Your tracking page hasn't moved in days, and the promised window already lapsed. Do you write the store, the courier, or both?
Start with a short complaint that names the order number, the date you were given, and the fix you want from them. Keep the wording specific and calm. A vague rant is easy to ignore.
Who should get a shipping delay complaint
Write the company that took your money first if the item never shipped or the seller blew its own deadline. Federal mail-order rules cover that seller. Read the Mail Order Rule if you want the seller-side text. It does not police every courier delay.
If tracking shows a handoff already happened, press the seller for a refund or a replacement anyway, because they still took your payment and they can often reship even while you're also poking the carrier. You may still file with the courier.
Thing is, a lot of templates dump both problems into one angry letter and then cite the wrong rule.
| If this is going on | Write first | What actually governs it |
|---|---|---|
| The store has not shipped, or it missed its own ship-by date | The retailer or marketplace seller | The FTC mail-order rule and the shipping promise on the listing or checkout |
| A label exists and the box is late in transit | The seller, and the carrier too | The seller's refund or replacement policy, plus the carrier's service terms |
Sample email for a delayed shipment
Copy this, swap in your details, and send it from the email on the order.
Subject: Delayed shipment for order [order number], tracking [tracking number]
Hello [Customer Support / Name],
I am writing about order [order number], placed on [order date] for [item]. The expected ship or delivery date was [promised date]. Today is [today's date], and I still do not have the package. Tracking [tracking number] last showed [status and date].
I paid [amount]. I want [a full refund / immediate shipment with a confirmed date / a replacement] no later than [date about 10 business days from now].
I have attached my order confirmation and a screenshot of the tracking page. Please reply in writing at [email] or [phone].
Sincerely,
[Full name]
[City, State]
Use the support address on your confirmation. Keep a copy of what you sent.
Formal letter you can print or attach as a PDF
A printed or PDF letter still helps when the chat transcript disappeared and some warehouse desk wants a page they can stamp. Date the page and sign it.
[Your name]
[Your street address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Email]
[Phone]
[Date]
[Company name]
[Attention: Customer Relations]
[Company address if you have it]
Re: Delayed shipment, order [order number], tracking [tracking number]
Dear Customer Relations:
On [order date] I ordered [item] from you for [amount], order [order number]. You indicated the order would ship or arrive by [promised date]. It has not. As of [today's date], tracking [tracking number] remains [status].
Please [refund $XX / ship by a firm date / send a replacement] by [date]. I enclose copies of the receipt and the tracking record.
I can be reached at [phone] and [email].
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Typed name]
What the FTC Mail Order Rule covers
The Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule applies to U.S. sellers who take orders by mail, internet, or phone. It clocks shipment, not the last truck.
If checkout promised a ship-by date, that promise is the time the seller generally has to meet. If they said nothing about timing, the default is 30 days. 16 CFR Part 435 is the rule text.
To be honest, a lot of complaint templates online promise extra "compensation" for each late day as if Congress wrote you a penalty check, and the actual rule is much drier than that: notice of the delay, a chance to cancel, and a refund if you don't want to wait around.
When they can't ship on time, they have to notify you. The FTC business guide to the rule explains delay notices, revised ship dates, and refunds from the merchant's side.
Carrier money-back terms are a separate contract. Look those up on the carrier's site if the box is already moving.
What to attach before you hit send
Don't mail a complaint with empty hands. Pull this file together first.
- Order confirmation or invoice
- The email or listing text that stated the ship or delivery date
- A tracking screenshot with the number readable
- Prior chat or email with support, with dates
- A short note of real cost if you have it, such as a spoiled perishable
If you can't prove the promised date, quote the checkout language as you remember it and don't inflate it.
Send it, then follow up
Work this sequence. Don't spray three messages in an hour.
- Use the seller's official help form or chat and save the transcript.
- If that goes nowhere, send the email and put the order number in the subject line.
- If you still get a brush-off, send the letter as a PDF, and by mail if you want a paper trail.
- Mark a check-in about 10 business days out. That date is your ask, not a federal deadline.
If a carrier filing window is shorter than that, file the carrier side first.
If they ignore the complaint
The FTC's page on solving problems with a business says to explain the problem, describe what you want, and keep notes. Write it down as you go. If the store or website still won't fix it, that page also points you to a written complaint.
You can report the firm to the FTC, and your state attorney general's consumer office is another place that takes complaints. Small-claims court is a later option if the amount is worth the trip; limits vary by state, and the FTC notes some states set the limit as high as $25,000.
Don't open with a lawsuit in the first note. You still need the record.
Save every reply, even the useless ones.
When USPS or UPS has the package
For USPS, a Missing Mail search is allowed no earlier than seven days after the mailing date and no later than 365 days after that date. Pull up tracking before you file.
Damaged pieces and missing contents follow a different clock. USPS domestic claims have to be filed no later than 60 days after the mailing date. Denied claims have a 30-day appeal clock.
UPS encourages a damage claim within 30 days of receiving the package, and a loss investigation within 30 days of the expected delivery date. Use UPS support so you get the current form.
Turns out the seller can still refund or reship while those carrier files crawl along. Don't freeze the merchant complaint just because you opened a search.
Open the order email now.
Paste the tracking number into the subject line, attach one screenshot, and send the sample. If the last scan is sitting at USPS or UPS, start that claim or missing-mail request the same day.