What to do first when tracking says delivered but the package is gone

If tracking says delivered but you can't find the package, don't start by calling it theft. It may be an early scan, a stop at the wrong door, or a package set aside by a household member. Confirm the address, open the delivery photo, check likely drop-off spots, ask neighbors, and save the tracking record.

Then contact the seller and carrier. Ask for a missing-delivery investigation, a case number, and a replacement or refund. If you have video or another reason to believe someone took it, file a police report and include the incident number in your claim.

Deadlines are not all the same. USPS uses a 60-day-from-mailing-date deadline for certain qualifying domestic claims. FedEx, UPS, and Amazon deadlines can depend on service, account, seller, or order. A federal credit-card billing dispute runs from the first statement containing the error, not from the delivery scan.

Start with these five actions

1. Save the delivery record. Screenshot tracking, delivery timestamp, delivery photo, expected date, shipping address, order confirmation, and receipt.
2. Search before declaring theft. Check porches, garages, lobbies, mailrooms, and hidden spots. Ask household members and neighbors. Amazon says a package may be scanned delivered up to 48 hours before arrival.
3. Report the problem in writing. Contact the seller and carrier through official support channels. Say whether the package is missing, possibly misdelivered, or suspected stolen.
4. Submit the right claim. Use USPS Missing Mail or an eligible USPS claim, the FedEx missing-delivery process, the UPS claim process, or Amazon order support, depending on who shipped the item.
5. Protect your payment rights. If the seller won't resolve it and you paid by credit card, ask the issuer whether the charge qualifies as a billing error and follow the written-dispute procedure promptly.

You can usually run a carrier investigation and a seller refund request at the same time. Tell each party you've contacted the other, and keep every case number, email, and chat transcript.

Theft, misdelivery, or delay?

The label you use changes the evidence and the route.

A delivery scan shows the carrier recorded a delivery event. It isn't a police finding, proof that you received the package, or an automatic promise that the carrier must pay. It also doesn't rule out a wrong-door drop or theft.

Coverage may depend on the shipping service, declared value or insurance, the carrier's contract with the sender, the seller's policy, and the payment method. Don't assume standard carrier coverage applies after a properly documented delivery.

Gather evidence before filing

Create one folder for the dispute. Include:

• Tracking screenshots with the full scan history
• Order confirmation, invoice, and item description
• Promised delivery date and actual delivery date, if any
• Delivery timestamp, photo, and location information shown by the carrier
• A photo of the area where the package should have been left
• Doorbell or security-camera footage, with the original file and timestamp preserved
• Written statements or messages from neighbors or household members
• Police incident number or report, if you reported suspected theft
• Emails, chat transcripts, and case numbers from the seller and carrier
• Any notice the seller sent about a shipping delay

A delivery photo of your porch may show where a driver left something, but it doesn't show who later took it. A photo of a different porch can support a misdelivery argument. Camera footage helps, but it doesn't guarantee approval.

Keep the original video unchanged and send a copy if requested. Redact unnecessary personal information, such as a full payment-card number, before sharing documents.

USPS missing-package and theft claims

USPS separates searches for lost or delayed mail from claims tied to an eligible service, insurance, damage, or missing contents.

1. Check the tracking and delivery information. Review the address, scan time, and delivery details. Informed Delivery can help document expected mail, but its preview isn't proof that a package was stolen.
2. Submit a Missing Mail Search Request if the item appears lost or delayed. Start through the USPS Missing Mail page.
3. File a qualifying claim through the USPS domestic claims page if the service and coverage make the loss eligible. USPS says an item that arrives damaged or has missing contents may be claimed immediately, but no later than 60 days after the mailing date. That deadline isn't necessarily measured from the day you notice a delivered scan.
4. Provide the requested documentation. Include tracking, proof of value, service or insurance details, and your explanation. If you're the recipient, ask the sender to participate or provide information if the claim page requires it.
5. Appeal a denial or partial payment. USPS says an appeal must be filed within 30 days of receiving the decision. If the appeal is denied, a second appeal must be filed within 30 days of receiving that denial.

USPS usually sends claim decisions within 5 to 10 days, but investigations can take longer. Don't describe a suspected porch theft as a confirmed loss unless your evidence supports that statement.

FedEx delivery marked delivered but not found

Start with the tracking record and check every reasonable drop-off location. FedEx's missing-delivery FAQ says to confirm the recipient has checked likely delivery locations and then use the tracking page's dispute or missing-package steps.

Use this process:

1. Record the tracking number, delivery scan, photo, address, and expected date.
2. Check the front, side, rear, garage, lobby, mailroom, and any location named in the delivery details.
3. Ask household members, neighbors, building staff, and anyone authorized to accept deliveries.
4. Log in to FedEx, open the tracking record, and follow the prompts for a delivered package that cannot be found.
5. For FedEx standard-service or other non-expedited packages, use the customer-support route identified in the FAQ.
6. Notify the seller and ask whether it will open or support a carrier investigation.

FedEx deadlines and claim procedures vary by service and account. Act immediately and read the deadline shown in the claim process or shipping terms instead of borrowing the USPS rule.

UPS package-theft claim

UPS's tracking support page says to file a claim if a package says delivered but you can't find it. It also says to file claims for damaged packages or packages that have gone days without a scan.

A useful UPS claim should include:

• Tracking number and delivery address
• Exact date and time shown for delivery
• Clear item description, including model, quantity, or distinguishing details
• Purchase receipt or other proof of value
• Delivery-photo information and camera footage, if available
• Communications with the seller, carrier, building staff, or neighbors
• Police report number if you reported suspected theft

Review UPS's supporting-documents guidance for the level of detail used to identify shipment contents. Follow the claim portal's current deadline and instructions. UPS doesn't use the USPS 60-day-from-mailing-date rule for every situation.

