Handling Missing, Damaged, or Incomplete Orders

Updated October 22, 2026

What to do when a customer or creator-placed order is missing, damaged, or didn't arrive complete

Sometimes packages go missing, arrive damaged, or show up with items missing. Here's how to handle each situation, including timelines to follow and what evidence to gather before submitting a claim. The same process applies to customer orders and to creator-placed orders (samples, self-purchases, and gifts you send from your own budget).

Package shows "Delivered" but wasn't received

If tracking says your customer's package was delivered but they haven't received it, don't assume it's lost yet. A few things can cause this:

• Carrier mis-scan — The package was scanned as delivered at the wrong stop or a nearby address. The carrier may deliver it the next business day.
• Left with a neighbor or building staff — Check nearby doors, a mailroom, front desk, or package lockers.
• GPS rounding — Carriers use GPS to mark delivery, which can reflect a general area rather than the exact address.

What to do:

1. Ask the customer to check around their delivery address — with neighbors, building management, or a mailroom.
2. Wait 2 business days after the "Delivered" scan before treating it as lost. Carriers often self-correct.
3. If the package still hasn't turned up after 2 business days, contact support@fourthwall.com with the order number and tracking information. We can look into it, but because the carrier marked the package as delivered, a carrier claim usually isn't possible, and we can't promise a replacement or refund.

Missing package — tracking stopped or never updated

If tracking shows the package in transit but hasn't updated in several days, or if the customer never received a tracking number:

• Check every tracking update. The first tracking link often doesn't show updates from the local (last-mile) carrier or customs. A tracking app such as 17TRACK, Parcels or AfterShip shows all updates in one place.
• Contact the local carrier. If the tracking app shows a different local carrier and tracking number, your customer can use them to contact the local delivery office. For international orders, also check with customs.
• Wait for the claim window. Allow at least 2 weeks for domestic orders and 3 weeks for international orders to pass before filing a claim. Carriers require this waiting period before treating a package as lost.
• If those steps don't turn up the package and the window has passed, contact support@fourthwall.com with the order number. We'll file a claim with the carrier and, if the package is confirmed lost, arrange a replacement or refund, except for Mexico orders discarded for unpaid import taxes.

tip

International orders can take 2 to 4 weeks to arrive after production, sometimes longer in peak season. Encourage your customer to check the estimated delivery window before assuming a package is lost.

Order returned to sender

For orders Fourthwall fulfills, what happens to an order returned to sender depends on why it came back:

• Carrier error: Fourthwall covers it, and your customer gets the item at no extra cost.
• A wrong address, an incomplete address or an unclaimed parcel: Fourthwall may send the item again at its discretion, but it isn't guaranteed.
• A package your customer deliberately refused: Fourthwall may send it again at its discretion, and a refund is an exception.

To request a reship, email support@fourthwall.com with the order number. If the address caused the return, confirm your customer's correct address first and include it in your email.

Refunds aren't the default for orders returned to sender. Fourthwall can make an exception, for example if the item can't be sent again, but we can't promise a refund. Repeated returns of the same order are handled case by case.

Damaged items

If a customer receives an item that arrived damaged:

1. Ask the customer to take clear photos of the damage — both the item and the packaging if it's also damaged, plus the packing slip if available.
2. Contact support@fourthwall.com with the order number and the photos as attachments.
3. We'll review and arrange a replacement or refund, depending on the item and circumstances.

Required evidence for damage claims:

• Photos of the damaged item (clear, well-lit)
• Photo of the packaging if it shows damage
• Photo of the packing slip, if available
• Order number

note

Claims for damaged items should be submitted within 30 days of delivery. Claims submitted after this window may not be eligible for replacement or refund.

Incomplete orders, missing items

If a customer's order arrived but was missing one or more items:

1. Check the order in Orders to confirm what was included in the shipment. Large orders sometimes ship in multiple packages with separate tracking numbers.
2. If all packages have been received and items are still missing, contact support@fourthwall.com with the order number, a list of missing items, and photos of the packing slip and the items received, if possible.
3. We'll investigate and, depending on what we find, send the missing items or issue a partial refund.

