You can usually get a refund for a stolen package, and for most orders the fastest path is asking the seller before anyone else. If the seller won’t help, federal law lets you dispute the charge with your credit card company, and carrier claims, purchase protection, and homeowners insurance sit behind that as backups. What decides whether you actually recover the money is timing: several of the deadlines start ticking the day tracking shows “delivered,” and missing them can cost you the claim.
Start With the Seller
Your first call goes to the retailer, not the shipping company. The seller chose the carrier, paid for the label, and has a business relationship with that carrier you don’t have. Most large online retailers voluntarily accept responsibility for stolen packages through their return policies or guarantees, because keeping a customer matters more to them than winning an argument over a $40 order. The FTC also advises consumers to contact the seller first and notes that most businesses will work with you to resolve the problem.1Federal Trade Commission. What to Do If Your Online Order Never Arrives
Before you call, wait at least one full business day after the “delivered” scan. Packages sometimes get scanned early, end up at a side door, or sit with a neighbor. USPS recommends that waiting period before treating a package as missing.2USPS. Where Is My Package – Tracking Status Help Once you’re satisfied it’s gone, pull together what you’ll need:
- Your order confirmation showing what you bought and what you paid.
- The shipping confirmation with the tracking number.
- Any delivery photo the carrier left, which can show the package was placed somewhere exposed.
- Doorbell or security camera footage if you have it.
Most large retailers resolve stolen-package reports quickly, either reshipping or refunding within a few business days. Where you’ll hit friction is with expensive items, repeat claims from the same customer, or smaller marketplace and international sellers whose policies are thinner. A seller may ask you to sign a sworn statement confirming you didn’t receive the goods. That’s routine.
If you bought from a third-party seller on Amazon and the seller won’t cooperate, Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee lets you request a refund from Amazon directly. You have 90 days from the estimated delivery date to file, and Amazon may require you to contact the seller first and wait 48 hours before escalating.3Amazon. A-to-z Guarantee
The 60-Day Credit Card Deadline You Can’t Miss
When the seller stonewalls you, your credit card is your strongest tool. The Fair Credit Billing Act treats non-delivery of goods as a “billing error” and gives you the right to dispute the charge with your card issuer.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC Chapter 41, Subchapter I, Part D – Credit Billing You have 60 days from the date the issuer sent you the statement containing the charge. Not 60 days from purchase, not 60 days from when you noticed the theft. The clock starts with the statement.
Call the number on the back of your card, tell them you’re disputing a charge for merchandise that was never delivered, and follow up in writing if the issuer asks you to. If you’re getting the runaround from a retailer, file the dispute while you’re still negotiating. You can always withdraw it if the seller comes through. The most common and expensive mistake people make is spending weeks arguing with a seller or waiting on a slow carrier claim, then discovering the FCBA window has closed.
PayPal as a Longer-Window Fallback
If you paid through PayPal, its buyer protection program covers items not received and gives you 180 days from the date of payment to open a dispute.5PayPal. Purchase Protection Program That’s a much longer window than the FCBA’s 60 days, so PayPal is useful when the credit card deadline has already passed. PayPal may deny the claim if the seller can show proof of delivery, so a police report and any camera footage strengthen your case.
Purchase Protection Built Into Your Card
Many credit cards include purchase protection, which is separate from a chargeback and works more like short-term theft insurance on things you bought with the card. American Express typically covers purchases for 120 days from the date of purchase, and 90 days for New York residents.6American Express. Purchase Protection Benefit Guide Mastercard offers a similar benefit on many cards. Check your benefit guide, because exclusions are common: used or refurbished goods, collectibles, vehicles, software, items bought for resale, and perishables are typically not covered.7Mastercard. Guide to Benefits – Purchase Assurance Jewelry and fine art are usually covered but capped at the purchase price on your statement.
When a Signature Was Required
Whether someone had to sign for the package changes the analysis. If no signature was required, the carrier treats the package as delivered the moment it lands near your door. If the seller paid for signature confirmation, delivery isn’t complete until someone signs.
Carriers offer different levels. FedEx distinguishes between an “indirect signature,” where a neighbor or building manager can sign or you can pre-authorize release, and a “direct signature,” where someone at your specific address must sign in person.8FedEx. Signature Requirements and Delivery Options When a direct signature was required and the driver left the package anyway, the shipping instructions the seller paid for weren’t followed, and that strengthens your position with the seller.
The reverse also holds. If you or someone at your address signed, it becomes much harder to claim the package wasn’t delivered. Both seller and carrier will point to the signature to deny the claim.
Filing a Claim With the Carrier
If the seller directs you to file with the carrier, or refuses to help at all, each major carrier has an online claims portal. You’ll create an account, enter the tracking number, describe the contents and value, and upload receipts and shipping records.
Two things worth knowing. The carrier’s contract is with the seller, so carriers respond faster to claims filed by the shipper. Recipient-filed claims are accepted by all three major carriers but tend to move more slowly. And each carrier has a strict filing window that will kill your claim if you miss it, no matter how strong the evidence.
For USPS Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage, wait at least 15 days after the mailing date, and file within 60 days. Priority Mail Express has a shorter window: after 7 days, before 60.9USPS. File a USPS Claim – Domestic
UPS requires notice of the claim within 60 days after the delivery date or scheduled delivery date, with the formal written claim filed within nine months.10UPS. 2026 UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service – Claims and Legal Actions
FedEx gives you nine months from the shipment date for lost or undelivered Express or Ground packages, and 60 days for damage or missing contents.11FedEx. File a Claim
File as early as the carrier allows. Waiting until month eight of a nine-month window rarely ends well.
Filing a Police Report
File a report even for a single missing package. The report number is your proof that a crime occurred, and retailers, carriers, and insurers routinely ask for it. Most departments now accept theft reports online through a non-emergency portal, which is faster than going in. Describe what was stolen, its approximate value, and when and where it was delivered. Keep the report number where you can find it, because you’ll use it at every step that follows.
When Homeowners or Renters Insurance Is Worth It
For expensive stolen packages, your homeowners or renters policy may cover the loss. Most standard policies include theft as a covered peril under personal property coverage, and that coverage generally extends to items taken from your porch.
The deductible is what usually decides this. Most policies carry deductibles of $500 to $1,000 or more, so insurance only makes sense when the package is worth clearly more than your deductible. A $75 loss against a $1,000 deductible accomplishes nothing; a $2,000 laptop is a different calculation. Your insurer will want the police report, proof of purchase, and shipping documentation. Filing a claim can also affect your premium at renewal, so for items just above the deductible, the long-term rate increase may swallow the payout.
Small Claims Court as a Last Resort
If the seller, carrier, and card issuer have all said no and the amount is large enough to justify the effort, you can sue the seller in small claims court. Filing fees vary by jurisdiction but typically run from $30 to $100. You don’t usually need a lawyer, and the process is built for exactly this kind of dispute. For a $30 order, it isn’t worth your time. For a $500 item where a seller has ignored you and a chargeback was denied, it’s a reasonable next step.
The Order That Matters
The sequence you follow decides how quickly you get your money back. Start with the seller, since that resolves most stolen-package cases within days. If the seller won’t help within a week, file a credit card dispute to protect your 60-day FCBA window. File a carrier claim in parallel if the seller asks you to, but don’t let that process eat into your chargeback timeline. Save purchase protection and homeowners insurance for high-value items where the earlier routes have failed. The single most common and most expensive mistake is missing the 60-day card dispute deadline while waiting on a carrier claim that was never going to pay out.