Missing item in a combined marketplace parcel
Match each seller's order to the combined tracking record, check for split deliveries, and preserve the packaging and contents evidence. Raise a claim against each affected purchase, identifying exactly what is missing rather than claiming for everything delivered. For factory sourcing and checks in China, contact Cambridge China Bridge.
Match purchases to the delivered parcel
Save the order details, seller names, listing descriptions, purchased quantities and variants. Build a reconciliation sheet linking each purchase to its original tracking reference, consolidation reference and final delivery reference. Record what arrived and what remains missing against each order line.
Check whether the missing item was actually allocated to this parcel. Look for split shipments, pending dispatches and separate tracking records. Ask marketplace support or the consolidator to confirm the order-to-parcel mapping in writing. A delivered tracking record shows a parcel arrived; it does not establish that every purchase was inside.
Keep the packaging and record the contents
Keep the outer packaging, inner bags, labels, seals, tape and packing slips. Photograph the parcel from all sides, including damage, openings and signs of resealing. Photograph the contents laid out alongside their inner labels. Check folds, padding and product boxes before recording an item as absent.
If the parcel is unopened, record a continuous unpacking video showing the label, seals and contents. If already opened, make an honest record now and state when you discovered the shortage. Do not present a reconstructed unpacking as the original event. For missing components inside a supplied kit, use our bundle packing and stock checks guide.
Compare weights at matching stages
Ask for the seller's dispatch weight, consolidation intake record, repacking record and carrier's measured weight where available. Ask whether each figure is a measured gross weight, an estimate or a billing weight based on dimensions. Compare records for the same parcel and packing stage, allowing for removed or added packaging.
If weighing what arrived, include the retained packaging and explain anything already removed. Photograph the scale reading and identify what was weighed. A weight difference can support a shortage investigation but cannot identify the missing item by itself. Request intake photographs and packing records to help locate where the mismatch began.
Raise a separate claim for each affected purchase
Government marketplace safety guidance advises contacting the seller or marketplace when something seems wrong. For a shortage, use the affected purchase's help or dispute route and check its current submission and escalation deadlines. Describe the issue accurately: the combined parcel arrived, but the specified item or quantity was absent. Ask support which category fits if the available choices are unclear.
Submit a claim for each affected purchase where the platform permits, attaching the shared parcel evidence plus that purchase's reconciliation entry. Request a refund for the missing quantity or an agreed replacement. If support handles everything in a combined case, ask for each affected order and remedy to be recorded separately. Use our supplier claims guide for the broader supplier dispute.
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Follow up with a clear claim record
Keep the submitted text, attachments, case references, replies and displayed deadlines. If rejected because tracking says delivered, ask for a review of the missing contents and order-to-parcel mapping. Ask the seller, consolidator and carrier for records relevant to their handling stage; avoid guessing who caused the loss.
Track refunds and replacement deliveries against the affected purchases so the same missing item is not recovered twice. Before pursuing a payment dispute, review our marketplace payment disputes guide and ask your payment provider about the route available for your business purchase. Keep the purchase claim and any parcel investigation cross-referenced. For a later delivery, see our guide to parcels arriving after a refund.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim if tracking says delivered?
Raise the missing-contents issue against the affected purchase. Explain that the parcel arrived but the item did not, and attach the order mapping, contents photographs and packing evidence.
Do I need a claim for every seller?
Claim against each affected purchase where the platform permits. Reuse the shared parcel evidence, but identify the missing item and requested remedy separately. Leave complete purchases out of the claim.
Does parcel weight prove an item was missing?
Weight can support the claim, but packaging changes, estimates and dimensional billing weights can mislead. Compare measured weights at matching stages and support them with packing records.
Can I claim without an unpacking video?
Submit the evidence you have: labels, packaging, contents photographs, order records and available weight records. Explain when you noticed the shortage and ask support what further evidence it needs.