---
company: ups
title: UPS — how complaints actually go
last_verified: 2026-10-12
---

## In short

UPS claims are filed online: start within 60 days of the scheduled delivery for a lost or damaged package, and open a loss investigation within 30 days if tracking shows delivered but you cannot find it. Recipients can file as a guest unless the shipper has blocked it; then the shipper must file, so ask the seller who shipped your order. Upload photos and an invoice; paper and fax claims are no longer accepted. UPS does not ask for payment or personal information in unsolicited messages, so a text demanding a delivery fee is a scam.

## How complaints actually go

- UPS customer service is 1-800-742-5877; the Help and Support Center offers the UPS Assistant virtual agent. [UPS: contact us](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/contact-us)
- Start a claim within 60 days of the scheduled delivery for lost or damaged packages, or for a C.O.D. payment that was not received. [UPS: file a claim](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/file-a-claim)
- If a package shows delivered but cannot be found, UPS encourages a loss investigation within 30 days of the expected delivery date; for a damaged package, a damage claim within 30 days of receiving it. [UPS: contact us](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/contact-us)
- Recipients and third-party shippers can file as a guest, but if the shipper has a restriction on its account, they must ask the shipper to file. [UPS: file a claim](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/file-a-claim)

## What tends to work

- Upload all documents in the Claims Dashboard: every claim needs supporting documentation such as an invoice showing value, and damage claims need photos; UPS may ask for an inspection. [UPS: claim supporting documents](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/file-a-claim/supporting-documents)
- UPS My Choice Basic is free and gives delivery notifications, delivery photos and estimated delivery times. [UPS My Choice](https://www.ups.com/us/en/track/ups-my-choice)
- If The UPS Store packed and shipped the item, use the Pack & Ship Guarantee: it covers the item's value up to $100 for UPS shipments unless Declared Value was bought, and refunds packing and shipping costs. [The UPS Store Pack & Ship Guarantee](https://www.theupsstore.com/about/pack-ship-guarantee/index)

## Traps and fine print

- Packages released without a signature at the customer's request (signature release, or release to an apartment building through My Choice) are not eligible for lost claims. [UPS: file a claim](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/file-a-claim)
- For Ground Saver packages, UPS no longer accepts claims once the scan shows the package was handed to the Post Office. [UPS: file a claim](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/file-a-claim)
- Since July 31, 2022, claim paperwork cannot be sent by fax or mail; it must be uploaded in the Claims Dashboard. [UPS: claim supporting documents](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/file-a-claim/supporting-documents)
- The Pack & Ship Guarantee excludes customer-packed packages and shipments packed in free carrier-supplied materials. [The UPS Store Pack & Ship Guarantee](https://www.theupsstore.com/about/pack-ship-guarantee/index)

## By the numbers

- ACSI 2026 (interviews through December 2025): UPS scored 77 out of 100, unchanged; the consumer shipping average was 78, with FedEx and Amazon Shipping at 80. [ACSI Retail and Consumer Shipping Study 2026](https://theacsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/26jan_Retail-Shipping-Study-Final.pdf)

## Scams that target customers

- UPS's fraud page says UPS does not request payments, personal or financial information, account numbers, IDs, passwords or copies of invoices in an unsolicited way by email, mail, phone, fax or text. (Seen in search-result text; ups.com blocked automated reading on 2026-10-12.) [UPS: protect yourself from fraud](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/shipping-support/legal-terms-conditions/fight-fraud)
- Fake messages say a UPS package is waiting and ask for personal information or a fee before delivery; track the package yourself on ups.com to see whether anything is due, and forward suspicious messages to fraud@ups.com. (Seen in search-result text.) [UPS: protect yourself from fraud](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/shipping-support/legal-terms-conditions/fight-fraud)
- FTC data: fake package delivery problems were the most reported text scam of 2024. [FTC Data Spotlight, April 14, 2025](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/2025/04/top-text-scams-2024)