A letter can document a stolen package, but it cannot, on its own, force Amazon, UPS, or a neighbor to hand you cash. Send it to whoever can reverse the charge.
Who should get that letter?
Pick the recipient based on which path can reverse the charge or ship another box. These steps cover U.S. deliveries and U.S. credit cards.
Thing is, porch theft is usually a company-policy problem first, because the seller or the carrier is the one who can reverse a charge or send another box, and a marketplace guarantee sits in that same bucket.
Your card issuer only enters the picture if you paid by credit card and the goods never arrived. A neighbor note is optional. It's the weakest recovery tool here.
What a letter can and cannot do
Write when you need a dated paper trail that ties the tracking number, the delivery photo, and the item value to one clear request. It can't override those company rules.
| Path | When writing helps | What actually decides the outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Retailer or marketplace | Follow-up after an online claim | Seller policy or marketplace guarantee |
| Carrier (UPS, FedEx, USPS) | After you open a portal claim | Carrier claims rules and declared value |
| Card issuer | A written billing-error dispute | Federal billing-error rules and your card agreement |
| Home or renters insurance | The claim cover letter | Policy terms, deductibles, and coverage limits |
| Landlord or HOA | A security complaint | Lease or association rules, not a guaranteed payout |
| Neighbor | A polite inquiry, if you write at all | Cooperation only |
Sample letters for package theft
Copy the block that matches your case and replace the brackets. Keep it factual.
1. Neighbor inquiry
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]
[Neighbor's name]
[Neighbor's address]
Subject: Missing package delivered on [date]
Hello [Name],
A [carrier] package addressed to me was marked delivered at [location] on [date] around [time]. It was gone when I checked. If you happened to see a delivery, a courier, or a box left nearby, could you let me know?
If a package for me was brought to your door by mistake, I would be grateful if you could set it aside. You can reach me at [phone or email].
Thank you,
[Your name]Clear video of a specific person taking your box can support a firmer note. Stick to the date, the time, what the footage shows, and a request to return the item by a stated date. Don't add crime labels or fake statute numbers.
Leave threats out.
2. Follow-up to a carrier claims team
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]
[Carrier claims department]
[Address from the carrier's claims page]
Subject: Claim follow-up for tracking [tracking number]
Hello,
I am writing about shipment [tracking number], shown as delivered to [address] on [date]. The package was not in the delivery location when I checked at [time]. I have already opened claim [claim number, if any].
The contents were [brief description], purchase price [amount]. Attached are the tracking screenshot, the carrier delivery photo if one exists, photos of the empty drop spot, and my receipt.
Please confirm the claim status and the next step for tracing or reimbursement.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Phone]
[Email]3. Written summary for a police report
Many departments take package-theft reports online or at a desk. Use this as a statement you can paste into the form. You're asking for a report number, not a promise that anyone recovers the box.
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]
[Police department or precinct]
Subject: Package taken from [address] on [date]
I am reporting that a package was taken from [exact location] on [date] at about [time].
Carrier: [name]
Tracking number: [number]
Purchase value: [amount]
Delivery status: marked delivered at [time]
Evidence I can provide: [tracking screenshot, delivery photo, doorbell video, witness name]
I am requesting a report or incident number for my records and for any insurance or carrier claim.
[Your name]
[Phone]
[Email]4. Insurance claim cover letter
[Your name]
[Policy number]
[Date]
[Insurer claims department]
Subject: Claim for stolen delivery on [date], policy [number]
Hello,
I am submitting a claim for a package stolen from [address] on [date]. Item: [description]. Purchase price: [amount]. Carrier tracking: [number].
I have attached the receipt, tracking record, photos, and police report number [number or "pending"]. Please confirm what else you need and whether this falls under my policy.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Phone]
[Email]5. Letter to a landlord or property manager
[Your name]
[Unit number]
[Date]
[Landlord or manager name]
[Property address]
Subject: Stolen package at [building location] on [date]
Hello [Name],
A package for unit [number] was marked delivered on [date] and was taken from [lobby / front steps / package room] shortly after. Tracking number: [number]. Approximate value: [amount].
