A useful incident file should make it easier to reconstruct what happened without exposing sensitive personal information. Start with a short timeline and add only documents that help establish the delivery status or response.
Make a one-page timeline
Record the incident date, approximate time, company, delivery status and first action you took. Add the support case reference and any promised resolution date if available.
Save the most relevant materials
Examples include the order confirmation with payment details redacted, proof-of-delivery screenshot, a photograph of the drop-off area and relevant customer-support correspondence. Preserve originals separately if you anticipate an official investigation.
Redact sensitive information
Remove payment card details, passwords, full home addresses, phone numbers, tracking codes that reveal an address and identifying information about workers or neighbors before uploading files to a third-party website.
Track outcomes, not assumptions
Record whether the merchant issued a refund, offered a replacement, opened an investigation or declined the request. Do not treat a pending complaint as proof of wrongdoing.