A delivery problem is easier to resolve when you can show what was promised, what the tracking record says, and when you contacted the seller. Save the order details, check the actual delivery locations, contact the seller in writing, and then use the carrier or payment-provider process that fits the problem.
This guidance is for U.S. consumers. The seller's policy, the carrier's claim rules, and your payment method may impose different procedures and deadlines. Completing one process won't necessarily start or extend another.
Delivery checklist
Save these details early
- [ ] Keep the order confirmation, promised shipping or delivery date, total price, and seller's name.
- [ ] Record the tracking number and screenshot the current status.
- [ ] Check whether the order will arrive in multiple shipments.
- [ ] Confirm the delivery address, apartment or unit number, and recipient name.
- [ ] Note whether you paid by credit card, debit card, prepaid card, bank transfer, or another method.
- [ ] Read the seller's cancellation, replacement, and refund instructions.
- [ ] Open the retailer's app or type its website address yourself instead of using links in unexpected delivery texts.
Once something goes wrong
- [ ] Compare the actual status with the seller's promised date. A carrier's estimate may be different.
- [ ] Check the mailbox, porch, side entrance, parcel locker, mailroom, building office, household members, and nearby safe locations.
- [ ] Look for a delivery notice, photo, signature record, or attempted-delivery message.
- [ ] Write to the seller or marketplace and save the case number.
- [ ] If the package is damaged, photograph the label, packaging, seals, and contents before discarding anything.
- [ ] Check the deadline for a carrier claim, marketplace case, or payment dispute. Don't assume that waiting for one investigation protects the others.
If the order is late or never arrives
First separate the seller's promise from the carrier's estimate. The Federal Trade Commission's guidance on online orders says an online seller has to ship when it, or its advertisement, says it will. If the seller can't ship on time, it generally has to tell you and give you the chance to cancel for a full refund.
Contact the seller in writing. Include:
- The order number and purchase date.
- The promised shipping or delivery date.
- The current tracking status.
- The result you want, such as cancellation and a refund, a replacement, or a confirmed new shipping date.
- A response date that leaves enough time to use any marketplace or payment-provider process.
If the package is in transit, ask the seller to open a carrier investigation. Keep the seller's response and any case number. A carrier investigation doesn't automatically pause a marketplace or payment-dispute deadline, so check those deadlines separately.
If the seller doesn't resolve the issue, use the payment provider's official dispute instructions before the applicable deadline. A request for a merchant refund and a payment-provider dispute are separate steps.
If tracking says "delivered" but you have nothing
A delivered scan records a carrier event, but it may not answer where the package was left or who received it. Check the delivery details before assuming the scan settles the matter.
Start by confirming the address and recipient name on the order. Then check:
- The porch, mailbox, side or rear entrance, garage, and other usual locations.
- A parcel locker, mailroom, building office, or other shared delivery area.
- With household members, neighbors, building staff, or anyone who may have accepted the package.
- The carrier's delivery photo, signature, delivery time, and location information, if available.
- Any delivery notice or attempted-delivery message.
Next, contact the carrier and request a delivery inquiry or trace. Contact the seller or marketplace as well, and state plainly that you did not receive the order. Ask whether it will replace the order, review a refund, or investigate under its policy.
There isn't one waiting period for every carrier or retailer. Follow the instructions you receive, but act promptly. Waiting for a particular number of hours or days could leave less time for a marketplace or payment dispute.
If the package is damaged or items are missing
Photograph the condition before throwing anything away. Take pictures of the shipping label, outer box, tape or seal, packing material, packing slip, visible damage, and the product. Compare the contents with the order confirmation and list each damaged or missing item.
Report the problem to the seller and, when required, the carrier. Ask the seller whether it will replace the item, refund the affected portion, or require a return. If the carrier requires a claim, use its official process and submit the tracking information, photos, and other requested records.
