A delivered status with no package is usually not theft. Four other explanations are collectively far more likely, and working through them in order recovers most packages within a day or two. Filing a claim first and looking second wastes the window when recovery is easiest.
Check these before assuming theft
Premature scanning, where a driver marks a route delivered before completing it and the package arrives that evening or the next morning. Delivery to a neighbour, a leasing office, a mailroom or a side entrance. Delivery to a previous address still stored in a carrier's system. And placement somewhere non-obvious such as behind a gate, in a garage recess or under a porch. Give it 24 hours before escalating.
What to do in the first 48 hours
Check every entrance and any package room. Ask neighbours and building staff. Look at the carrier's proof of delivery, which for many services includes a GPS coordinate or a photograph that immediately shows whether it went to the right building. Contact the carrier to request the delivery scan details, since the photograph alone resolves a large share of cases.
Filing when it really is gone
Report to the carrier promptly, since claim windows are short and often start from the delivery scan date. You will need the tracking number, the declared value, and proof of what was in the shipment. Where the goods were insured, the claim goes through the insurer with the same evidence plus the purchase records.
Preventing repeats
Signature-required service costs a few dollars and eliminates the entire category of problem. Delivery to a secure pickup point or a workplace is free and equally effective. For high-value shipments from Korea, where the goods often cannot be repurchased, one of these is worth doing as a default rather than as a reaction.
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Start a buy-for-me order →Frequently asked
How long should I wait before reporting?
24 hours for a residential delivery, since premature scanning is common. Beyond 48 hours it is worth treating as a real loss and starting the process.
Who is responsible, the carrier or the shipper?
Contractually the party that booked the shipment pursues the carrier, so report to them. They hold the contract and the claim rights.
Does insurance cover theft after delivery?
Transit coverage generally ends at delivery, so a package stolen from a porch after a legitimate delivery is often excluded. This is precisely why signature service matters more than insurance for that risk.