What to do if a parcel arrives damaged, and how to claim
If a parcel arrives damaged, photograph it before you unpack any further, keep the box and everything in it, and tell the seller the same day. If you bought from a business in the UK, Ireland or the EU, the seller owes you an item in good condition, and claiming from the carrier is their job. If the box is already crushed, torn or wet at the door, you can usually refuse it.
What to do if a parcel arrives damaged
- Look before you signCheck the outside in front of the driver: crushed corners, holes, tears, wet patches, opened or re-taped seals, a rattle.
- Refuse it or note itIf the damage has probably reached what's inside, refuse the parcel, or accept it and, where the driver can, have the damage recorded. On eBay, accept it and report it.
- Photograph everythingEvery side of the box, the label with the tracking number, the packing inside and the damaged item.
- Keep it allKeep the box, padding and broken item until the claim is settled.
- Tell the seller todaySend the photos with your order number. On a marketplace, open a case in the app before its window closes.
- Leave the carrier to the sellerClaim from the carrier yourself only if you sent the parcel, booked the carrier, or the carrier pays recipients.
Damage found after unpacking counts too: report it at once.
What happens if your parcel is damaged: who is responsible?
If you bought from a business, the seller is. In the UK, Ireland and the EU, the parcel travels at the seller's risk until you hold it (who bears the risk until delivery has the details). A broken item is faulty, so you're owed a repair, a replacement or a refund.
| Country | Your rights against the seller |
|---|---|
| UK | Goods must be of "satisfactory quality", including "appearance and finish". You can reject a faulty item for a full refund within 30 days (Consumer Rights Act 2015, ss. 9 and 22) |
| Ireland | "If your parcel is damaged or lost in transit, the business should replace the product," says the CCPC. You can ask for a full refund if you tell the business within 30 days of delivery |
| US | No federal rule: under UCC § 2-509 the sale's terms decide who bears the risk in transit, so read the shop's policy. A card dispute is the fallback (below) |
| Canada | Consumer law is provincial. Canada Post tells recipients to "inform the sender", and only the sender can be refunded |
| Australia | A damaged item may fail the consumer guarantee of acceptable quality. "The store or seller is responsible for resolving any issues with Australia Post or a courier company," says Consumer Affairs Victoria |
It's different in three cases:
- You booked the carrier yourself, one the shop didn't offer: the carrier answers to you (CCPC, Ireland).
- You bought from a private person: consumer law doesn't apply, so the platform's protection is what helps.
- You arranged your own delivery on eBay, through a courier pickup or a forwarding service: eBay doesn't cover damage in transit then.
How to claim for a damaged parcel from the carrier
Most carriers deal only with the sender, so your claim usually goes through the seller. For a parcel that never came, see how to claim for a lost parcel.
| Carrier | Who can claim | Deadline for damage | Paid without extra cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Sender or recipient, insured items only | 60 days after mailing | Nothing if uninsured |
| UPS | Shipper; recipient as a guest unless the shipper blocks it | 60 days after the scheduled delivery | – (paid to the shipper) |
| FedEx (US) | Shipper or recipient | 60 calendar days after shipment (21 international) | – |
| Royal Mail | Sender or recipient; Tracked 24 and 48: sender only | 80 days after posting; 30 for Tracked 24 and 48 | Up to £20 (1st, 2nd Class, Signed For), £75 (Tracked 24 and 48) |
| Evri | Sender | 28 days after the order (binding on business senders) | Up to £20 |
| DPD UK | Sender | 14 days after despatch | Up to £100 |
| An Post, business senders | Sender | 30 days after posting | Nothing for standard parcels |
| Canada Post | Sender | 90 days after shipping within Canada | Insured value and postage |
| Australia Post | Recipient, in person at a Post Office | 6 months after posting | Up to A$100 plus postage |
Many carriers on the Continent give about a week from delivery: 7 days at DHL Paket in Germany, 8 at Swiss Post.
How to claim for a damaged parcel from Royal Mail
Sender or recipient can claim, but the sender's claim comes first and only one of you is paid. You need photos of how the parcel looked on arrival, and the packaging with its postmark proves posting.
Royal Mail pays the repair cost or the item's value for damage that "reasonably impairs the material function or contents", and answers within 30 days. If you disagree, Citizens Advice points to the Postal Review Panel, then POSTRS, an independent scheme.
How to claim for a damaged package from USPS
Only if it was insured, as Priority Mail Express and other insured mail are. "USPS may not legally pay compensation for uninsured lost or damaged articles." Sender or recipient can file within 60 days of mailing, and you may have to show the parcel at a Post Office.
What can I do if the post office damaged my parcel?
