A parcel that can't be delivered doesn't just disappear — it comes back, and under Cargosender's terms that return is usually billed to the client, not absorbed as a loss.
Couriers don't hold an undeliverable parcel indefinitely. Once collection or delivery fails for a reason that isn't the carrier's fault, the shipment is routed back towards the sender, or in some cases disposed of. Both outcomes carry costs, and Cargosender's Terms and Conditions are specific about who bears them.
This is a different situation from a parcel that goes missing or arrives damaged, which is a claims question — see the guide on lost or damaged parcels for that process. A return-to-sender or refusal is about a parcel that the network can account for the whole time, but that never reaches, or is not allowed to reach, the recipient.
Based on Cargosender's published Terms and Conditions — applied to specific scenarios, not all direct quotes.
| Reason | What the terms say happens |
|---|---|
| Recipient refuses or can't be reached | Treated as a return not attributed to the logistics provider — additional costs are charged to the client. |
| Parcel exceeds declared size or weight | May result in collection or delivery refusal, with the shipment potentially returned at the client's expense. |
| Address is wrong, inaccessible or a PO box not declared at booking | Cargosender does not guarantee delivery to an address different from the one provided, and address changes after label creation are not accommodated. |
| Missing or non-compliant customs documents (non-EU routes) | The logistics provider may refuse collection or return the shipment to sender, with the client responsible for the resulting costs. |
| Prohibited, dangerous or unacceptable items | The shipment may be returned or disposed of at the client's expense; dangerous items may be removed or destroyed without notice. |
| Remote location or regulatory restriction at destination | The carrier may refuse service outright, with the shipment handled as a return. |
If a shipment is returned for reasons not attributed to the logistics provider, the client is charged the additional return costs.
Any additional insurance purchased at booking is no longer valid once that kind of return is triggered.
If the logistics provider is unable to return the shipment at all, it may be destroyed without reimbursement — and the client bears the disposal cost.
None of this is optional or negotiable after the fact: it is set out in Cargosender's Terms and Conditions, which every order is placed under.
Ask Cargosender support to confirm, in writing, why the parcel is coming back. The reason determines what happens next and who pays.
If the return is customs-related, find out whether a corrected document or a duty payment could still resolve it before the parcel is sent back.
Additional cover taken out at booking stops applying once a return is triggered for reasons not attributed to the carrier — confirm where that leaves you.
Depending on the logistics provider, a redelivery attempt to a corrected detail may be possible at extra cost, or you may simply need to accept the parcel back.
It's your evidence that the parcel is being handled, not lost — and it's what support will need if the return itself goes wrong.
Not automatically. If the return happened for a reason not attributed to the logistics provider — a refused delivery, a bad address, an oversized parcel — the client is charged the additional return costs rather than refunded.
Under Cargosender's Terms and Conditions, the client bears the additional costs when a shipment must be returned for reasons not attributed to the logistics provider.
Any additional insurance taken out at booking is stated to no longer apply once that kind of return is triggered. Confirm the specific status of your shipment with support rather than assuming cover continues.
The Terms and Conditions allow the logistics provider to destroy the shipment without reimbursement in that case, with disposal costs charged to the client.
Sometimes, if the underlying problem — an address, a document, a duty payment — can still be fixed before the carrier processes the return. Speak to support as soon as you're notified; once a return is in motion, options narrow quickly.
Confirm the address, the weight, the customs documents and the restricted-items list up front — it's the cheapest way to avoid a return.
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