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Small Parcel Claims: How to Report an Incident

Steps to take if you notice no tracking movement, lost shipment, damage or other small parcel issues.

M
Written by Maureen
Updated over 2 weeks ago

When an incident happens while in transit (after the point of shipping) for packages shipped by DCL, please contact the Order Support Group (OSG) to start an investigation by sending an email to the main email address you were assigned, and address the email to the OSG team.

If you don't know the email address, you can find it here.

Use Cases: See below for the list of incidents to be reported to OSG on in-transit shipments.

  • No tracking movement after 7 days

  • Lost shipments

  • Non-receipt acknowledgment from the end consignee

  • Shortages (noted on Proof of Delivery (POD)

  • Damages (noted on Proof of Delivery (POD)

Note: If you are looking for the delivery status of an order, you can find that through eFactory through this link.

Claim Requirements by Carrier

Carrier

Requirements/ Restrictions

FedEx

n/a

UPS

n/a

USPS

A claim cannot be submitted with USPS for loss, shortage, or damage reported if the package was not shipped with insurance.

DHL Global

Claims can only be submitted between 21 and 60 business days after the last scan.

OSM

OSM only accepts claims for packages that have not received scans in over 30 days and that have OSM scans only.

Passport

To be eligible for claims, you must have signed up with Passport's insurance provider during the onboarding process

How to Report a Small Parcel Incident

Below are the steps to follow when reporting this type of incident and submitting a claim to the carrier.

  1. Notify the Order Support Group (OSG) by emailing the group email address assigned to contact your DCL support team. You can also find the group email address here.

    • Include the following information when notifying your team:

      • Order number

      • Ship date

      • Carrier Name

      • Tracking number

      • Proof of Cost of Goods

      • Phone number and email of the recipient

  2. DCL OSG will initiate an investigation with the carrier on a case-by-case basis. This action is performed only upon request. The Order Support Group (OSG) will contact you if additional information or documentation is needed

Tracking Your Claims Summary

When an incident occurs in transit on packages shipped by DCL and is reported by the customer, an investigation will be initiated with the carrier for each order referenced in the email.

What to Expect from the Claims Process

UPS Shipments (Small Parcels)

For shortages reported on shipments, your Account Manager (AM) will conduct an internal investigation to see if the package(s) were shipped in full. OSG will get a head start and initiate a trace investigation with the carrier. If DCL concludes the package(s) shipped short, then the trace will be closed with the carrier. If DCL concludes the package(s) shipped in full, then OSG will proceed with the investigation with the carrier and push for a claim. Carrier traces typically take up to 8 business days, and in some cases, may take longer. If the trace closes successfully with a claim, OSG will reach out and request the original invoice or proof of purchase to submit the claim.

FedEx Shipments (Small Parcels)

For shortages reported on shipments, the AM will conduct an internal investigation to see if the package(s) were shipped in full. OSG will get a head start and initiate a trace investigation with the carrier. If DCL concludes the package(s) shipped short, then the trace will be closed with the carrier. If DCL concludes the package(s) shipped in full, then OSG will proceed with the investigation with the carrier and push for a claim. Carrier traces typically take up to 8 business days, and in some cases, may take longer. If the trace closes successfully with a claim, OSG will reach out and request the original invoice or proof of purchase to submit the claim.

USPS Shipments

When submitting an investigation with USPS, an inquiry is initiated, which may take up to 10 business days for an update. A claim cannot be submitted to USPS for loss, shortage, or damage reported if the package was not shipped with insurance. If the package is shipped with insurance, a claim can be submitted for missing or damaged shipments. However, this will not guarantee the claim will be paid out.

DHL Global Mail

DHL claims can only be submitted after 21 business days from the date of the last scan. The invoice/proof of purchase and contact information for the recipient are always required. The claim can only be submitted within the allowed timeframe of 60 business days from the ship date. The claim is submitted online, and upon filing, an affidavit from DHL is electronically sent to the consignee for completion. There are instances where DHL requests additional information, such as email communication between seller and buyer, pictures, proof of refund, and replacement tracking.

Landmark Shipments

Landmark investigation for a reported loss/damage is submitted via Email. All details provided by the customer are gathered and sent to Landmark in an email for their assistance and resolution.


OSM Shipments

Please note OSM can only accept claims for packages that have not received scans in over 30 days and that have OSM scans only. We will credit up to $100 of the wholesale cost of the piece. If the package received postal scans, a claim would have to be made with USPS. For more details, please contact OSG to obtain a claim form.

Passport Shipments

Passport claims can only be filed directly by our customers. To be eligible, the customer must have signed up with Passport’s insurance provider during the onboarding process.

For more details, customers can review the following article or contact the Passport support team with any questions:
How to file an insurance claim

FAQs

What if my order shows no movement?

If the carrier labels an order as "in transit" yet it has had no movement in 7 days, the following actions can be taken. If it has not been 7 days, the issue is still within the hands of the carrier, not DCL.

  1. Check eFactory or the carrier's website for the most up-to-date information.

  2. Verify with the consignee whether they received the package, as no delivery scan was recorded.

  3. Please contact your account manager to check our system and confirm if the package in question was returned to DCL as undeliverable, with no delivery scan recorded.

If steps 1 -3 are taken and the order is still being questioned, then an incident report should be escalated to OSG.

What is the best way to track packages in real time?

Check eFactory for the latest updates, or visit the carrier's website listed below directly.

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