Missing Package
A missing package falls into two situations: it's marked delivered but you can't find it, or it never arrived and tracking has gone quiet. The right steps are different for each.
Here's how to handle both.
If it's marked delivered but missing
Carriers sometimes scan a package as delivered before it actually arrives, or leave it somewhere unexpected. Before filing anything:
- Check around your property — porch, side door, garage, bushes, mailbox.
- Ask household members and neighbors.
- Look for a notice card; it may be at a pickup location.
- Wait 24 hours — packages marked delivered sometimes show up the next day.
If it never arrived
If tracking stalled and the package never came, treat it as stuck or lost and escalate to the carrier and seller.
What you can do
- 1Search your property and ask neighbors first.
- 2Review the tracking for the last known scan and the delivery scan location.
- 3Contact the carrier to open a missing-package case.
- 4Contact the seller or marketplace for a refund or replacement — they're responsible for delivery.
- 5File a claim if the shipment was insured.
When to contact the carrier
If a package marked delivered hasn't appeared within 24 hours, contact the carrier and the seller. For a package that never arrived, escalate after 48 hours of no movement (or 7 days for likely-lost mail).
Questions & answers
My package says delivered but it's not here. What now?
Check around your property and with neighbors, then wait 24 hours — carriers sometimes scan early. If it still hasn't appeared, contact the carrier to report it and the seller for a refund or replacement.
Who is responsible for a lost package — the carrier or the seller?
As the buyer, your contract is with the seller, so start there for a refund or replacement. The seller (or carrier, if you shipped it) handles claims with the carrier.