When a Courier Can't Deliver: Your 3 Options
What to do when no courier serves your buyer's pincode - ask for another address, post it yourself, or cancel and refund.
Occasionally no courier serves a buyer's pincode - remote areas, or an item that can only travel by road. When that happens you have three options, and refunding is the last of them, not the first.
Option 1 - Ask the buyer for another address (try this first)
- 1On the order, click "Ask buyer for another address".
- 2We email your buyer a secure link asking for an address we can reach.
- 3They enter it themselves - we check it against live courier coverage before accepting, so you never get a second undeliverable address.
- 4The order updates automatically and you can ship as normal.
A workplace, a relative's home, or a nearby town usually works. The link is valid for 48 hours.
You can't edit a buyer's delivery address yourself, and that's deliberate - it protects you too. If a parcel is ever disputed, the record shows the buyer chose the address, not you.
Option 2 - Ship it yourself
If the buyer doesn't reply, or their only address is genuinely remote, post it yourself. India Post reaches almost every pincode in India, including places private couriers refuse.
- 1Post the parcel via India Post (Speed Post) or any local courier.
- 2On the order, click "I shipped this myself".
- 3Enter the courier name and the tracking / consignment number.
- 4We email the tracking details to your buyer automatically.
A self-shipped parcel has no automatic tracking, so we can't see when it arrives. A “Mark as delivered” button appears on the order - press it once your buyer confirms receipt. Your payout stays on hold until you do, and the buyer's 5-day return window starts from that moment.
Option 3 - Cancel and refund
If nothing else works, cancel the order. For prepaid orders the buyer is refunded in full to their original payment method automatically (5-7 working days). Your stock and any coupon use are restored, and no payout is charged against you.
Try options 1 and 2 before this one. A refund means nobody gets paid, the buyer waits a week for their money, and you lose a sale you had already won.
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