Lost or damaged parcel from China: claims and agent insurance
Stuck, missing or broken on arrival: the first steps, the deadlines and what insurance won’t pay for.
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Lost or damaged parcel from China? Start with your agent, not the seller. The agent shipped it, so it handles the claim with the shipping line. What you get back depends on the line, your insurance, your proof and how fast you report.
The rules below are from the Superbuy and JoyaGoo help centers as of October 2026 and can change.
Stuck or lost parcel: first steps
- Check tracking on your agent’s parcel page and the carrier’s site. Superbuy notes that tracking lags, especially for small packets. Our tracking guide explains the statuses.
- Answer any request from customs or your local carrier for documents or payment. If a parcel is returned or destroyed because nobody cooperated, both agents put the costs on you.
- Open a ticket with your parcel number, the last tracking event and screenshots. Do it early: both agents’ compensation terms rule out requests made more than 45 days after shipping or 7 days after delivery.
- Ask which loss rule applies to your line and what proof they need.
A late parcel alone isn’t a claim: Superbuy’s compensation policy says there’s no compensation for delays. When a parcel counts as lost depends on the line.
Damaged parcel or missing items
Both agents need proof for a claim, so collect it before you open anything:
- Visible damage: have the courier note it on the delivery record. Superbuy advises signing with a note instead of refusing, since a refused parcel can go back to China or be destroyed.
- Unboxing video: one uncut take showing all six sides of the box and the tape, then every item. Superbuy calls it the key evidence. Add a clear photo of the label and close ups of any damage.
- Missing items: photograph everything you received on a scale with the packaging, and note the order numbers of what’s missing.
- Keep the box and padding until the claim is closed.
Report fast. Both agents’ compensation terms rule out requests made more than 7 days after delivery. JoyaGoo also wants photos of damage within 2 working days and other problems reported within 72 hours, so report within 72 hours at either agent to be safe.
Two limits: damage inside a box that arrived intact usually isn’t treated as transport damage, and fragile items like glass are mostly left out of damage claims.
Marked delivered but not there
Check your building, lockers and anyone who might have taken it in, then tell your agent right away, within 72 hours to be safe. Neither agent pays for theft after delivery.
What agent insurance covers
Without insurance, each line’s own rules apply. Paid cover raises what you can get back but keeps exclusions and short deadlines. Shipping lines explained covers what to check before you pay.
Superbuy: SuperCare Plus
- SuperCare Plus has two separate covers you add when you submit the parcel: Parcel Value Preserver for total loss and Parcel Safety Protector for damage.
- Each costs ¥20 per parcel up to ¥1,000 insured value, then 2%, with cover up to ¥50,000 per parcel.
- Payouts follow the real value, never exceed the insured amount and shrink if you insure for less. Keep proof of what you paid.
- Loss cover pays only when the whole parcel is lost. Damage claims have a 10% deductible.
- Claim a loss within 30 days of the carrier’s loss certificate, and damage within 5 business days after signing.
- Without it, Superbuy pays up to ¥800 or ¥1,000 per parcel depending on the line, with proof of value. Some mail lines, like several EUB lines, pay nothing.
JoyaGoo: parcel insurance
Whether you can buy insurance depends on the line and your country, and some lines include it free. Check the price at checkout. Insured parcels are paid by the real shipping cost and item value, up to the insured sum. Claims more than 7 days after signing or 45 days after shipping aren’t considered (compensation standard).
Returned to sender
- Back before leaving China (failed security check, address problem): Superbuy usually refunds the shipping fee to your balance, and JoyaGoo resends security returns at no extra charge.
- Back from abroad (nobody signed, wrong address, failed delivery): you pay. Superbuy says this usually takes 1 to 3 months and the international shipping isn’t refunded. JoyaGoo charges you for redelivery.
Check your address and phone number before you pay for shipping.
Customs seizure
If customs takes your parcel, follow the notice from customs or the carrier and note the deadline. In the UK, for example, GOV.UK says a notice of claim must reach customs within a month of the seizure.
Items with fake logos are trademark infringement, EU customs detain suspected fakes, and in some countries, like France, even buying them is illegal. Both agents say you’re responsible if items judged to be counterfeit are seized, and their terms exclude goods confiscated under the law. More in customs and taxes.
What usually isn’t covered
- Delays: Superbuy’s policy says there’s no compensation for them.
- Late claims or claims without proof.
- A wrong address or a parcel you didn’t collect in time.
- Prohibited items and anything confiscated under the law.
Questions?
What happens if my Superbuy parcel is lost?
Open a ticket with your parcel number and tracking. Superbuy pays by the line’s rules, up to ¥800 or ¥1,000 per parcel without SuperCare Plus as of October 2026, and some mail lines pay nothing.
How long before a parcel from China counts as lost?
It depends on the line, so ask your agent which rule applies to yours. Don’t wait for it: both agents’ compensation terms rule out requests made more than 45 days after shipping.
Does shipping insurance cover customs seizure?
Not for items with fake logos. Both agents say you’re responsible if items judged to be counterfeit are seized, and their terms exclude goods confiscated under the law.
What should I do if my parcel arrives damaged?
Have the courier note the damage, film the whole unboxing in one take, photograph the box and label and keep the packaging. Then report it within 72 hours and send damage photos within 2 working days. That’s JoyaGoo’s rule, and neither agent accepts claims more than 7 days after delivery.
How much does Superbuy SuperCare Plus cost?
¥20 per parcel for each cover up to ¥1,000 insured value, then 2% of the insured value, as of October 2026. Loss and damage are separate covers.
My parcel says delivered but I don’t have it. What now?
Check your building, lockers and anyone who might have taken it in, then tell your agent right away, within 72 hours to be safe. Neither agent pays for theft after delivery.