What every shipment status actually means, how long each stage normally lasts, and what you should do when a parcel stops moving.
Rule of thumb: a parcel that shows no new scan for 3–5 days is usually still moving between hubs. Only act after 7–10 days of silence, and always contact the seller or carrier with your tracking number.
Carriers use slightly different wording for the same event. The list below translates the most common messages into plain English, in the order a parcel usually goes through them.
Also shown as: Shipment information received, Label created, Pre-shipment
The seller has created a shipping label and the number exists in the carrier system, but the parcel has not been handed over or scanned yet.
What to do: Wait 24–72 hours. Nothing is wrong yet — this is the most common status right after you order.
Also shown as: Accepted by carrier, Collected, Shipment picked up
The carrier has taken physical possession of the parcel and it has entered the network.
What to do: No action needed. The first hub scan usually follows within a day.
Also shown as: Departed facility, Arrived at sort facility, Processed through facility
The parcel is moving between hubs. This covers most of the journey, including the international leg.
What to do: Be patient — gaps of 3–10 days are normal on economy cross-border services.
Also shown as: Held by customs, Import clearance, Customs processing
The parcel is being checked by the destination country’s customs authority. It may also be waiting on duties, taxes or extra documents.
What to do: Watch for a request from the carrier to pay duties or upload an ID. Respond quickly to avoid a return.
Also shown as: On vehicle for delivery, With delivery courier
The parcel has been loaded onto a vehicle and should arrive the same day.
What to do: Make sure someone can receive it, or check whether a safe-drop option is available.
Also shown as: Delivery attempted, No one home, Notice left
The courier tried to deliver but could not complete it — nobody available, access problem, or address issue.
What to do: Follow the notice to reschedule or collect the parcel from a depot before it is returned.
Also shown as: Delivery exception, Held, Damaged, Address correction required
Something is blocking delivery: a wrong address, unpaid charges, damage, weather or a customs hold.
What to do: Read the scan detail, then contact the carrier or the seller with your tracking number.
Also shown as: Delivered to mailbox, Left with individual, Completed
The carrier recorded a successful delivery, usually with a time and sometimes a location.
What to do: Check the delivery location and with neighbours. If it is missing after 24 hours, contact the carrier.
Also shown as: RTS, Being returned, Refused
The parcel could not be delivered and is on its way back — unclaimed, refused, or rejected by customs.
What to do: Contact the seller to arrange a refund or a reshipment.
Also shown as: Ready for collection, At pickup point, In parcel locker
The parcel is waiting for you at a depot, shop, locker or post office instead of being delivered.
What to do: Collect it before the deadline shown — uncollected parcels are returned automatically.
Long international legs often have no intermediate scans — a parcel on a plane or a container ship is not scanned until it lands. Consolidated economy services are the most common cause of a 7–10 day gap.
Check the delivery details for a location (porch, mailbox, parcel locker, neighbour) and look for a scan time. If it still has not turned up after 24 hours, contact the carrier with the tracking number — they can request a delivery confirmation or GPS record.
Something interrupted delivery: a failed attempt, a wrong or incomplete address, unpaid duties, damage, or a customs hold. The scan detail usually names the reason and the next step.
New shipments can take 24–72 hours to appear. Check for typos, extra spaces and missing suffixes such as the “CN” on China Post numbers. If it still returns nothing, try the other data source in the search box — coverage differs between providers.
Yes. Parcels are sometimes returned to a hub, missorted, or sent back through customs. A step back is usually resolved automatically within a few days; if it is not, raise it with the seller.
Still stuck? Read the FAQ, look up the carrier in our carrier directory, or email [email protected].
