Published 13 August 2026
Updated 13 August 2026
Item Missing From a Parcel: How to Get a Refund (UK Guide)
Quick Answer
If the parcel arrived but an item you ordered was not inside it, that item was never delivered to you. Under Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 goods stay at the retailer's risk until they are in your physical possession, so the retailer owes you the item or a refund of its value. Photograph the packaging before you unpack anything else, then ask the retailer in writing for two things: the packing record for your order and the parcel's despatch weight.
A Missing Item Is a Delivery Failure, Not a Faulty Product
This is the distinction that decides your whole claim, and most people get pushed off the right one by customer service. An item that was not in the box never came into your possession, so it was never delivered. Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 keeps goods at the trader's risk until they reach you physically, which means a short-delivered order sits with the retailer until they send the item or refund it. It is not a satisfactory-quality complaint, because nothing about the goods is faulty, they are simply absent. Keep the wording on that ground and the conversation stays short.
Never Agree to Return an Item You Never Received
If you argue this as a faulty-goods claim, the standard reply is a returns label and a request to send the item back for inspection. You cannot return something that never arrived, and accepting that framing stalls the claim for weeks while the retailer waits for a parcel you cannot send. Say plainly that the item is missing, not defective, that you are claiming on the delivery ground rather than on quality, and that there is nothing to inspect or collect. Ask for the goods or the money.
What to Do Before You Unpack Anything Else
- Photograph the parcel as it arrived, from several angles, showing the shipping label, any seams or tape, and any weight printed on the label.
- Keep every piece of packaging, including inner padding and the box itself, until the claim is closed.
- Check the order confirmation for a split shipment: multi-item orders are often sent in more than one parcel, so confirm whether the missing item was even listed on this consignment.
- Write down exactly what is missing, the quantity, and the value of those items from the order confirmation.
- Screenshot the tracking page showing the delivery scan, then report it to the retailer in writing the same day.
What the Packaging Condition Tells You
The state of the outer packaging points your claim at the right evidence, so read it before you write. If the box was torn, opened or resealed, with carrier tape over a split seam or a slit along one edge, that points at handling in transit, so ask the retailer for the carrier's handling record alongside the despatch weight. If the box was sealed and undamaged, with the original seams intact, that points at what was packed rather than what happened en route, so the retailer's own picking and packing record is the document that matters. If you are not sure, say so and describe only what you saw. Claiming a parcel was tampered with when you cannot show it hands the retailer an easy rebuttal, and an intact box does not weaken your claim at all, it just moves the question indoors.
The Two Records That Settle Most Cases
Vague requests to "investigate" go nowhere. Name the documents instead, because both exist and the retailer holds or can obtain both. The packing record is the warehouse log of what was picked and packed against your order number, and a mismatch with what arrived shows a picking error. The despatch weight is what the carrier recorded when the parcel was collected, and a weight consistent with a part-filled box is direct evidence the items were not inside when it left. Ask for both in the same message and give a deadline. Our guide to the proof needed for a parcel refund covers what else to keep alongside them.
Why the Claim Goes to the Retailer, Not the Courier
Your contract is with the seller who took your money, and the courier's contract is with that seller, which is why couriers settle claims with the sender rather than the customer. When a retailer tells you to take it up with Evri, DPD, Yodel or Royal Mail, they are asking you to enforce a contract you are not a party to. Filing the carrier claim is the retailer's job, not yours, and they should be doing it in parallel with refunding you rather than instead of it. Carriers do impose their own claim windows, and under current terms several are short and can run from despatch rather than from the day you noticed, so verify the current deadline on the carrier's website and press the retailer early. See the retailer versus courier responsibility guide if they keep redirecting you.
Amazon, Marketplaces and Split Deliveries
Large orders are frequently split across parcels, so check the order page first to see whether the missing item was shipped separately and is still in transit. If it was on this consignment and did not arrive, report it through the order itself rather than a generic contact form, because the record then attaches to the order number. Where a third-party seller fulfilled the item, the seller is the trader you are claiming against, and marketplace guarantees sit on top of your statutory rights rather than replacing them. Our Amazon UK missing delivery refund guide walks through the marketplace route in detail.
