Online Order Not Delivered or Wrong? What to Do in Pakistan
WatniMall · 17 September 2026
Short answer
If an online order in Pakistan is wrong, damaged or never arrives, work through three steps in order: contact the seller in writing and give them a few working days; if the parcel is lost or damaged in transit, raise it with the courier using your tracking number; and if the seller has taken payment and gone silent, report it to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency on helpline 1799 or at complaint.nccia.gov.pk. Save screenshots of the listing, your order confirmation and every message before you do anything else.
First: save the evidence, before anything else
Do this before you complain, and definitely before you delete anything.
Take screenshots of the product listing as it appeared when you ordered, your order confirmation, the tracking number, and the full message thread with the seller. If the item arrived wrong or damaged, photograph it next to the packaging it came in, including any label.
The reason is simple. A listing can be edited or removed after you complain, and a WhatsApp thread can be deleted from the other side. Screenshots are what turn "they sent me the wrong thing" into something you can actually show a courier, a bank or an investigator.
Step 1: Contact the seller in writing
Start here, and use writing rather than a phone call, because you want a record.
Say what you ordered, what arrived, and what you want — a replacement, a return, or your money back. Be specific and unemotional. Give them a reasonable window to reply; a few working days is fair.
Most cases end here. Genuine sellers make mistakes — the wrong variant gets picked, a courier damages a box — and almost all of them would rather fix it than have a complaint follow them around.
Step 2: If the parcel is lost or damaged, involve the courier
If tracking has stopped moving for several days, or the box arrived crushed, that is a courier matter as much as a seller one.
Contact the courier with your tracking number and ask for its current status in writing. Tell the seller you are doing this. A missing parcel is usually resolved between the seller and the courier, since the seller holds the contract, but a customer chasing it in parallel tends to speed things up.
If the box was visibly damaged on arrival and you still accepted it, note that in your message. Photographs taken at the door are far stronger than ones taken an hour later.
Step 3: If the seller has your money and has gone silent
This is the point where it stops being a customer-service problem and becomes a fraud matter.
As of 2026, cyber crime in Pakistan is handled by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), not the FIA. The NCCIA took over the FIA's Cyber Crime Wing, which matters because a great many guides still circulating online give the old FIA helpline. That number will not get you to the right place.
Current routes to report:
- Helpline 1799 — the NCCIA's 24/7 line
- complaint.nccia.gov.pk — the online complaint form
- helpdesk@nccia.gov.pk — by email
- The Pakistan Citizen Portal also accepts complaints
Bring your evidence: the listing, the order confirmation, proof of payment, and the message thread. A report with documentation attached is treated very differently from one without.
Official contact details do change, so if you are reading this some time after it was written, confirm the current number on the NCCIA's own website before relying on it.
If you paid by card or wallet
Cash on delivery is the common case in Pakistan, and if you have not paid, you have not lost money. But if you did pay in advance:
Contact your bank or wallet provider promptly and ask about a chargeback or dispute. There are time limits, and they are shorter than most people expect, so do not wait weeks hoping the seller will reappear. Tell the bank you have also reported the matter, and give them the same evidence.
What not to do
Do not delete the conversation, even if it becomes unpleasant. Block the number if you need to, but screenshot first.
Do not post the seller's personal details publicly. Naming and shaming feels satisfying and can expose you to legal trouble of your own, particularly if you have the wrong person.
Do not pay more money to "release" an order. A request for an extra fee after you have already paid, especially to a personal account, is one of the most common scam patterns there is.
Do not rely on a single unofficial "helpline" you found on social media. Use the official channels above. Fake complaint-handling accounts exist precisely because people in this situation are anxious and moving quickly.
How to avoid getting here in the first place
Most of this is avoidable with a few checks before you order — a working phone number, a written return policy, real photographs, and cash on delivery. We wrote those up separately in how to spot fake products when shopping online in Pakistan.
On WatniMall, if something arrives damaged, faulty, or is not what you ordered, contact us on +92 331 6636665 or support@watnimall.com within the return window on our FAQ page and we will put it right. We would much rather hear about a problem than have you work through the steps above.
Common questions
What should I do if my online order never arrives in Pakistan?
Contact the seller in writing first and give them a few working days to respond. If tracking has stopped moving, raise it with the courier using your tracking number. If the seller has taken payment and stopped replying, report it to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency on helpline 1799 or at complaint.nccia.gov.pk. Save screenshots of the listing, your order confirmation and all messages before you begin.
Where do I report online shopping fraud in Pakistan?
As of 2026, cyber crime is handled by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which took over the FIA's Cyber Crime Wing. You can call helpline 1799, file at complaint.nccia.gov.pk, email helpdesk@nccia.gov.pk, or lodge a complaint through the Pakistan Citizen Portal. Many older guides still list the previous FIA number, so check the official NCCIA site for current details.
Is the FIA still handling cyber crime complaints in Pakistan?
No. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) replaced the FIA's Cyber Crime Wing and now handles cyber crime complaints, including online shopping fraud. Guides still pointing to the old FIA helpline are out of date.
What evidence do I need to complain about an online order?
Screenshots of the product listing as it appeared when you ordered, your order confirmation, the tracking number, proof of payment if you paid in advance, and the complete message thread with the seller. If an item arrived wrong or damaged, photograph it beside its packaging and label. Take these before you complain, because listings can be edited and messages deleted.
Can I get my money back if I paid in advance and the seller disappeared?
Contact your bank or mobile wallet provider promptly and ask about a chargeback or dispute — time limits apply and are often shorter than people expect. Report the matter to the NCCIA as well, and give both the same evidence. This is the main reason cash on delivery remains the safer option for a store you have not bought from before.
Should I name the seller publicly on social media?
It is generally unwise. It can expose you to legal trouble of your own, especially if you have identified the wrong person, and it rarely recovers your money. Use the seller's own complaint route, the courier, and the official NCCIA channels instead.