Getting Started

What is a claim, and how is it different from a support ticket?

A support ticket is a question or a request for help — you need information, or you need someone to look at an order. It's a back-and-forth conversation; we stay on it with you until it's resolved.

A claim is a formal request for compensation for a specific order that went wrong in delivery or fulfilment. It has a deadline, it requires evidence and specific documents, and it ends in either a reimbursement or a rejection with a reason. A claim isn't a channel we can reply through, so if what you're looking for is an answer rather than compensation, a support ticket is the faster route.

Liability: Hive or the carrier?

There are two types of claims, and liability sits in a different place for each:

• Hive's liability — something went wrong inside our warehouse: the wrong item was picked, an item was missing from the box, or it was packed in a way that caused damage. Hive compensates you directly.
• Carrier's investigation — something went wrong in transit (parcel lost, stuck, damaged, delivered to the wrong person, delivered but not received). We file the claim with the carrier on your behalf, and what you get back will depend on that carrier's specific liability policy.

You don't need to work out which one it is. You submit the claim; we investigate and route it for you.

Three conditions that apply to every claim

1. For carrier claims, the shipment must be on a Hive carrier contract. This applies when the claim goes to the carrier — a parcel that stopped updating in transit, one marked as delivered but not received or a parcel damaged in transit, where you can see carrier-branded tape all over it (re-packed parcels). If the order was shipped under your own contract, the carrier will only deal with you as the contract holder, so the claim has to be opened with them directly. Fulfilment mistakes are different: if the issue came from our warehouse, you can always open the claim with us.

2. The claim must be submitted within the deadline. Carriers set strict deadlines that we can't override, so claims submitted late are rejected automatically. See Deadlines below.

3. The documents must be complete and valid. Where a claim has to be filed with a carrier, most of them apply a strict documentation policy that we have to meet in full, so incomplete paperwork means the claim is rejected. It's worth getting it right the first time to avoid missing deadlines.

How does reimbursement work?

Depending on the case, compensation can take the form of:

• Production cost + €10 Hive Order compensation — where the responsibility was ours: the parcel was lost before the carrier ever scanned it, or our packing caused the damage. You receive the production cost of the affected goods plus a flat €10.
• €10 Hive Order compensation: for wrong or missing items, and for parcels we handed to the wrong carrier that came back to us. It covers the cost of putting a replacement order together — a missing item is still in our fulfilment centre, and a wrong item should come back to us from your customer.
• The carrier's payout for carrier claims — within their liability limits.

Approved compensation is applied to your Hive account as a credit on your next invoice.

How do I submit a claim?

Claims are submitted in the Hive App. The quickest route is from the affected order, because it pre-fills the order details for us.

From the Order page

1. Open Orders and search for the affected order by Order ID.
2. Open the order and click Contact support.
3. Select "I need help with tracking and delivery problems: items not received, damaged, missing, or incorrect."
4. Select the issue type.
5. Attach all the requested documents.

Please make sure everything requested is attached — we can't file a claim with documents missing.

Once we've received it, we investigate, and the claim status moves from Open to In Processing.

How long does it take to be resolved?

Hive claims — missing items, wrong items, anything that happened in our warehouse — are settled by us, usually within 2 business days of having everything we need.

Carrier claims depend entirely on the carrier's own investigation. As a rough guide, expect around 20 business days. Some claims come back sooner; others take noticeably longer, depending on the carrier, the destination country and how complex the case turns out to be. International shipments can take up to 60 calendar days.

Please know that we do everything we can to get it resolved as quickly as possible.

What can I claim for?

In the Hive App, there are five claim types to select from. Two of them are about a parcel that never arrived; three are about a parcel that arrived wrong.

1. Tracking Not Updated

What it is: the parcel was handed to the carrier, but tracking has stopped moving. No delivery, no return, no update — it's stuck somewhere in the network. This also covers the cases where the label was created (the status shows "Information transmitted to the carrier") but the carrier never scanned the parcel in, or where the parcel is marked as "Damaged" on the carrier's tracking page but hasn't been delivered or returned yet.

