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When you pay for something online and it never arrives, the law is on your side in a way it rarely is elsewhere: in most countries the seller must deliver what you paid for within the agreed or a reasonable time, and if they cannot, you are entitled to a refund — the risk of a parcel going missing sits with the seller, not with you. The practical sequence is short: check the tracking and your address, send the seller one dated written message giving them a week to deliver or refund, and if the deadline passes, escalate — a chargeback for 'goods not received' with your card issuer, a complaint to the marketplace if you bought through one, and a report to your local consumer regulator if the seller looks like a non-shipper. The evidence file (order confirmation, payment record, every message) is your whole case, so keep it from day one.
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What to do when a paid-for order never shows up — the delivery investigation, the refund you are entitled to when a seller fails to deliver, and how long to wait before you escalate.
Why it matters
When you order and pay online and the goods never arrive, the core rule in most consumer laws is simple: the seller must deliver what you paid for within the agreed time (or a reasonable time), and if they cannot, you are entitled to a refund — the risk of a parcel going missing sits with the seller, not with you, in most jurisdictions.
The practical order is: check the tracking and your address, give the seller a written notice with a short deadline to either deliver or refund, and keep proof of the order and payment — most 'never arrived' cases are resolved by that single dated message.
'Delivered' is not the same as 'received by you': tracking showing delivery to your address is the seller's usual defence, so if it claims delivered but you have nothing, check with neighbours and the courier first — then push back in writing with the discrepancy.
Card payments give you a second route: if the seller ignores your refund request, a chargeback for 'goods not received' is a strong, standard claim with your card issuer.
Scam warning: a seller who keeps promising 'it is on its way' for weeks, changes stories, or only communicates through a marketplace chat is the pattern of a non-shipping seller — do not let politeness talk you past your refund window.
Your checklist
Check the tracking number, your delivery address and any 'left with' details — knock on neighbours if it claims delivered.
Message the seller in writing: the order number, that nothing has arrived, and a deadline (7 days is fair) to deliver or refund.
If the seller promises a reshipment, get that in writing with a date.
If the deadline passes with no delivery and no refund, raise a chargeback or dispute with your payment method for 'goods not received'.
Complain to the platform or marketplace if you bought through one — they have seller-account levers you do not.
Report genuine non-shipping sellers to your local consumer regulator — patterns are what they act on.
Keep the order confirmation, payment record and every message — that file is your whole case.
❓ Online Order Never Arrived: Your Next Steps — FAQ
Tracking says 'delivered' but I have nothing — what now?
Check neighbours, the letterbox and any safe-drop spots first, then message the seller with the discrepancy and ask them to investigate with the courier. 'Delivered' is the seller's usual defence, so a dated written dispute of the delivery record is your first move.
How long should I wait before asking for a refund?
Give the seller a reasonable delivery window plus one written chase with a 7-day deadline. After that, a refund request is entirely fair — and if the seller keeps promising 'it is on its way' without delivery, that pattern is the classic non-shipper script. Do not let politeness talk you past your chargeback window.
Can the seller just refund the postage and keep the goods?
No — if the goods never arrive, the seller must refund what you paid for them. Postage refunds are for the seller's own convenience; your money back for undelivered goods is the standard remedy in most consumer laws.
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