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An Post tracking status

An Post says delivered but no parcel: what to do

The short answer

Take action

An Post scanned your parcel as delivered, but it may be in a safe spot, with a neighbour or scanned early. Look for a delivery photo in your An Post account, kept for 7 calendar days, and ask your neighbours.

When to act: If it has not turned up by the end of the next working day after the delivered scan, file a complaint and we send it to An Post.

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Tell me what happened. I write your complaint with you and we send it to An Post.

Also shown as: “Your item has been delivered” · “We delivered your post” · “Your item was delivered” · “Left in your safe place”

What to do now

  1. Log in to your An Post account, look for the safe spot photo and check your inbox for a delivery message. The photo is only there for 7 calendar days, so save it.

  2. Check your safe spot, your backup option and places a parcel could be left out of view, such as a porch, shed or side gate.

  3. Ask everyone at home and your neighbours, as a neighbour can serve as a safe spot.

  4. If the item was signed for, open the item history and download the proof of delivery PDF, then check the name.

  5. Check the address on your order and keep screenshots of the tracking for your complaint.

  6. Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to An Post, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

    Start my complaint

Says delivered, but it is not here with another courier

Tracking says delivered but nothing arrived: who is responsible? →

What is going on

The postal operative records delivery, and not every parcel is signed for. An Post says that where no safe spot has been set, an operative who knows a spot is safe may leave the parcel there and take a photo, and you then get an email. People report finding parcels in a shared hallway, or being told one was left on top of letter boxes they do not have. A safe spot you choose can also be a neighbour, and you can set one backup delivery option for home and one for work. The photo stays in your logged-in An Post account for 7 calendar days.

The delivered line alone does not decide who carries the loss. The Consumer Rights Act leaves goods bought from a business at the seller's risk until you or a person you nominated physically have them. A neighbour you named as your safe spot can count as that person, and the Act does not say how a parcel left in a safe spot you set is treated. Scans can also be wrong: shared histories include 'We delivered your post' on two days in a row, followed by 'We tried to deliver your post', and a delivered line naming a mail centre.

Why it happens

  • Left in a safe spot you set, or one the operative chose, with a photo
  • Left with a neighbour
  • A person in your household took it in
  • Delivered to your backup option or work address
  • Delivered to the wrong address
  • The delivered scan came before the parcel did

What usually happens next

If it was left in a safe spot, you should have an email inviting you to log in and see the photo. If the scan was early, the history can gain new lines afterwards, as one shared history shows.

Other An Post statuses

All An Post statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from An Post?

A parcel bought online from a business is usually the seller's to sort out until it reaches you. The Consumer Rights Act (section 35) leaves goods at the seller's risk until you, or a person you nominated, physically have them. The exception is a carrier you booked yourself and the seller did not propose. Section 36 requires delivery without undue delay and no later than 30 days after the contract was made, unless you and the seller agreed otherwise. Customs charges are different: An Post's customs terms make the person receiving the parcel liable for them.

When you sent the parcel yourself, you are An Post's customer and the terms of the service you bought apply. For Standard Post, compensation generally covers no more than postage and directly associated costs, often in stamps. For Express it may equal the postage, and Express with Signature is limited to the lower of the item's proven cost and €350. Registered Post is limited to the value you declared (€25 if you declared none), up to €350 plus charges within Ireland and less for places abroad.

Questions about “Delivered but not received”

An Post says delivered but I did not get it. What should I do?

Look for a safe spot photo in your An Post account, check around the house and ask your neighbours. Still nothing by the end of the next working day? File a complaint here and add your screenshots.

Can An Post leave a parcel without me asking?

Yes. An Post says that if no safe spot is set, an operative who knows the delivery will be safe may leave it in a safe spot at your address and take a photo. Registered post has to be signed for.

How long can I see An Post's delivery photo?

7 calendar days, in your logged-in An Post account. You should get an email inviting you to log in, so save the photo as soon as you see it.

Who is responsible when An Post says delivered but the parcel is missing?

Usually the seller, if you bought from a business: under the Consumer Rights Act goods stay at its risk until you or a person you nominated physically have them. The scan alone does not move that risk, though a neighbour you named as your safe spot can count as your nominee.

Can I get proof of delivery from An Post?

If a signature was recorded, the item history offers proof of delivery as a PDF you can download straight away. Parcels without a signature may have a safe spot photo instead.

Based on

  • An Post: Delivery help (safe spot photo, 7 calendar days)
  • An Post: My deliveries (safe spot, backup options, registered post)
  • An Post: Track and Trace help (proof of delivery PDF)
  • Irish Statute Book: Consumer Rights Act, section 35 (passing of risk)
  • boards.ie: An Post Delays thread, 'Your item has been delivered'
  • boards.ie: delivered twice, then tried to deliver
  • boards.ie: delivered line naming a mail centre
  • Trustpilot review: left in a shared hallway, 'left in your safe place'
  • Trustpilot review: told a parcel was left on top of letter boxes
  • Irish Statute Book: Consumer Rights Act, section 36 (delivery of goods, 30 days)
  • An Post: Terms and Conditions for all services (Standard and Registered Post compensation)
  • An Post: Express Terms and Conditions, single piece mail
  • An Post: Customs Terms and Conditions (who is liable for customs charges)

Parcel still not here?
File a complaint about An Post.

Start my complaint