An item not received (INR) claim is a dispute filed by a buyer when a package fails to arrive at its destination. It remains the most common ecommerce dispute type, accounting for a significant share of chargebacks and payment reversals.
When a customer claims they never received their order, the burden falls on the seller to prove otherwise. Without documented evidence, these disputes are nearly impossible to win — and they cost time, money, and customer trust.
Payment processors and courts typically side with the buyer unless the seller can produce concrete proof that the item was delivered. Delivery confirmation alone often isn't enough; you need evidence showing the package was actually packed, sealed, and handed over to a carrier.
INR claims far outnumber other dispute types. Some sellers report that 5–10% of orders generate an INR dispute, whether legitimate or fraudulent. Managing these at scale without structured evidence becomes a compliance and financial nightmare.
A genuine lost package and a buyer's false claim look identical from the seller's perspective. Without photos and video evidence of the packing, inspection, and handover process, you cannot defend yourself or identify patterns of serial claimants.
Each INR chargeback typically costs £15–£100 in fees alone. High INR rates can trigger account suspensions, higher processing fees, or mandatory reserve holds. Repeated losses erode margins and violate payment processor thresholds.
Most sellers only capture delivery confirmation from the carrier — they don't document what was actually packed, by whom, when, or in what condition. This leaves a gap that buyers can exploit, and which makes defence impossible.
Once a package leaves your warehouse, you lose visibility. Carriers frequently mishandle, lose, or delay packages. Without sealed, timestamped evidence of handover, you cannot prove the item left your site intact.
Some buyers deliberately file INR claims knowing sellers rarely have airtight proof. Others file genuinely, but sellers struggle to disprove claims. The asymmetry of information favours the claimant, especially in lower-value orders where sellers don't fight back.
Many sellers rely on screenshots, manual notes, or carrier tracking alone. These are easily challenged, contradicted, or dismissed as incomplete. Payment processors and chargebacks teams demand legally defensible, timestamped, tamper-proof records.
Sellers often fail to link packing evidence to delivery evidence. An INR claim is strongest to defend when you can show: item packed → sealed with photos and video → handed to carrier with proof → tracking initiated. Without this chain, the claim hangs on one weak link.
PackProof seals photos and video evidence of your packing, inspection, and handover process with SHA-512 cryptographic certification and immutable timestamps. This creates tamper-proof, legally defensible records that prove what you shipped, when, and to whom.
Capture photos of packed items, inspection checklists, sealed boxes, and BOL labels. Record videos of the packing process, seal integrity checks, and carrier handover. Each is cryptographically sealed at the source, proving content and timestamp cannot be altered.
Document the moment a package leaves your control — use photos to capture the item handed to the courier, and video to record the entire dispatch walk-around. This sealed evidence proves you fulfilled your obligation.
Link packing photos and video evidence directly to carrier tracking, delivery attempts, and signatures. When an INR claim arrives, you have a complete, sealed timeline that payment processors and chargeback teams cannot refute.
Sellers using PackProof report 60–80% chargeback win rates on INR disputes — compared to ~50% for those using manual photos. Sealed, timestamped evidence is admissible in payment processor disputes, arbitration, and legal proceedings.
Use PackProof to capture photos of each item as received from warehouse stock or QC. Include SKU labels, serial numbers, and condition. These sealed photos prove the item existed and was in packable condition before it entered the pack.
Photograph the item being placed into the box, wrapped, or sealed. Record a short video showing the packing process — item placement, protective material, box closure — to document proper handling. Each photo and video is immediately sealed with SHA-512 certification and timestamp.
Capture photos of the sealed box, QR code, security seal, or tamper-evident tape. If required, record a brief video showing the seal is intact and the box is ready for dispatch. This sealed evidence proves the package left your site in tamper-proof condition.
Photograph the package as handed to the courier, including carrier tracking label and signature. Record a video of the handover moment — courier taking the box, scanning the label, loading the vehicle. These sealed photos and video evidence prove dispatch and mark the exact moment liability transfers.
Start capturing sealed photos and video evidence of your packing, inspection, and dispatch process today. PackProof's free plan includes photo capture and basic evidence sealing for up to 3 team members — no credit card required.