What to do when a package is delivered to the wrong address

Even though it is not a common situation for the package you sent to get misdelivered to the wrong address, it is still a possible scenario. Find out what to do in case your package was delivered to the wrong address, or you received someone else’s parcel.

Jump to:

• What to do if my package was misdelivered?
• Can I get my money back in case of misdelivery?
• What are the reasons for a misdelivery?
• Why was a package wrongfully delivered to me?
• Can I keep a wrongfully delivered package?
• How to avoid a package misdelivery?

What if my package was delivered to the wrong address?

It may happen that your package is marked as delivered but you didn’t receive any parcel. In these cases, these are the next steps to check what went wrong and how to get your package.

1. Check on the tracking tool whether the package is actually recorded as “delivered” or not.
2. Control all around the delivery address that the courier didn’t leave the parcel in a safe place (like in the porch or some secondary door) or in the neighbour’s care.
3. If you can’t find the parcel anywhere, contact immediately the courier to notify the package misdelivery.
4. The courier will investigate the reasons why your package was delivered to the wrong address.

In most cases, the package was just misplaced or misdelivered, and the courier will retrieve it and deliver it to you as soon as possible.

In the unfortunate case that the parcel is declared lost or stolen, you can start a claim procedure with the courier.

Read more about:

• What to do if the package is lost
• What to do if the parcel was stolen
• Package marked as delivered but not received

Can I get my money back if my package was misdelivered to the wrong address?

If your package was delivered to the wrong address and the courier failed to retrieve it and deliver it to you, you may be allowed for a reimbursement or compensation.

Package delivered to a wrong address with online stores

You should contact the seller in the online marketplace after you realise the package was misdelivered to the wrong address.

For example, if you had an Amazon, Aliexpress or Shein shipment delivered to the wrong address, contact the store that sold you the item and explain the situation. From there on, the store should contact the courier company, and if they are unable to retrieve your parcel, you should ask for a replacement or refund.

Package delivered to a wrong address with courier companies

Another scenario is that you sent your package with a courier company such as FedEx, UPS or DHL and it got delivered to the wrong address.

If the package can’t be located within a few days and the courier company declares it as being lost or stolen, then you are entitled to take action and file a claim to get a refund for the losses.

You may also be interested in:

• What are my rights if my parcel is lost?
• The receiver refused the parcel
• Claims procedure with Eurosender

The most common reasons for a parcel misdelivery

• If you recently moved into a new place, it may have happened that the previous tenant or owner placed the wrong (old) address when booking or the sender had the wrong data for the delivery.
• You changed the delivery address after the order was placed. Sometimes, processing the new information may take longer than expected, and the parcel is delivered to the original destination.
• FedEx, UPS, DHL or another courier may deliver the package to the wrong address because the data provided in the order was wrong. To ensure that the package will not be misdelivered to another, wrong, address in the neighbourhood, we suggest you check our guide on how to correctly write the shipping address.
• A package can be delivered to the wrong address in case of wrong labelling or when two parcels were switched by mistake in the courier’s hub. In such cases, contact the courier immediately to allow a quick research of the correct parcel and an effective delivery.

You may also be interested in:

• Failed delivery attempt
• Parcel still in transit
• How to label a parcel

A package wrongly delivered to my address, what should I do?

If you receive a package wrongly delivered to your address, the first thing to do is to inform the courier at the moment of delivery or as soon as possible.

• If you weren’t expecting any parcel, you can refuse the delivery and inform the courier upon delivery that the package was misdelivered.
• In case you notice only after opening that the package you received was delivered to the wrong address, contact the courier immediately to inform about the inconvenience.

Read more about what to do when you accidentally open someone else’s mail.

Can I keep the package that was wrongly delivered to my address?

We don’t advise you to keep any package that was wrongly delivered to your address. The courier company will dig deeper into the case once the sender or the right receiver notifies them that the shipment was not delivered to the correct address. They will go down the line to find out where the package is located. They might show up at your door to ask for the box, and it shouldn’t come to you as a surprise.

Tips to avoid package misdelivery

The best way to ensure a package is delivered to the correct address and recipient is to make sure each detail of the shipment is correct.

• Double-check before confirming the booking that all the shipment details are correct.
• Make sure the parcel is correctly labelled, whether the sender or the courier applies the label to the package.
• Choose reliable couriers, comparing the best solutions with online courier comparison tools.
• Make sure the recipient is aware of the upcoming delivery, to avoid they will refuse the parcel.

Still have questions?

Check our delivery guides for more information.