Tracking says delivered but not received? What to do
If tracking says delivered but you haven't received the parcel, don't assume it's gone: "delivered" is a scan on the driver's handheld, not proof it reached you. Look for a photo or a name in the tracking, search the usual spots and give it a day. If it's still missing, go to the seller, not the carrier: in the UK and Ireland, a parcel bought from a business stays the seller's responsibility until you physically have it.
Why does it say delivered when there's no package?
Because "delivered" records where the driver left the parcel, not that you have it. Three things can explain it:
- It was scanned early. So yes, a parcel can say delivered before it arrives. Amazon warns that parcels "may be scanned as delivered before arrival", and Royal Mail mentions "a rare scanning error".
- It's somewhere you haven't looked. A neighbour, a safe place, a locker or a mailroom all count as delivered.
- It went astray. A wrong address on the order, the wrong door, or a thief.
Where each carrier may leave it:
| Carrier | Also counts as delivered |
|---|---|
| USPS | A parcel locker (key in your mailbox), building management, a porch, garage or back entrance, under a mat |
| Royal Mail | A neighbour, your chosen Safeplace, or the post room at work |
| Evri | A neighbour, or a Safe Place, which must not be "an exposed doorstep or otherwise in public view" |
| DPD UK | A neighbour, automatically if you're out, or a safe place you asked for |
| Canada Post | A parcel locker (key in your mailbox), a concierge or a mailroom |
| Australia Post | Someone who accepted it for you, or a safe place "under or behind something" |
Tracking never said delivered? See why tracking stops updating or what tracking statuses mean.
What to do, and where to report it
- Read the proofLook for a photo, who signed or a neighbour's name, and check the address on your order.
- Search the usual spotsAsk everyone at home. Check the letterbox, neighbours, porch, bins and mailroom, and look for a locker key or a card.
- Give it a dayAn extra day for Royal Mail, one postal business day for USPS, 48 hours for Amazon.
- Report it to the sellerGive the order and tracking numbers and what you checked. Ask for a trace, then a resend or refund.
- Open a case in timeOn a marketplace, before the window closes: 2 days on Vinted (14 from a Pro seller), 30 on eBay and Etsy.
- Then your cardIf nobody sorts it out, dispute the payment within your card issuer's time limit.
Who is responsible: the seller, the carrier or you?
If you bought from a business, deal with the seller: most carriers send recipients back to the sender anyway. Royal Mail puts it plainly: "If you're the recipient please contact the sender".
- SellerBooks and pays the carrier: it's the carrier's customer.
- CarrierAnswers to the seller, and usually pays only the sender.
- Your door"Delivered" is scanned. In the UK, Ireland and the EU, the risk stays with the seller until you hold it.
Your rights, country by country:
| Country | The rule |
|---|---|
| UK | Goods stay at the trader's risk until you, or someone you named, physically have them (Consumer Rights Act 2015, s. 29) |
| Ireland | The same (Consumer Rights Act 2022, s. 35). The CCPC adds that you can ask the business for evidence it delivered |
| US | No federal rule keeps the risk with the seller until you have it: under UCC § 2-509 it depends on the sale's terms. The FTC says charging for "insurance" implies a prompt reshipment or refund |
| Canada | In Ontario, if it hasn't come within 30 days of the promised date, you can ask for a refund |
| Australia | A business must supply in the time it indicated, or a reasonable time, or refund you. The seller deals with Australia Post or the courier, says Consumer Affairs Victoria |
It's on you instead when:
- You asked for it. Citizens Advice says a neighbour or safe place you requested, or agreed to in your account terms, isn't the seller's responsibility. Left somewhere you didn't agree to, it's still the seller's.
- You booked the carrier yourself, one the shop didn't offer (UK, Ireland, EU).
- You bought from a private person. Consumer rules don't apply: in UK law, handing the parcel to the carrier normally counts as delivery to you (Sale of Goods Act 1979, s. 32), so the platform's protection is what matters.
What proof of delivery can you ask for?
- A photo. Evri, DPD UK, Amazon and FedEx show one when the driver took one.
- A name or signature. Royal Mail asks if you "recognise the name of the person who accepted the item"; Canada Post's tracking shows who signed, if anyone did.
- Not a GPS pin. No carrier page we read offers coordinates as proof; USPS speaks of a recorded "delivery location".
If you dispute it, you may be asked to sign a statement: a "Denial of Receipt" at DPD UK, a "declaration of non-receipt" at Royal Mail.
How long do Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Vinted give you?
| Platform | What to do | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon, shipped by Amazon | Wait 48 hours, then contact Amazon | 30 days after the expected delivery date |
| Amazon, sold and shipped by another seller (A-to-z Guarantee) | Contact the seller; claim if it hasn't solved it within 48 hours | 90 days after the last possible delivery date |
| eBay | Report it; the seller has 3 business days, then ask eBay to step in | 30 days after the estimated or actual delivery date |
| Etsy | "Help with order", then open a case 48 hours later, once the estimated delivery date has passed | 30 days after the estimated delivery date |
| Vinted | "I have an issue" | 2 days after "delivered", or 14 days when the seller is a Vinted Pro seller |
Amazon lets you claim under A-to-z even when tracking shows delivery. On eBay, a delivered scan with a date and your postcode is proof enough below $750 (eBay.com) or £450 (eBay.co.uk), and a case can close itself on it.