Use this claim type only when:

• there's been no tracking update beyond the waiting period below
• the parcel is not marked as delivered or returned
• the status has been unchanged for the required timeframe

Minimum waiting periods for lost orders

A claim filed before the carrier's minimum waiting period is rejected automatically, so please wait:

If the tracking page has moved in the last few days, the parcel is still in transit. Give it a little longer.

What we need from you:

• Commercial invoice — the invoice you sent to your customer for that order, showing the value the goods were sold for. It must include:
  • the invoice number and date
  • your name, address and VAT number as the issuer
  • the recipient's name and address, matching the delivery address on the shipment
  • per line: the item description, SKU, quantity and unit price
  • the subtotal, tax and total, with the currency stated
  • a value above €0.00, with the applicable tax shown

An order confirmation, a packing slip or a screenshot of the order isn't accepted in its place — those normally don't carry an invoice number, the issuer details or the tax.

Some carriers require additional documents. You'll be asked for them when you create the claim.

Shipped Not Scanned cases

If the order shows "Information Transmitted to Carrier" but no carrier scan ever happened (carrier tracking page will show "We are expecting it", or similar messages), the parcel most likely never left us, or got lost before reaching the carrier hub. In this case:

• Wait 10 days before filing (3 days for express).
• Compensation is production cost + €10, unless the order was returned to us.
• Make sure the production cost on the affected SKUs is up to date; otherwise only the flat €10 compensation will apply.

Don't open a Tracking Not Updated claim if:

• the shipment is still within the carrier's normal transit time
• tracking has updated recently
• the delivery is late, but the parcel is visibly still moving
• the shipping method isn't insured — see Not Insured shipping methods

2. Delivered Not Received

Select this claim type when: the tracking status shows Delivered, and the end customer confirms they didn't receive the parcel. Before filing, please ask your customer to double-check with neighbours, in the communal areas of the building, at the reception or concierge, and anywhere the carrier might have left the parcel as a safe place.

What we need from you:

• Commercial invoice — same requirements as for Tracking Not Updated above
• Declaration of Non-Receipt, signed by the end customer. Most carriers will not process this claim type without it.

Declaration of Non-Receipt form

This document is required by most carriers to open the investigation. Without a valid one, the claim cannot proceed.

Must include, at least:

• Sender information
• Recipient's address
• Tracking ID
• Signature (handwritten)
• Date of signature

It must be the correct carrier-specific template — each carrier has its own, and they're available in the claim submission portal in the Hive App. You'll see the template when you open the claim — if there isn't one, the carrier doesn't require it. If you see a Hive standard form, that means the carrier doesn't require a specific template — but every field still needs to be completed.

⚠️ The three most common mistakes. 1. No signature — it has to be handwritten or drawn with a mouse or finger, never typed. 2. A missing or incorrect tracking code — it must be the carrier's tracking code, not the Hive order number or the order confirmation number. 3. A missing or incomplete recipient address. Please check all three before sending it over!

When we can't claim:

Delivered to a parcel shop or locker

If tracking shows the parcel was delivered to a parcel shop, pickup point or locker, the delivery counts as complete. If your customer doesn't want to collect it, there's no need to create a claim — the parcel is returned to sender automatically once the storage period expires, normally after 7 to 10 days.

Delivered to a mailbox (France only)

French carriers — Colissimo, Colis Privé, Asendia and Chronopost — are authorised to deliver into private mailboxes and hold a universal key for residential buildings. Once the parcel is scanned as delivered, liability passes to the recipient, and the carrier will not accept a non-receipt claim, regardless of parcel size.

If this affects your customers regularly, we would recommend switching those shipments to a signature-required service — for example Colissimo Home with Signature. It carries a higher cost per parcel.

Clean proof of delivery

If the carrier holds a signature or a photo proof of delivery, the claim may be rejected on that evidence. This includes contactless delivery accepted by the recipient, delivery to a neighbour or replacement recipient and delivery to a safe space the customer nominated.

