Lost or Damaged Shipment Claims: A Shopify Merchant Checklist

title: Lost or Damaged Shipment Claims: A Shopify Merchant Checklist slug: lost-or-damaged-shipment-claim-shopify-checklist meta_title: Lost or Damaged Shipment Claims Checklist meta_description: Use a lost or damaged shipment claim checklist to preserve evidence, identify the right provider, verify deadlines and manage customer remedies. primary_keyword: lost or damaged shipment claim secondary_keywords:

Lost or Damaged Shipment Claims: A Shopify Merchant Checklist

A lost or damaged shipment claim starts with evidence and the correct carrier or insurance provider. Eligibility, filing deadlines and compensation depend on the service, destination, label purchase channel and coverage. Do not promise reimbursement until the relevant provider confirms the rules and reviews the claim.

Start with the customer and shipment

Find the order, tracking number, label purchase channel, carrier service and shipment date. Check the latest tracking and ask the customer for the facts without assigning blame. A delivery marked complete may require a different investigation from a parcel that never received a carrier scan.

Shopify's USPS guidance differentiates carrier claims from supplemental Shipsurance claims. The right filing path depends on the label and coverage, not simply the carrier name.

Preserve evidence immediately

Ask for clear photos of the outer carton, shipping label, inner packaging and damaged products when relevant. Retain the original packaging if the carrier or insurer may inspect it. Save the order confirmation, item value, invoice or receipt, tracking record and any communications. Avoid requesting sensitive data that the provider does not need.

For a potentially lost parcel, record the last scan, shipment date and any carrier case number. Do not wait for every internal question to be resolved before checking the claim deadline.

Check the actual provider's rules

Deadlines vary significantly. Shopify's USPS page describes a 7 to 60 day claim window for eligible domestic services, while its Evri page describes a 23-day window from label creation for its documented claims. Shopify's Mondial Relay guidance describes conditions with much shorter time limits in some cases. These are examples, not universal deadlines; verify current terms for the specific service and country.

Confirm whether to file through Shopify, the carrier or a third-party insurer. Check exclusions, declared value, proof requirements, who is entitled to file and any required investigation. A claim's acceptance and payout are subject to the provider's review.

Decide the customer remedy separately

Your customer-service response and a carrier claim are related but distinct. Review your published policies, payment obligations and applicable consumer law before deciding on a replacement, refund or other remedy. Do not assume the customer must wait for the carrier's decision if your obligations require a faster response. Avoid giving legal advice from a generic claims checklist.

1. Acknowledge the report and give a realistic update time.
2. Preserve evidence and start the correct carrier investigation.
3. Confirm eligibility, deadline and required documents.
4. Submit once through the correct channel and record the case number.
5. Track the provider response and customer remedy separately.
6. Reconcile any reimbursement and review recurring packaging issues.

For adjacent workflows see voiding eligible labels and return policies on product pages.

Track the date you filed, the next response due and the responsible employee in one shared case record. This prevents the customer conversation from being lost during a shift change.

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