Courier lost or damaged my return to China
Open a claim with the courier or booking provider and ask it to assess your contents, cover and evidence under the terms you bought. Keep pursuing the seller refund separately; a courier decision does not settle that discussion. This guide is from Cambridge China Bridge.
Find the booking and open the claim
This guide concerns a return to China for which you bought the carriage yourself. Find the booking confirmation, invoice, service name and terms supplied when you paid. If you used a parcel broker, ask whether it handles claims or requires you to contact the carrier. Request the claim form, evidence requirements and applicable notification and submission deadlines promptly.
Give the tracking reference, handover receipt and last confirmed movement. Ask for an investigation and case reference, describing the parcel as missing until its whereabouts are established. If the seller actually booked the carriage, use our guide to a lost return using the seller’s label.
Check whether the actual contents qualify
Ask the booking provider to distinguish goods prohibited from carriage, goods accepted subject to conditions, and goods excluded from compensation. Request separate answers for loss and damage. Specifically ask about glass, ceramics, jewellery, electronics and used or already faulty items where relevant. Do not treat successful label purchase as confirmation that your contents qualify.
Send the exact product description and its condition before dispatch, including any existing fault. Disclose batteries, liquids and other contents needing particular attention. Ask for the wording applicable to your selected China service and any extra protection purchased. Our personal return guide covers address approval and dispatch paperwork.
Establish what the cover could pay
Ask whether your booking includes carrier compensation, purchased parcel protection or a separate insurance policy. Obtain the relevant terms and any policy schedule. A freight forwarder’s liability insurance does not insure the goods themselves. For business shipments needing separate goods cover, see our cargo insurance guide.
Request the applicable limit, any excess and the valuation method for returned or faulty goods. Ask whether the limit applies per parcel or consignment, and whether postage, repair costs or other claimed losses are included. Supply the purchase invoice and explain the amount sought. Ask how the declared value affects settlement; do not budget on receiving the advertised maximum.
Show packing and the change in condition
Build a sequence showing the item and its existing fault, identifying marks, internal protection, sealed carton and readable label. Match these records to the booking and handover receipt. For damage, ask the recipient to photograph the unopened parcel where possible, then the internal packing and goods. Separate the original reason for return from additional transit damage.
Ask the recipient to retain the goods and packaging where safe and practicable, pending claim instructions. Request inspection arrangements before disposal or non-urgent repairs. If photographs are missing, say so and supply available packing records, receipts and recipient statements. If poor packing is alleged, ask which instruction was breached and what evidence supports that conclusion.
Keep the seller-refund claim separate
Send the seller your return approval, handover evidence, tracking and damage records. Ask for a written refund decision identifying the agreed return terms and reason for any refusal. For business stock, work from the purchase contract and return agreement; our supplier goods claim guide helps organise the original complaint.
For a personal purchase where you believe UK consumer cancellation rules apply and the seller has not offered collection, ask the relevant consumer advice service to confirm how evidence of sending the goods back affects refund timing before receipt. Do not assume the same position applies to faulty-goods or voluntary returns. Continue the seller discussion while the courier investigates, and record any refund or compensation received when updating each claim.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
Challenge a refusal with a specific request
If compensation is refused or reduced, request the decision, calculation and exact terms relied on. Ask whether the issue is excluded contents, packing, value, handover evidence or a deadline. Reply against that reason with the relevant documents, rather than simply repeating the parcel’s purchase price.
Ask for the provider’s complaint procedure and available independent review route. Keep the booking terms, claim submission, acknowledgements and final response together. If the seller also refuses a refund, ask your payment provider which dispute route fits the facts and what evidence and deadlines apply. Explain the original delivery and failed return accurately.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I claim from if I booked through a parcel broker?
Start with the provider named on your booking. Ask whether it handles compensation or directs claims to the carrier, and request written instructions and deadlines.
Does extra parcel protection cover excluded items?
Ask for written confirmation against your actual contents and the protection terms. Check loss and damage separately; do not rely on the checkout accepting your payment.
What if the courier says my packing was inadequate?
Request the packing instruction and evidence behind the refusal. Supply photographs of internal protection, the sealed carton and arrival damage, and ask the recipient to retain the packaging.
Must I wait for courier compensation before asking for a refund?
Keep the seller-refund request moving separately. Send proof of return and ask for a decision under the applicable return terms. A carrier claim outcome alone does not resolve the seller discussion.