What to Do in Case Your Amazon Package Is Not Received

What Constitutes a Missing Amazon Package?

Amazon defines a missing package as any package that shows as delivered in Amazon’s order history but doesn’t get shipped within 48 hours of the day it gets marked as delivered.

Additionally, any package that doesn’t get delivered within 48 hours of its expected delivery date, with no notice of delivery attempt or revised delivery date, is eligible for a ticket.

What Is the Expected Delivery Time for Amazon Packages?

The expected delivery time for Amazon packages depends on factors such as the shipping destination, the shipping option, the product type, Amazon Prime membership, and whether the package is shipped by a third-party seller or Amazon itself.

Considering all these factors, the estimated delivery date will range from between 2 and 10 days, with some exceptions for same-day and longer international deliveries.

Amazon Logistics delivers every day, although some areas don’t have delivery on Saturdays and Sundays. You can expect your package to arrive at any time between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

However, deliveries in densely-populated areas occur earlier, and the opposite is true for less-populated areas. The driver won’t knock outside of regular waking hours, or if stated as such in the delivery instructions.

When the package doesn’t have a guaranteed delivery date, Amazon’s tracking will approximate a date of delivery, which will update in real-time in case the transit goes faster or slower than expected.

You can see the expected delivery date by looking at the list of your orders.

If the package still hasn’t arrived by the estimated date and a new one hasn’t been set yet, there’s no need to panic.

Amazon leaves the possibility of unregistered delays of up to 48 hours, so always leave some time before deciding to report a missing package.

What Are All the Possible Missing Package Situations?

We can identify the three most common types of missing package situations, with each one requiring a different solution. They are:

• The package is displayed as delivered but hasn’t arrived
• The shipment arrived only partially, with missing items
• The package is over 48 hours overdue

Now, let’s cover each of these cases, along with detailed instructions on how to proceed.

Amazon Package Is Missing But Shows as Delivered

This may indicate package theft, either by the delivery person or by porch pirates who picked it up off the drop-off point in front of your home.

Still, before assuming the worst, there are a few steps you can take to check if your package was, in fact, successfully delivered or just stuck in transit.

1. Confirm your shipping address

There’s a chance that your package might’ve been delivered to someone else due to a wrong address.

Carefully check the address you entered in your package order by looking at your order history. If the address is indeed wrong, make sure to change it for future orders.

2. Check if any delivery attempts were made

The delivery service might have left a notice letting you know that they made an unsuccessful delivery attempt.

Check your Amazon inbox or your physical mailbox for any message notifying you when another delivery attempt will be made, or if the parcel was left at a post office or another drop-off point.

3. Take a careful look around the delivery location

Your package may indeed be at the requested delivery location, but in a place that you may have not checked. Take a good look at all mailboxes, the porch, and even the windowsills.

4. Ask your neighbors

A neighbor may have accepted your package while you weren’t home. If this is the case, the delivery service should leave a calling card with the person’s address and contact details, instructing you to collect it from there.

5. Wait 48 hours

Sometimes, the package gets accidentally marked as delivered while still in transit. In this case, it shouldn’t take longer than 48 hours for it to arrive.

6. Contact the carrier

The carrier could have more up-to-date information on their own tracking tool or you could directly contact them and enquire about your package using the package tracking number.

Here’s a list of US and international carriers commonly used by Amazon, along with their phone numbers.

If none of these steps help you discover the whereabouts of your package, it may be time to file a missing package claim. In case of missing packages, Amazon guarantees a full refund or a replacement delivery.

If your order was shipped by Amazon, contact Amazon customer services through the dedicated customer service section on the Amazon website or use an alternative method if it’s more convenient. The deadline is within 30 days of the expected delivery.

For orders shipped by a third-party seller, it’s best to contact them directly.

An Amazon Shipment Is Incomplete and Parts Are Missing

Sometimes, shipments can be separated into two or more packages and shipped separately, especially when certain items require special care.

However, this also increases the risk of losing one or more of the packages along the way.

As such, if you receive only a part of your shipment, the most likely explanation is that some of the packages went missing during transit.

When faced with this issue, it’s best to follow these steps:

1. Double-check to confirm that there’s a missing item: Check the product packaging, documentation, and any information you can find on the internet to confirm that the product is indeed incomplete.
2. Check your order history to see if the shipment was separated: Your order history should show if the shipment was separated into two or more packages and sent separately.
3. Find tracking information for your missing package: Selecting Track Package for the missing part of your shipment should show you Amazon’s latest tracking information. You can also use the carrier’s own tracking service.

If the missing package is over 48 hours overdue and shown as delivered or undeliverable, you may contact Amazon’s customer service to seek a replacement or refund for the whole product.

In case the shipment was sent by a third-party seller, you should contact them directly.

Amazon Package Is Over 48 Hours Overdue Yet Still Missing

Your package may arrive later than the estimated delivery date for several reasons.

Most of the time, it’s due to incorrect information, extreme weather, customs procedures, or other delivery issues. In rare cases, the package may be lost in transit.

If your package is undeliverable due to factors beyond your control, Amazon will give you a refund or a replacement delivery.

Also, if your package misses the guaranteed delivery date, Amazon will offer you a special late delivery refund.

Still, before contacting customer service to report a missing package and ask for a refund, make sure that you’ve provided all the right delivery and payment details:

1. Check if you entered the correct delivery address: A faulty address can cause delays, especially if it makes it difficult for the couriers to locate it. In case you made a mistake, update the address immediately.
2. Check payment processing: You can check your order history to see if your payment has been properly processed. If it registers an error, there may be an issue with your bank, card, or payment service provider that you’ll need to deal with.
3. Confirm the estimated delivery date: Use Amazon’s tracking service to see if the carrier updated the estimated delivery date to account for the delay.

In case you’re in the clear, you can contact customer service, report a missing package, and see if it’s possible to receive it. If not, you’re eligible for a refund or a replacement delivery.

Remember that third-party sellers have their own terms of service, which are different from Amazon’s, so you’ll need to contact them directly to see if you can get a refund.

Wrapping Up

Dealing with missing Amazon packages can be an incredibly frustrating experience.

But, familiarizing yourself with the reasons why your package may disappear or get stuck in transit, as well as knowing how to best deal with Amazon customer service, help you protect your purchases and ensure your Amazon orders arrive safe and sound.

Even in unfortunate cases when your package is lost for good, the information presented here will help you learn when you’re eligible for a refund so you can recover your money with zero issues.