What to put in a claim pack
The evidence couriers, marketplaces and payment providers look for when you dispute a claim, and how to present it.
When a customer's claim goes beyond a simple conversation, you will need to convince someone else: a marketplace's seller support, a courier's claims team, or a payment provider handling a chargeback. They see many disputes, and they decide quickly. A clear, complete claim pack makes it easy for them to see what happened.
What a good claim pack contains
1. The order details
Order number, invoice number, the shipment's AWB or tracking number, the customer's name and delivery city, and the order date. Anyone reading the pack should be able to match it to the dispute in seconds.
2. What was packed
A list of every item in the order, each marked as shown on camera, with quantities. If an item was deliberately left out, for example a split shipment, say so.
3. Serial numbers and IMEIs
For electronics and other serialised products, the serial number or IMEI of each unit packed. This is what settles "you sent a different unit" and "this is a used product" claims.
4. Seal number and weight
The number on the tamper tape or seal, and the parcel's weight at dispatch. If the parcel arrived with a different seal or a much lower weight, that points to tampering in transit.
5. Who packed it and when
The packer, the packing station, and the date and time recording started and ended. If someone reviewed and approved the video before dispatch, include their name and the time.
6. The video itself
A link to the packing video. Reviewers rarely want a large file attached, and a link lets you control who can watch it. A QR code on a printed or PDF pack makes it easy to open on a phone.
7. Proof the video has not been changed
An edited or trimmed video is worth little. A fingerprint of the video (a SHA-256 hash, for example), together with storage that cannot be altered, lets you show that the video is the one recorded at the time of packing.
How to present it
- Lead with the answer. Start with one or two lines: what the customer claimed and what the evidence shows. "Customer says the charger was missing. The video shows the charger being packed at 10:43 IST, and the parcel was sealed with seal SL-448120."
- Point to the exact moment. Give the time in the video where the disputed item goes into the box.
- Keep it to one or two pages. Decision-makers skim. Put the details in a table and the explanation in a short paragraph.
- Use the reviewer's reference numbers. Quote the marketplace's claim ID, the courier's case number or the chargeback reference.
- Send it early. Check your marketplace's seller policies and your payment provider's rules for response deadlines, and don't leave it to the last day.
Common mistakes
- Sending a video with no order number or date visible.
- Sending photos of a packed box instead of the packing itself.
- Sending a file that has clearly been trimmed or edited.
- Missing the serial number of the exact unit in dispute.
- Replying after the deadline has passed.
Claim packs in DispatchO
DispatchO creates the claim pack for you. Open the order, download the PDF, and send it on. It includes the order details, the item checklist, serial numbers, seal number, weight, the packer and approver, recording start and end times, whether the video is Verified, its SHA-256 fingerprint, and a QR code that opens the video.
Request a free 30-day pilot and see a claim pack for one of your own orders.