch, not arrival, unless the listing also promises a delivery date. Save that exact phrase.
If the seller can't meet the promised shipment date, delay-notice rules generally apply. The seller must usually give you a choice between canceling for a prompt refund and accepting a revised date, depending on the notice and circumstances. Silence isn't acceptance of an indefinite delay.
These rules address the seller's shipping representation. They don't guarantee customs clearance by a chosen date or create a universal carrier refund.
A practical international shipping dispute template
Check the order confirmation and current tracking before sending this. Ask for one clear outcome.
Subject: Order [number] - shipping delay and refund request
Hello [seller name],
I placed order [number] on [date] for [item]. Your listing or order confirmation stated:
"[Copy the exact shipping or delivery promise.]"
The current status is [status]. The tracking number is [number], and the last update was [date and location].
Please confirm by [date] whether the order has shipped. If it has not shipped and you cannot meet the promised shipping date, I request cancellation and a refund of the amount paid for the order.
If the order has shipped, please provide the actual ship date, carrier, current location, and any customs or delivery action required from me. Please also explain how and when any approved refund will be issued.
I have attached the order confirmation, tracking history, payment record, and earlier messages.
Please reply in writing.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Email]
[Phone]
[Shipping address]Send the message through the seller's support channel, then email it if possible. Screenshot the submission and keep the case number; a dated record is more useful than a long argument.
Save the evidence while it is easy to find
Save the original files while the pages still load. Don't edit screenshots.
- The product page and its shipping promise
- Order confirmation, invoice, and cancellation request
- Tracking history, customs notices, and delivery photographs
- Photos of damaged packaging and the item
- Emails, chats, and support case numbers
- Card statements or other payment records
Shipping disputes get untidy fast: one message may promise dispatch in three days, another may show a carrier estimate, and a third may mention customs, so put each event on a timeline and mark which promise came first. It sounds fussy. It can settle what actually happened.
Work through the dispute in order
Follow these steps, but protect the payment deadline while the seller is still replying.
- Check the merchant record. Find the promised ship date, promised delivery date, or default timing if no date appeared.
- Write to the seller. State what was promised, what happened, and what you want: shipping information, cancellation, replacement, or a refund.
- Check the carrier directly. Use the carrier's official website. Ask what event is blocking delivery and whether the package is waiting for information, payment, or a customs decision.
- Choose a clear remedy. If the seller has not shipped, request cancellation if you no longer want to wait. If it has shipped, decide whether to accept delivery, use the seller's return process, or continue the delivery investigation.
- Protect the payment-dispute deadline. If you used a credit card and the seller won't correct the problem, contact the issuer's billing-dispute department promptly.
- Escalate the right issue. Use a financial complaint route for an issuer problem and a maritime complaint route for a qualifying common-carrier charge.
Don't wait indefinitely for a generic apology. Ask for a date, a decision, or a refund path.
Credit card disputes have a separate clock
A card dispute has its own clock. The seller's return policy doesn't reset it.
The FTC's consumer guidance on billing errors says written notice generally must reach the card issuer within 60 days after the first statement showing the billing error was sent. Use the billing-inquiries address listed on the statement, not the address used for payments.
The issuer generally has 30 days to acknowledge the dispute unless it has already resolved the problem. It generally must finish the investigation within two billing cycles and no later than 90 days. During that investigation, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance or other charges, but you should pay the undisputed part of the bill.
Some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed. Don't rely on that possibility; ask for any extension in writing.
Describe what happened, not what feels closest.
| Actual problem | Clear description |
|---|---|
| The package never arrived | Merchandise not received |
| The order was canceled but the credit never appeared | Refund not credited |
| The seller charged the wrong amount | Incorrect billing amount |
| You do not recognize the transaction | Possible unauthorized charge |
Thing is, an authorized purchase that went badly isn't automatically an unauthorized transaction. Choose the category that matches your records.
The 60-day process applies to credit card billing errors. Debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH payments, wire transfers, and peer-to-peer services may have different rules and provider procedures, so contact the provider quickly and request its written dispute process.
Customs and cargo paperwork can complicate the story
A customs scan can mean review, missing paperwork, an import charge, or an address problem. Ask the carrier what exact event is blocking delivery.
Then ask the seller who is responsible under the order terms, and get that answer in writing. Turns out, the carrier's explanation and the seller's remedy are separate questions.
Incoterms, bills of lading, and Hague-Visby rules may matter in a separate commercial transport claim. They don't replace the order terms, the seller's shipping promise, or the payment route.
If you bought goods for a business or signed a freight contract, this consumer guide may not fit your situation.
To be honest, a cargo-law argument sent to a retail support team can obscure the immediate problem. Start with the order you placed.
When a carrier charge is the real dispute
Most shoppers should start with the seller, not a maritime regulator. The Federal Maritime Commission may be relevant when a U.S. ocean common carrier assessed a charge that appears inconsistent with the Shipping Act.
The Federal Maritime Commission's complaints and assistance page says any person may submit a complaint about certain common-carrier charges. For claims of $50,000 or less, a small claim alleging a Shipping Act violation may be available.
This is a specialized route. It doesn't replace the merchant's refund process for a late consumer order.
Escalating a financial-company problem
If the merchant has acted but your credit card issuer or another covered financial company mishandles the dispute, consider the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint portal. The CFPB accepts complaints about credit cards and other listed financial products.
Companies generally respond within 15 days. After receiving the response, you have 60 days to provide feedback. Include the order timeline, your written notice to the issuer, the issuer's reply, and the documents supporting your position.
For help with a seller complaint, the FTC's guide to resolving problems with a business recommends making a clear request, keeping notes, and saving copies of messages and forms.
Common questions
Does the 30-day rule guarantee delivery within 30 days?
No. When the seller made no shipment representation, the rule generally addresses when the seller must ship the merchandise. A specific shipment or delivery promise can change the analysis, while customs and carrier events can still affect arrival.
Should I contact the seller before disputing a credit card charge?
Usually. The seller may fix the problem faster. Protect the card deadline anyway; if the 60-day period is approaching, send written notice to the issuer instead of waiting through a long email exchange.
Can I use a commercial cargo claim template?
Not automatically.
A consumer message should focus on the order, shipping promise, tracking record, and requested remedy. Commercial forms may rely on freight contracts, bills of lading, or transport rules that don't fit a retail purchase.
This is general U.S. consumer information, not legal advice. An unusual cross-border contract may need professional review. For now, screenshot the exact order promise, copy the tracking history, and send the message with a response date.