A buyer says the parcel has not arrived, or a photograph shows damage. Open the sold order, check the tracking and preserve the evidence before promising a particular refund or sending a replacement. A late delivery, an uncollected parcel and a lost shipment need different next steps.
This checklist is for Australian sellers. It separates Depop Shipping from older manually shipped orders and focuses on resolving the delivery problem. For ordinary dispatch instructions, use the Depop shipping guide.
1. Identify the order’s shipping method
Look at the receipt and label attached to that sale. Was it sent with the Australia Post label supplied through Depop, or was it an older order requiring manual shipping? Save the order number, tracking number and label before checking another order.
Depop’s Australian shipping instructions describe phased access, supplied labels and older manual-shipping listings. Follow the method attached to this sale; do not substitute a UK or US help article because it mentions the same carrier problem.
2. Work out what the tracking actually says
Use the carrier’s own tracking result as well as the marketplace display. Keep the timestamp of the last event and the expected delivery information.
| Tracking situation | Useful next check |
|---|---|
| Label created, no acceptance event | Find the lodgement receipt and confirm where the parcel was handed over |
| Moving through the network | Compare the latest event with the expected delivery and current disruptions |
| Awaiting collection | Ask the buyer to check their collection notification and assigned location |
| Delivered, buyer cannot find it | Check delivery details and raise the correct delivery enquiry |
| Returned to sender | Track its return and inspect it before deciding whether it is saleable |
| Damaged on arrival | Preserve photographs of the contents, packaging and label |
Australia Post’s delay guidance says most delayed parcels arrive within five business days of the expected date and generally asks customers to wait ten business days before a late domestic enquiry. That carrier timetable does not extend a Depop case deadline: respond to platform requests when they arrive.
3. Build one evidence folder
Keep the original listing and sale receipt alongside:
- The parcel’s tracking and label.
- Proof of lodgement or acceptance.
- Packing photographs you actually took, if available.
- The buyer’s photographs and description of the problem.
- Messages, enquiry references and the next response date.
Use the records you kept when packing and lodging the parcel. For damage, ask for clear images of the item and the outside and inside of the packaging. Describe what each image shows without claiming it proves where the damage happened.
For a missing tracking number, check the receipt or label. Australia Post cannot trace a parcel from a name or address instead of a tracking identifier.
4. Use the relevant help process
For a Depop Shipping order, use the order’s help route and respond to Depop’s requests. Include the order reference and the evidence relevant to the question asked. A carrier enquiry can be useful too, but it does not close an open marketplace case.
For a manually shipped order, check the service you bought and the sender’s enquiry process. Do not assume that a separately purchased tracked label has the same protection as a Depop Shipping label.
Depop’s buyer-protection page gives buyers a reporting process and says damaged items should be kept during a claim. Ask the buyer to retain the packaging as well while the case is investigated. Avoid telling them to throw anything away or close a case before the agreed outcome is complete.
5. Check seller protection without promising an outcome
Under the current seller-protection terms, an eligible Australian transaction must meet all the stated conditions. These include an on-platform purchase, use of its label, dispatch within five days, the receipt address and a transaction value within A$450 including shipping and applicable taxes. Bundles count as one transaction for that limit.
Those conditions are a check, not a promise of reimbursement. Alternative shipping, an excluded item or an unmet condition can change the result. Read the full terms and the instructions for your case. Our Australian protection guide covers eligibility in more detail.
6. Keep the buyer informed with concrete updates
A useful update gives the last tracking event, the enquiry reference if one exists, and the next step you have taken. Avoid saying that Australia Post or Depop has approved compensation before it has happened.
For example: “I checked the tracking today and the last event is still at the sorting facility. I have saved the lodgement receipt and submitted the enquiry. I will update this order when there is a response.” Adapt that to the facts of the sale; it is not a statement that every late parcel needs an immediate enquiry.
If a refund is agreed or directed, use the relevant order process and keep its confirmation. The returns and refunds guide explains that part separately.
7. Keep the stock unavailable while you resolve it
A parcel being investigated is not an item sitting on your shelf. Do not reactivate its other marketplace listing just because the buyer has been refunded. A refund can happen without the physical item returning.
If it does come back, inspect the actual item, confirm any new damage and review both listings before relisting. Use the cross-listed returns checklist for that decision.
Sources and review date
Reviewed 3 November 2026 using Depop’s Australian shipping instructions, seller protection, buyer protection and Australia Post’s delay guidance. The workflow examples are editorial checklists, not reported claim outcomes.
Frequently asked questions
Is a delayed parcel automatically lost?
No. Check the tracking and expected delivery information, then use the carrier and platform enquiry processes appropriate to that order.
Does a Depop Shipping label guarantee compensation?
No. Depop Protection has eligibility conditions, exclusions and a decision process. It is not an insurance policy or a guaranteed payment.
Should I put the item back on sale while a parcel is missing?
No. Keep the physical stock unavailable until you have established what happened and, if it returns, inspected it.