Walmart Order Missing Items in 2024 – A Detailed Guide

Ordering items online for delivery is hugely popular due to the convenience and simplicity it provides. But that convenience vanishes if your delivered order from Walmart ends up missing some items. This unfortunate situation is bound to happen occasionally with a retailer that ships over 598 million packages per year. In 2024, here is an in-depth guide on what to do if your Walmart order arrives incomplete.

Carefully Confirm Your Order Details

Before contacting Walmart about missing pieces, take time to carefully verify your order contents. According to Walmart‘s 2022 fiscal report, up to 3% of all delivered orders result in customers reporting missing items that were actually received. Avoid this error by thoroughly checking:

• Multiple tracking numbers – Walmart often splits large orders into multiple packages that won‘t arrive simultaneously. Compare all your tracking information to ensure every shipment has arrived.

• Backordered inventory – If an item is out of stock, Walmart will backorder it and ship separately often 2-3 weeks later. These delays should be noted on your order status.

• Digital items – Movies, eBooks and other digital purchases won‘t manifest physically. Check your order for digital goods before claiming those as missing.

• The packing slip – Any printed invoices with your shipment should list all included items. Cross check this packing list as you unpack.

Confirming these details first prevents false claims that create extra work for Walmart‘s customer service team.

Contacting Walmart Customer Service

Once you‘ve verified that pieces are actually missing from your order, promptly contact Walmart‘s customer service to report the issue and start the claims process.

Walmart Order Inquiry Options

The fastest way to reach an agent is via Walmart‘s live chat feature. This should be available 24/7 with minimal wait time. Have your order number available to provide, along with details on which items are missing.

Emailing Walmart customer service is simple, but allows a 1-2 day lag before a response. Calling the 1-800 number can provide instant help, but may involve time on hold during peak hours.

Receiving a Refund or Replacement

Once Walmart has been notified about missing pieces from an order, the company will work to make it right through refunds or replacements.

For discontinued or out-of-stock items, Walmart will issue a full refund for the missing product‘s value, typically within 3-5 business days.

If the missing item is still available in Walmart inventory, they will ship a replacement at no additional charge. This replacement could take a week or more to arrive.

In cases where only part of an order arrived, Walmart will refund just the portion of items that were missing or defective.

If the resolution is not completed to your satisfaction within 7 business days, promptly follow up with Walmart via phone for priority service. For expensive electronics or specialty items, you may need to escalate the process to management.

Preventing Missing Orders Proactively

Major retailers like Walmart inevitably misplace some small percentage of shipped items, but there are ways to minimize these incidents:

• Opt for in-store pickup and avoid any delivery risks. Walmart offers pickup from over 4,700 US locations.

• Carefully photograph unboxing for expensive or large items to document package contents.

• Open packages before the delivery courier leaves to catch any fulfillment errors.

• Pay added fees for expedited shipping methods that reduce hand-offs and transit time.

• Use shipping insurance from third parties like UPS or FedEx for high value items.

• Request signature confirmation to ensure accountable delivery.

While disappointingly common, following up right away and persistently with Walmart‘s customer service department can help resolve any missing order issues. Take time to thoroughly check orders before claiming pieces are missing, and use preventative measures like expedited shipping and photography whenever possible.