What to Do When a Package Is Lost or Damaged?

Receiving a package in poor condition, or not receiving it at all, is one of the most frustrating situations either a buyer or an online seller can experience. The good news is that most carriers have processes to resolve it, as long as you act quickly and with the right evidence.

This guide explains what to do in each scenario: a damaged package, a lost package, how to properly track your shipments, and what information you need to have ready before filing a claim.

What to do if your package arrives damaged?

The first thing is to act before the delivery driver leaves. You need to write on the delivery note that you received it "With Damage". The delivery driver can't refuse to let you record that note, and that detail can be key to your claim going through.

Once the package is in your hands, follow these steps:

1. Document the damage before opening the package

Take clear, detailed photos of the package's exterior condition before handling it. Capture all angles and make sure to include the complete shipping label, since it contains the tracking number, sender and recipient information, and the barcode, all of which are essential for the claim.

Afterward, open the package and also photograph the damaged product and the condition of the inner packaging (bubble wrap, foam, paper).

2. Contact the sender or the store

If you bought from an online store, your first point of contact should be the seller, not the carrier. Many businesses have internal processes to replace the product without you having to handle the claim directly with the shipping carrier.

Provide: order number, photos of the damage, delivery date, and a brief description of what happened.

3. Contact the carrier if the sender doesn't respond

If the seller doesn't provide a solution or you need to escalate the case directly, contact the carrier that handled the shipment. Each carrier has its own process, but they all agree on one point: you need to report the damage as soon as possible. Most accept claims for visible damage within the first 24 to 72 hours after delivery.

Have the tracking number, the photos, and any document supporting the product's value ready.

4. Keep the package and its contents

Don't throw away the package, the inner packaging, or the damaged product. The carrier may request a physical inspection before approving the claim.

5. Check whether the shipment had insurance

Some services include basic insurance that covers losses or damage up to a certain value. If you purchased additional insurance, gather the documents needed to file the coverage claim.

Tip: Don't delay filing the claim. If you take too long, the carrier can reject the case for exceeding its internal reporting deadline.

What to do if your package is lost?

A package isn't officially considered lost until the carrier is notified. Before assuming it's lost, carefully check the tracking status.

First: check the tracking status in detail

Some situations that seem like a loss have simple explanations:

• The package shows as "delivered" but you haven't received it: check whether someone else received it, whether it's in a nearby spot where the driver left it, or whether there's a recorded delivery attempt that requires action on your part.
• Tracking hasn't updated in several days: this could be an operational delay, especially during high-demand seasons.

In either case, the first step is to contact the carrier and provide as much information as possible about the shipment:

• Packaging method and type.
• Package size and color.
• Visible physical characteristics (labels, seals, marks).
• Package contents.
• Tracking number.

If you use a shipping platform, use it as your point of contact

If you generated the label through a multicarrier platform, contact it directly and provide the tracking number. These platforms can handle the search with the carrier and speed up the location or claims process, without you having to contact each carrier directly.

How to properly track your orders

Good tracking reduces uncertainty and lets you catch problems before they escalate. Here are the best practices:

• Turn on automatic shipment notifications from the moment you generate the label. Many platforms offer email or WhatsApp alerts for every status change.
• Check tracking regularly, especially if the package has gone more than 24 hours without updates.
• Share the tracking number with your customer immediately upon dispatch. This reduces support messages and improves the shopping experience.
• Identify alert statuses: a package marked "with an issue," "incorrect address," or "failed delivery attempt" requires immediate action on your part.

Tip: Keeping a record of the label numbers for each order lets you resolve any issue faster and with less effort. Use a control spreadsheet or the history section of your shipping platform.

Checklist for filing a claim for a lost or damaged package

Before contacting the carrier or the seller, make sure you have this information ready:

• Shipment tracking number.
• Order number or proof of purchase.
• Shipping date and estimated delivery date.
• Photos of the sealed package: length, width, and height with a visible measuring tape and legible measurement.
• Photo of the label attached to the package, with the complete barcode and legible information.
• Photos of the damaged product and the inner packaging, if applicable.
• Description of the contents and declared value of the package.
• Record of prior communications: emails, chats, or calls with the seller or the carrier.

Important: many carriers have a deadline for filing claims. That deadline varies by carrier and type of issue, but generally ranges from 24 hours for visible damage to 30 days for lost packages. Act within that period, or you'll lose your right to file a claim.

How Envia.com helps you manage issues

Managing an issue manually — contacting each carrier separately, looking up shipment data across different platforms, tracking without a centralized history — multiplies both the time and the chances of error.

Envia.com centralizes the tracking of all your shipments in a single dashboard, regardless of the carrier you used. From there, you can see the status of every order in real time, detect active issues, and open support tickets directly from the platform, with all the shipment information already available. That means less time solving problems and more time running your business.