Porch pirates are swiping Amazon packages left and right, and you might be the next victim. Take these steps if your Amazon package is stolen or lost.
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Amazon has made shopping easier than ever, but a missing or stolen Amazon package can cause a real headache. And as online shopping surges, so does your likelihood of becoming a victim of package theft. Nearly one in five Americans reported stolen packages last year, according to a Value Penguin survey.
“As could be expected with more people shopping online during the pandemic, the number of victims of porch pirates has increased significantly during this time,” says Steve Weisman, a professor of white-collar crime at Bentley University and the author of The Truth About Avoiding Scams.
If you’re looking for a missing package or believe your Amazon package was stolen, here’s everything you need to know about tracking it down, filing a claim, and hopefully getting your money back. FYI, frequent online shoppers should also know what to do if a package arrives damaged, how to get a refund on anything, what a brushing scam is, and what happens to undelivered mail with no return address.
How to track down a missing Amazon package that’s listed as “delivered”
Under “Your Orders” on Amazon, you can find additional information to help you track down a stolen or missing package that appears on your account as delivered, according to Weisman. He recommends taking the following steps:
- Double-check the shipping address. The package might have been delivered to another address on your Amazon account.
- Look for a notice of attempted delivery. If you chose to require a signature for delivery and no one was home, the package may have been taken to a nearby location for pickup.
- Look for a photo of the delivery. Sometimes Amazon delivery drivers will place the package in a location that is hard to spot.
If you still can’t locate it, it’s time to report the missing package to Amazon. Skip down to the section titled “How to report a missing package from a third-party seller on Amazon” for step-by-step directions.
How to find missing packages that aren’t trackable
Amazon packages without tracking information are rare, but they do exist. Here are some actions you can take if your Amazon package is missing and doesn’t have a tracking number.
- Ask your neighbors if they accidentally received the missing package or accepted it on your behalf.
- If the missing package was delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, contact your local post office. USPS delivery vehicles have GPS, which could provide further information about the delivery, Weisman says.
- Check the security cameras around your home, if you have them, to confirm whether the package was stolen.
In case you were wondering, this is what happens to lost mail.
How to report a missing package from a third-party seller on Amazon
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If your Amazon package still hasn’t arrived after 48 hours, you should file a claim with Amazon for a refund. But first, you need to contact the third-party seller directly to report the issue, Weisman says. Amazon requires customers to contact the seller before submitting a claim online.
Here’s how to report missing packages from a third-party seller:
- Sign in to Amazon and click on “Your Orders.”
- Click on the “Amazon Pay” tab on the menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Click “Details” next to the lost or stolen item.
- Under the list of suggested issues to report, select “Where’s my stuff?”
- Amazon will automatically create a message to the seller explaining that you haven’t received your items yet. You can edit the message to include any additional details the seller might need to know.
- Click the yellow “Send to merchant” button.
- In most cases, the seller will investigate the missing package or send a new item. But if the seller doesn’t respond within 24 hours, you can file a claim with Amazon.
If the package in question contained a present, you might also want to check out this list of last-minute gifts that will arrive in time for the big day while you sort out this situation.
How to submit a missing package claim to Amazon
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Luckily, with Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee, your purchase is protected if an Amazon package is stolen or lost. Just make sure to file the claim within 90 days of the purchase date or it won’t be accepted. The following instructions are for use on a desktop computer; they may be slightly different if you use the Amazon app on your phone.
- Sign in to your Amazon account and click on “Your Orders.”
- Locate the order, and choose “Problem with Order.”
- When asked to select the problem, click on the option stating that the item hasn’t arrived.
- Next, select “Request Refund,” provide additional information in the text box (if you’d like or if requested), and hit submit.
- Track your claim’s progress under the Amazon Pay tab. You will receive a refund to the original payment method if the claim is approved. Returning items that are damaged or opened or that were delivered more than 30 days ago may result in a partial refund or no refund at all. If you don’t get a refund, you might want to shop at one of these stores with the absolute best return policies next time.
Additional steps to take
Amazon is not the only place to file an “Amazon package stolen” claim. If you have exhausted all the above remedies, then the next step might be to contact the police, the shipping company, and your credit card company, according to Robert Siciliano, a cybersecurity instructor at ProtectNow. Many credit card companies offer purchase-protection features that cover the cost of lost or stolen deliveries, which is why online purchases are among the things you should always pay for with a credit card, Weisman says.
How to protect your Amazon deliveries in the future
To protect your packages from porch pirates, Weisman suggests taking precautions, such as requiring a signature for delivery or sending the package to your work address.
Amazon provides a number of delivery service options, as well, Siciliano says. You can choose to send packages to Amazon lockers at nearby stores like Whole Foods, or you can install Amazon’s Key Smart Lock system for a more secure way to receive deliveries at home. With the system, delivery drivers can scan a barcode to request access to your front door or garage and place the package inside while a security camera monitors them. All you need is an Amazon Prime account, the Key by Amazon app, a smart lock, and a Wi-Fi-enabled camera.
Now that you know what to do if your Amazon package is stolen, get up to speed on more little-known Amazon hacks every shopper should be aware of. Also, read up on how to spot an Amazon email scam—it could come in handy in the future.
Sources:
- Value Penguin: “Nearly 1 in 5 Consumers Experienced Package Theft Since the Start of Quarantine”
- Steve Weisman, professor at Bentley University and author of The Truth About Avoiding Scams
- Amazon: “Find a Missing Package That Shows As Delivered”
- Robert Siciliano, cyber social identity protection instructor at ProtectNow
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