The order is on its way back to us

If tracking shows the parcel returning to sender, it wasn't lost — it's coming back to our warehouses. This usually means the customer didn't collect it from the parcel shop, the carrier ran out of delivery attempts, the address was incorrect or invalid, or the customer refused the delivery.

3. Damage

What it is: the parcel arrived, but the goods inside are damaged.

What we need from you:

• Commercial invoice — same requirements as for Tracking Not Updated above
• Photo of the outer packaging, including the shipping label
• Photo of the inner packaging (filling material, how it was packed)
• Clear photos of the damaged goods
• Some carriers require additional documents, such as a damage report from the recipient. You'll be asked for them if they apply.

We need the photos of the damaged goods and the parcel to prove that damage occurred during transport and that the damaged items belong to the claimed tracking number.

Additionally, it's important to select the affected goods when you submit the claim — it helps us trace the issue internally and correct it where needed.

When we can't claim:

• The shipping method isn't insured for damage.
• Packaging damage only. For example, if the box is dented but the goods inside are fine, compensation does not apply.
• The cause of damage can't be established. If Hive followed the packaging guidelines and the carrier declines liability, the remaining likely cause is product quality — worth raising with your supplier.
• Freight shipments where the damage wasn't noted on the delivery note. For pallet and freight deliveries, any visible damage must be written on the proof of delivery and signed before the driver leaves. Photos taken afterwards are not enough — the right to claim is waived at signature. This applies to Dachser, DB Schenker, Geodis, GLS freight and similar.

How to take the photos

Outer packaging

What we need: full, clear shots of Hive's outer box, photographed from the outside, with the shipping label visible.

What we need it for: to assess whether the damage could have happened in transport, and whether the right box size was chosen.

❌ Doesn't work: photos of your own branded boxes rather than the Hive shipping box. Close-ups only, with no view of the whole parcel. Neither lets us verify how the carrier handled it.

Inner packaging

What we need: the item photographed inside our box, showing the wrapping and filling material as it arrived.

What we need it for: to confirm whether our packing followed the guidelines and gave the product enough protection.

❌ Doesn't work: photos of your own boxes or pre-packed units. Those don't show Hive's internal packaging, so we can't evaluate the protection.

4. Missing or Wrong Items

What it is: one or more items were missing from the parcel, the wrong item was delivered instead of the SKU that was ordered, or your customer received someone else's order entirely, whether from your catalogue or another brand's.

What we need from you: photos of everything the customer actually received — the products laid out, the box, the shipping label and the packing material.

💡 Why photos when nothing is damaged? We're not asking you to prove damage. The photos let us confirm what was actually in the box and assess where the picking went wrong — was the item picked and lost in transit, or never picked at all? Did the mistake happen at our warehouse, or was the parcel re-packed by the carrier in transit? They also go back to the warehouse team as feedback so the same mistake doesn't repeat. Make sure all received items are clearly visible in the shot.

Deadlines

• Lost parcels: Tracking Not Updated or Delivered Not Received issue types — 20 business days from the shipment date
• Damaged, missing or wrong items — 4 calendar days from the delivery date

These windows are set to sit inside the carriers' own deadlines. They give us the time we need to review the case, collect the documentation and file with the carrier before their window closes — which is why we can't stretch them, and why it makes a real difference when a claim reaches us on time.

Two things to keep updated in the Hive App

⚠️ Production costs. In some cases, compensation is calculated from the production cost recorded in the Hive App — that is, what you pay your supplier for the goods, or what they cost you to manufacture. It doesn't include the retail margin or the revenue from the sale itself. Keeping your production costs up to date in the Hive App is the best way to make sure you receive the full amount you're entitled to. If it's missing or out of date, we will provide our standard €10 Hive Order Compensation instead.

⚠️ Barcodes — for Missing Items and Wrong Items claims. Only SKUs with a valid, scannable barcode are eligible for reimbursement on these two claim types.

A barcode printed on the product isn't enough on its own. It also has to be correctly linked to the right SKU in the Hive App, and it has to actually be scannable in the warehouse. If it's mislinked, duplicated across SKUs, misprinted, smudged, low-contrast, damaged or in an unsupported format, it counts as no barcode at all — and the claim can't be reimbursed.

