One parcel, but the order was bigger

You open the parcel and find two of the three items you ordered; the third is simply missing. Partial deliveries are more common than you might think, especially when an order contains several items from different warehouses or different sellers. Before you assume a mistake or theft, it is worth looking at the order confirmation and the delivery note, because there is often just an organisational reason behind it.

How you should read the situation and what makes sense next depends mainly on what the delivery note and the order summary actually say.

How to recognise a planned partial delivery

Many shops deliberately send orders in several parcels, for instance when items come from different warehouses or take different amounts of time to pack. In that case it is usually already mentioned in the order confirmation, or you get an email as soon as another parcel has been dispatched. The delivery note enclosed with the parcel often states explicitly which items are in the current parcel and which are still to follow, frequently with a note such as "to be delivered separately".

How to recognise a genuinely missing item

If there is no sign at all of a planned partial delivery, and the delivery note lists an item that should be in the parcel but is not there, it is more likely that something is genuinely missing. This can happen during packing in the warehouse if an item is overlooked or put in the wrong box. The weight of the parcel, if it is printed on the shipping label, can also give you a clue as to whether it could even hold all the items you ordered.

A worked example of a partial delivery

Say you order three items for a total of 150 euros: one for 60 euros, one for 50 euros and one for 40 euros. Only the 60-euro and 50-euro items arrive in the first parcel, and the delivery note explicitly marks the 40-euro item as "to follow separately". In that case no complaint is needed; you simply wait for the second parcel. If, on the other hand, the delivery note says all three items should be in the parcel but the 40-euro item is missing, something has genuinely gone missing and you should report it to the shop.

What to tell the shop

• The order number and an exact list of which item is missing.
• Whether the delivery note lists the missing item at all or does not mention it.
• A photo of the opened parcel together with the delivery note, if the shop asks for one to process your query.
• Whether you still want the missing item or would rather have a refund for that part of the order.

If you no longer want the missing part

Sometimes the wait changes your mind, and you no longer need the outstanding item at all. In that case a short message to the shop is usually enough, asking them to cancel the open item and refund the corresponding amount instead of waiting for the second part of the delivery. If the missing part is already on its way, though, cancelling is not always possible, so a normal return once it has arrived is the more practical solution.

How this differs with marketplace orders

If the items in your order come from different sellers on a marketplace, a partial delivery is actually the norm, because each seller sends its own parcel independently of the others. If an item from a particular seller is missing in that situation, that specific seller is the right point of contact, not the marketplace as a whole. The article Who is your contract with when you buy on a marketplace? explains why that is.

When the partial delivery is linked to a discount

If your original order was tied to a minimum order quantity or a multi-buy discount and part of it is missing at first, this usually does not affect your eligibility for the discount, as long as all the items are delivered in the end. How a situation like this can play out with an actual return rather than just a partial delivery is shown in the article on partial refunds after a discounted purchase.

If you are no longer sure what you ordered

With larger orders containing lots of individual items, it is easy to lose track of what you actually ordered and what has already arrived. Checking the order history in your customer account helps you see exactly which items you ordered at what price and what shipping status is shown for each one. This is especially useful when you have placed several orders in quick succession and the parcels overlap.

How to spot a planned partial delivery more quickly in future

Checking at the time of ordering whether the shop already points out different delivery times for individual items saves confusion later on. Some shops show this in the basket, others only in the order confirmation email. The basics of delivery times and how they relate to shipping costs are explained in the article Understanding delivery times and shipping costs when shopping online.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay extra shipping costs for a planned partial delivery?

Usually not, because when the shop itself decides to split an order into several parcels, this is normally covered by the shipping price agreed at the start.

How long should I wait for the second parcel before asking?

That depends on the delivery date given for the second part. If it has clearly passed, it is worth sending the shop a short query.

What if the delivery note does not mention a partial delivery at all?

Then it is more likely that an item is genuinely missing, and you should report it to the shop rather than simply waiting for a second parcel.

Can I claim just the missing item without cancelling the whole order?

Yes, as a rule a single missing item can be dealt with separately, without affecting the items you have already received.