If tracking says "delivered" but the package isn't there, contact the seller and carrier today. Start with evidence. Save the tracking page, ask for a case number, and request a written investigation.

A delivery scan records an event. It doesn't settle every missing-package dispute. The photo may show a different address, the scan may have happened early, or someone may have taken the parcel after a correct drop-off. Turns out, those facts point to different next steps.

The steps below apply to U.S. purchases. Order terms, the carrier contract, and payment method can matter more than a general promise of a refund.

Start by identifying the delivery problem

A delivered-not-received report can describe several problems. First decide which one fits.

A seller or carrier error is different from entering the wrong address yourself. Say which situation applies in every message.

The first-day workflow

Move quickly. Don't wait for one company if another deadline is close.

1. Open the tracking record. Check the delivery photo, signature, location note, time stamp, and address used, if the record displays them. Compare those details with your order confirmation.
2. Search the likely locations. Check side doors, garages, mailrooms, leasing offices, parcel lockers, household members, and nearby neighbors. If the scan just appeared, check again after the scheduled delivery day ends.
3. Save the record. Capture the tracking page, order number, item description, price, delivery photo, and any note about where the driver left the package.
4. Contact the seller in writing. Say the order is marked delivered but was not received. Ask for a replacement, refund, or carrier investigation. Ask for a case number.
5. Contact the carrier. Use its tracking page, local office, or official claims process. Ask what proof it has and whether the shipper must open the formal claim.
6. Set a follow-up date. If the seller says it is waiting on the carrier, ask when it will decide your request.

Use plain wording:

I am reporting order [number] as not received. Tracking shows delivery on [date and time], but I did not receive or authorize release of the package. Please investigate the delivery location and confirm the case number, next step, and decision date.

Keep the tone factual. A case number matters.

Who handles the carrier claim?

The seller and carrier may not be the same party. Thing is, the company that sold the item often controls the shipping account and any insurance claim, while the recipient may have only a reporting option.

Ask the seller to file or sponsor the claim if it purchased the label. If it sends you back to the carrier, ask in writing who owns the next step and when you should expect an answer.

For USPS, a Missing Mail search generally becomes available seven days after the original mailing date and remains available through 365 days. That search is separate from an insurance claim.

USPS says eligible claim decisions usually arrive within 5-10 days. A denied or partial claim can generally be appealed within 30 days. A second appeal is due within another 30 days if necessary.

Don't assume a standard carrier-liability amount applies. Service type, declared value, insurance, and the carrier's contract all matter.

Platform orders: Amazon, eBay, PayPal, Temu, and Shein

Platform policies add another route and another clock. Use the current instructions shown in your account, not an old deadline copied from another site.

Amazon: Open the order-help flow and report that the item was not received. If the account shows an A-to-Z option, follow the instructions currently displayed. Save the order page.

eBay: Use the purchase-history option for an item-not-received case when it is available. Keep the conversation inside the platform, and explain any mismatch in the tracking photo or delivery location.

PayPal: Open a dispute through the Resolution Center under the transaction's current Buyer Protection terms. A PayPal case and a credit-card billing dispute are separate processes.

Temu and Shein: Use the order-support tool before the deadline shown in the app or order page. Screenshot the deadline and each support conversation.

A carrier scan may help a platform defend the transaction. It isn't always the end of the inquiry if the address, photo, or carrier investigation points elsewhere.

Your payment method can change your rights

Your payment method can change the remedy.

Credit-card purchases have a federal billing-error process. Under the CFPB's Regulation Z billing-error rule, goods not delivered as agreed can fall within that process.

To preserve the federal credit-card procedure, send written notice within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. Use the billing-dispute address provided by the issuer. It may differ from the address used for payments.

Include your name, account information, disputed amount, purchase date, and a short explanation. A phone call can alert the issuer, but it may not replace written notice.

The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days after receiving it, unless it has already resolved the matter. It then generally has two billing cycles, and no more than 90 days, to complete the investigation.

Some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed. Don't count on an extension.

While the investigation is pending, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges. Pay the rest of the bill on time.

Debit cards, bank transfers, prepaid cards, buy-now-pay-later accounts, and payment-app balances don't automatically follow the same credit-card rules. Contact those providers promptly under their own dispute procedures.

If you authorized the purchase, describe the problem as nonreceipt or non-delivery. Don't call it an unauthorized transaction.

A chargeback is a payment dispute, not a guaranteed refund. Tell the issuer if the seller later refunds you.

Build a record that survives a denial

Claim reviewers need a timeline they can follow quickly. Save the evidence before a portal changes it.

• The order confirmation, receipt, promised delivery date, and item price
• Tracking screenshots, delivery photos, signatures, and location notes
• Photos showing the delivery area or a mismatch between the photo and your property
• Messages with the seller, carrier, marketplace, and payment provider
• Camera footage, neighbor statements, or a police report if an actual theft occurred
• Representative names, case numbers, and dates of every contact

Write down details while they are fresh. Tracking pages change, delivery photos can disappear, and small details get blurry after a few days. Do not edit footage or make a statement that says more than you know.

What the FTC guidance does and does not mean

The FTC's consumer guidance describes how to challenge a credit-card billing error for goods you never received. It is not a general rule requiring a retailer to refund every package stolen after a properly documented delivery.

Your explanation is usually stronger when the seller never shipped the order, the carrier delivered to another address, the photo shows a different property, or the carrier admits an error. Theft after a correct delivery is more fact-dependent. Seller policy, shipping coverage, building rules, and payment protections may affect the result.

Carrier coverage answers a separate question. It concerns what the carrier may pay under its contract, and the claim may need to come from the shipper. It doesn't automatically decide whether the seller owes you a refund.

If the seller or platform denies the claim

Get the denial in writing. Ask for the exact evidence supporting it, including the delivery address, photo, signature, and investigation notes the company can share.

Appeal through the platform or carrier before the stated deadline. For USPS, use the appeal process described on its claims page. Keep a marketplace case open until the refund actually posts. Don't rely on a promise in chat.

A state attorney general's office may accept a consumer complaint or offer mediation. If a credit-card issuer or another financial company mishandles your dispute, use the CFPB complaint portal. The FTC accepts reports that help identify patterns, but it doesn't promise to recover an individual package payment.

Small claims court may be an option for a high-value loss. Filing limits, fees, service rules, and deadlines vary by state. Check the seller's terms for an arbitration clause before filing. This is general U.S. information, not legal advice.

Deadlines and refund timing

One deadline does not fit every delivered-not-received dispute. Use the deadline tied to the route you choose.

Write down the earliest deadline that could apply. A delayed seller response does not necessarily pause a card, marketplace, or carrier deadline.

Refund approval and refund posting are different events. The merchant may approve the credit first, while your card issuer or payment provider takes additional processing time.

Prevent the next delivery dispute

Secure handoffs reduce risk. For expensive orders, consider a signature, staffed pickup point, parcel locker, or retailer pickup.

Use an address with a secure handoff, keep delivery notifications turned on, and save tracking until the return period ends. If a package is stolen, preserve camera footage quickly and report the loss truthfully. Check renter's or homeowner's insurance only after reviewing the deductible and coverage terms.

For this order, screenshot the tracking page now and send the written notice before you close the app.