How to File a UPS Claim for a Lost or Damaged Package

Tracking says "Delivered." Your porch says otherwise. Before you assume UPS's claims system will sort this out easily, it's worth understanding two things that catch most people off guard: what UPS actually pays by default, and how hard a claim becomes once tracking shows a successful delivery scan.

Who can actually file: usually the shipper, not the recipient

UPS claims are generally filed by the shipper — the account holder who created the label — not the person receiving the package. If you're the recipient of a personal shipment (a gift, a private sale), you'll typically need to ask the sender to file on your behalf. If this was an online order from a retailer, contact the retailer instead: under consumer law, the retailer remains responsible for goods until they physically reach you, regardless of which courier they used.

The part most people don't realise: $100 is the default, not the value of your item

Every UPS shipment automatically includes just $100 of liability coverage, regardless of what the contents were actually worth. If you shipped a $1,200 laptop without declaring a higher value at the time of booking and paying the extra fee, $100 is the maximum UPS will pay if it's lost or damaged — not the item's real value. Declaring a higher value costs a small additional fee scaled to the value declared (up to $50,000 per package with a UPS account), but it has to be arranged before shipping — it cannot be added after something has already gone missing. It's also worth knowing that UPS's declared value is explicitly a liability limit, not insurance — third-party shipping insurance is a separate, often broader option worth considering for high-value items.

The "Delivered" scan problem — read this before assuming a stolen package is covered

If tracking shows a successful "Delivered" scan but you never received the package, this is genuinely one of the hardest claims to win. UPS may look at the GPS location logged at the time of the scan, but once a delivery is recorded as successful, packages stolen afterward (porch piracy) are typically not covered by UPS's own claims process. If this happens to you, it's worth checking your homeowner's or renter's insurance, or your credit card's purchase protection benefits, alongside — not instead of — reporting it to UPS, since coverage from those sources doesn't depend on UPS accepting fault.

What actually gets claims approved (and what gets them denied)

UPS's own most common reasons for denying or stalling a claim are avoidable:

Vague item descriptions — "electronics" or "household item" isn't enough; include brand, model, and quantity
Missing serial numbers for electronics valued over $500 — required for UPS's internal lost-and-found search
Poor original packaging — UPS's own data points to boxes that were too large, too small, or under-cushioned as a recurring cause of damage claim denials, so keep the original packaging until any inspection is complete
Incomplete contact information, which stalls claims if UPS can't reach the recipient to verify details

Timelines — file promptly, and double-check the exact deadline for your case

UPS's stated filing windows vary depending on the source and the type of claim (domestic vs. international, loss vs. damage) — some UPS guidance cites 60 days for international shipments, others cite longer windows for confirmed lost domestic packages. Rather than rely on a single number, treat any of these as a maximum, not a target: file a damage claim within days of receiving the package, and open a lost-package investigation as soon as tracking stalls, rather than waiting to see if it resolves on its own.

How to file

Go to UPS's "File a Claim" portal and enter your tracking number.
Select whether this is a loss, damage, or a claim on behalf of a package marked delivered but not received.
Provide a specific item description, serial numbers if applicable, and proof of value (receipt or invoice).
For damage, upload photos of the original packaging, cushioning, and the damaged item itself.
Submit and monitor the claim through your UPS account — incomplete submissions are one of the most common causes of delay.