If tracking shows delivered and the package is gone, start with a missing-delivery check, not a theft claim. Look at the delivery photo, time, and notes; search the property; ask household members and neighbors. Report suspected theft only after those checks fail. Save the tracking page, delivery photo, order receipt, and any camera footage before it is overwritten.

A police report creates a record. It does not force a refund. Payment still depends on the seller's policy, the carrier's service terms, any insurance, and the evidence you can produce. The templates below are information summaries for U.S. consumers, not official forms. Police procedures, insurance rules, leases, and small-claims limits differ by state and city.

Identify the delivery problem first

The complaint you file should match what you actually know:

If the only fact is that the item hasn't arrived, don't call it stolen. A premature theft allegation can stall a seller or insurance review.

What to do during the first day

Confirm the address, delivery time, photo, signature status, and carrier notes. Drivers sometimes leave parcels at a side door, locker, mailroom, garage, or the wrong nearby unit.

Ask people in the household and at nearby addresses. A neighbor may have taken it in, or the driver may have scanned the wrong stop.

Download the tracking page, order confirmation, receipt, delivery notice, and delivery photo. Export camera footage in its original format before the system overwrites it.

Then work the three contacts that usually matter:

1. Seller or marketplace. Report the order as marked delivered but not received, or as suspected post-delivery theft. Ask whether they will investigate, replace, or refund it.
2. Carrier named in the tracking. Request a delivery investigation through that carrier's support or claims process. Some claims can be filed only by the shipper, so ask the seller to open the claim if you can't.
3. Police, if theft is the likely explanation. Use the non-emergency line, an online portal, or a station visit. Call emergency services only if a theft is in progress or someone is in danger.

Keep case numbers, names, dates, emails, chat transcripts, and any promised response date.

There is no nationwide rule that you must wait 48 hours before reporting a missing delivery. Some sellers or platforms still ask you to allow time for a late scan. Follow that instruction if they give you one, but don't throw out evidence or miss a stated carrier or insurance deadline.

Police report example for a stolen package

Departments often use their own online form. Use the wording below as a summary of facts. State only what you know. Leave the offender unknown unless you have reliable identification.

You can say:

Hello, I need to report suspected package theft. The carrier marked a package delivered at [time] to [address], but I could not find it after checking the property and asking [household members or neighbors]. The package contained [items], with an estimated value of $[amount]. I have the tracking record and [camera footage or other evidence].

Written report template

Suspected Package Theft Report

Reporting person: [Full name]
Phone and email: [Contact information]
Incident address: [Full delivery address]
Date and approximate time of delivery: [Date and time]
Date and time discovered missing: [Date and time]

Carrier: [USPS, UPS, FedEx, Amazon Logistics, or other]
Tracking number: [Tracking number]
Order number: [Order number, if applicable]
Contents: [Factual description]
Estimated value: $[Amount]

Facts:
The tracking record states that the package was delivered on [date] at approximately
[time]. I checked [locations] and asked [people or nearby addresses]. The package
was not located. [Describe camera footage, delivery photo, witness information, or
evidence of forced access.]

Suspect: [Unknown, or factual description if known]
Evidence available: [Tracking screenshot, receipt, video, photographs, witness name]

I certify that this statement is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Signature: [Name]
Date: [Date]

Get the report or incident number before you hang up. Ask how to submit video and whether they want original files or copies. Don't confront a suspected thief, and don't post a neighbor's image online.

Message to the seller, marketplace, or merchant

The seller is often the fastest first contact because it controls the order record and decides whether to replace or refund. A delivery scan does not create an automatic refund right. The merchant can still require its own investigation.

Subject: Order [order number] marked delivered but not received

Hello [seller or support team],

Order [order number] for [item] was marked delivered by [carrier] on [date] at
approximately [time]. I checked the delivery location, nearby areas, and with
household members and neighbors, but the package was not found.

The tracking number is [tracking number]. I have attached the order receipt,
tracking record, delivery photo, and [police report number or other evidence].
Please investigate the delivery and tell me whether you will issue a refund,
send a replacement, or open a carrier claim.

If the shipper must file the carrier claim, please confirm that process and provide
the claim or case number.

Please reply in writing by [reasonable date].

Thank you,
[Name]
[Order email and contact information]

If you bought through a marketplace, open the case on the order page and send the email. Keep the platform case number. If a third-party carrier made the delivery, report the problem to that carrier as well.

