Marked as Delivered but Not Received: How to Reply to the Customer

The tracking says delivered. The customer says nothing arrived. In most cases both are telling the truth: the parcel is behind a bin, with a neighbour, at the wrong door on the right street or scanned early by a driver finishing a round. A small share are theft from the doorstep. A very small share are customers trying it on. You cannot tell which from one email. That is why the first reply has to work for all three.

The ten minute check before you reply

Do these four things first. They take less time than a careful email and they decide what the email says.

1. Open the proof of delivery. Most couriers attach a photo, a signature or a GPS pin. A photo of a door that is plainly not the customer's door settles it in one look.
2. Read the address on the label, not the order. A missing flat number or a postcode typed wrong at checkout explains half of these.
3. Look for a safe place note. "Left in porch", "left with number 14" and "handed to resident" are all in the tracking detail if you click through.
4. Check the time of the scan. A delivered scan at 7.40 in the evening with the parcel arriving the next morning is common. Drivers scan the whole van at the last stop.

The shape of the reply

The customer wrote to you half expecting an argument. The first line ends that. Then say what you checked so they know a person looked. Then give the plan: a short wait with a named date, because most of these parcels appear within two days, followed by a reship or a refund without any more proof. Our where is my order templates cover the parcels that are still moving. This guide is for the one that has stopped.

Three emails, in order

The sentence to leave out

"The courier says it was delivered." It is true and it is the worst sentence you can send. The customer reads it as "we think you have it". An honest customer is insulted. A dishonest one is not deterred. It also commits you to nothing. If you want to mention the scan, say it as something you checked on their behalf, the way template one does. The same goes for asking the customer to contact the courier themselves. The contract with the courier is yours. In the UK and the EU the parcel is your responsibility until it is in the customer's hands.

When the same customer claims twice

Reship the first time without fuss. It is cheaper than the dispute and nearly always deserved. On a second claim from the same address, keep the same warm tone and change the method: signature on delivery, a pickup point or a photo of the parcel in their hands. For a high value order it is reasonable to ask the customer to report the theft, because your courier claim may need the reference. Say that as the reason. Our guide to declining a refund covers the rare case where the answer has to be no.

Common questions

Who pays when a parcel is marked delivered but the customer does not have it?

The store does, at first. In the UK and the EU the goods are the seller's risk until the customer has them. Reship or refund the customer, then claim the cost back from the courier using the trace you opened on day one. Do not make the customer wait for the result of your claim.

How long should I wait before sending a replacement?

Two working days from the delivered scan. Most misdelivered and early-scanned parcels appear inside that window. Tell the customer the exact day you will act and write to them first on that day.

Should I ask the customer for a police report?

Only for a high value order or a repeat claim. Even then, state the reason: the courier or your insurer needs the reference. As a first reply to an ordinary order it reads as an accusation and costs more in goodwill than the parcel is worth.

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