SMKlog
Porch theft triage

What to do if your package is stolen

Rule out the innocent explanations first: pull the delivery photo from tracking and ask the neighbors, since drivers sometimes tuck a box out of plain sight on purpose. Once you are sure it is gone, run three tracks at the same time: a claim with the carrier, a message to the seller or a shipping protection claim if one was purchased, and a theft report through the right channel.

Claim deadlines listedTheft report channelsReplacement priced live
Quote the replacement box
Steps after a package theft
Deadlines matter most here

Every claim path below has a day count attached, taken from the carriers' own pages.

The three tracks, in order of urgency

Prove the absence first

UPS notes that a driver may leave a package out of plain sight to protect it, and points recipients to Tracking Details for the drop-off photo; FedEx puts picture proof of delivery on its tracking page, both checked at their sites on 2026-07-27. Walk the property, look behind planters and grills, ask everyone in the house, knock next door. Boxes reported stolen keep turning up in exactly those places, and a claim filed for a package that surfaces the next morning helps nobody.

File before the clock runs

Deadlines are where these cases die. UPS wants a claim started within 60 days of the scheduled delivery, and either the shipper or the recipient can open it. FedEx accepts undelivered or lost shipment claims up to nine months from the ship date, while damaged or missing-contents claims close at 60 calendar days. USPS takes claims on covered packages until day 60 after mailing. Each figure comes from that carrier's claims page, checked 2026-07-27.

Tell the seller, then the inspectors

Buyers should message the merchant with the tracking number right away; marketplaces resolve many theft cases from their side, and sellers often reship while a claim grinds on. Shippers who added SMKlog protection start the claim with the order number, tracking number, proof of value and photos, following the steps on our shipping protection page. Anything USPS carried can also be reported to the Postal Inspection Service at uspis.gov/report or 1-877-876-2455, per uspis.gov, checked 2026-07-27.

Pricing the replacement, quoted 2026-07-27

A theft case usually ends with a second shipment, so we quoted a 12 × 10 × 6 in box at 2 lb through the SMKlog calculator from Los Angeles, CA (90011) to New York, NY 10001 that day. Prices are the complete checkout total per service. Speed tends to matter more the second time around, which is why the fast rows earn a look.

CarrierServicePriceQuoted transit
USPSGround Advantage$11.046-7 business days
UPSGround$13.696-7 business days
UPS3 Day Select$17.963-4 business days
USPSPriority Mail$22.342-3 business days

Adding shipping protection at checkout puts a declared-value claim path on the replacement itself, and a signature requirement takes the doorstep out of the handoff where the route supports it. Neither changes what the carrier does in transit; they change what happens if history repeats.

See rates for your reship

Stolen package questions

Is a police report required for a carrier claim?

The carrier claim pages we checked on 2026-07-27 do not list one as a filing requirement, but a report still earns its keep as documentation. Postal theft has its own channel: the Postal Inspection Service takes reports at uspis.gov/report or 1-877-876-2455. Use your local non-emergency line for the police report itself, and 911 only for a crime actually in progress.

Who files the claim, the buyer or the seller?

It varies by carrier. UPS takes claims from shippers and recipients alike, and says a recipient filing as a guest is the faster route. FedEx lets a recipient file directly or hand the job to the merchant. USPS claims on packages that carried coverage close 60 days after the mailing date. All per the carriers' claim pages, checked 2026-07-27.

What does shipping protection actually change?

It adds a declared-value claim path alongside the carrier's own process. On SMKlog labels, the optional protection describes its coverage as packages lost, stolen or damaged after entering the carrier network, with theft claims filed within 30 days of label creation and documentation reviewed by the protection partner. The rules, caps and exclusions live on our shipping protection page.

How do I make the next delivery harder to steal?

Take the porch out of the equation. USPS Delivery Instructions can move where a carrier leaves items, and UPS My Choice can reroute or reschedule a drop-off, per usps.com and ups.com, checked 2026-07-27. A signature requirement, offered for many routes during SMKlog checkout, keeps the box in human hands until someone signs.

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