Carrier claim differences

Carriers treat loss in transit, wrong-address delivery, damage, missing contents, and theft after delivery as different problems. After-delivery theft is often the hardest to recover, because the carrier may say its delivery job ended at the scan.

For eligible USPS domestic claims involving damage or missing contents, USPS says a claim may be filed immediately and no later than 60 days after the mailing date. A partial or denied decision can generally be appealed within 30 days, with a second appeal available within 30 days of that denial. Those windows do not mean every porch theft qualifies for payment. Read the current claim instructions and keep proof that you filed.

Don't open overlapping claims without telling each party about the others. If a seller, carrier, or insurer pays you, update the remaining claims and don't collect twice for the same loss.

Homeowners or renters insurance

A homeowners or renters policy may cover theft of personal property. Coverage for a parcel left outside still depends on the policy language and the facts. The Travelers explanation of theft coverage notes that personal-property coverage can apply to belongings at home or elsewhere, while the policy's limits and valuation method still control.

Before you file, check:

• Whether the item became your property before it was stolen
• Whether theft from an exterior delivery spot is covered
• Your personal-property limit and deductible
• Whether the policy pays actual cash value or replacement cost
• Exclusions, sublimits, or special rules for electronics, jewelry, or other valuables
• Whether any likely payment would exceed the deductible

A useful claim file includes the police report number, order receipt, proof of payment, tracking record, delivery photo, video, photos of the drop-off area, and the seller or carrier decision. Describe the facts as they are, including the delivered scan and any refund you already received.

Insurance appeal letter template

[Your name and address]
[Insurer and claims address]
Date: [Date]

Re: Appeal of claim [claim number] for package theft

Dear [claims representative],

I request a review of the decision dated [date] denying or limiting my claim for
theft of [item]. The package was marked delivered on [date] at [time] to
[address]. I discovered it missing at [time] and reported the incident to
[police department] under report number [number].

The denial states: "[Quote or accurately summarize the reason]."
The policy provision I believe applies is: [policy section and page].
The documented value is $[amount], supported by [receipt, invoice, or other proof].
The attached evidence includes [list documents].

Please provide a written explanation identifying any missing evidence and the
policy language supporting the decision. If this is the insurer's final review,
please include the available internal and state complaint instructions.

Sincerely,
[Name]
[Policy number]
[Phone and email]

If the appeal is rejected, get that decision in writing. You can then ask your state insurance department about its complaint process. A regulator may look at handling or compliance issues; it may not settle every coverage disagreement.

Landlord, property manager, HOA, or neighbor complaints

A landlord or HOA is not automatically liable because a package disappeared in a shared area. Duty, if any, depends on the lease, any security promises, building rules, the facts, and local law. Send a factual notice first and ask that footage or access records be preserved.

Notice to a landlord or property manager

Subject: Notice of package theft and request to preserve records

Hello [name],

On [date], a package addressed to me was marked delivered to [building or
delivery area]. It was missing when I checked at approximately [time]. The
package contained [item] and had an estimated value of $[amount].

Please preserve any camera footage, parcel-room records, access logs, or delivery
records for [time period]. Please also tell me whether the property has a
designated delivery procedure and whether the [door, gate, locker, lighting, or
other feature] can be repaired or improved.

I have reported the incident to [seller, carrier, or police], case number [number].
Please confirm receipt of this notice and advise what steps management will take.

Thank you,
[Name and unit]

Don't allege a lease breach unless you can point to the specific promise or rule. Keep any reimbursement request separate from a request for better security, and make it only when you have a contractual or factual basis.

HOA notice

Subject: Package theft concern in [community or building]

The community has experienced a suspected package theft at [location] on [date].
The delivery area appears vulnerable because [brief factual description].

Please confirm whether the association's rules address package areas, access
control, lighting, cameras, or delivery lockers. I also request preservation of
any relevant association footage or records and notice of the next steps under
the governing rules.

Attached are [tracking record, photographs, or police report number].

Regards,
[Name and property address]

Message to a neighbor with a camera

Hi [name]. My package was marked delivered at about [time] on [date], but it
wasn't at my door. If your camera captured the delivery area, would you please
preserve the footage and let me know whether you'd be willing to share it with
me or the police? Thank you.

Demand letters and small claims court

A demand letter can help when an identifiable person or business may owe you money. It does not replace a police report. Don't accuse a neighbor or threaten criminal charges without evidence.

