Music City Labs

Roadcase guide

Package says delivered but the customer didn't get it: what to do

Step-by-step: what a Shopify store should do when tracking shows delivered but the customer says the package never arrived, plus how to prevent it.

By Blake Smith, founder of Music City Labs. Updated .

Short answer: Check the tracking details and the shipping address first, then ask the customer to check around the delivery spot, with neighbors and any mailroom, and to wait a day, since packages are sometimes scanned as delivered early. If it still hasn't turned up, report it to the carrier, then decide on a reship or refund under a written policy.

Step by step

  1. Read the full tracking history. Note the delivery time and any location details or delivery photo the carrier provides.
  2. Check the address on the order against what the customer meant. Typos, missing apartment numbers and old addresses cause many of these.
  3. Ask the customer to look around: porches, side doors, garages, parcel lockers, the mailroom or front desk, and with neighbors and anyone else in the household.
  4. Give it a day. Carriers sometimes mark a package delivered shortly before it actually arrives.
  5. Report it to the carrier. Use the carrier's missing package or claim process with the tracking number:
  6. Reship or refund according to your policy, and note the order so repeat claims from the same address stand out.

Reship or refund?

  • Reship when the item is in stock and the customer still wants it, especially for gifts with a date attached.
  • Refund when the item is sold out, the date has passed, or the customer prefers it.
  • If you bought shipping insurance through your label app, start that claim before you reship, since some providers need it opened first.

How to prevent it

  • Check addresses before you ship, especially missing apartment or unit numbers.
  • Require a signature on high-value orders.
  • Use carriers and services that provide delivery photos.
  • Offer pickup points or lockers where available.
  • Write a clear delivered-but-missing policy and link it from your FAQ.

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