We are so glad you asked! Protect is not insurance. Instead, it is an optional order protection service offered by online retailers around the world. Whether your package is lost in transit, damaged during shipping, or stolen right off your front porch, your purchase of Protect at checkout means that you are in control. Just place a claim with Protect to have your protected item replaced or refunded. It’s that simple.

Let’s face it. When shopping online there’s always the risk that your packages might get lost, tossed around, or stolen. Worry not. With Protect selected in your cart at checkout, your packages are protected from the moment your order is placed. Your lost or stolen packages, and items damaged during shipping, will be re-shipped or refunded at no cost to you. Shop like a boss with Protect.

Less than a cup of coffee. Protect starts at just ninety nine cents. (Depending on the value of your order and shipping location, costs will vary.) That’s as little as $0.99 for peace of mind.

Our Protect team likes to keep it nice and simple. First, have your order number and the email address used when making your purchase on hand. Then, follow these quick and easy steps to place your claim in less than 3 minutes.

1. Go to the website where you purchased your item.

2. Find the “File A Protect Claim” in the FAQ or in your tracking email.

3. Enter your email address and order number.

4. A new box will populate with your order. Select the item where an issue has occurred.

5. Tell us in your own words what happened. The more information, the better.

Boom! You are done. Now it’s our turn to do the heavy lifting. You will receive a confirmation email that your claim was placed in our queue. Give us some time to review your claim. If Protect needs more information (e.g. photos, a packing slip, or a police report), we will be sure to contact you by email.

For detailed information regarding lost, stolen and damaged timelines, please refer to the Protect Customer Terms and Conditions. Here are some helpful links to the charts for quick reference.

Chart 1. Lost
Chart 2. Stolen
Chart 3. Damaged

Here at Protect we like to keep our inbox neat and tidy. Claims are reviewed in the order they are received. Higher shipping traffic periods and shopping holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, can impact our response times. So hang tight and be sure to keep your box, packing slip, and packaging in case photos are requested. We’ll be sure to reach out as soon as possible.

Protect sends out a confirmation email within minutes of your claim being filed. If you didn’t receive yours then try these tips to weed out the usual suspects:

1. Wait a few more minutes then refresh your browser.

2. Check any other tabs or inboxes such as your “Promotions” tab, and

3. Check your Spam or Junk Mail folder. If you find your confirmation email in your spam or junk mail folder, then do these two things to ensure that we can reach you in the future:

a. Add our address claims@protect.inc to your safe senders list,

b. Add Protect and our address claims@protect.inc as a contact in your email address book. Then be sure to “refresh” your screen.

Yes, this really does happen sometimes. Here are the most common reasons:

Requested documentation was not received. Please be sure to provide all requested documentation so that we may process your claim. If any documentation is needed we will contact you by email. Please add claims@protect.inc to your safe sender list and as a contact to avoid Protect’s emails getting sent to your spam folder. If you do not understand what is being asked of you, please do not hesitate to ask for clarification.

The package is not lost or stolen because it never actually shipped. 

This one is often confusing for the customer. Heck, it’s even challenging for us! Here’s the deal:

1. Sometimes an item will be packaged and assigned a tracking number before the package has actually been handed over to a shipping carrier (often USPS, Fed-Ex or UPS). So if the shipping carrier doesn’t show your package in their own tracking system then chances are it never left the building.

Because the package is still in the seller’s possession, the claim is literally out of our hands; only the seller can resolve your issue. In this case you will need to contact the seller that you purchased from directly for further assistance.

The item(s) has already been returned to the seller for a refund. This happens more often than you would think and for good reasons … two of them, in fact.

1. Sometimes an item that appears available online is not actually available at the warehouse (aka “out of stock”). When this occurs the website that you ordered from might automatically issue a refund and mark the order as “returned” or “refunded.” Sometimes it might even say that the order was fulfilled when it was actually refunded.

2. So please be sure to check your payment method statement to see if your item has been refunded.

Your partner packed your order up and returned it to the seller for a refund without telling you … it happens. In this case the company you ordered from will be assisting you with your return, not Protect. That means that if you have any issues with your return, then you’ll need to contact the seller directly for further assistance.

The package is not lost. It’s just delayed. Protect applies to orders lost during shipping. We’ll monitor the tracking for a 72 hour period. If the tracking shows an update or movement within the 72 hour period, then it is considered delayed, not lost.

Please review our Terms and Conditions for exceptions to the 72 hour period (like weather, government interference, etc.) and more information.