Template: Missing Item Complaint Email
Subject: Item Missing From Delivered Parcel, Order your order reference, Refund Requested Dear Customer Service, I am writing about order your order reference, placed on your order date, delivered on the delivery date by the carrier name. The parcel arrived, but the following items ordered were not inside it: list the missing items and quantities, value the missing item value. I have attached photographs of the parcel and the shipping label as received. I am not reporting a fault with the goods. The items were never delivered into my possession, so under Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 they remain at your risk. Please treat this as a delivery claim rather than a quality claim: there is nothing for me to return or for you to inspect. Please provide the packing record for this order and the despatch weight recorded when the parcel was collected. [The outer packaging was torn or had been resealed, so please also provide the carrier's handling record.] Please confirm within 5 working days that you will either send the missing items or refund their value. [If your parcel came by DPD, Royal Mail or Parcelforce, ask for a response within 3 working days instead — the retailer's own claim window against those carriers can be as short as 14 days under current terms, so an early answer protects their claim as well as yours.] Yours sincerely, [Your Name] [Order Reference]
When the Retailer Says the Tracking Shows Delivered
This is the standard first reply and it does not answer the point. A delivery scan records that a parcel was handed over. It says nothing about what was inside it, and no courier weighs the contents against your order at the door. Reply that you are not disputing that a parcel arrived, you are disputing that the goods did, then put the packing record and despatch weight requests back in front of them. If the next answer is still a refusal, stop repeating yourself in live chat and move to the payment route, which produces a decision rather than another conversation.
If the Retailer Refuses
Escalate through how you paid. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 can apply on credit card purchases, but for a missing item the £100 threshold turns on the cash price of that individual item, not your order total — a £40 item missing from a £150 order does not qualify. If the missing item itself cost more than £100, the card issuer is jointly liable with the retailer. Chargeback is available on most debit and credit cards, usually within 120 days of the transaction, and PayPal Buyer Protection covers orders that arrive incomplete. Our chargeback guide sets out the evidence banks ask for. Citizens Advice can escalate to Trading Standards, and Money Claims Online remains available as a last resort. Whichever route you take, send it with the same framing: the goods were never delivered.
Next Steps
Photograph the packaging, write to the retailer on the delivery ground rather than the quality ground, name the two records, and set a short deadline. If you would rather have the complaint and escalation route built from your own facts, start with the free missing item checker or read the item missing from parcel action plan.
For courier-specific help, compare Royal Mail, Evri, Yodel and DPD guidance. If your case is a lost parcel, marked delivered, damaged parcel or doorstep theft issue, use the matching scenario page to generate the next steps for your case.
Frequently Asked Questions
My parcel arrived but an item was missing, who is responsible?+
The retailer. Under Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods remain at the trader's risk until they come into your physical possession. An item that was never in the box was never delivered to you, so the retailer must send it or refund its value. A delivery scan does not change that, because it records the handover of a parcel rather than its contents.
Is a missing item the same as a damaged item?+
No, and the difference matters. A damaged item arrived and is faulty, which is a satisfactory-quality claim and can involve inspection, repair or replacement. A missing item never arrived, which is a delivery claim under Section 29. Do not accept a returns label or an inspection request for goods you never received.
The box was sealed and undamaged, does that hurt my claim?+
No. Intact packaging suggests the items were never packed rather than lost in transit, which points the claim at the retailer's own picking and packing record. That record, together with the despatch weight, is usually easier to obtain than a carrier investigation, so a sealed box often makes the case simpler rather than weaker.
Should I contact the courier about an item missing from my parcel?+
Not for a normal retail order. The courier's contract is with the retailer, so couriers settle claims with the sender rather than the customer. Ask the retailer to file any carrier claim while they deal with your refund or replacement. You would only claim directly if you booked and paid for the delivery yourself.
How long do I have to report an item missing from a parcel?+
Report it in writing the same day you open the parcel if you can. Statutory claims against a retailer run for up to six years in England and Wales, but carriers apply much shorter claim windows that can run from despatch rather than from delivery, so a delay can cost the retailer the ability to recover from the carrier and gives them a reason to argue. Chargeback deadlines are typically 120 days from the transaction.
What if the retailer refuses to send the item or refund it?+
Escalate through your payment method. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 can apply on credit cards where the missing item's own cash price is over £100 — the order total does not count, so a cheaper item missing from a larger order goes down the chargeback route instead. Chargeback is available on most cards within roughly 120 days, and PayPal Buyer Protection covers incomplete orders. Citizens Advice can escalate to Trading Standards, and Money Claims Online is available as a last resort.