A tracking scan marked "delivered" is evidence of what the carrier recorded, not proof that you personally received the package. It also doesn't guarantee a refund. The right response depends on whether the shipment was never delivered, went to the wrong place, or was delivered correctly and then stolen.

The steps below are for U.S. purchases. Report the problem promptly, save evidence before tracking records or camera footage disappear, and contact the seller and carrier when both are relevant. A carrier claim, marketplace guarantee, credit-card dispute, purchase-protection benefit, and insurance claim are separate processes.

Work out which problem you have

If the delivery scan appeared recently, check again later that day and the next day. Drivers sometimes scan a package before finishing the delivery. That is a practical check, not a universal waiting period or deadline.

What to do before the evidence disappears

Check the delivery record

Open the carrier's tracking page and save:

• Delivery date and time
• Address and delivery notes
• Delivery photo, if one is available
• Signature, locker, mailroom, or front-desk information
• The location named in the notice, such as a side door, garage, porch, or reception area

Search the property, parcel lockers, garage, side entrances, mailbox area, and building reception desk. Ask neighbors and property managers whether they accepted the package.

If the carrier left it at another address, describe the issue as a possible misdelivery. Don't label it theft until the delivery location and other facts support that conclusion.

Preserve the paper trail

Take screenshots of the tracking history, order confirmation, delivery photo, and promised delivery date. Export doorbell or security-camera footage in its original format before the system overwrites it. Keep the unedited file even if you send a shorter clip to a company for review.

A simple timeline can make the dispute easier to follow. Include:

• Order date and promised delivery date
• Tracking number
• Delivery scan time and location
• When you discovered the package was missing
• Neighbors, building staff, seller, and carrier contacts
• Whether you requested a refund, replacement, or investigation

Keep the invoice, receipt, payment statement, emails, and chat transcripts. After each call or chat, write down the date, department, representative, case number, and promised next step.

Contact the seller or marketplace

Report the problem through the order page, then email the seller as well if you have an address. Include the order number, tracking number, delivery address, and a factual description of what you found. Ask for a replacement, refund, or investigation, and request the response in writing.

The seller may control the shipping account. It may be able to review delivery records, contact the carrier, or open a claim that the recipient can't open. A carrier claim therefore doesn't necessarily replace the seller's customer-service or marketplace process.

Report it to the carrier

Use the carrier's official tracking or claims process. Say which description is accurate:

• The package was never delivered.
• It was delivered to the wrong address.
• It was marked delivered but can't be found.
• It was delivered and then stolen.

Attach proof of value and delivery details if requested. Be precise: don't report an item as never delivered when you know it reached the property and was later taken. The wording can affect which policy or claim process applies.

Consider a police report

If theft appears likely, use your local police department's non-emergency reporting process unless there is an immediate safety threat. Give the tracking number, estimated value, delivery time and location, and any video or witness information. Save the report number and ask how to obtain a copy.

A police report isn't automatically required for every refund or carrier claim. It may be requested for a high-value claim, insurance claim, or credit-card purchase-protection request. It does not itself create a right to a refund.

Use the formal claim process

A customer-service chat may not count as a formal carrier or marketplace claim. If you receive a claim or case number, save it. Check the current rules for the specific mail class, shipping service, marketplace, and account involved. Filing periods differ, so don't wait for an informal investigation if a formal deadline is approaching.

Carrier-specific steps

USPS

Start with the USPS domestic claims page. Eligibility and filing periods depend on the mail class, insurance, and service purchased. The page lists service-specific deadlines; for some domestic claim types, it says the claim must be filed no later than 60 days after the mailing date.

For a package marked delivered but not found:

1. Save the tracking history and delivery details.
2. Check the property, nearby addresses, mailbox area, and post-office or building records.
3. Contact the local Post Office and the seller.
4. File a USPS claim if the service and coverage make the shipment eligible.
5. Provide proof of value, mailing or insurance information, tracking details, and any other requested evidence.

USPS says claim decisions are usually sent within five to 10 days. If an eligible claim is partially paid or denied, the claims page says an appeal generally must be filed within 30 days of the decision. A second appeal generally must be filed within 30 days of the appeal denial.

A delivery scan can make a theft claim more difficult because USPS may treat the shipment as delivered. The seller may have more practical options, especially when it purchased the postage or insurance.

UPS

UPS says to file a claim when a package is damaged, has gone days without a scan, or shows as delivered but can't be found. Start with the UPS tracking support page, then follow the current claims instructions for that shipment.

Have these details ready:

• Tracking number and delivery date
• Delivery photo or notification
• Order invoice and proof of value
• Address and intended delivery location
• Police report information, if available
• Messages exchanged with the seller

For a retail order, the shipper or retailer may control the claim because it arranged the shipment and holds the shipping records. If UPS directs you back to the shipper, ask the retailer to open or participate in the claim and give you the case number. Check the deadline for your service rather than relying on a generic time limit from another website.

FedEx

Begin with the tracking information and the current FedEx claims process. Contact the retailer at the same time if it arranged the shipment; it may hold the shipping account, declared-value records, or authority to request delivery details.