Creator-placed orders lost in transit

Creator-placed orders are the ones you pay for yourself: samples, self-purchases, and gift shipments sent to you or a recipient of your choice. If one of these orders goes missing in transit, the resolution is handled the same way as a customer order, but the refund or replacement comes from Fourthwall, not from your own balance.

Claim windows are the same: wait 2 weeks for domestic orders and 3 weeks for international orders after the last tracking update before reporting the order as lost.

Once the window has passed, email support@fourthwall.com with the order number. We'll confirm with the manufacturing partner and, if the order is confirmed lost in transit, either issue a full refund or arrange a replacement at no additional cost to you, except for Mexico orders discarded for unpaid import taxes.

caution

Do not use the dashboard 3-dot menu > Refund order option for a lost creator-placed order. That flow is built to refund a customer's purchase and pulls from your own balance, so it won't recover the cost of an order that never arrived. Email support instead so we can resolve it with the manufacturing partner.

If an order never arrives, am I charged for it?

No. If an order doesn't arrive because of a Fourthwall issue, or it's lost in transit when Fourthwall shipped it, Fourthwall replaces or refunds it, and you aren't charged. If tracking shows Delivered but your customer says it didn't arrive, Fourthwall can't cover a replacement. Don't refund a lost order yourself from the dashboard.

• A customer's order: a replacement or refund for a confirmed lost package doesn't cost you anything.
• An order you placed yourself (a sample, self-purchase or gift shipment): the refund or replacement comes from Fourthwall, not from your own balance.

To report a lost package, wait 2 weeks for domestic orders or 3 weeks for international orders after the last tracking update, then email support@fourthwall.com with the order number. Fourthwall files the carrier claim and arranges a replacement or refund if it's confirmed lost.

Don't use Refund order in the order's three-dot menu for a lost package. That option refunds the customer from your own shop balance. If your balance can't cover a refund you issue, your default payment method (a credit card or PayPal account) can be charged the difference, with a minimum charge of $1.00.

This applies to orders Fourthwall fulfills, except Mexico orders discarded for unpaid import taxes. Support for self-fulfilled products is handled by you.

Claim timelines at a glance

Situation	When to act	Evidence needed
Delivered but not received	After 2 business days	Order number + tracking
Missing in transit (domestic)	After 2 weeks	Order number + tracking
Missing in transit (international)	After 3 weeks	Order number + tracking
Damaged item	Within 30 days of delivery	Photos of item, packaging and packing slip
Missing items in shipment	After all packages received	Order number, item list, photos of packing slip and items
Creator-placed order lost in transit	After 2 weeks (domestic) or 3 weeks (international)	Order number

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should contact support — the creator or the customer?

Ideally the customer. Support often needs to ask follow-up questions or share instructions that only the recipient can act on, so it's best for your customer to reach out directly through your shop's contact form.

Will my customer get a replacement or a refund?

This depends on the situation. For missing or damaged items, we'll typically offer a replacement first. If a replacement isn't possible (for example, if the item is out of stock), we'll issue a refund. This doesn't apply to orders returned to sender, where a refund is an exception, or to Mexico orders discarded for unpaid import taxes.

Can I submit a claim on behalf of my customer?

You can if your customer can't contact us themselves. Email support@fourthwall.com with the order details. It's usually faster for your customer to reach out through your shop's contact form, though, since support may need details or actions only the recipient can provide.

Is there a deadline for reporting issues?

For damaged items, submit within 30 days of delivery. For missing packages, you must wait out the claim window (2 weeks domestic, 3 weeks international) before we can open a carrier claim.

How long will the replacement take?

Support doesn't commit to a specific ETA once a replacement is approved. Our manufacturing partner reproduces the order under normal production timelines, plus standard shipping for the destination. Your customer will receive a shipping-notification email as soon as the carrier scans the new package.

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If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at support@fourthwall.com.