A practical letter states the date, location, order, and delivery facts; what the recipient did or promised; the documented loss; the records you have; the resolution you want; a reasonable response date; and how to reach you. Send it in a way that creates a delivery record, and keep a copy. If the thief is still anonymous, a demand letter usually waits until that person is identified.

Small claims court is worth considering only after you check your state's rules. Before filing, confirm:

1. The defendant is identified and can be served.
2. The court has jurisdiction over the defendant and the dispute.
3. The amount falls within the court's limit.
4. The filing deadline, fee, venue, and service requirements are met.
5. A contract does not require arbitration or cap liability.
6. You have subtracted any refund, replacement, insurance payment, or other recovery.

The carrier may have contracted with the seller, not with you. That relationship, plus the carrier's terms, can affect who may sue and what damages are available. A landlord claim turns on the lease and local law. A claim against a thief needs evidence linking that person to the taking. Courts generally look at provable money loss. Filing or service fees come back only if local rules allow them.

Small-claims complaint outline

This is an outline, not a court form. Use the official form for your state.

Plaintiff: [Your legal name and address]
Defendant: [Correct legal name and service address]
Amount requested: $[documented loss plus permitted costs]

Basis of claim:
On [date], [briefly describe the purchase, delivery, theft, or contractual
event]. The defendant is responsible because [specific factual and legal basis,
such as a lease promise or identified conduct]. I notified the defendant on
[dates] and requested [refund, payment, or other resolution]. The defendant
[denied, failed to respond, or offered an inadequate resolution].

Evidence:
[Order receipt, tracking record, delivery photo, video, police report number,
messages, lease provision, demand letter, and proof of value]

Requested relief:
$[amount] in documented damages, plus any fees or other relief allowed by the
court.

Signature: [Name]
Date: [Date]

A police report can support the timeline. It does not, by itself, prove civil liability. File only after you can name the person or company that may legally owe the money.

Evidence checklist

Keep originals in one folder and a working copy in another.

Write the timeline while it's fresh: delivery scan, discovery, searches, reports, calls, and replies. Preserve video in its original format and note the camera's time zone. Don't crop or edit the only copy.

Preventing another delivery theft

Match the fix to the building and the delivery window:

• Send valuable orders to a staffed workplace, carrier pickup site, parcel locker, or retailer pickup point.
• Use signature service when the shipment and carrier offer it.
• Turn on delivery alerts so you can collect packages quickly.
• Give carriers a hold location only if it's actually secure and the carrier allows it.
• Use an anchored parcel box or controlled-access package room where that fits the property.
• Ask management about lighting, locked entries, mailroom access, and how long cameras keep footage.
• Use a camera or doorbell system if it's allowed, and follow local rules on recording audio and sharing images.
• Ask a trusted neighbor to collect deliveries instead of leaving a box out.
• If incidents repeat, report the pattern to management and local police with dates and report numbers.

Cameras can document what happened. They don't guarantee you'll get the item or the money back. After a theft, the first job is still to preserve evidence and notify the seller, carrier, and police.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a police report to get a refund?

Not always. Some sellers and carriers close a delivery problem without one. An insurer may still ask for a report. A truthful report helps when theft is suspected, but it does not compel anyone else to pay.

Should I wait 48 hours before reporting a package as stolen?

No universal U.S. 48-hour waiting rule applies. Check the delivery location and nearby addresses promptly, then follow any instruction the seller or platform gives you. Carrier and insurance deadlines can still run in the meantime.

Will USPS, UPS, or FedEx reimburse a stolen package?

Not automatically. It depends on whether the problem was loss, misdelivery, damage, missing contents, or theft after delivery, plus the service terms and any insurance. Ask the seller and the carrier which of them can open the claim.

Does renters or homeowners insurance cover porch theft?

It might. Coverage turns on the policy, where the loss happened, the item's value, exclusions, and your deductible. Ask the insurer about this delivery scenario before you assume a claim will pay.

Can I sue the person who stole my package?

Possibly, if that person is identified, can be served, and you can prove the theft and the money loss. Small claims court can't practically proceed against an unknown porch thief, and a police report alone does not establish civil liability.

Save the tracking and delivery evidence now, contact the seller or marketplace, report the scan problem to the carrier, and file a non-emergency police report if theft is the likely explanation. Compare the documented loss with your insurance deductible before you spend time on an appeal, demand letter, or small claim.