InPost Parcel Delivered But Not Received: What to Do if InPost Says Delivered but Your Parcel Is Missing

Updated 21 June 2026 by ParcelClaim Research Team | InPost delivered but missing parcel guide

An InPost parcel delivered but not received problem can happen in several ways. The parcel might be marked ready to collect, but the locker opens empty. An InPost Shop might say it cannot find the parcel. The app might say the parcel was collected even though you did not collect it. Or the parcel might be sent to a different point, returned to the seller, or linked to a Vinted or marketplace order where the platform route matters.

Unlike an empty-locker-only dispute, a delivered or collected InPost scan means the system may treat the parcel as if it left InPost’s control. Your argument is therefore about proof of collection, proof of availability, or whether the parcel was actually made available to you at the correct locker or shop.

This page is for UK shoppers whose InPost parcel is marked delivered, available, ready to collect, collected or returned, but they do not actually have the item. If your exact issue is an empty locker, also see our more detailed InPost locker empty or parcel missing guide.

InPost has grown quickly in the UK, with official reporting showing 24.0 million UK parcels in Q1 2025, up 39% year-on-year. Retail Economics also reported that more than 115 million retail parcels moved through UK lockers in the past year, while InPost said in May 2026 that it had over 14,623 automated parcel machines across the UK. More locker and shop collections means more disputes where the tracking says delivered but the customer still has no parcel.

First checks if InPost says delivered but you do not have it

1. Screenshot the InPost tracking. Save the delivered, ready-to-collect or collected status, tracking number and timestamp.
2. Check the exact collection point. Confirm whether it is a locker, InPost Shop or a different point from the one you expected.
3. Check your collection code and QR code. Save the app, email and text message showing the code and instructions.
4. Attend the correct locker or shop if safe and reasonable. Record the time you arrived and whether the parcel could be collected.
5. Save proof if it is missing. Photos/video of an empty locker, a shop-not-found response, or a wrong-location message can matter.
6. Report it to the retailer or marketplace. If you bought through a store, Vinted, eBay, Depop or another platform, use the official order route.
7. Contact InPost support. Especially if the collection code, locker, shop, or tracking appears wrong.
8. Ask for a clear outcome. Refund, replacement, redelivery, recovery investigation or claim route.

Who should you contact first?

The right route depends on who sold the item and who bought the delivery label. This is where many InPost complaints go wrong: the recipient contacts InPost, InPost points them back to the store or marketplace, and the retailer or platform says the courier says delivered.

Retailer or marketplace orders: why you should report there first

InPost’s own help page says that if a Vinted or online order has a problem, you should first report it to the store or marketplace you bought it from. InPost says they can then launch an investigation with InPost and send a refund if you are entitled to one.

That is why your complaint should not only say “InPost says delivered but I do not have it”. It should say what order route applies, why the delivered/collected status is disputed, what proof you have saved, and what outcome you want from the store or platform.

If the InPost locker says delivered but the locker is empty

If the locker opens and there is no parcel inside, treat it as an evidence emergency. Take photos or video showing the open empty locker, the locker bank/location, and your app/tracking screen. Do not confirm receipt with a marketplace if the parcel is not there.

Then contact InPost and report it to the retailer or marketplace. If it was a Vinted, eBay or Depop order, use the in-app dispute route and upload the evidence before any deadline passes.

For the full empty-locker process, use our InPost locker empty or parcel missing guide.

If an InPost Shop says the parcel is not there

InPost says InPost Shop collection can be done by showing a QR code or giving the tracking number and collection code. If the shop says your parcel is not there, ask staff to check both routes and save the time you attended.

Ask whether the parcel was never received, already collected, returned, not visible on the system, or held under another reference. Then report the issue to InPost and the retailer or marketplace. If the shop cannot provide a written note, write down the time, location and what was said.

InPost says collected but you did not collect it

This is a serious variation. Ask InPost, the retailer or marketplace to investigate the collection event. You want to know when it was collected, from which locker/shop, whether a QR code or collection code was used, and whether there is any evidence linking the collection to you.

If InPost tracking says collected at a strange time, such as very late at night or early in the morning, include that in your complaint. Ask for the collection timestamp, collection point, collection method and any available proof that the parcel was collected by you rather than recorded incorrectly or collected by someone else.

Do not guess or accuse. Keep your wording factual: “The parcel is marked collected, but I did not collect it and I have not received it.” Then attach your screenshots, timeline and proof you still do not have the item.

If the collection code did not arrive or does not work

InPost says if you have the app, pickup details are available under Tracking → Receiving, and that you can use Remote Opening to collect from a locker without a PIN or QR code. InPost also says you should receive an email with collection details and should check your junk folder if it has not arrived.

If the code never arrived, arrived too late, would not scan, or the locker would not open, screenshot the problem and report it quickly. This is important because InPost collection windows are short and a failed code should not be treated as if you simply chose not to collect.

How long do you have to collect an InPost parcel?

InPost UK says you have three days to collect a parcel once it is delivered to an InPost locker or InPost Shop. InPost says it sends a reminder when there is one day left and sends the parcel back to the seller if it is not collected in time.

If you could not collect because the locker was empty, the code failed, the shop could not find the parcel, or the parcel was sent to the wrong place, report that before the collection window expires if possible. Save proof that you tried to collect in time.

If InPost sent the parcel to a different point

Sometimes the selected locker is full and the parcel is redirected. Save the message showing the original point and the new point. If the new point is not accessible, the code fails, the shop cannot find it, or you were not properly notified, report the problem to InPost and the retailer or marketplace.

The key is to avoid the issue being recorded as a missed collection when the real problem was redirection, failed notification, code failure or an unavailable parcel.

If the parcel was returned to the seller

If the collection window expired, the parcel may be returned. InPost says if a parcel is not collected in time it will be returned to the sender, and any eligible refunds are retailer-dependent.

If the return happened because you genuinely missed the collection window, ask the retailer or marketplace what refund or redelivery route applies. If the return happened because the code failed, the locker was empty, the shop could not find it, or you were not properly notified, explain that and provide evidence.

Can you claim from InPost?

If you bought the InPost label yourself, the InPost claim route may apply. InPost’s customer claims page says claims must be made within 30 days for damage, 14 days for undelivered but marked “delivered” parcels, and 7 days for lost parcels. It also says if you bought your label through Vinted or a third party, you should contact them directly.

InPost’s help page says that if something goes wrong and it is InPost’s fault, InPost app labels are automatically covered up to £50, and full-value compensation up to £500 can be bought in the app for eligible items. If you are only the buyer/recipient of a store or marketplace order, your main route is normally the retailer or marketplace rather than a direct InPost compensation claim.

Evidence to save for an InPost delivered but not received complaint

Save evidence quickly because tracking statuses and app screens can change after collection windows expire, returns begin, or support cases are updated.

Short message to send if InPost says delivered but you did not receive it

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

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

If the retailer or marketplace says “InPost says delivered”

A delivered scan is not always the full answer. Ask what proof shows the parcel was actually made available to you or collected by you. If the locker opened empty, the shop could not find it, or the collection event is disputed, ask for the case to be investigated rather than closed.

Citizens Advice says if a 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.

Can you get a refund if InPost says delivered but you have no parcel?

If you bought from a retailer and the parcel was not delivered to you or made available 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 item-not-received or missing-parcel route. If you bought the InPost label yourself, check the InPost claim route and deadlines.

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Escalation checklist

1. Screenshot the delivered status. Save the tracking number, location and timestamp.
2. Attend the correct point if possible. Save proof if the parcel cannot be collected.
3. Report through the retailer or marketplace. Use the official order route, not just informal messages.
4. Contact InPost support. Get a support reference, especially for locker, shop or code failures.
5. Ask for proof of collection. Particularly if the tracking says collected but you did not collect it.
6. Ask for a clear outcome. Refund, replacement, redelivery, recovery investigation or claim route.
7. Escalate if refused. Consider a stronger written complaint, marketplace appeal, chargeback or Section 75 where relevant.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving the locker or shop without proof. Photos, video and screenshots can make the difference.
• Marking a marketplace item as received. Do not confirm receipt if you do not have the parcel.
• Only contacting InPost for a store order. Report the issue to the retailer or marketplace too.
• Missing collection or claim deadlines. InPost and platform routes can have short time limits.
• Accepting “delivered” without proof. Ask for evidence of actual collection or availability.
• Using accusations instead of evidence. Keep the wording factual and evidence-based.

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 to pick up from a locker
• InPost: how to pick up from a shop
• InPost: I did not receive my collection code
• InPost customer claims form
• Citizens Advice: if something you ordered has not arrived
• Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 29

InPost delivered but not received FAQs