When inventory ships to or arrives at a Flexport fulfillment center, occasionally units go missing in transit, arrive damaged, or are unaccounted for after receiving. This article explains what to expect and how to file a claim.
Lost or stuck in transit (inbound shipments)
If your inbound shipment hasn't arrived or tracking has gone silent, contact Flexport support with your shipment ID. We'll check carrier tracking and escalate to the carrier if needed.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Shipment on Flexport-arranged rates | Contact Flexport support — we own the carrier relationship and will file any claim on your behalf |
| Shipment on your own carrier rates | Contact your carrier directly to file a claim. We can provide a receiving discrepancy report if needed |
Carrier liability cap: For parcel carriers, carrier liability is capped at $100 per shipment. If your shipment value exceeds this, file a claim with your cargo insurance provider for the balance.
Damaged units at the fulfillment center
If units arrive at the FC damaged or are damaged during handling, Flexport's operations team makes the disposition decision — units may be disposed of, relabeled, or quarantined depending on the damage type and product.
You'll be notified if damaged units require a disposition decision. If you believe units were damaged while in Flexport's care, contact support with:
- Your shipment or ASN ID
- A description of the damage
- Unit count affected
- Commercial invoice or wholesale cost per unit
Reimbursement for damaged units is calculated as the lower of:
- 40% of the retail value, or
- The full commercial invoice value
We require both values to process a claim. If a full commercial invoice isn't available, basic COGS documentation is acceptable as a stand-in.
Missing units after receiving
If your receive count doesn't match what you shipped, open a support ticket within 90 days of the shipment arriving. Include:
- Your shipment or ASN ID
- Expected unit count vs. received unit count (by DSKU if possible)
- Your commercial invoice or wholesale cost documentation
We'll pull the receive record and investigate. If a discrepancy is confirmed, reimbursement follows the same formula as damaged units above (lower of 40% retail or full CI value).
Reimbursement limits
Per Flexport's Terms of Service, the following liability limits apply to inventory stored and handled at our fulfillment centers:
| Scenario | Liability limit |
|---|---|
| Lost or damaged inventory | Lesser of 40% of retail value or full commercial invoice value per unit |
| Parcel carrier transit loss | $100 per shipment (carrier liability cap) |
| Claim window | 90 days from shipment arrival or incident date |
Claims submitted outside the 90-day window will not be processed.
How to file
- Contact Flexport support — open a ticket, or reply to an existing thread for this shipment
- Include your shipment or ASN ID — lets us pull your receive record immediately
- Attach cost documentation — commercial invoice preferred; COGS acceptable if unavailable. Include retail and wholesale values.
- File within 90 days — claims outside this window cannot be processed
Once we have complete documentation, most claims are reviewed within a few business days.