If Your Order Is Damaged or Hasn’t Turned Up

What to do if your order arrives damaged or late depends on what has gone wrong and how quickly you report it. A delayed parcel may still be moving through the courier network, while a crushed box or broken seal needs evidence before a replacement or refund can be arranged.

Keep your order number, tracking number and delivery notifications together. Record the condition of the parcel, photograph any damage and contact customer support before using medicines that appear compromised.

Quick action gives the store the best chance to trace a missing shipment, correct an order error or arrange a suitable remedy. The following steps cover both transit damage and deliveries that seem stuck in transit.

Inspect the parcel as soon as it arrives

Check the outer packaging before accepting it. If the box is crushed, split, wet or punctured, point out the visible problem to the courier and ask them to record it on their handheld device. Minor scuffing does not always mean the contents are damaged, but severe damage should not go unremarked.

Open the package discreetly and compare everything with your order. Check the product name, formulation, quantity and packaging. Seals should be intact, tablets should not be crushed, and capsules, jelly, chewable or sublingual products should not show signs of moisture or contamination.

Photograph the outer box, the seal and any affected products before moving anything else. If a medicine has been crushed, wet, discoloured or stored in a broken package, do not use it. A pharmacist can provide safe advice if its condition is uncertain.

Tell transit damage from an order error

Transit damage usually involves packaging that was crushed, wet, torn or punctured during shipping. An order error is more likely to involve the wrong product, formulation or quantity, or a missing item from an otherwise intact parcel. Keep these issues separate in your message to customer support.

For a damaged order, preserve the packaging, seals and shipping label because the store or courier may need them to assess a claim. Do not discard the box even if the delivery seems complete. For an incorrect item, keep it sealed and in its original packaging unless a pharmacist advises otherwise.

Record what is wrong in plain detail. “The outer box was punctured and two blister packs were split” is more useful than “the parcel was broken”. Clear evidence can speed up a replacement or refund without unnecessary back-and-forth.

Track a delivery that appears stuck

Open the courier tracking link and look for the most recent scan, not only the estimated delivery date. A parcel may remain in transit during weekends, public holidays or a busy collection period. If the tracking still says “in transit” by arvo, there is no need to panic, but it is sensible to contact the courier if the next update is overdue.

Record the tracking number, last scan location and date promised by the store. Ask the courier to check for a delivery attempt, redirected parcel, held item or local collection point. Some couriers, including Australia Post, may also provide delivery information through their own tracking service.

A tracking number proves that a parcel was handed into the network, but it may not show exactly where it is at that moment. If no scan has appeared for several business days, send the store the tracking details rather than waiting for the original delivery window to pass.

Request a replacement or refund

Contact the store’s customer support with your order number, tracking number, arrival date and a short description of the problem. Attach clear photographs where relevant and state whether you prefer a replacement, a refund to the original payment method or another remedy available under the published policy.

If the parcel was lost, replacement stock or a refund may depend on the courier’s investigation and the store’s delivery terms. If the item arrived damaged or incorrect, the Australian Consumer Law may provide additional rights, particularly where the goods are not of acceptable quality or do not match their description.

Keep the original receipt and payment record. A refund to the original payment method can take several business days to appear, while store credit may be issued immediately if the policy permits it. If the original order included discounted bulk items, a trial set, free pills or free shipping, ask how the corrected total is calculated under the displayed promotion terms.

Allow for Australian delivery conditions

Australian delivery estimates are usually based on business days rather than every calendar day. Orders placed late in the day, near weekends or before a public holiday may not be dispatched until the next working day. A courier may also require extra time for routes to regional centres, remote communities and across the Northern Territory.

Most deliveries use a tracked courier such as Australia Post, StarTrack, Aramex or a specialist delivery partner, depending on the destination and service selected at checkout. Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart usually have more frequent scans than smaller towns or remote postal areas. A parcel sent to a post office box may also need an arranged pickup.

Allowances for shipping thresholds should be checked before ordering. Free or express delivery above a stated order value does not guarantee the parcel will arrive within the initial estimate, and a delayed shipment does not automatically create a second free delivery. Contact support promptly if the promised service or dispatch window has passed.

Keep the matter discreet and organised

Customer support should understand that discretion matters with health products. Ask for correspondence through the order account or another secure channel, and avoid posting identity documents or prescription details through an unsecured email. If a valid prescription is required, send it only by the method approved by the store or pharmacist.

Redact personal information from photographs unless the complete label is specifically required to establish damage. This protects your name, address and order details while still showing the packaging condition. If the parcel was delivered to the wrong address, contact the courier and store without publishing the address or medication details online.

Keep a simple record of every call, email, reference number and promised response date. If the store cannot resolve the issue and the Australian Consumer Law applies, contact the consumer affairs agency in your state or territory or seek guidance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

If your order is damaged, incomplete or stuck in transit, contact customer support today. Provide the order and tracking numbers, delivery date, photographs and a clear summary, and do not use any product with compromised packaging. The team can check the dispatch record, liaise with the courier and confirm whether a replacement, refund or other remedy is available.