Lost or damaged parcels: preparing a useful courier claim

When a parcel disappears or arrives damaged, build a file showing what you sent, when you handed it over and what has actually been established. A specific claim is more useful than anger and disconnected screenshots. Keep your response to the customer separate from your claim against the carrier: waiting for the provider’s answer does not by itself determine what you should tell the customer or what your sales terms require.

Establish the event before calling it a confirmed loss

Start with the latest shipment status and its date. Is there evidence that the carrier accepted the parcel, or only a generated label? Has another movement occurred since? Missing information is not necessarily proof of permanent loss. Request a search using the correct reference, retain its case number and record the reply.

For damage, describe observations: crushed packaging, broken contents, a missing part or moisture. Do not reconstruct the entire cause from one image. Preserve packaging and contents safely if inspection is required, without asking the customer to touch shards or operate a damaged electrical item to prove their complaint.

Collect evidence linking the parcel to the order

Retain the internal order reference, tracking number, product description, quantity, readable label and handover evidence. For a batch pickup, the record should identify parcel references and the number accepted. A picture of a vehicle or staff member cannot establish that link. Resolve quantity discrepancies before considering the batch fully handed over.

1. Create one reference for the claim.
2. Attach evidence of carrier acceptance.
3. Document contents and value appropriately.
4. Separate photographs before dispatch and after the incident.
5. State the request: investigation, explanation or compensation under the agreement.

Do not export the whole customer database for one shipment. Remove information irrelevant to the inquiry and keep original documents internally, so successive edited versions do not obscure the label or the sequence of events.

Review the terms applying to your service

Ask about the claim channel, reporting period, required evidence, responsibility limits, exclusions and declared-value arrangements. The retail price is not automatically the compensation amount, and insured does not mean every circumstance is covered. Check the actual service, particularly for fragile or restricted contents and packaging conditions.

The official information from Navex and the INTIGO parcel FAQ provides starting points for contacting those operators. A general commercial statement must be checked against your account and agreement. Where interpretations differ, request a written reply identifying the relevant clause rather than relying on competing verbal explanations.

A financial example: avoid counting the same loss twice

A fictional store sells an item for 80 TND. Purchase cost is 35 TND, packing is 1 TND and shipping already paid is 6 TND. If it is lost before delivery and nothing was collected, identified outlays total 35 + 1 + 6 = 42 TND. The 80 TND is an unrealised sale; it does not automatically become another expense making 122 TND leave the account.

Item	Illustrative value	Treatment
Uncollected retail sale	80 TND	Not money received
Purchase, packing, shipping	42 TND	Documented outlays and stock
Compensation request	Agreement-dependent	No assumed approval or value
Later compensation	Actual amount received	Separate referenced movement

These teaching figures do not determine a legal entitlement or insurance payout. Record compensation or shipping credit according to what actually arrives. It does not retrospectively make the original order delivered and paid by the customer.

Write a concise request that can be investigated

State the reference, handover date, latest movement and observation. Add an attachment list, a specific request and the next follow-up date. For example: “Please investigate this shipment. The pickup record confirms acceptance, and the latest available tracking update is dated below. Supporting documents are attached; please confirm its location or the applicable claim procedure.” Avoid accusing an individual of theft without evidence.

Attach every response to the same case and note whether the operator is waiting for a document from you. A missing invoice can stall an inquiry despite many calls. Send a clear supplement rather than opening several competing cases that are difficult to connect.

Track the customer response and stock separately

Tell the customer what is known and what happens next without making promises outside your control. If you send a replacement, give it a separate shipment reference linked to the incident so it is not mistaken for a new sale. Inspect returned damaged goods and keep them separate from saleable inventory.

Matjri order and product tools can help organise related operational references. Keep supporting evidence in a suitable file and do not assume a carrier integration automatically opens compensation claims. After closing the case, review preventable causes such as unreadable labels, unsuitable packing or a batch handover discrepancy.

Frequently asked questions

Should I wait until tracking disappears completely?

No. Ask about an unexplained stalled status and confirm the provider’s procedure and reporting period. Distinguish requesting an investigation from a final finding of loss.

Is a product photograph before dispatch enough?

It helps, but does not alone establish that the carrier accepted that parcel. Connect it to the order, tracking and handover record, then supply evidence requested by the investigation.

What should I prepare today?

Create a case sheet with references, dates, contents, acceptance evidence, attachments and claim status. Test it against a closed historical incident to find gaps in your current packing and handover records.