The order is past its return by date. A reorder or refund would not occur if the order was placed outside the claim submission time frame set forth in our Terms and Conditions.

Wrong address entered at checkout. If the wrong address is entered at checkout, then the package is not considered lost or stolen. In this case Protect does not apply.

1. If the package is delivered to the address provided at checkout, then the package is not considered lost or stolen. Protect will not apply.

2. If the package is returned to the sender, then it is not considered lost or stolen. Please contact the vendor online store that you purchased the items from directly to file a claim.

The package was signed for. If a package was signed for then it is typically not considered lost, stolen or damaged. Thus, Protect would typically not apply.

Carrier notes the package was delivered to a person. Here are the most common occurrences:

1. Concierge, Doorman (Door Person), Building Manager. If the Carrier has noted that the package was left with a “Concierge”, “Doorman” or “Building Manager”, then the package is considered “delivered”. It will not be categorized as lost, stolen, or damaged. Thus, the Services will not apply to that package and its contents.

2. Individual/Occupant. If the Carrier has noted that a package was delivered to a person at the residence, then the package is considered “delivered”. It will not be categorized as lost, stolen, or damaged. Thus, the Services will not apply to that package and its contents.

Please be sure to double check with your concierge, door persons, building managers and their helpers, or your roommates, kids, guests and other adults in the household. Happily, the missing package is usually found!

We’d love to help you here. But, Protect is a 3rd party service. So, you will need to return to the seller’s website where you made your purchase. Then, contact their customer service department regarding cancellation assistance.

No. Protect does not have the ability to update or change the details of your order (i.e. quantity, colors, sizes, shipping address, etc.). Please return to the seller’s website where you made your purchase. Then, contact their customer service department for assistance.

We understand you might order something super-duper special, maybe even a collectible and want to receive it in perfect condition. We don’t blame you.

Unfortunately, Protect has no control over the manufacturing (or production), packaging, picking, packing, shipping, or handling of your item(s). Without having control over these important steps, Protect is unable to ensure that your item(s) will be free from manufacturing defects as well as minor bumps and bruises like bent corners or damaged packaging.

Will we protect Collectibles? No. Without being able to guarantee that your item(s) will arrive in “mint condition” Protect cannot protect collectibles or one of a kind items.

If a package with an order value of one hundred twenty five dollars or more ($125.00+) is stolen or goes missing, then Protect will require proof that a theft report has been filed with your local authorities before proceeding. Please upload your theft report into our claims portal, or email it to us here: claims@protect.inc along with the name on your order and your order number.

No. The location of the package is known. So, the package is not lost. Since the package is not lost, damaged or stolen, Protect will not apply. Heads up: Sometimes the shipping carrier will send a package back. In this case you will likely see common designations like “return to sender”, “undeliverable” and “no address found” when you view the shipping carrier’s tracking status.

If your package has been returned, then you will need to contact the company you placed your order with for further assistance. Note: Every seller has their own policy in regards to items sent back. So, please be sure to contact the customer service team where you purchased your order for further details.

Sadly, we’re not super heroes. Protect won’t apply to items lost, stolen or damaged as a result of interruptions caused by anything listed under “Force Majeure” in our Terms and Conditions. Namely, severe weather, labor strikes, and government or local authority interference due to pandemic, riot, terrorism, and so on. Please review our Terms and Conditions for more details.

Protect refunds are calculated based solely on the price paid for the eligible item(s). Refunds will not include shipping costs, taxes or the Protect purchase cost.

Protect will choose whether to replace or refund your eligible lost, damaged or stolen item(s). There are multiple factors considered when deciding to reorder or refund including item availability, inclement weather, age of claim, and shipping considerations. In order to maintain peak efficiency and low prices, Protect will choose to reorder or refund your item for you.

Refunds are issued one of two ways. Either, (1) to the original payment method used via the merchant website purchased from, or (2) a PayPal refund will be issued to the email address provided with your order.

Protect will always try option number (1) first in order to refund your original payment method. However, sometimes that option is not available. If that happens, then Protect will step in and provide the refund using option (2) via PayPal using the email address provided on your order.

If your item has Not shipped Please return to the seller’s website, where you placed your order and contact their customer service team immediately. Request a refund for the cost of Protect. Protect is unable to process a refund for this cost. Only the merchant (seller/online store you bought from) can if your item has not yet shipped.

If your item has already shipped Protect and the merchant are unable to issue a refund, once the order has shipped, your Protect purchase has already been activated and cannot be cancelled.