The record captured at the moment of handover — and, per Cargosender's own claims process, the single document a damage or loss claim is built around.
Proof of delivery, usually shortened to POD, is the record a carrier captures when a shipment is handed over at its destination. This first part is general industry practice, not specific to Cargosender or any one carrier: modern courier networks typically capture one or more of a signature, a photo of the parcel at the drop point, or a barcode scan from the driver's handheld device, timestamped and tied to the tracking number.
What's specific to Cargosender is the claims rule built on top of that evidence: Cargosender's own claims process (§E2/E5 of the published claims policy) states that if a shipment arrives damaged or with items missing, the client must note this on the proof of delivery and inform Cargosender within the first business day after delivery. A POD signed without any note on it is treated as acceptance of the parcel in good condition, which is very difficult to argue against afterwards.
General courier-industry practice (see logistics-technology providers' own descriptions of electronic proof of delivery, e.g. Descartes' ePOD explainer) — not a Cargosender-specific guarantee that a given form of evidence will exist for every delivery.
| Evidence type | What it shows, and what it doesn't |
|---|---|
| Signature capture (screen or paper) | Confirms someone accepted the parcel at that address and time. It doesn't by itself prove who signed, or that the contents matched what was declared. |
| Delivery photo | Shows the parcel's condition and location at the moment of drop-off — useful for 'left at the door' disputes, but a photo alone can be blurry, poorly framed, or taken before final positioning, which is why some networks pair it with a signature. |
| Driver handheld scan (barcode/GPS) | Confirms the parcel was scanned as delivered at a time and location, but doesn't independently show condition unless a photo or signature accompanies it. |
| No POD at all (common for locker or parcel-shop pickup) | Where delivery means the recipient collects from a locker or shop later, the 'delivery' event captured is often the drop-off to that point, not to the end recipient — check what the tracking record actually captures before assuming a signature exists. |
Many courier networks attach a delivery photo or signature capture directly to the tracking record once a parcel is marked delivered — this is general practice across the industry, not guaranteed for every service or route.
Some carriers email or message a delivery confirmation with the POD attached or linked at the time of handover.
If it isn't visible through tracking, contact Cargosender support with the order number and ask for the proof of delivery the logistics provider holds on file.
This part is Cargosender-specific: the note needs to go on the POD and the report to Cargosender needs to happen within the first business day, per the published claims policy — not whenever it's convenient.
| Situation | Why the POD matters |
|---|---|
| Filing a damage or loss claim | It's the primary evidence of the condition the parcel was in, and who accepted it, at the point of handover. |
| A dispute over whether delivery happened | A signature, scan or photo tied to a timestamp settles most 'it never arrived' disagreements. |
| Business accounting or reconciliation | Confirms a shipment was fulfilled, which many bookkeeping and B2B invoicing processes require as supporting evidence. |
| Proving delivery to a third party | An insurer, a marketplace or a customer may ask for it as independent confirmation, separate from your own word. |
Signing for a parcel without inspecting it, then noticing damage afterwards — the clean signature on file works against the claim, not for it.
Waiting more than a business day to report damage that was visible at delivery; the claims process treats this as late notification.
Assuming a POD proves the contents were undamaged — it only proves the parcel, as packaged, changed hands. What's inside is a separate question, which is exactly why noting a concern on it matters.
It's one form of it. Depending on the carrier, POD can be a signature, a photo of the parcel at the door, a scan, or a combination — any of these that's timestamped and tied to the tracking number counts.
Contact Cargosender support with your order number and ask for the POD the logistics provider holds on file. It should exist for any shipment marked as delivered.
No — it confirms the parcel was handed over, not what condition the contents were in. That's precisely why noting any visible damage on the POD before signing matters so much for a claim.
Cargosender's claims process asks for damage or missing items to be reported within the first business day after delivery. Reporting later doesn't automatically void a claim, but it weakens it.
Check the live status and, once it's delivered, the proof of delivery attached to your order.
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