Useful documentation includes:

• Tracking number
• Order confirmation and invoice
• Delivery scan and photo
• Description of where the package should have been left
• Video, photographs, or witness information
• Police report number, if one was filed

FedEx coverage and filing periods can vary by service, account, declared value, signature requirement, and type of loss. There isn't one deadline or automatic refund rule for every FedEx package. Ask for a claim or case number and confirm the applicable filing deadline in writing.

Amazon

Use Your Orders to report the missing package and contact Amazon support. If a third-party seller fulfilled the order, message the seller through the order page and keep a copy of the conversation.

If the seller doesn't resolve the problem, look for an A-to-z Guarantee option in the order or support flow. Eligibility, timing, and documentation requirements can vary by marketplace and order type. Use the policy shown in your U.S. account rather than a deadline copied from an Amazon page for another country.

For an Amazon request, include:

• Order number and tracking information
• Delivery date and location shown in the account
• Details of your search and neighbor checks
• Delivery-photo or camera evidence
• Police report information for a high-value item, if available
• Earlier messages to the seller or Amazon

An A-to-z request isn't an automatic refund merely because tracking says delivered. Amazon may review the delivery evidence, seller response, account history, and circumstances of the order.

Other retailers and marketplaces

Open the platform's current item not received, problem with order, or equivalent case through the order page. Don't rely only on a carrier phone call or informal seller message if the marketplace has a separate dispute process.

Check the marketplace deadline before waiting for a carrier investigation. Rules for eBay, Walmart, retailer delivery programs, and other platforms can differ by seller, fulfillment method, membership, and order value.

Which refund or claim route applies?

A carrier's liability rules don't necessarily decide what the retailer owes its customer. The retailer's policy, shipping arrangement, payment method, and applicable law may all affect the result.

Disputing a credit-card charge for goods you never received

The FTC treats a credit-card billing error as a specific process, not simply a request for a refund. Its guidance on what to do if you're billed for things you never got and using credit cards and disputing charges says the written dispute should reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.

For that process:

1. Find the issuer's billing-dispute address on the statement or card agreement. It may differ from the payment address.
2. Send written notice identifying the charge, merchant, amount, and reason for the dispute.
3. State whether the goods were never delivered or the charge is otherwise incorrect.
4. Attach the order confirmation, promised delivery information, seller correspondence, and tracking evidence.
5. Keep a copy of the letter and proof that the issuer received it.
6. Continue paying the rest of the undisputed balance on time.

The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved the problem. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles and no later than 90 days after receiving the letter. During the investigation, the FTC says you don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges, but you should keep paying undisputed charges.

This billing-error process applies to credit cards. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and peer-to-peer payments have different procedures. Contact the bank or payment provider promptly and ask which protection applies.

If tracking shows that the package reached your address and was later stolen, ask the card issuer about purchase protection or another card benefit instead of automatically describing the transaction as a non-delivery billing error. Accuracy matters.

If the seller, carrier, or marketplace denies the claim

Read the denial closely. It may say that:

• The claim was filed late.
• The shipment had no applicable insurance or declared value.
• The carrier has proof of delivery.
• The wrong party filed the claim.
• Proof of value or delivery was missing.
• The order was excluded from the marketplace guarantee.

Appeal with a short timeline and the specific evidence that addresses the stated reason. Ask the company to identify the policy provision or exclusion supporting the denial. If the carrier requires the shipper to file, ask the retailer to escalate through its shipping account and provide the resulting case number.

If a retailer refuses to follow an advertised refund or replacement policy, save a copy of that policy and request a written final decision. You can then consider the card issuer's dispute or appeal process and, where appropriate, your state's consumer-protection office. A government complaint may document a business practice, but it doesn't guarantee an individual refund.

Reduce the chance of another theft

• Use a carrier hold, staffed pickup location, or retailer locker for expensive orders.
• Choose a workplace, trusted neighbor, or secure building package room when available.
• Require a signature for items that shouldn't be left unattended.
• Turn on delivery notifications and retrieve packages soon after the alert.
• Ask building management about access controls, cameras, and package-room logs.
• Use lighting and a visible secure delivery container, without assuming a camera will prevent theft.
• Keep packages out of view from the street.
• Review your card's purchase-protection terms before you need them, including any receipt or police-report requirement.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a police report to get a refund?

Not always. A seller, marketplace, carrier, or card-benefit administrator may request one, especially for an expensive item, but there is no single U.S. rule requiring a police report for every package dispute.

Can I dispute a package marked delivered?

Not automatically. A credit-card billing dispute is more clearly suited to goods that were never received. For a package delivered and then stolen, pursue the seller or marketplace process and ask the card issuer about purchase protection. Describe the delivery status accurately.

Who files a UPS or FedEx claim?

It depends on the shipment and account. The retailer or sender may need to file because it arranged the shipment and holds the shipping records. Contact the seller and carrier promptly, and keep the case number either party provides.

What evidence helps most?

Start with the tracking history, delivery photo or location, order receipt, proof of value, original camera footage, seller messages, and a police report number when available. A clear timeline is often more useful than a long explanation.

If the package is missing now, screenshot the tracking page and save any video first. Then notify the seller and carrier today through the formal claim or order-dispute process shown for that shipment.