Poor online courier services and “package pirates” could endanger Christmas deliveries

Even though we're shopping online more than ever, many of us still have to deal with all sorts of delivery issues.

E-shopping has exploded in popularity during the Covid lockdowns and people continue to choose the convenient option of buying items online and having them delivered to their homes, but new research shows consumers are facing 'substandard' delivery services from all major courier companies in the UK.

Citizens Advice's annual survey shows that more than one in three shoppers – that's 13.3 million people – have had a problem with their last parcel delivery. The most common problems included deliveries being left in unsafe locations and packages arriving later than expected.

Previously, postal expert Hopewiser found in a study published earlier this year that almost nine million British shoppers have received a damaged parcel, with 32 percent saying their parcel had been left out in the rain and 18 percent saying they found it in a rubbish bin.

Evri, formerly Hermes UK, and Yodel were jointly named the UK's worst courier services, receiving a rating of two from customers. Royal Mail and Amazon topped the list – but didn't fare much better, both scoring just 2.75 stars.

Citizens Advice warned that online shoppers were being “let down” just before Christmas and called on parcel companies to “take action to protect shoppers and find the causes of these ongoing failures”.

Porch Pirates also give cause for concern

But it's not just courier services that shoppers have to fear when waiting for deliveries. “Parcel thieves” are also a problem. A separate study shows that a large proportion of the British population faces the risk of parcel theft during the shopping and gift-giving season.

Bail bond agency Lance Surety Bond Associates found that 32% of UK citizens were victims of parcel theft during the holidays. The majority of these thefts (62%) occurred during the Christmas period, while 12% occurred on Black Friday and another 12% on Prime Day.

The survey also revealed which day of the week your parcel is most likely to be stolen. Wednesday (34%) was the day when 'parcel pirates' were most likely to strike in UK households, followed by Thursday (23%) and Tuesday (20%).

The day when a package is least likely to be stolen is Sunday (1%), suggesting that even professional thieves take a day off.

What can be done?

In light of these issues, Citizens Advice is calling on communications regulator Ofcom to conduct a review of complaints and accessibility policies by April 2024. The organisation is also calling on the regulator to consider taking action such as imposing fines on courier companies that have not improved by then.

Amazon and Yodel have both insisted that the “vast majority” of their deliveries land safely in customers' hands without any issues. Chris Ashworth, chief customer officer at Evri, told the Guardian the company was “disappointed” with its ranking, adding that “the rising parcel volumes are proof that customers and retail customers are voting with their feet and trusting us with their deliveries”.

What to do if your delivery is delayed or lost?

According to Which?, there are a few steps you can take to get compensation if something goes wrong and your delivery doesn't arrive.

Complaint to the dealer

Do not complain to the courier about a missing delivery as your contract is with the retailer. The retailer is responsible for the safe delivery of your order under the Consumer Protection Act.

You can also complain to the retailer if you paid extra for a special delivery and your order therefore arrives later than expected, as you can claim back the additional delivery costs.

Cancel your order

If your order does not arrive for several days, you can exercise your right of cancellation. Most goods purchased online can be cancelled between the time of ordering and 14 days after receiving the item. You can get a full refund.

Request a refund or replacement

If your package arrives late, even though you made it clear to the retailer that you needed it by a certain date, you can ask for a refund. However, Which? recommends that you give the retailer another chance to deliver the order if it wasn't clear that delivery was essential. If they fail to do so a second time, you can ask for a refund.

You can also ask for a refund or replacement if your package is handed over to you in a tampered condition. Before opening the package, take photos of the box from every angle. Make sure to take photos of areas where it looks obvious that the package has been opened and resealed. Then, check the contents and take photos as well, especially if anything is missing or has been replaced.

Report a crime

If your delivery was left somewhere without your permission and subsequently stolen, the retailer will be in breach of contract and will have to replace and redeliver your item. Which? recommends contacting your local police station and providing them with photographic evidence and correspondence with the retailer, as this may support your claim for a replacement or refund.

Watch: Amazon delivery driver caught ‘stealing a child’s pumpkin’

Read more about Christmas and shopping: