InPost Locker Empty or Parcel Missing: What to Do if the Locker Opens With No Parcel

Updated 21 June 2026 by ParcelClaim Research Team | InPost locker, missing parcel and refund guide

An InPost locker empty or parcel missing situation is different from a normal late delivery. The tracking may say the parcel is ready to collect, the app may open a compartment, but there is no parcel inside. Or the parcel may be sent to a different locker or shop, the collection code may fail, the screen may not work, or the retailer/marketplace may say the parcel has already been delivered.

InPost has grown quickly in the UK, which means more shoppers now use lockers and collection points instead of home delivery. InPost reported 24.0 million UK parcels in Q1 2025, up 39% year-on-year, and its UK network includes over 10,000 lockers and around 16,000 out-of-home locations. That growth makes empty-locker, code-failure and wrong-collection-point disputes more likely — and makes it important to save evidence immediately.

This guide explains what to do if an InPost locker opens empty, an InPost parcel is missing from a locker or shop, the parcel goes to the wrong collection point, your collection code does not work, or a Vinted, eBay, Depop, ASOS or retailer order using InPost cannot be collected.

If the issue is simply that InPost tracking is not updating, use our InPost tracking not updating guide. If your parcel was delivered to a home address by Yodel by InPost and says delivered but you do not have it, see our Yodel delivered but not received guide.

What to do immediately if the InPost locker opens empty

1. Keep the locker and app evidence. Do not delete the email, SMS, QR code or tracking page.
2. Take photos or video. Show the open empty compartment, locker bank, location name, screen if visible, and time/date.
3. Screenshot the tracking. Save the tracking number, parcel status, collection code and expected collection details.
4. Note the exact locker location. Include shop/petrol station/supermarket name, postcode and locker number if visible.
5. Check you are at the correct location. Collection parcels must be collected from the specific locker or shop shown in your confirmation.
6. Contact InPost support immediately. Use Webchat/contact form or call if you are at the locker and need urgent help.
7. Report it to the retailer or marketplace. If it was a store, Vinted or marketplace order, tell them the locker opened empty and ask them to investigate.
8. Ask for a written record. Save any InPost chat reference, support ticket, call time or retailer case number.

Who should you contact first?

The right contact depends on who bought the label and what kind of order it was. This matters because InPost may not be able to refund a recipient directly if the contract or order is with a retailer, marketplace or third-party shipping platform.

InPost says to report retailer or marketplace issues to the store first

InPost’s help page for receiving a parcel where something is wrong says marketplace and online order problems should first be reported to the store or marketplace you bought from, so they can launch an investigation with InPost. That is important because it stops the retailer or marketplace pushing you into a courier-only loop.

If the order was bought from a retailer, your message should ask the retailer to open the InPost investigation and confirm what happens if the parcel cannot be found. If it was bought through Vinted or another marketplace, use that platform’s dispute or buyer-protection route as well as saving the InPost evidence.

InPost locker code not working or won’t open

If your InPost locker code is not working, the QR code will not scan, the screen is frozen, or the locker will not open, treat it as a failed collection issue and save evidence straight away. InPost says if the locker screen is not responding or the code will not scan when collecting, the easiest option is to use the InPost app’s remote opening feature. InPost also provides a support phone number for locker problems.

Do not let a failed code turn into a missed collection. Screenshot the error, record the time you attended, and contact InPost while you are still at the locker if possible. If support cannot open it, ask them to confirm the issue in writing and extend, redirect or investigate the parcel if needed.

How long do you have to collect an InPost parcel?

InPost UK says you have three days to collect your parcel once it is delivered to a locker. InPost also says it sends a reminder when there are 24 hours left, and that the parcel will be sent back to the seller if it is not collected in time.

For InPost Shops, InPost says you will receive collection instructions by app, email and text, and that you have three days to pick up the parcel once it is delivered. That means if the code did not arrive, the locker failed, or the parcel was not there, you should report the problem quickly so it is not treated as a simple missed collection.

If the parcel went to a different InPost point

InPost says a parcel may be delivered to a different point if the locker you chose was full, and that it will send updates. InPost says new locations should be within 1km of the original point.

If the new point is inaccessible, the collection code does not work there, the shop cannot find the parcel, or the parcel is returned because you were not properly notified, save the messages and contact the retailer, marketplace or InPost. Ask for a refund, replacement or recovery investigation if the parcel cannot be collected.

If the InPost Shop says the parcel is not there

For shop collections, ask staff to check using both the QR code and the tracking/collection code. InPost says InPost Shop pickup can use a QR code or tracking number and collection code.

If the shop cannot find it, ask for the time you attended to be recorded, then contact InPost and the retailer/marketplace. Save any response from the shop, including if they say the parcel was never delivered, already collected, returned, or not visible on their system.

If Vinted, eBay, Depop or another marketplace used InPost

Marketplace orders need extra care because the refund route may be inside the platform. For Vinted, eBay, Depop and similar apps, do not only message the seller informally. Use the official in-app issue process, save screenshots, and avoid confirming receipt if you have not received the item.

InPost’s claims form says if you bought your label through Vinted or a third party, you should reach out to them directly. That means the platform may need to raise the courier issue rather than you claiming from InPost as a normal direct sender.

Can you claim from InPost for a missing or empty-locker parcel?

If you bought the InPost label yourself, you may be able to use InPost’s claims process. InPost’s customer claims page says claims must be made within 7 days for lost parcels and 14 days for undelivered but marked delivered parcels. It also says claims for damage must be made within 30 days.

InPost says that if InPost is at fault and packaging rules are met, compensation can be up to £50 excluding any additional coverage. For InPost app labels, InPost says it automatically covers up to £50 if something goes wrong and it is InPost’s fault, and that full-value compensation can be bought up to £500 when buying the label in the app, subject to eligibility.

Evidence to save for an empty InPost locker or missing parcel

Evidence is especially important because the parcel may show as delivered to a locker, opened, collected, returned, or available even though you did not receive it.

Short message to send if the InPost locker opened empty

Use this as a short first message to the retailer, marketplace or seller. Keep the full formal complaint for your paid ParcelClaim letter.

This is starter wording only. A stronger ParcelClaim letter should include your full timeline, collection evidence, screenshots, support references and previous replies.

If the retailer or marketplace says “contact InPost yourself”

You can contact InPost to preserve evidence and get a support reference, but if the order was bought from a retailer or marketplace, the seller/platform may need to resolve the order with you and investigate with InPost.

Citizens Advice says if the seller used a courier, the seller should chase the courier and it is not your responsibility. If the item was not delivered to the agreed location, Citizens Advice says it is the seller’s legal responsibility to sort out the issue.

For more help, use our retailer says contact the courier guide.

Can you get a refund if the InPost parcel is missing?

If you bought from a retailer and the parcel was not made available to you at the agreed collection point, ask the retailer for a refund, replacement or redelivery. Under section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods generally remain at the trader’s risk until they come into the consumer’s physical possession, unless the consumer arranged their own carrier outside the trader’s options.

If it was a marketplace order, use the platform’s missing-item or buyer-protection process. If you bought the InPost label yourself, check the InPost claim route, deadlines, protection level and item eligibility.

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Empty InPost locker escalation checklist

1. Save proof at the locker. Photos/video, screenshots, location and time.
2. Contact InPost. Get a support reference while the issue is fresh.
3. Report through the retailer or platform. Especially for Vinted, eBay, Depop and store orders.
4. Do not confirm receipt. Never mark a marketplace item as received if the locker was empty.
5. Ask for a clear outcome. Refund, replacement, redelivery or recovery investigation.
6. Watch deadlines. InPost direct claims and marketplace protection windows can be short.
7. Escalate if refused. Use a stronger written complaint, marketplace appeal, chargeback or Section 75 where relevant.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving without evidence. Take photos/video while the locker is open if possible.
• Only contacting InPost for a retailer order. Report it to the retailer or marketplace too.
• Marking a marketplace parcel as received. This can weaken your buyer-protection route.
• Missing the collection window. Report code, locker or empty-compartment problems quickly.
• Forgetting the locker location. Save the location name and postcode.
• Letting claim deadlines pass. If you bought the label yourself, check InPost’s claim deadlines quickly.

Useful official pages

These official pages can help you check the route before escalating.

• InPost tracking
• InPost: received my parcel but something is wrong
• InPost: how long will my parcel stay in the locker?
• InPost: screen or locker not working
• InPost: I did not receive my collection code
• InPost: parcel delivered to a different point
• InPost customer claims form
• Citizens Advice: if something you ordered has not arrived
• Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 29

InPost locker empty or parcel missing FAQs