The carrier failed: you are responsible
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
When a package disappears, arrives broken, or goes to the wrong address, customers bought from you, not the carrier. Under Brazil’s Consumer Protection Code, sellers are responsible for delivery. Resolve it with customers first by reshipping or refunding, then claim from the carrier. Both happen, but in that order.
The week after Black Friday, this becomes routine. Carrier volume rises, errors rise alongside it, and a store telling customers to “file a complaint with Correios” is pushing its own problem onto them.
What should you do for the customer in the first 24 hours?
Take responsibility and give options. “Renato, your package was marked delivered, but you did not receive it. This is ours to resolve. I can reship today, with delivery expected December 5, or refund the full amount now. Which would you prefer?” Without asking them to go to the post office, requiring a police report, or saying “let’s wait for the investigation.”
One confirmation question is reasonable: if marked delivered, ask them to check with the doorman or a neighbor. If they say they checked and it is not there, their side of the investigation is over.
For damage, ask for photos of the package and product. Photos support your carrier claim rather than serving as a condition for assisting the customer. Reship or refund as soon as the photo arrives.
What should you claim from the carrier, and how?
| Problem | When to open a claim | What to request | What to keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loss (stalled or “delivered” without delivery) | After 5 business days stalled, or the day after false delivery | Compensation for declared value plus shipping | Tax invoice, mailing receipt, tracking, screenshot of customer conversation |
| Damage | The same day the customer reports it | Compensation for the product value | Packaging and product photos, tax invoice |
| Wrong-address delivery | The same day | Collection and redelivery, or compensation | Label with correct address, tracking |
| Return to sender for “absent” without a real attempt | Upon receiving the package back | Reshipping without another shipping charge | Tracking showing attempted delivery times |
Two conditions make claims work. First, the declared mailing value: if you declared R$ 30 to pay less insurance, compensation is R$ 30. Second, documentation of value: a tax invoice or, for those not issuing one, a contents declaration. Without it, the carrier does not recognize the amount.
Contracts with carriers or shipping platforms usually provide a dedicated channel and response deadline. With Correios, register the complaint through Fale com os Correios using the tracking code; compensation results from that complaint. Record the reference number in the order and follow up. Late shipping explains when a delay becomes a loss.
What if the carrier does not pay?
It happens, especially with low declared values or packaging judged inadequate. The loss is yours and enters campaign costs as shipping expense. Customers cannot pay for it.
A ceramics store lost four packages in a campaign, all damaged. The carrier denied all four for “insufficient packaging.” The store reshipped all four, absorbed R$ 380, and changed packaging. The next campaign had zero damage.
How do you reduce failures before they happen?
Declared value always matches the product value. Packaging withstands a one-meter drop, tested at home. Address validated before shipping, postal code checked, apartment details mandatory. A photo of the sealed package with the label visible, stored in the order. And a carrier chosen by problem history, not only price.
Order-level records make this possible: when every shipment has a photo, declared value, claim reference, and outcome, you discover in December which carrier failed most and change. Reverse logistics covers the return route when the product must come back.
What to do now
Check whether recent shipments used real declared values. If values were low, correct this starting with the next. For photos, claim references, and outcomes recorded in every order, and a list of open problems on one screen, Avila Ops builds the system: avilaops.com/sistema-para-pequenas-empresas or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
Can I require a customer’s police report before reshipping?
You can ask, but cannot make it a condition. Reshipping or refunding is the store’s obligation. The report helps your carrier claim, and many customers file one when you explain this.
Can customers choose between reshipping and money back?
Yes. If you have the product, offer both. If not, a full refund including shipping is the path.
Does the carrier compensate at sale value or cost?
At the value declared when mailed, up to the contract limit. Without a declared value, Correios pays only a small fixed sum and postage. That is why declared value must be the selling price. Declaring less to save insurance means betting against yourself.
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