Still waiting on a package that should have arrived last week? Start with the seller, in writing.
A phone call is easy to forget. Put your ask in a dated email or letter. Name the order, the promise you were given, and the refund or replacement you want, then keep that dated copy for later.
This is written for U.S. consumers. Other countries use different rules.
What actually controls a late shipment
The seller's advertised promise, federal mail-order shipping rules, and a credit-card billing-error claim are three different systems. People mash them together. They are not interchangeable.
Turns out the FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule polices shipment, not porch arrival. Shipment is when the merchant puts the goods with a carrier.
The seller's advertised time is the benchmark. With no date stated, they generally need a reasonable basis to ship within 30 days after a properly completed order. They are supposed to notify you of a delay. You should get a chance to cancel for a refund.
A store policy can be kinder than that baseline. It does not replace it for covered mail, internet, or telephone orders.
Carrier on-time guarantees live on a different contract, and the buyer often is not even the customer on it. You can still press the merchant. They picked the shipper.
Federal billing-error rules may apply after you try the merchant if you paid by credit card and the goods never arrived. A package that arrived late is usually a policy problem, not an automatic billing error.
Marketplace buyers should use that site's late-delivery tools first and keep the written trail anyway if the case stalls.
Sample letters you can copy
Swap the brackets and keep the first note factual. Save the firmer tone for a follow-up.
Letter to the seller
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Email]
[Phone]
[Date]
[Company name]
[Customer service address]
Subject: Delayed order [order number] - refund request
Hello,
I ordered [item] on [order date], order [order number]. You indicated [promised ship or delivery date]. As of [today's date], it has not arrived. Tracking [tracking number] currently shows [status].
I am asking for a full refund of [amount] to the original payment method by [date about 14 days from today]. If you want to reship with faster service instead, email me first for approval.
Attached: order confirmation, payment receipt, and tracking screenshots.
Thank you,
[Your name]Email to customer service
Subject: Delayed order [order number] - refund request
Hello,
Order [order number], placed [order date], has not arrived. The date I was given was [promised date]. Tracking [tracking number] shows [status] as of [today's date].
Please refund [amount] to the original payment method by [date]. I can also accept an expedited reship if you confirm it in writing first.
Order confirmation and tracking screenshots are attached.
[Your name] [Order email] [Phone]
Follow-up if they stall
Subject: Second notice - delayed order [order number]
Hello,
I wrote on [first letter date] about order [order number], which still has not arrived. I asked for a refund of [amount] by [deadline you gave]. I have not received a refund or a clear shipping date.
Please confirm the refund in writing. If I do not have a resolution by [new date], I will dispute the charge with my card issuer if I paid by credit card, and I will file a complaint with the FTC.
[Your name] [Order number]
Billing-error notice to a credit card issuer
Use this after you have tried the merchant, and only if you still do not have the goods (or the charge is wrong). Send it to the billing-inquiry address on your statement, not the payment address.
[Your name]
[Account address]
[Date]
[Card issuer billing inquiry address]
Re: Billing error on account ending in [last four digits]
Hello,
I am writing to dispute a billing error. On [charge date], a charge of [amount] posted from [merchant name]. I ordered [item], order [order number], and I have not received the merchandise. Tracking [tracking number] shows [status].
I contacted the merchant on [dates] and requested a refund. I have not received one.
Please treat this as a billing-error notice, investigate, and credit the disputed amount of [amount]. Copies of the statement line, order confirmation, tracking, and my messages to the merchant are enclosed.
[Your name]
[Phone]
[Email]How to send it so it actually gets read
Thing is, a clean letter still fails if the dates do not match the attachments.
Work through this in order:
- Save the order confirmation, the promised date, the amount paid, and a current tracking screenshot.
- Read the seller's shipping and refund policy so your ask matches what they published.
- Write the seller first. One ask is enough: refund, reship, or store credit.
- Give a reply date about two weeks out. That is a practical deadline, not a federal one.
- Email for speed. If the amount is large, also send a paper copy.
- Keep PDFs of every message. Certified mail helps when you later need proof you wrote.
The FTC's advice on solving problems with a business is plain. Say what happened and what you want. Keep notes.
If you only kept the shipping confirmation and not the product page that said it would be there Friday, search your inbox anyway for the "out for delivery" notes, the promised date on the checkout receipt, and that chat where someone said they were looking into it, because you want those pieces in one packet before you hit send.
Save the email. Save the PDF. You'll want that PDF if the first note gets "lost."
If the seller ignores you
Your credit card issuer may have to investigate a billing error when the merchant stonewalls and you still do not have the goods. Do not wait forever to start that clock.
| Path | Use it when | Clock that actually matters |
|---|---|---|
| Seller or marketplace | You want a refund or reship on a late order | Their policy, plus mail-order delay notices |
| Credit card billing error | You were charged and did not receive the merchandise | Generally 60 days from the statement that first showed the charge |
| CFPB complaint | The card issuer is the problem | Companies generally respond in 15 days |
| FTC complaint | The merchant's shipping or refund conduct | No set payout clock |
For a credit card billing error, federal rules generally require a written dispute within 60 days of the statement that first showed the charge. The issuer must acknowledge it within 30 days unless it's already fixed. The investigation must finish within two billing cycles, and not more than 90 days. You don't have to pay the disputed amount during that investigation. Keep paying the rest of the bill.
Some issuers allow more time when a shipment is delayed, but don't count on extra days.
Debit, prepaid, and bank transfers are not this process. Ask that bank what it offers.
Small-claims court is a later option if the money is worth the filing hassle, and dollar limits vary by state.
Seller delay and a stuck carrier are different messes
Tracking can show the warehouse shipped on time. Say so in your note and still ask the merchant for a refund or a claim. To be honest, a public USPS or FedEx form rarely replaces the store that took your payment.
Open the order confirmation and grab the current tracking screen. Paste both into the first template and send it today, then write the reply date on a calendar.