What to do when your package shows it was delivered but you can’t find it.

According to the tracking number on your package, your package was delivered to your shipping address, but you can't locate it. What should you do? Should you file an insurance claim with USPS/UPS or contact the seller and request another be sent?

SHOULD YOU FILE AN INSURANCE CLAIM WITH USPS/UPS?

Unfortunately, USPS/UPS doesn’t cover loss when their data shows the package was successfully delivered to the shipping address you provided, but then it became missing afterward. It only covers loss if the package never makes it to your destination to begin with. USPS and UPS can use GPS data to show if a package successfully made it to your location.

SHOULD THE SELLER RESEND THE PRODUCT AT NO COST TO YOU?

Sellers relinquish responsibility for your product once a shipping company like USPS or UPS picks it up. They're separate companies.

If the product was lost during transit (or damaged in transit), then the shipping company is responsible, not the seller. This is why sellers either pay for insurance on your behalf or offer for you to pay for insurance. The insurance coverage is for damage or loss during transit, not loss after delivery.

WHO FILES THE INSURANCE CLAIM?

Sellers often want to help by nature. Even though they're not responsible for your package being lost or damaged during transit, they’ll often guide you on how to file a claim on the USPS/UPS website so you can recoup your cost. Some sellers may even file the claim on your behalf and send a replacement in anticipation they’ll receive reimbursement for the package being lost or damaged in transit. But they aren’t required to do that for you.

This leap of faith is more common with extremely large businesses that have a lot of stock on hand. Small businesses don’t always have excess stock to do this, and though they may feel your pain, and wish they could ease your pain a bit by taking that leap of faith, they can’t make products appear from thin air (though wouldn’t that be lovely!).

However, when the package was delivered successfully by the shipping company, both the seller and the shipping company fulfilled their obligation. The seller packed the products you purchased and then transferred your package to the shipping company. The shipping company then took over and shipped and successfully delivered your product. The seller and the shipping company are not at fault when your package now “disappears.”

BUT I PAID FOR A PRODUCT AND NOW IT'S GONE!

It’s not a fun feeling to have this happen. You paid for a product. But it’s been ripped away. It’s natural to want someone to fix it, but if a porch pirate was involved, there isn’t a quick fix. And as much as the seller and the shipper may sympathize with you, they're not at fault. So what should you do now?

Here are some steps you can take to try to determine if the package was truly stolen or not and then what to do next.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO TRY TO LOCATE YOUR PACKAGE

1. Call your local PO/UPS and ask them to check the GPS coordinates to make sure it wasn't delivered to a neighbor. Delivery route drivers change. They get sick and have substitutes. It happens!

2. If they confirm it was delivered to your address, ask them to check with the carrier on the route who delivered your package to find out where the package was left. Sometimes carriers leave packages inside the garage, on a back porch instead of a front porch or behind the bushes if they think it's more secure.

3. Check with other members of your household and your neighbors to see if someone else picked up the package and put it aside for you. Sometimes they try to help and then forget to follow through!

4. If you conclude that the package was stolen off your porch then you can file a report with the police, USPS and, if applicable, your homeowner's insurance. Please note that USPS does not cover this reimbursement (nor do the police) but establishing theft is happening in your area is important. Depending on what your homeowner's policy stipulations will determine if that helps with reimbursement or not.

5. If theft is a pattern in your area, then look into a more secure delivery option, such as a locked box for your porch, a PO box, a delivery depot or having packages delivered to a friend/family member‘s home or your work address.