A Bag You Never Ordered Arrived: Must You Pay?

Generally no. Unordered merchandise can be kept as a free gift, with a few exceptions.

Published October 27, 2026 · 3 min read · Topic: Orders, Shipping & Returns · Orders & returns

Typical situation

A parcel containing a bag arrived and you did not order it. Then you got an invoice or a message asking you to pay, or to send it back.

Main answer · berabags Editorial Team · Consumer-rights view

Generally no. If a seller sends you merchandise you did not order, you may treat it as a free gift. You do not have to pay for it or send it back. The FTC says this on its consumer advice page, based on a US federal law on mailing unordered merchandise.

What the FTC advises

If you get unordered merchandise, you may keep it, use it or throw it away. You do not owe the sender anything.
If you are billed for something you did not order or receive, you do not have to pay, and you should dispute the bill in writing.
If a charge appeared on your card, contact your card issuer to dispute it.

Exceptions

The law has exceptions. Clearly marked free samples are one. Merchandise sent by charities asking for donations is another. In those cases the item is not treated as an unordered sale.

Steps

Check that nobody at your address ordered it, or sent it as a gift.
Do not pay any invoice or follow any link that came with it.
Keep the packaging, the label and any message.
If you were charged, contact your card issuer and the seller in writing.
Report suspected scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Where this answer stops

This applies to the US. If you are in another country, the rules on unsolicited goods are different. The FTC page describes the law as it applies to mailed goods, and special cases may exist. This is not legal advice.

Sources and further reading

Three more perspectives

berabags Editorial Team · Purchasing view

Check your own recent orders, and those of people in your household, before deciding a parcel is unordered. A gift from a friend or an order made by someone else at your address can look like an unordered parcel.

berabags Editorial Team · Maintenance view

Do not use your payment details to “confirm” delivery or follow a link in a message that came with the parcel. Treat a QR code or link in the box with caution, since it may lead to a site that collects data.

berabags Editorial Team · Risk view

Unexpected parcels are sometimes used to prompt a review or a click. Check the sender’s details, do not pay any invoice that arrives with it, and report suspicious cases to the FTC if you are in the US.

Independent and unofficial. berabags is an independent editorial site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any bag brand, retailer, airline or agency named on this page. This page contains no affiliate links; if berabags adds any in future they will be labelled. Rules and policies change, so check the linked source before you act. This is general information, not legal, medical or professional advice.