What to Do When an AliExpress Order Says Delivered But Is Not Received?

When an order is delivered to a customer on AliExpress, the delivery agent has handed over the parcel to the recipient. However, you may occasionally encounter situations where AliExpress displays the “Delivered” status without you having actually received your parcel.

This issue may arise due to numerous reasons and identifying the root cause would require some effort. For the most part, you can resolve this problem by first contacting the seller, then contacting the delivery agent, and reaching out to AliExpress’s customer support as a last resort if the previous options did not help.

In this guide, we will cover some common reasons why this issue occurs, how to resolve the problem, and how to prevent it from happening in the future.

Common Reasons Why This Can Occur

There are many possible reasons why you may encounter the AliExpress “Delivered” shipping status message without actually receiving your parcel. The most common ones include the following.

Wrong Delivery Status Update

Some delivery agents may mark your order’s shipping status as delivered by accident. AliExpress may then change the item’s shipping status to “Delivered” from their end without realizing the delivery agent made a mistake.

While this issue may render your order tracking unreliable, your parcel itself is unaffected and is on its way to you. There is no action required by you other than to receive your parcel.

Order Was Stolen

It’s possible that the delivery agent successfully dropped off the parcel at your doorstep, but it was stolen shortly afterward. This issue could be a frequent occurrence for people who live in neighborhoods with high theft rates.

The chances of stolen parcel cases are usually higher for delivery services that do not require identity verification or signatures (parcels are usually dropped off on porches or in front of doorsteps).

Order Received by Third Party

Your parcel may have been delivered to and collected by a third party. For example, if you had your parcel delivered to your office, the receptionist may have collected it in your stead.

In some cases, you may have accidentally set the shipping address to friends or family members, and it was sent to them. This can happen if you have recently bought items on behalf of someone and forgotten to change the default shipping address back to your own.

Incorrect Tracking Number

In some cases, the AliExpress seller may have provided you with an incorrect tracking number. While this issue is not common, it may occur if the seller is overwhelmed with orders during peak seasons.

This could be a simple mistake, such as the seller getting the tracking numbers for two different orders mixed up. In this situation, you will encounter the “Delivered” shipping status for another buyer’s parcel instead of yours.

Marked As Delivered By AliExpress

AliExpress has an automated system that marks the delivery status as “Delivered” once the item’s shipping time has exceeded its protection period. This protection period varies depending on the item you ordered and could be as long as 90 days.

Steps You Can Take to Resolve it

If you encounter a “delivered” shipping status message but haven’t received your parcel, don’t fret. You can follow the steps below to try and resolve the issue.

Contact the Seller

As most cases stem from human error, the first step to take is to check that the shipping details that the seller has given you are correct. Simply contact the seller and ask them to verify if the tracking number they gave you was correct.

The seller will then contact their delivery agent to reconfirm they have the correct tracking number. They may also be able to directly ask the delivery agent where your parcel is.

Regardless of the root cause, most issues that occur before or during shipping can be resolved by the seller.

Contact the Delivery Agent

In some cases, the seller won’t be available or capable of helping you. This is often the case when the parcel has already arrived in your country and has been passed on to your local delivery agent.

In this situation, it’s best to contact the delivery agent yourself. Reach out to them over the phone and explain your issue. They will then review the shipping status at their end and inform you where your parcel is.

Most of the time the delivery agent has erroneously updated the shipping status to “delivered”, when in fact the item is yet to depart from the sorting center.

Contact AliExpress’ Customer Support

Generally speaking, the seller or delivery agent is able to resolve most issues and AliExpress’s customer support would encourage you to contact the seller directly first. However, in the event that neither the seller nor the delivery agent were able to help you, you may turn to AliExpress’s Customer Support.

Once you get in touch with AliExpress’s Customer Support, you should explain the situation as well as your attempts to resolve the problem. They will then offer guidance on how you should proceed.

Best Practices to Avoid This From Happening

You can take several steps to reduce the risk of the aforementioned issue occurring by following a few practices each time you order from AliExpress. Let’s take a closer look below.

Ensure That All Shipping Details Are Correct

You should ensure the shipping details you have entered on AliExpress and given to the seller are correct. It’s important to double-check key details such as your street name, building name, house or unit number, and zip code before placing your order.

Besides that, also check if you have set the correct shipping address as your default one. This will ensure your item is delivered to the correct address.

Make Yourself Available During Delivery

Delivery agents are permitted to deliver parcels to addresses when their intended recipients aren’t home. However, doing so increases the likelihood that the parcel will be stolen from the property’s gate or porch.

You can prevent such thefts by being present at the address on the parcel’s expected delivery date. For added security, you can also opt for a registered delivery method if it is available whereby an identity verification or signature is required for the delivery.

Ship to A Secure Delivery Location

Ensure you have chosen a safe delivery location for your parcel. For example, if you live in a home and the doorstep is close to a busy or notorious street, it may be better to get your parcel delivered to a friend’s or relative’s home with a more secure driveway. 

You can also add special delivery instructions for your shipment. For example, you can instruct the delivery agent to leave your parcel in a more obscure or hidden location such as inside your post box or behind a potted plant by your front door.