Amazon asks its customers to take time out of their busy schedules to look around the address where they received the package once they’ve received an email telling them that the package has been shipped. They then have to wait at least 48 hours before they are able to contact Amazon support after which they are asked to write in a ticket when there might be discrepancies with their purchase. After writing in a ticket, Amazon staff will either send a replacement product or refund your money.
Amazon is one of the world’s biggest retailers, however, even a massive company like this can occasionally get things wrong. Companies like Amazon run into some of the same issues as smaller companies, including damaged goods and expired or incorrectly labeled food. They also sometimes find themselves in trouble due to users not actually being able to find what they’re looking for on their platforms.
If you’ve ordered a product off of Amazon but it hasn’t arrived, the question remains in your mind: “What can I do to find out where my package is?” This is a very common problem that people in our position have been facing tirelessly. Let us break it down for you and which dispute channels are available to you when this happens.
What Do I Do If A Package Says Delivered And You Haven’t Received It?
Amazon has multiple guidelines for situations like this, and that’s a good thing. Some of them are pretty obvious, but you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t slip up every now and then so it’s essential to make sure you check off all the necessary boxes. Below, you’ll find the things you have to do if your package says delivered but hasn’t arrived:
1. Ask Your Neighbors: Amazon might deliver your package to your neighbor. If you have made a prior request for the same on Amazon, but forgot about it, then get in touch with your neighbors and see if they are able to give it to you instead.
A delivery agent may have accidentally given your package to someone who was close by, but not actually at the address of the shipment. But this is rare, and in a situation like this where you only live next door, for example, you can get pretty close contact with the other neighbor so if everything works out fine they might just return it back.
2. Check the Vicinity of the Point of Delivery: When it comes to locating your package after receiving a delivery, you may need to start searching around the house. Carriers will oftentimes steer clear of placing an item at one of your public entrances or doorways because of the risk that these locations have for attracting unwanted attention from strangers, as well as the fact that accessibility and ease of finding an order plays a major role in how frequently customers use a shipping service, so carriers will instead place packages in spots where they know people are less likely to notice them, like by their back or side doors. So if your carrier has left the package out somewhere, try looking around your home near any doorways or alcoves first before giving up and contacting customer service to ask them for help with finding it!
3. Check with the United States Postal Service (USPS): While Amazon often fulfills items on their own, there are times when they hire outside companies such as the USPS to help them deliver items in a timely manner. If your third-party seller has messaged that they are waiting on your package, you may need to check with your local USPS office and see if it was delivered. This can help determine whether or not there’s a delay in shipping from an issue with Amazon itself or just with a single seller.
4. Check your order to ensure the shipping address was accurate: Please make sure that you’ve entered the right address while filling in the Delivery Instructions. A cross-check might come in handy here.
5. Look inside your letterbox: When does one know whether or not their package has been delivered? The answer is not always simple. You should check your letterbox every day to ensure that you don’t miss any packages.
We advise that you wait up to two full days as it isn’t uncommon for packages to show as delivered while still in transit. If you have waited for at least 48 hours and there is still no sign of your package, please contact the Amazon help team directly by clicking here.
How To Contact Amazon About A Missing Package
Amazon buyers should take a look at the ‘Contact Us’ section once they’ve logged into their accounts. This is where phone, chat and email options for customer service are available 24/7. You can either call or send an email to the Amazon representatives in order to receive assistance regarding a missing package from your most recent purchase. Once the case has been properly investigated and proven, a refund will be issued onto your credit card within two billing cycles.
What Do You Do With Amazon Packages That Aren’t Yours?
Sometimes receiving a package you didn’t order can be disappointing. Have you heard about the trick called “brushing”? This is done by bad actors who take addresses available in the public domain and send packages to these addresses. The best way to avoid this is by making sure you check with your loved ones or call customer care before accepting any package you didn’t order!
Once you’ve made a report to customer service regarding the missing or damaged product, they could request you to send them a photo of its shipping labels. If it is a case of end-users re-selling merchandise, Amazon will help take action against anyone who might be brushing it off.
Such measures include suspension or removal of selling privileges and withholding payments altogether. As for your item, you have the right by law to either keep or return it if you prefer upon receiving the replacement. You are also protected according to their policies if incidents like this should occur on more than one occasion within 12 months’ time.
How To Prevent Missing Package Situations
If you order something online and it doesn’t arrive, it can be a frustrating and anxiety-inducing experience. One thing that’s for sure is that it happens often, with Amazon being one of the most popular sites on the web. That said, there are steps to double-check in case of such occurrence:
Make Good Use Of Delivery Instructions
When you’re placing orders through amazon.com, there is a special delivery instructions section and most people don’t use it, but they really should! The section allows you to specify the fastest route to your house which will help your Amazon driver find the location and get to you as quickly as possible. Additionally, this section gives them specific ways in which they can find and open any lockbox that has been set up in advance simply by entering the unique code that you have posted here!
Some people prefer to give the garage code to their driver upon the delivery truck’s arrival. Either way, make sure they know how to find your home! You should be able to tell them the color of your house and any landmarks that can help them navigate toward it.
List Signature As A Requirement
Another way to keep packages from being stolen or misplaced is by requiring a signature. Not all carriers require a signature. Amazon, for example, does not require one for deliveries. However, this does open the door for someone who wants to steal your package to receive it because they can just pretend to be you and sign for it. On the uplifting side, sometimes people are busy so this move makes delivery easier.
If you would like to have the peace of mind that your product is exactly where it’s meant to be, we recommend that you request a signature when having packages delivered. This will let the Amazon driver know your package should not be left unattended and that someone needs to be present when signing for it. When this is specified, this will help speed up deliveries and more importantly ensure that the product arrives at your home or office so that it doesn’t get lost in transit going to your house!
Conclusion
In a nutshell, like most other delivery companies, Amazon can also succumb to unfortunate events in the delivery system. Such as missing packages. The good news is that there are several steps you can take to prevent a recurrence.
References:
https://www.dealnews.com/features/Amazon/Amazon-Package-Is-Missing/
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/amazon-order-scam/
Last Updated on August 5, 2022 by Ana S. Sutterfield
Magalie D. is a Diploma holder in Public Administration & Management from McGill University of Canada. She shares management tips here in MGTBlog when she has nothing to do and gets some free time after working in a multinational company at Toronto.
