1. call their local usps office
2. have them check with their neighbors
3. have them go in person to their local post office
4. have them post in local neighborhood groups

Ultimately, the order shipment with a carrier confirmed delivery update coupled with a copy of the shipment label is enough to win any “Did Not Receive “ chargeback the client might file.

People think you can file a claim with your credit card for any old reason and that’s not true. You can only file a chargeback for a limited set of reasons.

That being said, you should weigh your actual cost for the order against the life time value of the customer and ask yourself it makes sense to do everything in your power to keep the customer or to end the relationship over the claim.

Frequently, even if you have hostile terms and conditions labeling yourself as not responsible for shipment loss, you actually still are responsible for ensuring the customer receives the goods even if the a hippie company screws up. Particularly under credit card processing agreements. You might benefit from a tool like PirateShip where insurance comes from a private provider with much friendlier pricing than you get from the shipping firms themselves.

Filing a postal claim on an uninsured package does nothing generally speaking. What to do depends on your ethics and the value of this client and the cost of properly insuring future large shipments and what you envision the future of your firm to be.

Many people track the contact info and addresses of lost shipments so they can deny / ban a client that has too many or look for weird patterns.

You return their money and you cry like the rest of us

My drug dealer mailed me a like 300 bucks of weed once. It got lost in the mail. He sent me a replacement out of his own pocket. It’s just good business.

If it isn’t already, make the insurance statement in larger font and bold letters and how you are not responsible. You don’t want to be harassed because it wasn’t ‘obvious’.

All items are your responsibility until the client gets it in their hands. Banks will back the client up and give them their money back for services not rendered.

You’re responsible for getting the product to them. You are the customer of the shipper, not them.

If I ordered something from a company and it didn’t arrive, I wouldn’t accept your BS disclaimer, and likely file a chargeback if you refused to make it right. Goes without saying that if I was a loyal customer, you would never see me again after that experience.

Good customer offer them a discount on replacement order you make enough to cover cost little extra.

First, I e-mail the customer back and tell them this:

“My first advice is for you to check with your neighbors and your postal carrier to see if the package may have been mis-delivered. Most of the time when a package is showing “delivered,” but it hasn’t been, it’s with a neighbor. Also, if you live with someone else, ask that person if they brought a package in (and describe it to the customer) and put it somewhere. If you still can’t find it, let’s give it another week. Oftentimes, it’s been mis-delivered, and the person who received it may put it back into the system.”

I do usually tell the person what the package looks like – the size/shape of box or mailer (and color), as well as any identifying/unusual stickers or markings on the package (I put a logo sticker, or another fun sticker on the outside of every package.)

I personally do re-ship an order, or refund for it if it hasn’t shown up in two weeks. I don’t have to do it, but I DO it, because the VERY few times I have to replace a package, doesn’t cost me much money, and it gains me loyalty from that person forever. I do add insurance on any package $300 or more, just for my own peace of mind (in cases like this.) I always figure, yes, it costs me extra, but they spent so much, it’s kind of a “bonus” I throw in for large orders, which also protects me and my business.

Technically, you don’t have to do anything, since it’s showing “delivered,” but think if this was you in your customer’s shoes. What would you think or want to have happen in this instance if you were being truthful that your $500 order wasn’t delivered? They can hit you with a charge-back on their card or PayPal account, in which case you’ll lose the money anyway.

Ups pirate ship… they take pictures of the items at the doorstep

Ecommerce business that uses USPS Priority almost exclusively.

You need to start a missing mail claim with USPS: https://missingmail.usps.com/
They will search for the package and update you via email. If not found, you can start an insurance claim: https://www.usps.com/help/claims.htm

USPS Priority is automatically insured for $100. Other than that, if no additional insurance was paid, you’ll lose out on the remaining amount.

You can instruct your customer to initiate the missing mail inquiry, but for us, to retain good customer service, we’ll do everything on our end.

Even though losing out on a few hundred dollars can be a lot, it’s not worth potentially losing a repeat customer over the years.

$500 shipment? You paid for signature tracking and insurance right OP?

I pay for signature tracking on some $50 packages, definitely if over $100.

I’ve shipped thousands of packages via USPS and possibly only lost one for sure. How you package and label it is 99% of the delivery.

That’s a copout. You contracted for delivery with the carrier. They were still acting as your agent when they “delivered” it without a signature.

If you don’t want this to happen, send it signature-required and file a claim if it disappeared. If that is more expensive, then charge appropriately for shipping.

My view has always been that it’s the suppliers’ problem until the customer receives the goods.

If the dollar amount is such that replacing a lost order is a bottom line hit, try signed receipt.

I think you should replace it and then file a claim with USPS for the customer.

Additional step. Require insurance. Dont make it optional. And maybe even a signed delivery. Build the cost into the goods so customers dont try and go cheap.

You have to protect the customer from themselves.