The Lost and Damaged Section Most Shipping Policy Pages Forget (Plus a Checklist)

Most shipping policy pages answer "how long" and "how much" and go silent on the question customers ask at 11 p.m. when a tracking page stalls: "what happens if this doesn't show up?"

Why the lost and damaged section matters

A policy that leaves this out forces every problem into a support email. Each one starts from zero, with no stated rule, so your team improvises and customers compare notes. A clear section turns those emails into predictable, fast decisions.

It also sets the right expectation before purchase. Shoppers who know you will make it right buy with less hesitation.

The eight lines the section needs

1. Who is responsible once the carrier has the package. State plainly that you are, if that is your position.
2. How long to wait before reporting a missing package. Give a number of business days past the estimated delivery date.
3. What the customer must provide. Order number and email is enough for most stores. Asking for more slows everyone down.
4. What you will do for a lost package. Reship or refund, and who chooses.
5. What you will do for a damaged package. Name the evidence you need, usually a photo of the box and the item.
6. How fast you respond. A response window you can keep beats a fast one you cannot.
7. What happens when tracking says delivered. Ask the customer to check with neighbors and household members first, then describe your next step.
8. Where to start. One link or form, not three options.

Write ranges, not promises

"Standard shipping arrives in 3 to 7 business days" protects you better than "ships in 3 days." The first describes what a carrier network can do. The second describes what you hope it will do.

The same logic applies to the lost and damaged section. Commit to a process and a response window, and let the outcome depend on what the resolution shows.

Sample language you can adapt

If your order has not arrived within 5 business days of the estimated delivery date, or arrives damaged, start a resolution at the link below. We will review it within one business day. Depending on what happened, we will reship your order or refund it in full.

Change the numbers to match what your operation can actually deliver. A promise you break is worse than no promise.

Where a Shipping Guarantee fits

Writing the policy is the easy half. Running it means someone collects the evidence, decides, reships or refunds, and tracks the cost. A Shipping Guarantee moves that work into a branded resolution flow, so the customer files a resolution inside your store's own experience instead of emailing a generic inbox.

Final check before you publish the page

• Read the section as a customer whose package is a week late. Does it tell them exactly what to do next?
• Confirm every number in it matches what your team can honor.
• Link it from the footer, the order confirmation email and the tracking page.

ShipAid Shipping Guarantee lets you run lost and damaged package resolutions inside your own store experience, with the merchant in control of the outcome. Learn more at shipaid.com.