What to do if eye drops leak in the box

If eye drops have leaked inside the box, don’t use that bottle. Set it aside, take photos of the bottle, the carton and the shipping box, and contact us. Quell replaces damaged orders and orders with a broken seal reported within 30 days of delivery. Call 615.465.6041, M–F 9AM–5PM CST, or use the contact details on our About page with your order number.

Signs a bottle has leaked

A leak isn’t always obvious, because a .33 fl oz (10 mL) bottle holds very little liquid. Look for these clues before you open anything:

• The carton feels damp, soft or warped.
• There’s a brownish stain on the inside of the carton or the shipping box. Quell is a milky brown solution, so a leak leaves a tan or brown mark rather than a clear water spot.
• The bottle feels sticky or oily on the outside.
• The bottle looks noticeably less full than you’d expect from an unused one.
• The cap is loose, cracked or sits crooked.
• The tamper-evident seal is torn, missing or lifted.

Why you shouldn’t use a leaking bottle

Eye drops are meant to stay clean until you open them. The label tells you to protect the tip for that reason: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination. A bottle that has leaked has a path between the solution and the outside world, which means you can’t know whether the inside is still clean. The same goes for a broken seal. Our guide on why eye drops have a tamper-evident seal explains what that seal is meant to show, and what if the tamper seal is broken? covers the next step.

Don’t squeeze the bottle to test it, and don’t try to wipe it down and keep it. A replacement is the simpler and cleaner path.

What to photograph

Photos aren’t required to report a problem, but they make the conversation faster and clearer. Before you throw away any packaging, take:

• A picture of the outer shipping box, showing any crushed corners or wet patches.
• A picture of the product carton, front and back, including any stain.
• A close-up of the bottle, its cap and its seal.
• The packing slip or order confirmation email, so the order number is easy to find.

How to report it and get a replacement

• Find your order number in the confirmation email. You can also look up an order on the orders page.
• Call 615.465.6041 during M–F 9AM–5PM CST, or reach us through the contact section of the About page.
• Say what you found: a leak, a broken seal, a cracked bottle or a crushed carton.
• Share your photos if you have them.
• Keep the bottle aside, unused, until we’ve sorted it out.

Damaged, incorrect and broken-seal orders are replaced when you contact us within 30 days of delivery. Open your package soon after it arrives so a problem doesn’t surface after the window has closed. The general process is laid out in what to do if your Quell order arrives damaged.

A wet box that isn’t a leak

Not every damp package means a broken bottle. A box left on a porch in the rain, or one brought in from the cold into a warm kitchen, can pick up moisture on the outside. Here’s how to tell the difference:

• Rain or condensation tends to dampen the outer box evenly and dries clear.
• A leak from the bottle usually shows up inside the carton, close to the bottle, with a brown tint.
• If the carton is dry inside, the bottle is intact and full, and the seal is unbroken, the bottle itself probably didn’t leak.

If you’re still unsure, call us and describe what you see rather than guessing. A brown color inside an intact, sealed bottle is expected, as the label notes: The eye drops have a naturally milky-brown appearance. This is normal and does not indicate a problem with the product. What isn’t expected is a change in color. The label’s Do not use line reads: If this product changes color.

Heat, cold and a package left outside

A box that sat in a hot mailbox or on a frozen step may not show any leak at all. The label gives a storage range: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). If you know a package spent a long stretch well outside that range and you’re unsure about it, contact us before you use the bottle. Eye drops shipped in hot or cold weather covers what to look for.

Refunds versus replacements

A leaking or broken-seal bottle is handled as a replacement. Separately, Quell offers 30-day refunds on unopened bottles, no need to send them back, with the window counted from delivery. We don’t quote a timeline for when a refund appears on your statement, since that depends on your card issuer. A bottle that arrived damaged isn’t one you should open to find out whether it works, so tell us about it instead.

Drops leaking out of your eye is a different question

Some people searching for “eye drops leaking” mean drops that run down the cheek or seem to drain into the nose after use. That’s about how drops are put in, not about packaging. The label’s directions read: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. Our guide on how to use eye drops as directed walks through the steps.