But a chargeback ends the platform route: Amazon won't refund under A-to-z, eBay may close your case, and Etsy says "you won't be able to open a case".
Bought on AliExpress, Temu or Shein? Their deadlines are in tracking a parcel from China.
Can I claim from the carrier myself?
Sometimes, but compensation usually goes to the sender, so the seller is quicker.
| Carrier | What you can do | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| USPS | After one postal business day, send your local Post Office a service request. Insured items: you or the sender can claim, with the mailing receipt | Lost: from 15 days (7 for Priority Mail Express) to 60 days after mailing |
| UPS | File as a guest, unless the shipper blocked it or you let the driver release it. Payment goes to the shipper | Within 60 days of the scheduled delivery |
| FedEx | "Report Missing Package" in Manage Delivery, or file a claim yourself | Within 9 months of the shipment date |
| Royal Mail | Claim for 1st and 2nd Class, Signed For and Special Delivery (a sender's claim comes first). Tracked 24 and 48: the sender only | Within 80 days of posting |
| DPD UK | None: "only the contract holder can register a claim" | Not stated |
| Australia Post | Make an enquiry, with a free MyPost account | Domestic: from 10 business days after the expected date |
Is Canada Post liable for lost packages?
Only to the sender. You can start an inquiry too, within 90 days of shipping for a domestic parcel, but only senders are paid, so go to the seller.
Can I get my money back through my card or PayPal?
Often, as a last resort:
- US: dispute a credit card charge in writing within 60 days of the first statement showing it (Fair Credit Billing Act). The issuer may keep the charge if it finds the goods were "actually delivered, mailed, or otherwise sent". Debit cards protect you less, says the FTC.
- UK: Section 75 covers a single item over £100 and up to £30,000 bought on a credit card, but not usually through a marketplace like Amazon or eBay. Otherwise, ask for a chargeback. Open a PayPal dispute within 180 days of payment.
- Ireland: a chargeback, "up to 90-120 days" under card-scheme rules, says the CCPC. For €2,000 or less, there's also the small claims procedure.
- Australia: your card provider may reverse a credit card charge, though "time limits may apply" (ACCC).
Quick answers
Can Peek find my parcel?
No. Peek shows only what the carrier publishes and can't contact a carrier or file a claim. It does check up to every 2 minutes once a parcel is out for delivery and can ping you, so you reach the door soon after the "delivered" scan.
Should I report a stolen parcel to the police?
You can, though none of the rules above require it for a refund. Citizens Advice says the police may not recover the parcel, but a report is worth mentioning in a claim. In the US, report mail theft to the Postal Inspection Service: 1-877-876-2455.
Sources
- Royal Mail: Delivered but not received – extra day, name, sender
- Royal Mail: Compensation for loss – who claims, 80 days
- Citizens Advice: Claiming from Royal Mail – Tracked 24/48
- USPS: Where is my package? – business day, lockers
- USPS: Claims – 15 to 60 days
- UPS: File a claim – 60 days, guests, driver release
- FedEx: Delivered but missing – photo
- FedEx: Claims – 9 months
- Evri: Terms and conditions – Safe Place
- DPD UK: How can we help – neighbour, safe place
- DPD UK: FAQ – photo, Denial of Receipt, claims
- Canada Post: Missing but Delivered – lockers, sender paid
- Canada Post: Claims – 90 days
- Australia Post: Lost or late items – enquiries
- Amazon: Missing but delivered – 48 hours, 30 days
- Amazon: A-to-z Guarantee – 48 hours, 90 days, chargebacks
- eBay.com: Money Back Guarantee – $750, chargebacks
- eBay.co.uk: Money Back Guarantee – £450, 30 days
- Etsy: How to open a case – 48 hours, 30 days, chargebacks
- Vinted: Refund policy – 2 days
- Vinted: Parcel didn't arrive – 2 days, 14 days for Pro sellers
- Vinted: Parcel wasn't delivered – seller paid, cancelling
- EU Consumer Rights Directive, art. 20 – risk
- UK Consumer Rights Act 2015, s. 29 – risk
- UK Sale of Goods Act 1979, s. 32 – private sales
- Irish Consumer Rights Act 2022 – s. 35
- CCPC: Non-delivery of goods – evidence
- CCPC: Chargeback – 90 to 120 days
- Citizens Advice: Order not arrived – agreed places
- Citizens Advice: Card or PayPal – section 75
- Citizens Advice: Lost or delayed post – police
- FTC: Mail Order Rule – reshipping
- FTC: Billed for things you never got – 60 days
- Cornell LII: 15 U.S.C. § 1666 – goods sent
- Cornell LII: UCC § 2-509 – risk
- USPIS: Mail theft – reporting
- Ontario: Consumer Protection Act rights – 30 days
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Missing in transit – seller's job
- ACCC: Not receiving what you paid for – supply on time
- ACCC: Buying online – time limits