Tracking has not updated
When a scan gap is normal, and when it is not.
Most of the time, nothing is wrong
Tracking is a series of scans, and a parcel is not scanned continuously. It is scanned at handover points. Between two of those points there is nothing to report, and the page looks frozen even though the parcel is moving.
A gap of a few days is normal. The longest gap is usually around the border crossing, where a parcel can go quiet for several days and then reappear with a scan in the destination country.
The most expensive mistake here is refunding a customer for a parcel that arrives two days later. You pay twice and you learn nothing.
Normal, and not normal
Normal:
- No movement for a few days mid-journey
- A tracking number that exists but has not scanned yet, shortly after dispatch
- A long quiet stretch, then several scans at once
Worth reporting:
- Nothing at all for an extended stretch, well beyond the expected window for that lane
- Tracking that says delivered when your customer says otherwise
- A parcel showing returned to sender
- Scans that stop and then go backwards
Check these first
- What does the order status say? If it is not Shipped yet, there is nothing in transit. See What each order status means.
- How long has it actually been? Count from dispatch, not from when the customer ordered. Delivery runs 3 to 10 days on our main lanes and longer on some.
- Which country? Some lanes are slower, and a few are much slower.
- Is the address complete? An incomplete address is the most common cause of a parcel that stops moving near the end.
Report it
Send us the order number and what the tracking currently shows. That is enough for us to chase it.
If it turns out the parcel is genuinely lost, you are covered: see Lost, damaged, or the wrong item.
What to tell your customer
Do not go silent, and do not promise a date you cannot control.
What works: tell them it is in transit, that the carrier has not scanned it in a few days, that this is normal on international delivery, and that you are watching it. Give them a date you will come back to them and then actually come back on that date, even with no news.
Most "where is my order" tickets are asking to be reassured, not to be refunded. A merchant who replies quickly with a plain explanation converts far fewer of those into refunds than one who goes quiet and then caves.
Frequently asked
Tracking has not moved in three days. Normal, particularly mid-journey. It says delivered but my customer has nothing. Report it. Sometimes it is scanned at a depot or left with a neighbour, sometimes it is a mis-scan. Can I get a different tracking number? No, one parcel has one number. My customer cannot find it on a tracking site. Use the link we provide. See What your customer sees. It says returned to sender. Report it. Usually an address problem or a failed delivery attempt.
Still need help?
Real humans on every reply. Average response under 2 hours during business hours.