My definition is probably the same... My point is this...There is ZERO reason for you to ever need a DCN..... ZERO. It's not like tracking for FedEx where you can see where your package is every 5 minutes. The only reason it is good is for if a customer says he did not get the package then the vendor can prove he sent it and it was delivered. That's it. Why all the other stuff I asked you is important(and once again you answered none of it) is that if your order was a QP of weed versus 10 Xanax bars there is a big difference. If it was not sent from USA there is a big difference. If it was shipped Priority and it has been less then 7 days there is a big difference. We are getting off topic talking about what my definition vs. your is really does not matter. But since we are already here I will continue. As I said above there is NO REASON at all a buyer ever needs a DCN. NEVER. As for vendors that are here on SR that are USA vendors, none of them have shipped more then I have in the lat 10+ years. I know a lot about the USPS and I know it is 100% bullshit about checking your DCN is TOR. It makes ZERO difference. But the truth is there is never a need to check. Assuming you ordered from a USA vendor and you ordered Priority, and the vendor gave you the date it actually shipped. Then you should know the day it would be delivered. Now about 1 in 200 Priority packages take longer then the 3-5 days. And about the same number (1 in 200) get "lost" for a few days. But assuming your mail was not stolen from where you live then it will get to you for sure. We have not even established that it was in fact sent! Or how it was sent(Priority vs Express). But I have shipped over 10,000 packages and never lost 1. EVER. Yes I know it can happen, but it is really rare. If a vendor is a pro then they should give you the exact time your package was shipped and give you the day it will be at your house. They would not need to give you a DCN. When customers that are new ask me about them they always want it so they know what day it will be delivered. Either they have to beat their wife or their roommate to the mailbox or they do not want to make more trips to the PO then are necessary. I understand that and I give all my customers the day I believe it will be delivered. And I say that I am right about 98% On SOME not all( this is another reason DCN suck for tracking) the DCN will say "out for delivery". This is great and if they always said that and were accurate.... I could make a case for giving out DCN's. But since they are not ( and the USPS defense they are not supposed to be...they are exactly what they say..Delivery confirmation) tracking numbers and in no way are close to what you get with a tracking number from FedEx, I don't give them out. I have about 10% of my customers ask me for them and in almost every case they come back and say " oh my bad...the mail was late it is here). I have had about 4 Priority packages in 5 months take the full 5 days to get there. And I had 1 that took 8 days. But it was the customers fault as they put wrong zip..But even it got there. So all the info that we do not have on your package really matters. But putting that all aside for a sec...The answer you gave us in your OP that you got from the vendor is total bullshit. How many days since he "shipped" the package are you waiting on as of now? When you first asked him...what was his response? Is this a USA to USA package? Who is the vendor? Does the vendor have current listings? It does not prove it was sent to the right address. It does not prove there was something in the box....ect. That's why it is important to know the answers to the questions I asked. The title of your post and what your OP actually said were a bit different. It sounded like you were asking what is the point of a DCN as in.... for SR when a package go's missing and they need to step in and how it is used in determining the outcome of the case....One thing you said that can't happen is if the vendor can not give SR the DCN but has a "great" excuse...Tough shit! He loses. If he happened to have lost the DCN then tough shit..he loses. For SR they are the best and a MUST. for both the buyer and the sender. It proves that a package was sent. And it proves it was delivered. And that's it. IF the vendor can provide SR with that then HE wins. If he can't then YOU win. Sure there might be other circumstances that could affect the decision... Such as if the vendor really closed shop and there are other buyers that also did not get their package. In your case it sounds more like it was never sent since the vendors excuse is a shitty one. Also if he closed shop then that makes it even more likely he didn't send out your package IMO. Your other main question in your OP was your buyer stats. You asked if they will be affected "either way". What are your stats now? That will make all the difference. You will get a refund stat if you are refunded. but not if the vendor refunds you because he never sent it. Again it is very hard to give you the correct answers since we have no real information. I hope you understand what I am saying and the point I am trying to make.