The number of products we buy online keeps increasing, and that means you may have more packages coming to your address. When something you ordered doesn’t show up, it can be very frustrating—and it can be expensive, too. Here’s what to do if that worst-case scenario happens.
Note that many retailers and postal services will act differently depending on whether your package was lost en route (obviously their fault) or marked as delivered and lost or stolen (which may or may not be their fault, depending on the details of what happened).
Here, we will focus on the previous situation, when the package has not yet arrived at your address. If you suspect it’s stolen instead, that’s usually a legal matter—and you’ll find that retailers and delivery companies will usually help with any investigation. There are ways you can try and minimize this from happening, such as using Amazon’s secure lockers for delivery.
However, it’s usually worth trying the lost package method even if you think it was delivered and might be stolen—some delivery companies will still be responsible in some cases, depending on what you ordered, how much, and how the delivery was recorded. . There are no clear guidelines on how your application will be handled, as it depends on many factors.
Check with the seller
If the seller has sent a package that hasn’t reached you, you’ll usually be able to make a refund or insurance claim with your postal partner, before sending your order to you—but there’s usually a waiting period before this happens.
It’s a good idea to contact the seller directly to see what your options are and their policies. In the end, you may have to endure a long delay before you actually get what you ordered—not ideal, but better than doing without the product you ordered entirely.
We cannot cover every single seller, but to take one example, Newegg asks that lost delivery issues be reported within a period of 15 days from the expected delivery date.
US Postal Service
If your package has gone through the US Postal Service, then you have a few options for tracking it—the first is to check the tracking status, if available. That should give you some clues as to where the item might be.
You’ve got two levels of promotion to try, which involve filling out forms. The first is to fill out a Request for Assistance Form, which will be forwarded to your local Post Office in an attempt to find the missing parcel. If you get nowhere with that, after seven days have passed, you can fill out a Lost Mail Search Request to get a comprehensive search done.
Whether or not you will be able to apply for a refund or receive an insurance claim will depend on the type of service used to send the package. You can also contact USPS customer service directly for additional assistance.
Amazon
Amazon will always give you an estimated delivery date and let you know when the packages are shipped – the company also recommends that you wait 48 hours after the estimated delivery slot to do anything about tracking down the item you ordered.
Then you need to do all the usual checks: Make sure the delivery address is correct, check with the neighbors to see if they accepted the delivery, and do a good hunt in your area to see if the missing package was left anywhere. .
If the package is marked as delivered but hasn’t arrived yet, or it just got lost somewhere along the way, you need to contact Amazon Customer Service within 30 days. The process of getting help and something else is usually straightforward.
FedEx
FedEx has an extensive and reasonably easy online portal for filing claims for missing packages. You need to provide general information: When the package was supposed to be delivered, what the tracking number is, a copy of the invoice for whatever you ordered, and so on.
The process is the same whether your package is lost, stolen, or otherwise missing—at least in terms of filing a claim, if not in how it’s processed. You have up to 60 days after the scheduled delivery date to file a claim.
You don’t need all the supporting information right away—you can add it later—so it’s best to file a claim as soon as possible. FedEx will keep you updated as your claim progresses, and you can log into the online portal at any time for an update.
UPS
UPS has an efficient claims process that you can use to track down a lost package and get a refund or replacement. You have a 60-day window after the scheduled delivery date to file a claim.
You will be asked to provide as much information as possible: Tracking numbers, item descriptions, delivery addresses, freight invoices, and more. Depending on the situation, it’s possible that whoever sent you the package is filing a claim with UPS on your behalf.
To get started, go to the contact page on the UPS website once 24 hours have passed after the expected delivery date. UPS says it takes an average of 10 days to process a lost package claim and issue any appropriate compensation.
This article was originally published on July 6, 2022.
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