Tracking says delivered but I never got it. Who is responsible?
Who has to fix it when a parcel is marked delivered but never reached you, what evidence counts and where to go if the store points you at the courier.
The seller is. If the store arranged delivery, it is responsible for sorting it out with Australia Post or the courier, and if it still fails to supply you are entitled to a refund. Ask the seller in writing with the tracking and any delivery photo, and give 7 days. If it refuses, your bank, Fair Trading or your state tribunal can step in.
Rather not chase this yourself?
Ajust writes to the business, tracks the deadline and escalates if they don't fix it.
Is the seller or the courier responsible?
The seller, when it arranged the delivery. Consumer Affairs Victoria says that if the seller says it posted the product, it is responsible for resolving any issues with Australia Post or the courier company. Your contract is with the store, not the courier.
If the seller still fails to supply, Consumer Affairs Victoria says you are entitled to a refund of any money you paid for the product. NSW Fair Trading says that under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) a business must provide a solution if it cannot supply a paid-for product on time or within a reasonable time.
You can also ask the store for an explanation in writing. A delivered status in a tracking app is the courier's record, not proof the parcel reached you.
What to do depends on what the tracking shows:
| What the tracking shows | Who you claim from | Your strongest evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered, with a photo of a different house or door | The seller | The photo itself, next to a photo of your own front door |
| Delivered, with a photo of your door, but nothing there | The seller | The time of the scan, a neighbour check and any doorbell or CCTV footage |
| Delivered, no photo or signature | The seller | The tracking history and your written report that it never arrived |
Authority to Leave lets the courier leave a parcel at your address without a signature. It is not permission to leave it at another address. A photo of someone else's door shows the parcel was not left where you authorised.
Ajust has handled over 150 cases about parcels marked delivered that never arrived, and secured a confirmed result in 62% of closed cases.
- In Ajust's cases, the wins came from going back to the retailer, not the courier.
- When Ajust secured a result, it typically came in about 6 days.
- The typical amount at stake is about $150.
If you bought online, the seller that arranged delivery is generally responsible until the parcel reaches you, so you can ask them for a refund or replacement as well as lodging a claim.
What should you do first?
Step 1: Check, then capture the evidence
Check with neighbours, building reception and any parcel locker on the same day. Then screenshot the tracking page, the delivery time and any delivery photo, and take a photo of your own front door to put next to it.
Step 2: Ask the seller in writing and set a deadline
Write to the store you bought from, not the courier. Use its email or complaints form so there is a record, attach the screenshots and give 7 days for a replacement or a refund.
Subject: Order [order number] marked delivered on [date] but not received
My order [order number], paid on [date] for $[amount], is shown as delivered on [date] by [courier]. I have not received it. [The delivery photo shows a door that is not mine. A photo of my front door is attached.]
You arranged this delivery. Consumer Affairs Victoria's guidance is that when a seller posts a product, the seller is responsible for resolving any issues with Australia Post or the courier. Under the Australian Consumer Law you must supply what I paid for, and if you cannot, I am entitled to a refund.
Please send a replacement or refund $[amount] to my original payment method within 7 days of this email. Please do not ask me to claim from the courier; that is a matter between you and your carrier.
If this is not resolved within 7 days, I will dispute the payment with my bank and lodge a complaint with [your state Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs office].
[Your name]
Step 3: Report it to Australia Post as well, if it carried the parcel
This gives the seller a reference to chase but does not replace your claim against the seller. Ajust's recommended channel for Australia Post is the Delivery issue form or the Missing or lost item form at helpandsupport.auspost.com.au. Australia Post says a personal enquiry about a domestic parcel can be lodged once it hasn't arrived within 10 business days of the expected delivery date, and the form needs a free MyPost account and the tracking number.
Step 4: If you bought through Amazon or Temu, use their claim as well
Amazon's A-to-z Guarantee for third-party sellers can be claimed 3 days after the latest estimated delivery date and within 90 days, once you have contacted the seller at least 48 hours earlier. Temu asks you to report a parcel shown as delivered but not received within 90 days of the order date, through its "package shows delivered but not received" option.
What if the seller still says to claim from the courier?
Go over its head. You can dispute the card payment and complain to Fair Trading at the same time, and only a tribunal can order the seller to pay.
| Where | Covers | Time limit | What it can do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seller's complaints team | Any seller in Australia | None, but go straight away | Replace or refund |
| Amazon A-to-z or Temu's delivered-not-received claim | Orders on those platforms | Amazon 90 days after the latest estimated delivery date; Temu 90 days from the order | Refund through the platform |
| Chargeback through your bank | Card payments, not bank transfer or BPAY | Varies from 45 to 120 days from the transaction | Reverses the payment |
| State Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs | Any business | None | Contacts the seller; cannot order a refund |
| State tribunal (NCAT, VCAT, QCAT) | Any business selling in Australia | NCAT 3 years | Orders payment. NCAT hears claims up to $100,000 |
| Postal Industry Ombudsman | Australia Post and StarTrack only | After the operator has had 10 business days | Investigates the courier's handling, not the seller |
Consumer Affairs Victoria and NSW Fair Trading say chargeback time limits vary from 45 to 120 days from the transaction date. Ask your bank for its deadline on the first call.
If the seller doesn't resolve it, it can be escalated to your state Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs office, a free service. Ajust handles the escalation for you.
Tell Ajust what happened and we do the heavy lifting for you. Emails, calls, escalations until it's resolved. While you get on with your life.
Get help from Ajust
What doesn't work
- Claiming from the courier because the store told you to. The seller arranged the delivery, so the seller is the one that has to resolve it.
- Waiting a few days in case it turns up. Chargeback windows can be as short as 45 days from the purchase.
- Skipping the seller on Amazon. An A-to-z claim needs you to have contacted the seller at least 48 hours first.
- Losing the delivery photo. Tracking pages change; screenshot the photo and the scan time the day you notice.
- Reporting it by phone only. Your bank, Fair Trading and a tribunal all ask for the written request and the written reply.
Common questions
The store says I have to claim from the courier. Is that right?
No, when the store arranged the delivery. Consumer Affairs Victoria says the seller is responsible for resolving any issues with Australia Post or the courier it used. Reply in writing that the claim is with the store and ask for a replacement or refund.
The delivery photo isn't my house. What do I do with it?
Screenshot it straight away with the delivery time, take a photo of your own door and send both to the seller. It is the clearest evidence that the parcel was not delivered to you. Check the address in the photo is not a neighbour's before you send it.
I ticked Authority to Leave. Am I out of luck?
Not if the parcel was not left at your address. Authority to Leave lets the courier leave it without a signature at your place. On Amazon, though, an A-to-z claim is excluded if you chose to leave it in a safe place and tracking shows delivery to your address, so your claim then goes straight to the seller.
I paid by bank transfer or BPAY. Can I still get my money back?
The seller still has to supply or refund. A card chargeback is not available for bank transfer or BPAY, so your route after the seller is Fair Trading and the tribunal. This is the point where most people hand the case to Ajust, which escalates it for you.
I bought from a private seller on Marketplace or Gumtree. Does this apply?
Not in the same way. NSW Fair Trading treats a dispute with a private seller as a civil matter rather than a consumer guarantee issue. You can still ask the seller for the tracking evidence and, for larger amounts, take the dispute to your local court or tribunal.
Still stuck? Let Ajust take it from here
Other
Logistics
Issues
Read about the issues consumers are facing. Have a different issue? You can still make a complaint.