The reason is simple: without a clean scan we have no record of which unit was picked, so there's nothing we can assess.

Why was my claim rejected?

The most common scenarios are gathered and explained below:

1. Order confirmed delivered by carrier

After investigation, the carrier has confirmed delivery, so the order isn't eligible for a claim or further dispute. Covers contactless delivery accepted by the recipient, delivery to a neighbour or replacement recipient, delivery to a nominated safe space or desired location, delivery to a mailbox and delivery to a pick-up point where the parcel is available for collection.

Depending on the carrier's internal procedures, their investigation can include contacting the end customer, checking the GPS and location data from the delivery or reviewing the driver's proof-of-delivery photos.

2. Incorrect claim submission

The claim didn't meet the carrier's submission requirements. Usually one of:

• photos missing, incomplete or unusable (blurry, low quality, not adequate, etc.)
• Declaration of Non-Receipt incorrect, incomplete or the wrong carrier template
• invoice missing mandatory information (value €0.00, no VAT)
• the carrier contract isn't managed by Hive
• the issue doesn't qualify for reimbursement under the carrier's policy

3. Too early to start a claim

Filed before the carrier's minimum waiting period, or the order is still in transit with recent tracking updates.

4. Duplicate claim

A claim for the same issue has already been submitted. Before filing, please check the Claims section in the Hive App.

5. Order returning to sender

The order is on its way back to our fulfilment centre. This is usually because the parcel wasn't collected from the parcel shop, the carrier reached its maximum delivery attempts, or the recipient refused the delivery. The carrier's own internal delivery issues can also trigger a return. If the return is lost in transit or arrives damaged, please open a new claim.

6. Insufficient evidence of cause of damage

The cause of the damage couldn't be established. Either the carrier rejected the damage claim on their end, or Hive followed the packaging guidelines throughout — in which case the damage may relate to product quality, and it's worth raising with your supplier.

7. Order not insured for loss or damage

The order was shipped with a service that carries no liability. See below.

8. Claim deadline expired

Submitted after the deadline. This one can't be recovered regardless of the circumstances — carriers don't grant extensions. It's the reason worth building your internal process around.

Common questions

"My claim has been in processing for a long time — can I get an update?"

The claim status in the Hive App is the quickest way to see where things stand. Carrier claims usually take several weeks, and we follow up with the carrier regularly while the investigation is open — no further action needed on your end.

"Why was my claim rejected?"

Every rejection comes with a reason — if you're still unsure why a claim was rejected or if you have further questions about the decision, please raise a ticket, and we'll walk you through it.

"Can a rejection be appealed?"

Sometimes. If there's evidence we didn't have before and the claim is still within the carrier's deadline, we can appeal it. Carriers run their own checks, so a decision based on a clean proof of delivery or a missed deadline rarely changes — but if there's something new to put in front of them, we will. Open a ticket in the Support section of the Hive App and we'll review it with you.

"I don't think the compensation amount is fair."

For carrier claims, the amount is set by that carrier's liability rules rather than by us — you'll find their policies and limits in Carrier policies and reimbursements. For Hive claims the amount comes from the production cost recorded on the SKU, which is why keeping those up to date matters.

"I submitted the wrong information — can I fix it?"

Yes, as long as the claim is still within the deadline. Let us know as soon as you spot it — the earlier we hear, the more time we have to correct it and still file on time.

"Can we have a call to walk through the claims process?"

Of course. Ask your Account Manager or open a support ticket, and we'll arrange one!

Carrier policies and reimbursements

This is a list of the most common shipping methods — for a carrier not listed below, please check with your Account Manager or open a support ticket. “Net order value” refers to the net amount stated on the commercial sales invoice, not including taxes and shipping costs. The limits are per parcel (shipment).

🇩🇪 Germany

🇫🇷 France

🇪🇸 Spain

🇮🇹 Italy

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇳🇱 Netherlands

Not Insured shipping methods

A few of the cheapest letter and untracked services don't come with any carrier insurance. If an order was shipped with one of these and it's lost or damaged, there's no compensation available from the carrier.