What to Do When an Amazon Order Is Late
Amazon asks you to allow 48 hours past the estimated date before contacting Customer Service, and refunds shipping fees on a missed guaranteed date.
By Olivia HarperContributing writer. Policy checked .
On this page
Store policies change. This is a summary in our own words of Amazon's Late Deliveries page, read on October 24, 2026. The official page is the one that applies.
First steps
- Track the package in Your Orders for status updates.
- Check your email for notices from the carrier.
- Wait 48 hours past the estimated delivery date. Amazon says most late deliveries arrive within that time.
After 48 hours
- Shipped by Amazon: contact Amazon Customer Service. Amazon asks that you do this within 30 days of the estimated delivery date.
- Shipped and sold by a third-party seller: contact the seller.
Why deliveries run late
Amazon names bad weather, heavy traffic, high demand around holidays, customs for international packages, and operational problems such as a broken-down vehicle as common causes.
Where updates come from
When Amazon delivers the package itself, it updates the tracker in your order and emails you when it knows of a delay; the messages also appear in the Message Center. When another carrier delivers it, Amazon still updates your order tracker, but the carrier has the latest information, on its own website, emails or app.
Late guaranteed deliveries
If an item came with a guaranteed delivery date that was missed, Amazon refunds the shipping fees. To ask for it, open the order in Your Orders and choose "Problem with an order", then "Shipping or delivery issues", then "Shipment is late".
To understand how the estimated date is set in the first place, see how Amazon delivery dates work.
Source
Late Deliveries, Amazon Customer Service. Policy checked October 24, 2026.