Please review any camera footage for that window and tell me how packages should be left in this building. I am asking that this security issue go on record. I am not requesting reimbursement unless our lease provides for it.
Thank you,
[Your name]
[Phone]
[Email]Fill in the blanks, then send
A polished letter with no claim number is just extra paper. Work in this order.
- Gather tracking, the delivery photo, pictures of the drop spot, the order receipt, and any video stills. Do it the same day if you can.
- File the online claim with the seller or carrier first. Get a ticket or claim number.
- Paste that number into the matching letter. Cut anything you cannot prove.
- Email if the company uses email. Use certified mail only when a claims page or an insurer asks for written notice.
- Keep copies. Note the send date. Follow up once if they miss their own published timeline.
File the seller or carrier claim before you mail anything
Open the seller or carrier claim before you print anything. Amazon, large retailers, UPS, and FedEx all route missing-delivery problems through a claim or help flow before paper mail means much. Search the drop area before you file.
If tracking says delivered, check the side door and the package room, because plenty of "stolen" boxes sit three feet from the first place you looked, and asking building staff before you escalate saves you a claim you didn't need. Behind planters too.
Amazon often treats a delivered-but-missing order inside its own support tools. Many third-party purchases also go through the A-to-Z Guarantee. Use the dates in that flow.
UPS and FedEx run their own loss-and-damage claims, and the filing windows are short, set by the carrier, and shown in each company's claims instructions. Open that portal claim the same day.
Send the follow-up letter only if you need a written record or they asked for documents.
If you paid with a credit card
A card dispute is a different track from a porch letter. It's one of the few paths with a federal timeline.
You generally dispute a credit card billing error in writing within 60 days of the first statement that shows the charge. See FTC guidance on bills for items you never got.
FTC instructions on disputing credit card charges tell you to send the letter so it arrives inside that window. Keep a copy. Use the issuer's billing-error address (often on the statement).
The issuer must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it is already fixed. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and not more than 90 days, after getting your letter. Hold off on the disputed amount and related finance charges.
Put these items in that letter:
- Your name and account number
- The date and amount of the charge
- Why you believe it is a billing error (you paid for goods you did not receive)
- What you already tried with the merchant and carrier
If the issuer's response is a dead end, you can submit a complaint to the CFPB. That process is for the financial product. It won't catch a thief.
To be honest, people skip this after an Amazon chat. Chat logs help the merchant case. They don't replace a timely written dispute if the charge is still on the card.
Landlord, HOA, and insurance
A building complaint is about cameras and access, plus where couriers should leave boxes. Most leases don't make the landlord pay for a stolen retail order. Say what you want fixed.
Skip the demand for a check unless the lease actually covers stolen deliveries.
Renters or homeowners insurance may cover a package taken off a porch, or it may not. Read the policy.
Actually read the deductible line, not just the coverage summary. A $40 box under a $500 deductible isn't a claim. It's paperwork.
Insurers often want a police report number even when the local department will not chase a low-value theft. Get the number. Don't wait on an arrest.
Keep neighbor letters boring on purpose
Turns out, you shouldn't knock on a door in anger with a printed accusation in your hand. If you write at all, stick to the date, the drop spot, and a request to return the box or say whether they saw it. Keep the wording boring on purpose.
Checklist once a delivery is missing
- Confirm tracking and search the delivery area the same day
- Photograph the drop spot and save the carrier photo
- File the seller or marketplace claim and save the ticket number
- Open a carrier claim if the seller points you there
- Send the matching letter only after you have those numbers
- Ask the card issuer about a billing-error dispute if the charge is on a credit card and the goods never arrived
- Request a police incident number if your insurer or carrier asks for one
- Write the landlord only if building access or cameras are part of the problem
Pull the tracking page and two photos now. File the seller or carrier claim before the day ends. Attach a sample letter only after that claim exists.