Amazon package marked delivered

Amazon's help instructions say to check the shipping address, delivery location, household members, neighbors, and carrier tracking. Its help page for a delivered package that cannot be found also says a package may be scanned as delivered up to 48 hours before it arrives.

Use these steps:

1. Open the order and confirm the address, expected delivery date, and delivery photo.
2. Check every location described in the delivery details.
3. Ask household members, neighbors, reception staff, and anyone who may have accepted the package.
4. Check the carrier's tracking page for a more detailed scan.
5. Use the order's customer-service or missing-package option if the package still hasn't appeared.
6. If a third-party seller fulfilled the order, message the seller through the order page and ask for a replacement or refund in writing.

The same Amazon help page says customers should contact Customer Service within 30 days of the expected delivery date for an order shipped by Amazon. Menus, marketplace rules, and deadlines can vary by account and market, so follow the deadline shown in your order instead of assuming every order qualifies for the same remedy.

An A-to-z claim, if Amazon offers that route for your order, is a marketplace process. It isn't a federal theft claim or a credit-card chargeback. Follow the order-specific eligibility rules and any required seller-contact steps.

Ask the seller for a refund or replacement

The retailer or marketplace is often the most practical first contact because it accepted your payment and can decide whether to replace the item, refund it, or help with the carrier investigation.

Send a short written request:

Tracking shows the order as delivered on [date and time], but it was not received. I confirmed the shipping address, checked the delivery area, and asked household members and neighbors. Please investigate the delivery and confirm whether you will issue a replacement or refund. My supporting documents are attached.

Ask the seller to explain:

• Whether it will open a carrier investigation
• Whether the carrier requires the sender to file the claim
• What evidence it needs from you
• Whether it will issue a refund, replacement, or another remedy
• The expected response date

The federal Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule generally covers most products ordered by mail, online, or by phone. The FTC guidance on billing errors and orders that never arrive explains why records of the promised delivery date, actual delivery date, and any delay notice matter.

The rule is most directly relevant when the seller fails to ship or misses the promised delivery arrangement. A package with a delivery scan and suspected porch theft can involve different facts, so don't assume the rule alone guarantees a carrier payment.

Credit-card dispute for a missing package

If the seller doesn't resolve the problem, contact your credit-card issuer and ask whether the charge qualifies as a billing error for merchandise that wasn't delivered as agreed.

The FTC says:

• You must dispute the billing error in writing within 60 days of the date the first statement containing the error was sent.
• The issuer must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days, unless it has already resolved the problem.
• The issuer must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving your letter.
• Include copies of documents showing the expected and actual delivery dates and any notice about a shipment delay.

The FTC also notes that some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed. Don't rely on that extension if you can file earlier.

Send the dispute using the billing-dispute address or method shown on your statement. Keep a copy and proof of delivery. Explain whether the issue is non-delivery, misdelivery, or suspected theft, and attach the seller's response and carrier records.

A credit-card billing dispute is separate from a USPS, FedEx, UPS, or Amazon claim. The issuer may evaluate whether the merchandise was delivered as agreed, while the carrier evaluates its shipping records. A delivered scan can make a dispute harder, but it doesn't prevent you from presenting evidence of misdelivery or non-receipt.

The 60-day written-dispute process described by the FTC is a credit-card route. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and peer-to-peer payments have separate processes, so contact the provider promptly and ask which error or transaction path applies.

Homeowners or renters insurance

Check your homeowners or renters policy before filing an insurance claim. Ask whether the policy covers the type of theft, whether a deductible applies, whether there are limits or exclusions, and how quickly the loss must be reported.

Insurance may make sense for a high-value item that exceeds the deductible. For a low-value package, the deductible may make a claim impractical. Ask the insurer how a claim could affect your policy before deciding.

Keep the carrier or seller claim separate from the insurance claim. A carrier's declared value or shipping insurance may be tied to the sender's account and service terms. It isn't automatically the same as personal-property coverage under your insurance policy.

If your claim is denied

1. Request the denial and reason in writing.
2. Compare the reason with the tracking record, delivery photo, address, and evidence you submitted.
3. Ask the seller whether it can reopen the investigation or submit the claim as the shipper.
4. Use the carrier's appeal process. For USPS, observe the 30-day appeal deadlines described above.
5. If you paid by credit card, protect the FTC billing-dispute deadline while the carrier appeal is pending.
6. File or update a police report if new evidence identifies a suspect or confirms theft.
7. For a substantial loss, review the shipping terms and local small-claims rules before deciding whether court is appropriate. The right defendant and available remedy can depend on the contract and jurisdiction.

Don't submit conflicting explanations to different parties. State what you know, identify what remains uncertain, and attach the same core documents to each request.

Reduce the chance of another missing package

• Use a carrier hold, staffed pickup point, parcel locker, or Amazon Hub when available.
• Request a signature for valuable deliveries when the service allows it.
• Send packages to a workplace, trusted neighbor, or secure building reception area.
• Turn on delivery notifications and retrieve packages promptly.
• Use delivery instructions that direct drivers to a less visible location.
• Install lighting or a camera where permitted, and keep the original recordings.
• Keep a written log if several packages go missing. A documented pattern helps when reporting repeated incidents.

Save the tracking page, delivery photo, and order receipt before you do anything else. Then send the seller and carrier a short written report while the account-specific deadlines are still open.