For a U.S. consumer, an international package problem starts with the transport channel. USPS, a private carrier, and the seller control different parts of the remedy.
First classify the problem: missing, damaged, held by customs, or never shipped. Turns out, that detail often decides whom you contact.
This guide focuses on international parcels and online merchandise orders, not commercial ocean freight contracts.
Identify the right rule before filing
An international shipment does not have one universal claim rule. Use the table as a routing tool, not a promise of payment.
| Problem | First contact | Main rule or record |
|---|---|---|
| USPS international item is missing or damaged | USPS inquiry or claims process | Product-specific USPS rules and the International Mail Manual |
| Private carrier shipment has a loss or damage issue | The carrier's claims department | Waybill, service terms, declared-value terms, and claim deadline |
| Seller has not shipped the order | The seller | Order promise and the federal Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, when it applies |
| Package is held in customs | Carrier, postal operator, or customs contact | Entry data, duties, documentation, and destination-country rules |
The company that sold the item may not be the company that carried it. Keep those conversations separate.
USPS international mail: begin with an inquiry
If USPS accepted the parcel, start with its international claims instructions. The page asks customers to gather the 13-digit tracking or label number and supporting documents before submitting an inquiry.
The USPS International Mail Manual inquiry rules refer to product-specific time limits. The claim materials also vary by service, as shown in the International Mail Manual claims section.
Use this sequence:
- Check the tracking history, delivery scan, and address.
- Gather the mailing receipt, tracking number, customs paperwork, and proof of value.
- Create the international inquiry through USPS.
- If USPS directs you to a claim, use the product-specific claim route.
- Save the confirmation number and every response.
An inquiry may not be the same as a claim. Follow the route USPS gives you.
The USPS domestic claims page says domestic items must generally be claimed within 60 days, and domestic appeal decisions can be appealed within 30 days. Do not automatically apply those domestic periods to an international item. Check the international product rules first.
Build an evidence packet before contacting support
A clean packet makes the case easier to review. Keep the label, receipt, photos, customs paperwork, seller emails, and tracking history together because one missing detail can stall the whole process.
Include:
- The tracking or label number.
- The mailing receipt or shipping confirmation.
- A clear description of the contents.
- The purchase invoice or other proof of value.
- Photos of the package, label, damage, and contents.
- Messages with the seller, carrier, or postal operator.
Photograph visible damage before throwing away the box or packing material. USPS may request different documents depending on the product, so use its instructions rather than sending unrelated records.
If you are the recipient, ask the seller or carrier who should submit the claim. The sender's receipt may be essential.
If the merchant never shipped the order
Shipping delay, transit loss, and delivery damage are different disputes. They need different first calls.
If a merchant accepted your order but did not ship it, contact the merchant in writing. State the order number, the promised shipping date, the current status, and whether you want shipment or cancellation.
The federal Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule generally requires a seller to have a reasonable basis for its advertised shipping time. If the seller cannot ship as promised, the rule includes procedures for delay notices, cancellation, and refunds. When the seller makes no shipping-time representation, the 30-day rule generally applies.
Read the FTC business guide to the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule and 16 CFR Part 435. The rule addresses the seller's conduct. It does not replace a carrier's loss or damage process.
A carrier claim cannot automatically settle whether the seller owes you a refund.
Customs holds need a different response
A customs hold is not proof that the parcel is lost. Ask the carrier or postal operator what information, duty payment, or document is missing.
The CBP notice on low-value shipment processing describes enhanced entry data, including recipient information and postal tracking numbers, for some international mail processing. That supports customs review and enforcement. It does not create a guaranteed release or delivery date.
Check the destination country's customs instructions too. Do not describe a customs delay as a carrier loss until the tracking record and carrier response support that conclusion.
Private carrier claims use separate terms
A private carrier's claim process is separate from USPS. Start with the receipt, waybill, and service terms tied to that shipment.
Look for the filing window, packaging conditions, excluded goods, declared-value provisions, and instructions about who may file. Ask whether the shipper, recipient, or account holder must open the case.
Do not rely on a generic internet deadline. Carrier terms can differ by service and destination.
Request a claim number. Keep the carrier's written explanation if it denies or closes the case.
What to do after a denial
To be honest, a denial without a cited term gives you little to work with. Ask for the exact reason, the missing evidence, and the appeal method.
Compare the explanation with your receipt, tracking history, photographs, and the applicable service terms. Correct factual errors in a short written response. Avoid sending a long, changing account of what happened.
For USPS international mail, return to the current International Mail Manual and product instructions. Do not use the domestic appeal period as a substitute. For a merchant order, send the seller a separate written request and keep proof that it was delivered.
What broad shipping conventions do not settle
References to Hague-Visby, Hamburg, or Rotterdam Rules do not give every consumer one postal claim form, deadline, or guaranteed payout. Those maritime frameworks may matter in commercial freight, but a postal label and an online retail order can involve different records and remedies.
Do not assume that an ocean-carriage liability limit applies to an ordinary international parcel. The carrier, service, contract, route, and jurisdiction come first.
Take the next step
Save the tracking page, mailing receipt, photos, and order emails now. Then file the USPS international inquiry if USPS carried the item, or open the private carrier's claim and contact the merchant separately if the order was never shipped.