Amazon is one of the largest retailers in the world. But despite its size, it still occasionally gets things wrong. Amazon is afflicted by all the same issues that its competitors face: damaged goods, incorrect items being sent out, and occasionally, packages not getting delivered.

If you bought something but the Amazon package never arrived, what can you do? Which dispute channels are available to you? Here's how to contact Amazon about a missing package.

You Ordered an Item, but It Hasn't Shipped Yet

picture of interior amazon warehouse
Image Credit: Maryland GovPics/Wikimedia Commons

If your Amazon delivery isn't going smoothly, you're not alone. A Google search for Amazon delivery problems reveals plenty of people complaining about this. On Amazon's website, it's stated that you should "check your address details, the size of the item you're ordering, and your payment details" to make sure your order can be sent out in a timely manner.

But what happens if you placed an order, and several days, weeks, or even months have passed without shipment?

Don't panic. Amazon will not charge your credit card until the order has been confirmed and entered the shipping process. Until that point, you can still cancel the order by going to Accounts and Lists > Orders and selecting Cancel Order on the specific item that hasn't been shipped.

If you still need that item, try looking for other sellers. You can do this on Amazon, by navigating to the product page and selecting New or Used under the advertised price, or away from the platform.

Amazon Item Shows as Delivered, but It Never Arrived

how to report package not delivered amazon

Sometimes, Amazon says your package is delivered when it hasn't actually arrived. But Amazon issues guidelines for precisely this type of situation. Some of them might seem obvious, but they're still essential to tick off:

  • Check the shipping address was correct on your order.
  • Look for a notice of attempted delivery.
  • Check your safe place if you've selected one.
  • Check the vicinity of the delivery location.
  • Check with your neighbors to see if they received your package.
  • Do you have an Amazon Locker that it might have been delivered to instead?
  • Look in your letterbox - some deliveries use multiple carriers, including the regular postal service.
  • Wait 48 hours - sometimes packages may show as delivered while still in transit.

How to Contact Amazon About a Missing Package

If 48 hours have passed and there is still no sign of your delivery, you need to contact Amazon customer services about the missing package directly. Log in to Amazon and go to Help > Browse Help Topics > Need More Help > Contact Us.

You can choose whether to speak via a bot or by phone (though the phone option is not immediately obvious). Explain your issue to the rep and Amazon will investigate the case. If your claim is genuine, they will issue a refund.

What Does "Fulfilled by Amazon" Mean?

The Amazon website features items sold by both Amazon itself and third-party retailers. When using a third-party retailer, you might notice a "Fulfilled by Amazon" message on the product you're buying.

The message implies that even though the product is being sold by a third-party retailer, it is being sent to your house from an Amazon Fulfillment Center.

As a buyer, it means you'll be able to track a package's progress through your Amazon account, Amazon is responsible for customer service and product returns, and you might even avoid falling for common postal scams. Essentially, it's safer to order "Fulfilled by Amazon" items than those from sellers that arrange their own shipping.

If you buy from a third-party seller whose items are not fulfilled by Amazon, you are protected by the company's A-to-Z Guarantee Protection.

What Is Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee Protection?

how does amazon's a-z protection work

Let's assume you've bought an item from a third-party seller who doesn't have the "Fulfilled by Amazon" protection. It means you won't be able to use your Amazon account portal to track a parcel. A rogue seller could charge your card and tell you they have shipped the item without actually putting anything in the post.

Luckily, you still have some methods of recourse open to you. It comes in the shape of Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee Protection.

To make an A-to-Z claim, you first need to contact the seller through your Amazon account, then give the seller 48 hours to respond. If the seller doesn't give you a satisfactory response, you can file a claim. You just need to meet one of the following five conditions:

  1. You did not receive the item within either 30 days or three days past the estimated delivery date.
  2. Your product was damaged, defective, or materially different from the one you ordered.
  3. You returned an item to Amazon but did not receive a refund.
  4. You need to return an item internationally, but the seller does not provide either a U.S. address or an international shipping label.
  5. The seller miscalculated customs and/or shipping charges, so you had to pay those fees upon delivery.

Amazon also provides a table on refund entitlement based on your circumstances.

screenshot of amazon a to z refund table

You must make A-to-Z claims within 90 days of the estimated delivery date.

To make a claim, go to Accounts and Lists > Your Account > Your Orders. Find the order you want to make a claim against and click on File/View Claim. In the first box, explain why you're making a claim. In the second box, choose Request refund through A-to-Z Guarantee.

Missing Packages Shipped With Amazon Prime

floating amazon prime packages

If you're an Amazon Prime member and an item on your Amazon order never arrived, the processes we've already discussed still apply. You should work through them. However, Amazon Prime members also get some additional sweeteners to ease the pain of non-delivery.

If the item either arrives outside the time frame Amazon gives you at the time of purchase or never turns up at your door, you might be eligible for a free one-month subscription to Amazon Prime. This is added as a free month to the end of your existing Amazon Prime subscription's expiry date.

Some users have reported Amazon has even given them discount vouchers, deductions from their Amazon Prime membership fees, and other perks. Amazon appears to issue these benefits on an ad-hoc basis.

Amazon Prime Pantry purchasers may have different experiences, however, so do your research, but bear in mind that you still have rights.

How to Avoid Fake Sellers on Amazon

The problem of fake sellers on Amazon is becoming more widespread. Fraud is worryingly easy to pull off. A criminal opens a new Amazon seller account and selects popular items to sell. If they use Amazon's seller's platform, it only takes a few seconds. Typically, they'll list items for less money than other retailers are selling them for.

When they receive orders, the person immediately says the item is en route to the courier. Doing so releases the funds to their account. By giving an estimated delivery date of four weeks, the merchant can beat Amazon's two-week payment cycle and disappear before buyers start complaining and Amazon closes the account.

buying a USB wall charger

Luckily, it's quite easy to avoid fake sellers: just check the feedback score. To do so, click on the seller's name in the Sold By section of the right-hand panel.

On the profile page, you can see the seller's lifetime feedback rating, as well as their score over the last three, six, and 12 months. Sometimes, these reviews can be skewed—for instance, through using a click farm—but if there's an abundance of reviews, you can probably trust them a bit more.

can you trust amazon seller shop reviews

As you can see from the image above, this cheese seller seems very trustworthy. Only four percent of their reviews are negative from a total of more than 18,500.

You should also be wary of products that seem a little too cheap. For example, if you're looking at a new desktop monitor selling for just $20, you may be dealing with an illicit seller.

You can grab some great deals on Amazon, but it pays to be wary of items that look a little too good to be true. If an item is super cheap and isn't shown to be on sale, this should also be considered a red flag.

Hey Amazon, Where's My Stuff? Forget It!

You have rights in these sorts of matters, so there are ways of resolving delivery issues for items you bought on Amazon. Hopefully, you at least know how to spot fake sellers, and, if anything goes wrong with your Amazon delivery, know how to get your money back.

And remember, if you're fed up with Amazon, there are plenty of Amazon shopping alternatives available, such as eBay.