In short
- There are three kinds of claim: the parcel is lost (no more scans), it arrived damaged, or the carrier says delivered and your customer has nothing. Each has its own deadline and its own paperwork.
- By default you have 7 days for damage and 30 days for lost or not received, counted from delivery or from the last scan. Several carriers give less. The app shows the real date per shipment.
- The deadline is absolute. One day late is a rejection, however good the claim. That is why the app flags a problem with the date attached.
- You supply a purchase invoice for the contents and a confirmation from your customer; for damage, six photos as well. The sales invoice and the claim form are generated from your order.
- Investigations take 5 to 30 days. An accepted claim is credited to your balance. One claim per shipment.
- What is paid out is the carrier’s liability, which differs by carrier, country and service — often per kilo or up to a cap. We are not an insurer and we do not promise an amount.
Out of every few hundred parcels, one goes wrong: it vanishes between two scans, it arrives dented, or it shows as delivered while your customer is on the phone saying nothing came. That is not a sign something is broken. It is the statistics of parcels. What separates a shop that gets its money back from one that does not is what happens the next day.
This article is the procedure: the three kinds, the deadlines, what you supply, how the investigation runs — and, honestly, what comes out of it and what does not. It ends with what to set up now so that a claim in three months succeeds instead of failing on a missing invoice.
Three kinds of claim, three clocks
Damage, by default, from delivery
7 days
Lost, by default, from the last scan
30 days
Not received, by default, from the delivery scan
30 days
| Kind | What is happening | Clock starts at | What you supply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lost | No more scans, or the carrier reports it missing | The carrier’s last scan | Purchase invoice for the contents, customer confirmation |
| Damaged | Your customer has the parcel; the contents are broken | Delivery | Purchase invoice, customer confirmation, six photos (box, packaging, damage) |
| Delivered but not received | The carrier says delivered; your customer has nothing | The delivery scan | Purchase invoice for the contents |
The deadline belongs to the carrier, and it does not bend
7 and 30 days are the defaults. Some carriers allow only a few days for damage or a week for a missing parcel, and the rule differs by country for the same brand. The app computes the real date per shipment and shows it next to the claim button. A claim filed one day late is rejected regardless of merit.
What to do, in order
Look at the tracking before you do anything
Two days without a scan is usually a parcel in transit; a week without one is not. The app marks a shipment that has gone quiet and names the date by which you must report it. That date is your only deadline.
Ask your customer for a confirmation
One sentence by e-mail is enough: "I have not received the parcel" or "the parcel arrived damaged". For damage, ask for photos at once: the box outside, the packaging inside, the damage itself, the label. Six photos is the carriers’ norm.
Find the purchase invoice for the contents
Carriers pay on what the contents cost you, not what your customer paid. No purchase invoice, no claim. This is where most claims fail — see the last section.
Open the claim on the order
Pick what happened: lost, damaged or not received. Everything else — shipment, label, sales invoice, form — is filled from your order. Attach your documents and start. One claim per shipment, and starting cannot be undone.
Wait for the investigation, and respond if asked
The claim is filed with the carrier within minutes. The investigation itself takes 5 to 30 days. If the carrier asks for more, the claim shows "action needed" and you hear about it in the app — answer quickly, because that has a clock too.
Sort out your customer separately
Your customer will not wait thirty days. Send a replacement or refund as soon as it is clear the parcel is not coming, and let the claim run its own course. It is your customer and your decision; the claim is the recovery of that decision, not the condition for it.
What comes out — and what does not
| Outcome | Meaning | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted | The carrier acknowledges the claim | The amount is credited to your balance when it arrives |
| Rejected | The carrier does not honour it; the reason is shown | Nothing. Usually: late, no purchase invoice, inadequate packaging |
| Action needed | Something is missing | Add it and resubmit, within the deadline |
| Failed | The claim could not be filed | The carrier’s message is shown; contact support |
On the amount: we do not promise one
What a carrier pays is its liability, and that differs by carrier, country and service: sometimes an amount per kilo, sometimes a cap per shipment, sometimes only the purchase value. We hold the shipment data and help you file correctly and on time. We are not an insurer. If you sell something whose purchase value is well above what a carrier pays by default, choose a service with additional cover or insure it yourself.
Where most claims fail
- Late. The customer mentioned it after a week, you spent another week finding the invoice, and the window closed. Report on the day you hear; you can add documents afterwards.
- No purchase invoice. A screenshot of your own product page is a selling price, not a purchase. Keep each product’s supplier invoice somewhere you can find in a minute.
- Too few photos for damage. The broken item alone is not enough; the carrier wants the box and the packaging to judge whether the parcel was packed properly.
- Packaging as the cause. A fragile product with no cushioning in an oversized box is, to the carrier, a packing error rather than damage. That is a conversation with your sender before the first batch.
- Two claims on one shipment. Not possible. Pick the kind that fits; if unsure between lost and not received, check whether there is a delivery scan.
What to set up now
- Purchase invoices per product in one place, findable in a minute.
- A template e-mail to your customer for "not received" and "damaged", with the photo request built in.
- A packaging agreement with your sender: which box, which cushioning, how to seal. Extra for fragile goods.
- Knowing what the carrier of your chosen service pays by default, and whether that covers your purchase value.
- Notifications on: the app tells you when a shipment goes quiet and the date by which to report it.
- Waiting for the customer to call again. The clock runs from the last scan, not from the moment you hear.
How an order normally runs, from creation to delivered, is in your first order without a warehouse, step by step. The mirror image — why a network with a ledger and a claims procedure is what a forwarding scam cannot imitate — is in is packing parcels from home a scam?. Everything a shop can do on the platform is summarised on /en/shops.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to claim for a lost parcel?
30 days from the carrier’s last scan by default, but some carriers allow considerably less. The app shows the real date per shipment next to the claim button.
And for a damaged parcel?
7 days from delivery by default; with some carriers only a few days. Ask your customer for photos the same day.
What do I need to supply?
A purchase invoice for the contents and a confirmation from your customer; for damage, six photos of the box, the packaging and the damage. The sales invoice and the claim form are generated from your order.
How long does the investigation take?
Usually 5 to 30 days after filing. You see the status in the app and are told when there is news or when something needs adding.
How much will I get back?
That is the carrier’s decision: by carrier, country and service, often per kilo or up to a cap, based on purchase value. We name no amount and are not an insurer. An accepted amount is credited to your balance.
What do I do about my customer while the claim runs?
Separately: send a replacement or refund as soon as it is clear the parcel is not coming. Your customer will not wait thirty days, and the claim recovers your decision rather than conditioning it.
Can I file two claims on one shipment?
No. One claim per shipment, and starting cannot be undone. Choose the kind that fits.
Sources
A claim is rarely rejected because the parcel was not lost. It is rejected because the invoice was not there, or the day had passed.
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