A buyer says the order never showed up. The next step is not to argue the claim. It is to check the status, respond inside TCGplayer's clock, and follow the route that status requires.
Missing-order disputes are operational, not personal. TCGplayer tells buyers to contact the seller after the estimated delivery date. Your job is to respond within the required window, document the tracking status in the thread, and provide the resolution the status calls for.
A buyer can report an order as not received for up to 30 calendar days after its estimated delivery date. Once a claim is open, you have 2 business days to respond. Miss that window and the claim moves forward without your input, which is a worse outcome than responding with an answer you don't love.
The 30-day window exists because mail is slow sometimes, not because every claim at day 29 is untrue. Respond with what you actually have (tracking status, ship date, carrier) rather than treating the claim as an accusation.
TCGplayer's tracking guidance scales with order value, and where your shipment falls on that scale is the single biggest factor in how a not-received claim goes:
| Order value | Tracking requirement |
|---|---|
| Over $20 | Tracking or delivery confirmation is recommended |
| $50 and up | Tracking or delivery confirmation is required |
| $250 and up | Signature required |
TCGplayer recommends tracking or delivery confirmation for orders over $20 and requires it for orders of $50 or more. At $250 or more, signature required joins the requirement. Those thresholds matter because proof of shipment and delivery is what lets TCGplayer evaluate a missing-order claim; they do not remove the need to respond to the buyer.
Having a tracking number is not the same as having proof the carrier received the package. For eligible tracked coverage, TCGplayer says the record must show movement beyond an initial “Acceptance” or “Label Created” status. For Canada-based seller coverage, its guidance also names “Scanned In.” A printed label alone does not establish that the package left you.
Drop packages at the counter rather than a drop box when you can, and check that the first carrier scan actually posts before you consider the order handled.
No tracking: if the buyer reports the order missing after the estimated delivery date, provide the required refund. US-based sellers and US territories with 1,000 or more lifetime orders may be eligible for temporary untracked-order coverage on qualifying orders placed on or after Aug 17, 2026. The seller must first resolve the buyer's missing-package claim, then escalate the thread or submit a support ticket to request credit.
En route after the estimated delivery date: provide a refund for the missing order. For qualifying tracked shipments, preserve the carrier and movement record, then use TCGplayer support or an escalation for help with coverage. The current guidance limits US seller tracked coverage to US and Canada shipments and specifies approved carriers for orders over $49.99.
Marked delivered, but buyer says it is missing: ask the buyer to check with household members, neighbors, and the local USPS, then wait two business days in case tracking updated before delivery completed. If it still cannot be located, refund in full and start a support conversation with “Missing Delivered Package” and the TCGplayer order number so TCGplayer can review store credit.
If an order genuinely never arrives, the buyer is entitled to a full refund, including the original shipping charge. That refund is calculated at the price the buyer actually paid, not at whatever the card is worth today. A card that's moved up in price since the sale doesn't change the refund amount, and neither does a card that's dropped.
Safeguard protects buyers through a refund or replacement path, while the missing-orders guidance describes when TCGplayer may credit a seller after the seller has resolved the buyer's claim. A delivered scan is helpful evidence, but it is not a reason to ignore the buyer or skip the refund process. Follow the delivered-package steps above, then ask support to review the order for credit.
That protection is specifically about non-delivery. It's a different mechanism from a condition dispute. See how TCGplayer Safeguard works for the full scope, and PWE non-delivery disputes for the harder case where the shipment was never trackable in the first place.
Most not-received claims are easier to handle when the ship record is clean: the order address is correct, the carrier is recorded, tracking has moved, and the seller's replies are on time. That does not eliminate carrier loss, but it gives both sides a shared record to resolve the order against.
International orders carry their own version of this timeline, with customs delays stretched into the same 30-day clock. See handling international order disputes for what changes.
Up to 30 calendar days after the estimated delivery date. Once a claim is open, the seller has 2 business days to respond, and missing that window lets the claim move forward without their input.
TCGplayer recommends tracking or delivery confirmation for orders over $20, requires it for orders of $50 or more, and requires signature required at $250 or more. Use it even below those thresholds when the order's risk warrants it.
Not for tracked coverage unless it shows movement. TCGplayer requires the tracking record to move beyond an initial "Acceptance" or "Label Created" status. A printed label alone does not show the carrier received the package. Eligible untracked orders have a separate Safeguard path.
A full refund, including the original shipping charge, calculated at the price the buyer actually paid, not at what the card is worth today, whether the price has since gone up or down.
No. The missing-orders guidance describes circumstances where TCGplayer may credit a seller after the buyer has been resolved, including qualifying tracked and eligible temporary untracked coverage. The seller still needs to reply, follow the refund process, and request review. See how TCGplayer Safeguard works for the buyer-protection framework.
Sources: How Do I Resolve Missing Orders/Packages for my Customers? · TCGplayer Safeguard
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