Tell the seller first: most posts pay only the sender. Royal Mail and insured USPS mail are the exceptions.
Australia Post works the other way round. Take the item and its packaging to a Post Office for a damage report and leave them there. For a parcel sent within Australia, the recipient is usually the one paid.
Is UPS responsible for damaged packages, and how do you claim?
Yes, to the shipper, and it pays the shipper. You can file as a guest within 60 days of the scheduled delivery, unless the shipper blocks it.
Can you refuse a damaged parcel?
Usually, yes, at the door or the pickup counter. The parcel goes back to the sender, who deals with the carrier, and a shop still owes you a sound item or your money back. Its trip back is in returned to sender.
Refuse when the damage has probably reached the contents: crushed, holed, soaked or opened. A scuffed corner on an intact box isn't worth the delay, and Royal Mail doesn't pay for "cosmetic damage to the envelope or packaging".
eBay is the exception: its Money Back Guarantee covers a refused parcel only if postage was owing. For a damaged one, eBay says to accept it and report that the item doesn't match the listing.
How long do you have to refuse a parcel?
Only until you take it; after that, report the damage. Peek can notify you when the carrier reports the parcel out for delivery, so you can be in to check the box.
What if I already signed for it?
In the UK, Ireland and the EU you keep your rights against a shop. In the UK, US, Canada and Australia, the main carriers describe no "accept with reservations" step: you photograph the damage and report it.
In much of Europe, a signature without remarks lets the carrier presume the parcel arrived intact, so drivers let you note the damage on the delivery note or their handheld. That protects the seller's claim against the carrier, not your rights: French law says a missing remark doesn't free the shop from delivering a conforming item.
Switzerland is stricter. Swiss Post says accepting a parcel without reservation ends claims against it, except for damage not visible from outside, reported within 8 days.
What photos do you need of a damaged parcel?
UPS asks for three, and they work for any carrier or shop:
- The damaged item, and how it was packed inside the box.
- A close-up of the label with the tracking number.
- The outside of the box, showing the damage.
Vinted also wants every side of the packaging; USPS wants a repair estimate. Add your invoice to prove what the item was worth.
Keep everything. USPS says: "Do not throw out damaged items, even after you photograph them." Royal Mail may not pay if it can't inspect the packaging and contents, and Canada Post may ask you to send the item in.
How long do you have to report a damaged parcel?
The same day if you can: the seller has only days or weeks to claim from the carrier. Platforms set their own limits:
| Where you bought | Report within |
|---|---|
| Vinted | 2 days after Vinted says the order should have arrived, or 14 from a Pro seller |
| eBay | 30 days after the estimated or actual delivery date |
| A shop, UK or Ireland | 30 days to reject a faulty item for a full refund |
If Vinted confirms damage in transit, you get a full refund, usually without sending the item back.
On eBay, send it back with the seller's prepaid label for a full refund including postage, or agree a partial refund or a replacement.
If the seller won't help, a card dispute may. In the US, your written dispute must reach the card issuer within 60 days of the first statement showing the charge. Elsewhere, see card and PayPal disputes.
Sources
- UPS: File a claim – 60 days, guests, photos
- USPS: File a claim – insured items, 60 days
- FedEx: Claims – 60 and 21 days
- Royal Mail: Compensation for damage – 80 and 30 days, cosmetic damage
- Citizens Advice: Claiming from Royal Mail – who claims, limits
- Citizens Advice: Damaged, lost or delayed post – seller first, POSTRS
- Evri: Terms and conditions – 28 days, £20
- DPD UK: Standard Terms and Conditions of Carriage – 14 days, £100
- An Post: Non-USO parcels terms – sender, 30 days
- Canada Post: Damage claims – sender only, 90 days
- Australia Post: Compensation – damage report, $100
- Swiss Post: Beschädigung oder Verlust – 8 days after delivery
- Swiss Post: General terms – reservations
- DHL: Damaged contents – 7 days
- UK Consumer Rights Act 2015, s. 9 – satisfactory quality
- UK Consumer Rights Act 2015, s. 22 – 30 days
- CCPC: Non-delivery of goods – damaged in transit
- CCPC: Faulty goods FAQs – 30 days
- Cornell LII: UCC § 2-509 – risk
- Cornell LII: 15 U.S.C. § 1666 – 60 days
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Damaged in transit – acceptable quality
- Service-public: Delivery of goods – remarks on receipt
- Légifrance: Code de la consommation, L216-1 to L216-8 – art. L216-5, reservations
- Vinted: Parcel damaged in transit – 2 or 14 days, photos
- Vinted: Refund policy – full refund
- eBay: Money Back Guarantee – 30 days, own delivery, refused parcels