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World desk5 min

What to Do When an Appliance Delivery Is Late or Arrives Damaged

Save the delivery promise and contact the seller in writing if an appliance is late. If it arrives damaged, document it, keep the packaging and request a specific remedy promptly.
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If your appliance is late, save the delivery promise and contact the seller in writing to request a firm new date or cancel. If it arrives damaged, document the condition promptly, keep the delivery records and packaging, and ask the seller in writing for a specific remedy. The rules differ: federal shipment-delay protections do not create a universal remedy for damage discovered after delivery.

What to do if your appliance delivery is late

  1. Check the original promise. Review your order confirmation, receipt, tracking details and any delay notice. Save copies, including the date the seller originally promised delivery.
  2. Write to the seller. Use email, chat or another channel that leaves a record. Identify the order and ask for a definite revised delivery date. State whether you agree to wait or want to cancel, and keep the seller’s response.
  3. If the seller marks it delivered but you did not receive it, document that separately. Note the date, tracking status and relevant messages, then contact the seller promptly. If a card was charged for goods not delivered as agreed, contact the card issuer without delay.

Can you cancel if it does not arrive on time?

For most mail, internet or telephone orders covered by the Federal Trade Commission’s Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, the seller must ship within the time it stated. If it did not state a shipping time, the general deadline is 30 days. When a seller cannot meet the applicable time, the rule requires notice of the delay and a choice to consent to it or cancel for a full refund. You do not have to accept a new date before choosing cancellation. This rule concerns shipping of covered orders; it is not a general rule for every in-home delivery appointment or an appliance that has already arrived damaged.

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Retailer policies, the kind of transaction and state law can affect what applies. Check the terms for your order and your state’s consumer-protection guidance rather than assuming every late delivery is covered in the same way.

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What to do if a new appliance arrives damaged

  1. Record visible damage promptly. If feasible, look over the appliance and packaging before the delivery crew leaves, without risking injury or obstructing a safety-critical process. Take clear photos or video, including the packaging, and ask for the condition to be noted on delivery paperwork.
  2. Keep the evidence. Save the appliance, packaging, delivery slip, order documents and messages while you ask the seller what to do. Do not discard or alter anything before you have instructions, unless safety requires it.
  3. Contact the retailer in writing. Identify the order and appliance, describe the damage, attach photos, and say what resolution you are requesting: replacement, repair, refund or another proposal. If you discuss it by phone, confirm the agreement in writing and retain the reply.
  4. Read the seller’s terms. Check its delivery-damage, return and exchange requirements, including any steps or deadlines it specifies. Ask the seller to explain the process and any conditions in writing.

There is no single nationwide procedure established by the sources here that requires a delivery crew to inspect an appliance, lets every buyer refuse delivery, or guarantees a refund instead of repair or replacement for visible damage. Prompt written notice and the seller’s terms matter; state law may provide additional rights.

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If the seller refers you to the manufacturer

Review the appliance warranty and its coverage terms. The FTC’s warranty guidance advises contacting the seller first and writing to the manufacturer if the issue is not resolved. A warranty’s actual coverage depends on its terms, and a warranty inquiry does not itself determine the seller’s obligations for delivery damage.

Late delivery and delivery damage are different problems

Situation What to document First request Rules and practical limits
Not shipped or not delivered by the stated time Order confirmation, promised date, tracking, delay notices and seller messages A firm revised date, or cancellation if you do not consent to delay The FTC shipment rule applies to most covered mail, internet and telephone orders; coverage is not universal.
Marked delivered, but not received Tracking details, the date you checked, seller messages and any relevant delivery record Investigation and a resolution from the seller; contact your card issuer promptly if charged for goods not delivered as agreed Credit- and debit-card protections differ. Follow the issuer’s procedure.
Delivered with visible damage Photos or video, packaging, delivery slip, order records and written communications A stated remedy such as replacement, repair or refund, with the seller’s steps and conditions in writing Do not assume a universal federal refusal or refund right; check seller terms and state law.

What to do if the seller will not resolve it

  1. Send a concise written follow-up. State what happened and what you want, attach copies rather than originals of relevant records, and set a reasonable response deadline. Keep the complaint and proof that you sent it.
  2. Use the appropriate consumer channel. Contact your state consumer protection office or attorney general. For an online purchase, USAGov’s online-purchase complaint guidance recommends contacting the seller or site first and provides routes for state complaints.
  3. Consider a card dispute when the issue is non-delivery. FTC guidance says a written credit-card dispute for certain billing errors generally must be sent within 60 days after the first statement showing the error. The cited guidance treats goods not delivered as agreed or goods not accepted as relevant billing-error situations; product quality alone is not a billing error under that guidance. Debit-card protections differ, so call the issuer promptly and follow its written process. The FTC says: “If something didn’t arrive or you didn’t accept it, and the company won’t refund your money, dispute the charges.” That advice concerns non-delivery or non-acceptance, not every damage disagreement. See the FTC’s guidance on goods you never got.
  4. Report suspected scams or suspicious communications. The FTC accepts reports about scams; individual reports help enforcement and identify patterns, but the agency is not an individual dispute-resolution service. See the FTC’s guidance on resolving problems with a business.
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State rules can change the answer

New York provides a specific example, not a nationwide rule. The New York Attorney General says stores must give a written estimated delivery date for non-custom furniture or a major household appliance costing more than $200. Its guidance describes options if the date is missed and says a refund is due within two weeks after a cancellation request. The page excludes cases where the consumer caused the delay. These details apply to the New York guidance and should not be assumed to govern purchases in other states. See New York Attorney General: Purchases.

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For any state, check the applicable consumer-protection office and the actual retailer policy. A delivery appointment, an in-store purchase, damage discovered after delivery and state-specific remedies may raise questions different from the FTC rule for shipment of covered orders.

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