Identify the problem before filing a claim
If tracking says delivered and the parcel is missing, check the delivery before calling it theft. Start with the address.
Save the tracking record, delivery photo, and order details. Then check likely drop-off spots and contact the seller or marketplace and the carrier. No single piece of evidence guarantees a refund.
A missing shipment may be late, misdelivered, or taken after a correct delivery. Those situations can trigger different reviews, because the seller handles the purchase remedy, the carrier handles its delivery investigation or eligible shipping claim, and the card issuer handles a separate payment review.
This is practical U.S. consumer information, not legal advice.
Start with the rule that fits your situation
First separate the purchase problem from the delivery investigation. Turns out, one review does not decide the other.
| Situation | Start here | What the evidence can show |
|---|---|---|
| Marked delivered, but nothing is found | Check every likely delivery location, then contact the seller and carrier | A scan error, delay, or misdelivery is possible; theft is not yet established |
| Delivery photo or location does not match | Contact the seller or marketplace and the carrier | Supports a nonreceipt or misdelivery complaint |
| Video shows someone taking the parcel | Use the seller's theft or nonreceipt process and ask the carrier to investigate | Supports a theft report, but does not set the refund amount or guarantee coverage |
| Merchant refuses to resolve the issue and you paid by credit card | Use the issuer's written billing-dispute process | Starts a separate payment review; it is not the same as a police or carrier claim |
Build a small evidence file
Keep the records together. Name one folder with the order number and save:
- The tracking history, including the status, date, time, tracking number, and delivery photo.
- The order confirmation, seller name, item price, receipt, or invoice.
- Photos of the actual delivery area and any difference from the carrier's image.
- The original security-video export, plus an untouched copy kept separately.
- Notes showing which doors, mailrooms, lockers, neighbors, or building staff you checked.
- A police report number or factual witness account, if you made a report or someone saw what happened.
Write a time-ordered account while the details are fresh: when you ordered, when the carrier marked it delivered, where you looked, who you contacted, and what support said. It can sound a little repetitive. The dates and facts just need to match.
Keep the original video. If you shorten a clip or blur unrelated people, retain the unedited file too. A police report records an allegation and may help an insurer or investigator; it does not decide who owes you money.
Check for a delivery mix-up
Follow the driver's likely route before you describe the parcel as stolen. Check the side door, garage, mailbox, leasing office, front desk, package room, and nearby neighbors. Confirm that someone in your household did not bring it inside.
Also check whether the order was split into multiple shipments. A delivery photo should be compared with your actual entrance, not merely with the street address.
If the photo shows another door, or the timestamp does not fit, describe the problem as a possible misdelivery. Some parcels turn up later, but there is no single waiting period for every seller and carrier. Use the support instructions attached to the exact order and move promptly.
File the report in the right order
Use one consistent account across every channel. If you first report a wrong-door delivery and later report theft, explain what you learned rather than silently changing the story.
- Contact the seller or marketplace. Use the order page or official support channel. Provide the order number, tracking status, delivery date and time, the locations you checked, and the outcome you want: an investigation, replacement, or refund. If a third-party seller handled the order, keep the marketplace message record too.
- Ask the carrier to investigate. Start with the tracking page or official carrier support. Ask whether the delivery photo and scan location match the address, whether the package can be traced, and who may file a formal claim. The sender or shipping-account holder may control some claim steps.
- Report suspected theft when the facts support it. Use your local non-emergency police channel if the evidence points to theft or an insurer requires a report. Keep the case number. Don't accuse a named person without firsthand evidence.
- Send a compact evidence packet. Include one timeline, the tracking record, the delivery image, relevant photos or video, and proof of value. Scattered messages are harder to review.
- Follow up in writing. Save case numbers, dates, names, and decisions. If the claim is denied, ask which policy was applied, what evidence was missing, and whether an appeal or second review is available.
- Use the payment process only when it fits. Credit cards may offer a billing-error route. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, payment apps, and wires follow different procedures.
USPS, Amazon, FedEx, and UPS do not use one theft rule
A search result claiming that every carrier gives 60 or 90 days is too broad. The deadline can depend on the service, type of loss, mailing or delivery date, seller, and person who bought the shipping label.
| Service | Practical starting point | Limit to verify |
|---|---|---|
| USPS | Check tracking, use the Missing Mail tool when the item qualifies, and review the claims process for an eligible loss | The USPS claims page says the listed domestic claims for damage or missing contents must be filed no later than 60 days after mailing. An appeal generally has a 30-day window, and a second appeal after an appeal denial also has a 30-day window. This does not automatically make every stolen-after-delivery parcel an insured claim. |
| Amazon | Open the exact order, review the delivery details, identify the seller and fulfillment path, and use the order's Help route | Don't assume a universal 30-day rule or automatic refund. The order record, delivery information, seller, and account circumstances can affect the review. |
| FedEx | Check the delivery image and location, then request a trace or missing-package investigation through the shipment's support flow | Claim deadlines and the person allowed to file can depend on the shipment and service. Confirm them in the current carrier process. |
| UPS | Review tracking and delivery details, notify the seller or shipper, and use the available claims or support route | A recipient may not always be able to file directly. Ask who owns the claim and what proof is required. A police report does not by itself compel payment. |
USPS separates a Missing Mail search from a compensation claim. For mailpieces that qualify, the USPS Missing Mail FAQ says the earliest request can be seven days after mailing and the latest can be 365 days after mailing, depending on the mailpiece.
A search may help locate an item. It is not a finding that USPS owes you money. USPS says it usually sends claims decisions within 5-10 days.
When a credit card dispute may fit
If the seller has not resolved a merchandise-not-received problem, a credit card billing-error process may be available. The FTC's billing-error guidance says to dispute the charge in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.
The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days, unless it has already resolved the issue. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles and no later than 90 days. During the investigation, you do not have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges.
Use the issuer's written-dispute instructions. Keep proof that you submitted the notice. Describe the facts accurately: if you authorized the purchase, don't call it an unauthorized transaction. Say that the merchandise was not received and include the seller's response.
To be honest, a card dispute is not a shortcut around evidence. Some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed, but the federal timing rule does not automatically apply to debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH payments, payment apps, or wire transfers.
If the seller or carrier denies the claim
Ask for the denial in writing. Request the policy section used and the evidence the company relied on.
Start with the seller's appeal or supervisor process. If you paid by credit card, give the issuer your order record, delivery evidence, seller messages, and any police report number. Keep the description consistent.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint form can help if a credit card issuer or another covered financial company mishandles your complaint. Companies generally respond within 15 days, and you can review the response and provide feedback within 60 days. The CFPB is a complaint and response channel, not a general carrier desk or guaranteed package-reimbursement program.
Reduce the odds of another disputed delivery
Choose a delivery method that removes the parcel from an unattended porch. A locker, hold, or pickup location can protect expensive items, though it requires an extra trip or may not be available. Signature service creates a clearer handoff record, but someone must be there.
A building desk or package room keeps deliveries away from a public entrance. Access and responsibility vary by building. A security camera can show the delivery, misdelivery, or theft timeline, but it needs power, storage, and a usable timestamp.
Use specific delivery instructions. Pick a locker or signature option for items you cannot afford to lose.
Thing is, the prevention choice has to be one you'll actually use. Removing a high-value package from an unattended porch is often easier than building a dispute file afterward.
Your next move
Download the tracking page and delivery image today. Write a short, time-ordered account, then submit it through the seller's official order channel. Keep every case number and response in one folder.
If the facts fit a credit card merchandise-not-received dispute, check the first statement containing the charge and send the written dispute before the 60-day window closes.