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Do not throw the packaging away. Photograph the sealed box, the tape, and the empty inside, then contact the seller right away. The label weight and the tape pattern help tell a sealed-empty parcel from one opened in transit, and that distinction decides who handles your claim.
An empty box is a strange kind of delivery failure. Nothing is broken, nothing is late, and yet the thing you paid for is not there. How you report it matters, because an empty parcel can mean a packing error at the warehouse, a split shipment where the item travels separately, or tampering along the route. Each cause points to a different fix.
Look at the tape before you do anything else. A box sealed once with the seller's branded tape, with no cuts or second layer, probably left the warehouse empty or lost its contents to a packing error. A box with mismatched tape, a slit under a fresh strip, or a flap that has been cut and re-taped points to tampering in transit. Photograph the tape pattern close up, because it is the first thing an investigator asks about.
Also check the weight on the shipping label, if one is printed there. Carriers weigh parcels during sorting, and the recorded weight can show whether the parcel travelled empty the whole way or lost weight partway through its trip. You may not be able to read that record yourself, but the seller or carrier can, so mention the label weight when you report the problem and ask them to check it.
| What you see | Most likely cause | Who usually handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Original tape intact, box empty | Packing error or item never placed in the box | Seller, with a replacement or refund |
| Cut flap with fresh tape over it | Opened during transit | Carrier investigation plus seller claim |
| Box empty but a second parcel is on its way | Split shipment | Seller, who can confirm the second tracking number |
| Item missing but packing filler still inside | Item fell out or was removed | Seller and carrier together |
Before you file a claim, check the order details for a split shipment. Retailers sometimes ship a multi-item order in two parcels, and the first box to arrive can contain only filler or a partial order. Look for a second tracking number in the order confirmation or the seller's shipping email. If the listing said the item ships in its own box, a second parcel may already be on the way.
If there is no second tracking number and the box is truly empty, report it the same day. Sellers take empty-box reports seriously, but they also see false ones, so your photos and a calm, factual description carry more weight than an angry message. State what arrived, what was missing, and what the tape and label showed.
Give the seller the order number, the tracking number, the date of delivery, and your photos: the sealed box, the tape, the empty inside, and the label. Say whether the box was sealed or resealed, and whether anything else was in the box, such as filler, an invoice, or a packing slip. An invoice inside an empty box is useful evidence, since it shows the seller intended the item to be there.
Ask the seller to check the recorded parcel weight and the packing record for your order. Warehouses that weigh parcels at packing can confirm whether your box left at the weight of an empty box or at the weight of the item. That single check often settles the question of whether the error happened at packing or in transit.
The seller may still need to file the carrier claim, because the seller holds the shipping account. If the seller refuses and tells you to deal with the carrier directly, you can open a claim with the carrier using the tracking number and your photos, but expect the carrier to ask whether the seller has already filed one. Filing two claims for the same parcel slows both down, so keep one party in the loop about the other.
For a purchase paid by credit card, a chargeback is a last resort, not a first step. Give the seller a fair chance to replace or refund the item first, and keep a record of every message. If the seller stops responding and the carrier claim goes nowhere, the card issuer will want that message history when you dispute the charge.
When you order something valuable, choose a shipping option that requires a signature, and open the parcel while the delivery is fresh in your mind rather than leaving it unopened for weeks. A report filed the day of delivery is far easier to resolve than one filed a month later, when nobody can reconstruct the parcel's trip. For items you send yourself, weigh the sealed parcel and photograph it before drop-off, so you have your own record of what went inside.
LetterAgent provides Canada Post Xpresspost shipping labels in Canada, with a flat rate and a 5 kg maximum. You ask your AI assistant, get a per-label quote, approve the exact price, and pay once through Stripe to receive the label PDF. Weigh and photograph a valuable parcel before you drop it off, since that record is what backs up any later claim.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
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