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It depends on the carrier, the service, and whether the parcel was lost or damaged. Canada Post's federal regulation gives domestic shippers 90 days and international shippers six months. For USPS, UPS, and FedEx, check the carrier's current claims page: their windows differ and change.
| Carrier | Filing window | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Post | 90 days from mailing for domestic, six months for international (per the federal Special Services and Fees Regulations) | The regulation itself; Canada Post's claims support pages |
| USPS | Damage windows run in weeks; lost-parcel windows run longer. Check the carrier's current claims page. | usps.com claims help pages |
| UPS | Damage claims are counted in weeks from delivery; lost-shipment claims in months from pickup. Check the carrier's current claims page. | UPS claims support pages |
| FedEx | Damage and concealed-damage windows are short; total-loss claims get a longer window. Check the carrier's current claims page. | FedEx claims support pages |
They reflect different legal regimes, not just company policy. Canada Post's deadlines are written into federal regulation, which is why they are specific and stable: ninety days domestic, six months international. USPS operates under its own postal regulations with different clocks for damage, missing contents, and never-delivered items, plus minimum waiting periods before you can file a lost-parcel claim at all (a parcel is not "lost" the day after the expected date). UPS and FedEx set theirs by contract terms, and they split the timelines by category: damage gets a short window because evidence decays, while a never-delivered shipment gets a long one because the investigation itself takes time.
Confusing the damage clock with the loss clock. People who wait weeks watching tracking for a damaged parcel they already hold burn their damage window: damage claims usually need filing soon after delivery, while lost claims have a waiting period first. The second-most common mistake is assuming the warranty of the item or the retailer's return policy controls the timeline. It does not: the carrier's claim window is its own clock, and a seller's generous return policy does not reopen it.
Four things, for any carrier: the tracking number, the shipping receipt or label record, photos of the damage (and the packaging, not just the item), and proof of the item's value such as the order invoice. Damage claimants should keep the packaging until the claim resolves: carriers can ask to inspect it, and throwing it out can sink a claim. If the parcel shows as delivered but you never got it, document your steps (checked with neighbors, looked in the usual drop spots) because carriers ask.
Usually the sender, and this surprises online buyers. The contract of carriage is between the shipper and the carrier, so the shipper is the one with standing to claim. If you bought an item and the seller shipped it, you generally cannot file the carrier claim yourself: the seller files, and your remedy is against the seller (refund, reshipment, or chargeback). USPS is the partial exception, allowing either party to file in some cases. This is why your first move on a lost purchase is always contacting the seller: you need them engaged anyway, and they are usually the only one who can start the carrier side.
The common denials are predictable: filing after the deadline, missing documentation (no receipt, no photos, no proof of value), prohibited contents in the parcel (a claim for a lost box of matches will not be paid), and inadequate packaging for a damage claim. Carriers judge packaging against their own standards, and "it was fine when it left my house" is not a packaging standard. For high-value items, the coverage cap is another gotcha: basic included liability covers a small amount, and anything beyond that needs declared value or third-party insurance bought before shipping.
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