An international shipping dispute is usually a retail problem from a shopper's side: the order is late, missing, damaged, or charged before it arrives. The next step depends on three separate actors - the seller, the carrier, and the payment provider - and their deadlines don't match. Different clocks apply.
For a U.S. consumer, start with the seller in writing. If a covered seller missed its shipping promise, the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule guide and 16 CFR Part 435 describe delay notice and cancellation or refund procedures. If the goods never arrive and you paid by credit card, FTC consumer guidance explains a written billing dispute route. It isn't the same route for a debit card, wire transfer, or payment app.
This guide is for U.S. consumer merchandise orders, not cargo contracts between businesses. It offers general information, not legal advice, and it doesn't decide rights under a foreign country's law or your seller's contract.
Which rule controls the problem?
Start by separating the seller's shipping promise from the carrier's handling of the parcel and the payment provider's dispute process. Those parts may overlap, but one does not automatically replace the others.
| Situation | Rule or process to check | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| The seller stated when it would ship | A covered seller generally needs a reasonable basis for that representation and must ship within the stated period | The rule focuses on shipment, not a universal guarantee of arrival |
| The seller gave no shipment time | The FTC rule generally uses a 30-day shipment period | Coverage and enforcement against an overseas seller can require a separate jurisdiction review |
| The seller expects a delay | The seller's delay notice should explain the delay and provide the cancellation, refund, or revised-date choice required by the rule | A tracking update may not contain every notice the rule requires |
| The carrier lost or damaged the parcel | Use the carrier's inquiry or claim procedure | That process does not by itself decide whether the seller owes a refund |
| A credit card was charged for merchandise never received | Use the U.S. credit-card billing-error procedure | The written dispute deadline runs from the statement containing the error |
The FTC rule focuses on when merchandise ships, not a universal arrival date. That distinction matters for international orders, where carrier transit, customs handling, and last-mile delivery can continue after shipment.
Turns out, the FTC says an order-status page can back up notification by another means. Save the actual email, letter, or account message too.
Start with the seller and build a clean record
A late package needs a timeline, not a long story. Use this order.
- Capture the order confirmation, product page, promised shipping time, estimated arrival date, and amount charged. Screenshot anything that may change.
- Contact the seller through email or its account messaging system. State the order number, explain what has not happened, and ask for a specific shipment status, revised date, or refund.
- If the seller says the order is delayed, ask for the delay notice in writing. Decide whether you want the order canceled and refunded or whether you accept a revised shipping date.
- Check tracking through the carrier's official website. Save the status and the date you viewed it, especially if it says delivered, held, returned, or awaiting information.
- If you paid by credit card and the seller does not fix the problem, watch the statement deadline. A written billing dispute may be available even while you continue contacting the seller.
Keep every response, including a generic one.
The seller's promised ship date and the carrier's delivery estimate are different pieces of evidence. Save both.
If the parcel is lost, damaged, or held in transit
Tracking is evidence, not a resolution. If the status says delivered but you do not have the package, notify the seller and carrier promptly and ask who should open the claim.
Photograph visible damage before throwing away the box, label, packing material, or contents. Keep the packaging. A carrier may need it to review what happened.
For USPS international mail, start an online inquiry within the product-specific time limits listed in its International Mail Manual. A separate USPS claims section explains that supporting documents vary by service; mailing receipts and customs or shipping forms matter for some products.
Private carriers set their own forms and evidence requirements. For a DHL shipment, the carrier's published guide asks for the 10-digit air waybill number, proof that you're the sender or receiver, and photos of the outer box, packing, and contents. That guide is regional, so use the instructions for your actual service.
Ask the seller whether it wants you to file the carrier claim or whether it will handle the request. Do not assume that opening a carrier claim automatically cancels the seller's refund process.
Your payment method changes the dispute route
Thing is, people often use "chargeback" for every payment problem. Credit cards, debit cards, prepaid products, payment apps, and wire transfers do not all follow the same procedure.
| Payment method | Practical next step | Timing or limit to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card | Send a written billing dispute for qualifying problems, such as merchandise that never arrived | The FTC says to dispute within 60 days of the statement that first showed the error |
| Debit card, prepaid card, payment app, or wire transfer | Contact the seller and payment provider immediately and follow that provider's process | Do not automatically apply the credit-card 60-day rule |
| Seller refund request | Ask the seller to cancel, refund, or replace the order in writing | The FTC shipping rule may control a covered seller's delayed shipment, but it does not decide every overseas transaction |
| Carrier claim | Follow the carrier's claim or inquiry process | Deadlines and required documents vary by service |
For a credit-card dispute, describe the order, transaction amount, date, non-delivery or damage, and your attempts to resolve it. Include copies of the order confirmation, tracking, seller messages, and any claim number.
The FTC says the card issuer must acknowledge a written dispute within 30 days unless it has already resolved it. The issuer must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, but no more than 90 days. During the investigation, you do not need to pay the disputed amount or related finance or other charges; follow the issuer's instructions for any undisputed balance.
Some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed. Ask promptly rather than relying on an extension.
When the Federal Maritime Commission is relevant
International status alone does not make the Federal Maritime Commission the right complaint route. The FMC deals with narrower Shipping Act issues involving charges assessed by ocean common carriers.
The FMC's Complaints and Assistance page says any person may submit a complaint about charges they believe may violate sections 41104(a) or 41102 of the Shipping Act. For claims of $50,000 or less, a small claim alleging a Shipping Act violation may be filed. The Commission says an investigated charge complaint may result in an order requiring a carrier to refund or waive a noncompliant charge.
That is not a general refund process for a missing retail parcel or a merchant that will not answer. Use the seller and carrier procedures first, then consider whether the issue actually concerns a regulated ocean-carrier charge.
Evidence that makes a dispute usable
Create one folder for the order. Keep these records together.
| Record | What to save | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Order record | Confirmation, invoice, product page, and seller name | Shows what you bought and from whom |
| Shipping promise | Stated ship date, delivery estimate, and delay notice | Separates shipment promises from arrival estimates |
| Carrier history | Tracking screenshots, scan dates, customs messages, and delivery status | Builds a dated transit record |
| Payment record | Receipt and the first statement showing the charge | Helps identify a credit-card billing deadline |
| Package condition | Photos of the label, exterior, packaging, and contents | Supports a damage or loss report |
| Communications | Seller and carrier messages with dates | Shows what you asked for and how they responded |
| Claim records | Inquiry number, claim form, decision, or refusal | Prevents the same facts from being re-created later |
Redact your full card number and bank account details before sharing documents. Keep the original files.
When escalation is worth it
Escalate when the seller refuses to give a shipment or refund answer, the carrier needs a formal claim, or a credit-card deadline is approaching. Do not let a seller's internal review consume the issuer's written-dispute window.
To be honest, a formal dispute is not an automatic win. It creates a record and may preserve a payment remedy, but the result still depends on the facts, the payment rail, the carrier's terms, and any applicable law.
A foreign seller's contract may name another country's law or dispute process. If the amount is substantial or the seller challenges liability, a qualified professional in the relevant jurisdiction may be needed.
Today, make one dated written request to the seller and record the date of the first statement showing the charge. That gives you a clear starting point for the correct carrier inquiry, claim, or payment dispute.