For USPS domestic shipments, the USPS claims page says damage or missing contents can be claimed immediately, but the claim must be filed no later than 60 days after the mailing date. If USPS partly pays or denies the claim, its page lists a 30-day appeal period; a second appeal can also be filed within 30 days of the appeal denial. These USPS periods don't automatically apply to UPS, FedEx, another carrier, or the seller's refund policy.
Don't sign a statement saying the package arrived in good condition if that isn't true. If a signature or delivery note is required, use the carrier's process to record visible damage when possible.
Your payment method changes the next step
Credit card billing dispute
A charge for goods you never received can be a credit card billing error. Under the FTC's guidance on billing errors and unordered merchandise, send a written dispute within 60 days after the statement containing the error was sent.
Follow the card issuer's written-dispute instructions. Send a copy of the letter and keep the delivery proof, attachments, and the information you supplied. Useful details include the transaction date, amount, seller, order number, promised date, tracking history, and your attempts to obtain a refund or replacement.
The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved the matter. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no more than 90 days, after receiving the letter. During the investigation, you don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges. Continue paying amounts that aren't part of the dispute according to the issuer's instructions.
That 60-day credit card rule is not a universal package-claim deadline. It doesn't automatically govern debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, or peer-to-peer payments.
Debit card
Contact the bank or debit-card provider promptly and ask for its transaction-dispute process and deadline. The FTC specifically advises consumers who paid by debit card to contact the debit card company, often a bank or credit union.
Don't assume the credit card protections or investigation timetable applies to a debit transaction. Keep the order record, tracking history, seller correspondence, and any case number in case the provider requests them.
Prepaid cards, payment apps, bank transfers, and other methods
Check the provider's official dispute rules and the seller's policy as soon as the delivery problem appears. Save receipts, messages, screenshots, and tracking records. Some payment methods have short or different deadlines, and a merchant's promise to investigate won't necessarily preserve them.
If you receive something you didn't order
If a business sends merchandise you didn't order, the FTC says you generally don't have to pay for it or return it. Check first that it isn't a gift, a household member's purchase, or a subscription you previously authorized.
Don't provide payment details in response to an unexpected invoice or text. Keep the label, invoice, messages, and relevant account activity. If the shipment appears connected to fraud or a deceptive seller, report it through ReportFraud.ftc.gov. A report may help regulators identify a pattern, but it doesn't guarantee a refund.
What your records can and cannot establish
A tracking dashboard, delivery photo, or signature may support an investigation without proving every detail of the handoff. Compare the record with the address, delivery time, photo, and what you found at the property.
The seller's order terms, the carrier's claim rules, and the payment method's dispute process control different parts of the problem. A checklist preserves evidence and helps you contact the right parties; it doesn't create a refund right, guarantee that a carrier will accept a claim, or extend a payment deadline.
| Problem | Keep these records | Ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Late or never shipped | Order confirmation, promised date, tracking, seller messages | Cancellation and refund, replacement, or a confirmed shipping date |
| Marked delivered but missing | Delivery photo, scan history, address, carrier case number, and neighbor or mailroom information | A trace, delivery review, replacement, or refund review |
| Damaged package | Photos, label, packaging, packing slip, and damage description | Seller replacement or refund and any required carrier claim |
| Missing contents | Photos taken before disposal, item list, order details, and claim records | Replacement, partial refund, or carrier investigation |
| Unordered merchandise | Label, invoice, messages, and account records | Confirmation that no payment is due and a fraud review if needed |
Message to send the seller
Order number: [order number]
Purchase date: [date]
Item: [item]
Promised date: [date]
Tracking status: [status]I have not received this order, or it arrived with the following problem: [describe the issue]. Please investigate and confirm in writing whether you will provide a replacement, issue a refund, or take another action under your policy. I have attached the order record, tracking information, and photos where applicable.
Send the message through the seller's or marketplace's official support channel, save a copy, and keep the case number. Put the earliest payment or platform deadline on your calendar, then retain the tracking record, photos, and correspondence until the claim or dispute is closed.