What should I do when a buyer says their parcel never arrived?

What should you do when a buyer says a parcel never arrived?

Check the order and tracking, then acknowledge the buyer’s report and investigate before deciding the outcome. Confirm the delivery address supplied at checkout, the service used and the carrier’s latest scan. Ask the buyer to check whether someone at the address accepted the parcel and whether the carrier has left a collection notice. Keep the question neutral: a buyer who cannot find a parcel is not necessarily making a false claim.

If tracking shows a delay or an unsuccessful delivery, tell the buyer what you know and when you will check again. If it says delivered, ask the carrier for the delivery record, including any photograph, signature or recorded location. Compare that record with the address on the order. A photograph of an unidentified doorstep or a scan marked “delivered” may not settle where the parcel went. Keep the buyer updated while you investigate, and observe any deadlines set by your selling channel or payment provider.

For a consumer order, do not assume that handing a parcel to a carrier ends your responsibility. Handle the claim in line with applicable consumer law and your selling channel’s rules. Do not send the buyer to the carrier as a substitute for dealing with their complaint.

What proof of dispatch is worth keeping?

Keep records that connect the buyer’s order to a particular parcel and show its progress through the carrier’s network. An order confirmation alone shows what was requested; a postage label alone shows that a label was made. A carrier acceptance scan or collection record is stronger evidence that the parcel entered the network. Tracking history and the carrier’s delivery record then help establish what happened next.

Useful records include:

• The order details and the delivery address supplied at checkout.
• A packing record identifying the fragrance, bottle size and quantity placed in the parcel.
• The shipping label, carrier reference and collection or acceptance record.
• Tracking updates and any delivery photograph, signature or carrier investigation response.
• Your messages with the buyer and the dates on which you contacted the carrier.

Keep supply records too, but be clear about what they prove. An order from Sterling Trading Group comes with an invoice from a VAT-registered UK company naming each fragrance line, its house and quantity. Every bottle is in the brand’s own retail packaging with its batch code and barcode. Those details can help you check that you sourced and identified the right product. They do not prove that your parcel was dispatched or received. Store records securely, and share a buyer’s address or delivery evidence only through appropriate dispute channels.

How can you reduce missing-parcel claims?

Make each parcel easy to identify and trace before it leaves you. Check the buyer’s address against the shipping label, use a tracked service suited to the order, and retain its acceptance record. If an address looks incomplete, resolve it before dispatch rather than guessing. Tell the buyer when the parcel has been handed to the carrier and give them a usable tracking reference.

At the packing bench, match the order to the bottle’s packaging and record the line, house, size and quantity. This matters with fragrance: a claim about non-arrival can become confused with a claim that the wrong product was sent. A batch code or barcode helps identify a bottle, but it is not a substitute for a carrier record. Packing photographs may support your account of what you prepared; they cannot, by themselves, show what reached the buyer.

Review disputes for recurring practical problems. Parcels left in exposed places, unclear address details and missing acceptance scans call for different fixes. Where the risk warrants it, choose a delivery service with a stronger handover record rather than relying on a basic “delivered” update. Give buyers clear instructions for reporting a missing parcel so you can start the carrier enquiry promptly.

When is refunding the cheaper answer?

Refund when the evidence does not reasonably support delivery and further investigation is unlikely to change that. A carrier-confirmed loss, delivery to the wrong address or an unresolved record that cannot identify where the parcel was left should not become an open-ended argument with the buyer. Follow the buyer’s rights and the rules governing the sale; offer a replacement only where that is appropriate and acceptable to them.

Even where the carrier investigation is still open, weigh the likely value of more enquiries against the time spent on messages, dispute responses and follow-up. That is a judgement about resolving the case, not a reason to dismiss a credible report. Keep the carrier claim separate from the buyer’s outcome: you can continue pursuing the carrier after settling with the buyer.

Record why you made the decision. Note what the tracking showed, what the carrier supplied, what the buyer reported and whether a refund or replacement was issued. If the same weakness appears in later claims, use those records to change your dispatch process rather than asking the next buyer to rely on an assurance you cannot substantiate.