The tracking stalled, the buyer is asking, and the package is just… gone. Deep breath. A lost-in-transit package is one of the most fixable problems in reselling, because the carrier usually owes you for it. You just have to know who pays and how to ask.
Who actually covers a lost package
If you shipped with a service that includes insurance, the carrier covers the loss up to that amount. USPS Ground Advantage and Priority Mail both include a baseline coverage amount at no extra cost, and you can buy more. So the money comes from the carrier, not from your pocket and not from the buyer. Your buyer’s job is simple: you make them whole first, then you recover from the carrier.
Refund the buyer, then file – in that order
Do not make your buyer wait on a claim that can take weeks. Refund or replace right away so your feedback and account stay clean, then chase the carrier on your own time. On most marketplaces, if you used their label or an approved shipping service, you also have seller protection working in your favor.
How to file the USPS claim, step by step
- Wait out the minimum window. For most ground and Priority service, USPS wants at least about 15 days from the ship date before a package counts as lost.
- Log into your USPS account and start a domestic claim online – it is faster than the counter and gives you a paper trail.
- Have your tracking number, proof of value (your sold price or a receipt), and proof of insurance (the shipping label or receipt) ready.
- Submit and watch your email. Decisions often come back within a couple of weeks, and approved payouts follow shortly after.
Confirm the current filing windows on the carrier’s site before you file, since they shift now and then.
The paperwork gap AI can close for you
Bottom line: a lost package is the carrier’s bill, not yours.
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