It can be a nightmare if a parcel you’ve sent or ordered has become lost. Whether it’s something fun, like a new dress, or something important, such as a piece of furniture that you’ve ordered for your new home, a lost parcel can be incredibly frustrating.
If you’ve ordered something online, the lost parcel will be the responsibility of the seller.
However, if you have sent the parcel yourself, the situation can be a little more complex.
If your parcel goes missing, it’s important not to panic. This guide tells you everything you need to know about missing parcels.
This includes what you should do in the case of a lost parcel.
In the case that you’ve ordered a parcel from a vendor, such as clothes from an online store, the seller is in charge of this parcel.
Thus, you shouldn’t contact the delivery service when a parcel does not arrive. Instead, you must inform the vendor.
They will be able to launch an investigation into the whereabouts of the parcel. This will likely involve contacting the delivery company.
This is great news because it means you won’t have to do much. All you need to do is inform them of the situation.
Thankfully, most online stores make it super simple to let them know when the parcel hasn’t arrived.
If the parcel had been lost in transit, you will likely be compensated in some form. Often, the amount that you are given will depend on the seller.
They may even offer to send you a replacement item. If no such compensation is offered, it is within your rights to demand compensation.
This investigation may result in your parcel being found, though this is not overly common.
If you have used a courier service to send a parcel and it has not arrived, you should be entitled to compensation.
Just bear in mind that different delivery services have different terms and conditions.
So before you send a parcel, you may want to consider these conditions before using a service.
At the very least, you should be compensated for the cost of the delivery. After all, the business was unable to perform its service.
The size of your compensation will be reliant on numerous factors, such as how long the parcel has been delayed.
If you have paid for any additional cover, like insurance, you will get more money back if the parcel has seemingly been lost.
We recommend that you invest in additional cover if you are sending something expensive. Otherwise, you can end up losing a lot of money if the parcel goes missing.
The best thing to do when a parcel you have sent has not arrived at its destination is to contact the customer service department of the postal company that you have used.
After explaining the situation to this department, the service will be able to review your claim and should eventually provide a refund.
If not, you may need to seek legal guidance. Hopefully, you won’t have to resort to this, as most customer service departments will happily refund you for any inconvenience.
You can’t always be at home to collect a parcel. After all, everyone has a busy life.
If you are not at home, couriers will often leave the parcel on your property so that you can pick it up when you arrive.
These couriers will often attempt to find a discreet location on your property, such as a well-covered bush.
On the other hand, they may simply leave the parcel on your doorstep, especially if they think that someone may be home to collect it.
Though this can be more convenient for the recipient, it can leave parcels vulnerable to theft.
When this happens, the courier may have sent evidence of the delivery, primarily a photograph, but you cannot find the parcel.
If this happens, your best bet will be to call the police on the non-emergency number (101 in the UK, 311 in the USA).
The police can investigate stolen packages, especially if they are valuable.
Just bear in mind that unless you have some form of evidence, such as a doorbell security camera, the police will have very little information to find your package.
As a result, you may not be able to reunite with your parcel. Yet, it is still worth spending the time and effort on informing the police.
After all, through some miracle, they might locate your parcel.
Not to mention, police officers can take steps to increase security in your neighbourhood and can warn people about the risk of parcel theft.
The best way to stop this from happening is to take preventative measures.
Security cameras and doorbell security are two simple techniques that you can utilize to better protect your home.
Moreover, most courier companies allow you to inform them of safe places on your property that can be used to store packages.
If there is a sheltered and secure part of your property, like an outhouse, you can list this as your secure location.
You can also opt for the parcel to be delivered to a neighbour. So if you have a trusted neighbour that is in during the hours of the day, it might be a good idea to use this service.
Just make sure that you let your neighbour know beforehand.
There are tons of different reasons why parcels may go missing.
Perhaps the main reason is that the address or accompanying barcode has been obscured, meaning that it can no longer be identified.
When this happens, the courier won’t know where to send the parcel.
Other than this, theft is a major reason why parcels go missing.
Plus, parcels can get misdelivered. If the parcel ends up in the wrong hands, it may not be returned, especially if it’s valuable.
Yes, lost packages can be found. Often, parcels simply turn up at the wrong address, meaning that they can be returned to the retailer and sent to the correct address a few weeks late.
However, in some cases, the situation is a little more complex. For instance, if a parcel hasn’t got a legible address, it will be returned to a warehouse with other parcels.
A claim can be made by the retailer to have the parcel returned. If parcels are not returned after a long time, they will often be auctioned.
As mentioned above, it is the responsibility of the retailer to refund an item that hasn’t arrived. Every company will have different returns policies and ways of starting a refund.
However, all you will have to do is contact a company’s customer service department. You can usually do this through email or by phoning the business.
No matter how vital the item is, it’s incredibly infuriating when parcels go missing. Fortunately, you should get your money back in the majority of cases.
So you don’t have to worry about losing both your parcel and your money!
Hi, my name is Andy Demar and I have been working in the postal industry for almost 15 years. I have seen and heard about it all - big packages, small parcels, suspicious boxes, difficulties with getting them from A to B.
