# Delayed, Lost and Damaged Packages > When a package is delayed, lost or arrives damaged, check the carrier's record and the customer report separately before committing a remedy. The carrier's tracking event is evidence to investigate, not a final ruling on what the customer is owed. - Type: Merchant guide - Level: Intermediate - Reading time: About 6 minutes - Audience: Written for store owners, builders, and designers refining high-performance ecommerce stores. - Last updated: 2026-11-04 - Canonical page: https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/delayed-lost-and-damaged-packages/ - Part of: [Merchant Questions](https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/) on ZenBasket Academy --- ## What you need to know ### What should merchants do when a package is delayed? Check the last reliable carrier scan and any service exception, contact the carrier if appropriate and give the buyer a useful update. Explain what is known and when you will next check. Do not promise a replacement before the package status, and the store's obligations are confirmed. ### What should merchants do when a package is lost? Open the carrier trace or claim, preserve shipping and packing records and assess what remedy the customer is owed under the sale terms and applicable law. A carrier claim and a customer remedy are separate processes with potentially different timing. ### What should happen when an order arrives damaged? Ask for details needed to understand the damage, such as the item and packaging condition, without creating unreasonable barriers. Offer the remedy required by the actual policy and law. Document the carrier's claim separately. Update stock only after inspection. ### What happens when delivery fails? A failed delivery can follow an inaccessible address, a missed attempt, a refusal, or a carrier issue. Check the actual exception and available redelivery or return-to-sender options, then tell the customer what action is possible and any confirmed cost. ### What happens when a customer enters the wrong address? Check whether the parcel can still be corrected or intercepted; carriers may restrict changes or charge a fee. If it is returned, use the actual order terms and applicable law to decide whether reshipment or refund applies. Never expose another customer's address while investigating. ### Who is responsible for a lost ecommerce package? Responsibility depends on the sale agreement, applicable consumer law, carrier contract and what happened to the parcel. Do not assume that a delivered scan always ends the seller's obligation or that a carrier claim is the customer's only remedy. --- ## Frequently asked questions ### Should merchants replace lost packages immediately? Check the status, customer needs, and obligations. A time-sensitive order may need prompt resolution even while a carrier claim is pending. Avoid dispatching a second parcel when the first is likely to arrive unless you have a clear plan for handling duplicates. ### How should merchants communicate shipping delays? Say what changed, which order or parcel is affected, the current revised estimate where supported, and how the customer can get help. Keep the original promised shipment date in mind. In some markets, applicable prompt-delivery rules impose specific handling requirements for shipment delays. --- ## Related learning path - **Shipment Tracking and Customer Notifications** - **Shipping Returns and Reverse Logistics** - [ZenBasket Build Guide](https://help.getzenbasket.com/zenbasket-builder/)