Start with a timeline, not a theory. For a lost, damaged, or late international order, write down what the seller promised, who handled the parcel, what the delivery record says, and what loss you can prove.
Keep the claims separate. A carrier or postal claim deals with transport; the seller deals with the order, and a credit-card dispute follows a payment process. The documents overlap, but the rules don't.
The focus here is U.S. consumer retail orders sent across borders. Commercial cargo may involve a bill of lading, insurance terms, and different governing law. This does not establish which maritime convention applies.
Identify who should answer your complaint
Pull up the order confirmation first. Note the promised shipping or delivery date, then contact the seller even if the tracking page points to the carrier. The seller may need to arrange a replacement, refund, or carrier investigation.
A carrier may restrict who can open a claim. Ask whether the sender, recipient, or account holder must file before you submit duplicate requests.
Turns out, the FTC rule answers a narrower question: when the seller must ship. Where the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Rule covers the sale, a seller generally must ship within the promised time or within 30 days if no shipping time was stated. If it cannot meet that commitment, it generally must seek consent to a delay or offer cancellation and a refund. See the FTC business guidance and the rule text.
That rule addresses the seller's shipping promise. It doesn't set a carrier's compensation limit or prove that a courier lost the parcel.
| Problem | Start with | Proof that helps |
|---|---|---|
| Seller never ships or ships late | Seller's order terms and, where applicable, the FTC shipping rule | Order confirmation, promised date, delay notice, and refund request |
| Carrier says delivered | Carrier's delivery record and the seller's delivery obligation | Full tracking history, proof of delivery, delivery photo or signature, and a statement that the parcel was not received |
| Parcel arrives damaged | Carrier claim instructions and seller remedy terms | Photos, packaging, labels, receipt, and a repair or replacement estimate |
| Charged but goods were not received | Seller complaint, then a credit-card billing-error process if applicable | Statement, order record, messages, tracking, and refund request |
Save proof before you argue
Save the original records before a tracking page changes. Screenshots help. Downloaded documents and original photos give you a better backup.
Build the basic file around these records:
- The order confirmation, product listing, promised date, shipping method, price, taxes, and shipping charge.
- The tracking number, carrier name, scans, delivery photo, signature record, customs notices, and exception messages.
- Photos of the outer package, shipping label, inner packaging, and damaged contents. Photograph the parcel before opening when possible.
- The receipt, card statement, declared value, insurance information, and any repair or replacement estimate.
- Every message with the seller, carrier, postal service, insurer, and payment provider, with the date of each contact.
Put all dates in one timeline. Include the time zone when a scan or delivery notice matters.
Proof of delivery, or POD, helps, but it's not magic. A signature, scan, or delivery photo shows what the carrier recorded; it may not prove that the right person received the right parcel in good condition. Compare the POD with the order address, delivery time, package label, and your own account.
Show what you paid and the value of the missing or damaged item. A declared value, carrier liability limit, and separate insurance policy may lead to different outcomes, so read the shipment terms before naming a dollar amount.
Match the evidence to the problem
A huge packet can still leave a hole. The useful packet connects the order, handoff, condition, and financial loss without a gap.
| Claim type | Focus your evidence on | A useful detail |
|---|---|---|
| Non-delivery | The promised delivery date, complete tracking history, and carrier investigation | Say whether the address was correct and whether anyone at the address accepted the parcel |
| Damage in transit | Condition at handoff, packaging, and the damage itself | Keep the box and packing materials until the carrier or insurer says they are no longer needed |
| Partial shipment | What the order contained and what actually arrived | Use the packing slip, package photos, and any item or weight information shown by the seller or carrier |
| Wrong item | The listing, invoice, item received, and requested remedy | Photograph the product and label before returning anything |
| Delay | The promised date, dispatch date, actual arrival, and delay notices | Separate a late delivery from extra losses that the contract or policy may not cover |
State uncertainty plainly. If you don't know who signed, say so.
Act quickly, but verify the deadline
No single international deadline covers every parcel. The carrier, postal service, seller, insurer, and payment method can each set a different clock. Don't borrow a random three-day rule from a blog.
- Preserve the record today. Download the order, tracking history, receipts, delivery record, and relevant messages. Photograph the package and contents.
- Notify the seller and transport provider promptly. State what happened and ask who must open the claim. Keep the confirmation number.
- Check the exact policy deadline. Look at the shipping receipt, carrier terms, postal product rules, insurance policy, and seller terms.
- Ask the seller for a specific remedy. Request a replacement, refund, or written explanation instead of sending repeated general complaints.
- Protect any payment deadline separately. If you paid by credit card, review the billing-error timing before waiting for a carrier investigation to finish.
Keep proof that you submitted the claim. A sent email, portal receipt, reference number, or dated letter can matter if the first request disappears.
USPS international mail uses its own process
USPS international mail has separate inquiry and claim routes. Its international inquiry guidance says customers must create an online inquiry within the applicable time limits for the product.
The USPS international claims guidance lists documents that may be required, including a mailing receipt or customs form for certain products. Check the entry for the actual service used. A domestic USPS deadline does not automatically become the international deadline.
Private carriers set their own forms, notice windows, declared-value rules, and insurance terms. Use the shipment receipt and the carrier's claim instructions, not only a general tracking page.
When a credit-card dispute may help
A credit-card dispute is a payment remedy, not a transport investigation. For a U.S. credit-card purchase, a charge for goods you never received may qualify as a billing error.
The FTC consumer guidance says to dispute the error in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing it was sent to you. The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue, then resolve it within two billing cycles and no more than 90 days.
During the investigation, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance or other charges. Pay the rest of the bill.
The CFPB billing-error regulation describes the investigation and resolution requirements. Send the issuer the order, statement, tracking history, seller correspondence, and refund request. Some credit-card issuers may extend the 60-day dispute period when a shipment is delayed, but ask the issuer rather than assuming an extension.
These are credit-card rules. Don't copy them to a debit card, prepaid card, ACH transfer, wire, or peer-to-peer payment without checking that provider's process and deadline. A card dispute also doesn't decide carrier liability or guarantee recovery of every claimed loss.
What a bill of lading and Incoterms can prove
Commercial shipping paperwork can clarify who handled the cargo. It won't answer every consumer-refund question.
Thing is, a bill of lading, or B/L, can record cargo details, routing, and carriage terms. An air waybill can do much the same for air freight. Neither document automatically proves final delivery, destination condition, or a consumer's right to a particular refund.
Incoterms allocate delivery tasks, costs, and risk within a contract. They do not create one global consumer claim deadline. A retail invoice may mention an Incoterm without giving you the full freight contract.
Depending on the route, contract, and governing law, Hague-Visby, the Rotterdam Rules, or another convention may apply to a commercial carriage dispute. Don't assume a universal three-day notice rule, or that digital records automatically place the claim under one convention. For high-value cargo, customs problems, or a disputed insurance claim, qualified professional advice may be worthwhile.
Send one clear written claim
Give each recipient enough detail to identify the shipment:
Subject: Missing or damaged shipment - order [number] - tracking [number]
State the promised date, what actually happened, the amount paid, the remedy requested, and the documents attached. A clear example is: "The order was marked delivered on [date], but it was not received at the delivery address. Please open an investigation, confirm the claim number, and explain the available refund or replacement process."
Keep the whole thread. The whole thread, not just the last reply.
To be honest, a long email isn't stronger than a clear one. Avoid accusations you cannot prove, conflicting dates, and edited photos that remove labels or damage.
Download the order confirmation and latest tracking record now. Put the promised date, delivery event, and amount paid in one timeline, then send the seller a written claim before a payment deadline passes.