Parcels chewed by foxes and stolen from doorsteps: your Christmas delivery disasters

Parcels stolen from doorsteps, chewed by foxes or left in smelly rubbish bins were among the delivery problems that Christmas shoppers faced last year.

A Which? survey* found one in five people had deliveries delayed, and a similar number found packages left outside without their consent.

We also found that some delivery companies fared better than others when it came to customer satisfaction, meaning the chances of a hassle-free experience could depend on which courier the retailer uses.

Here, we take a look at some of the most common issues reported by readers and reveal which delivery company topped our table for customer satisfaction.

The most common delivery issues

We surveyed people who received or expected to receive deliveries between November 2022 and January 2023. 

Only 37% of respondents reported everything going as planned with all of their deliveries.

Most commonly, respondents said at least one parcel they ordered arrived late (21%), was left outside without permission (21%) or wasn't delivered at all (10%).

Delivery horror stories included parcels ending up in recycling bins on collection day or being left out in the rain and chewed by foxes. 

One bewildered customer was told by the delivery company that their parcel had been left with a ‘receptionist’. However, as the parcel was being delivered to their house, they didn’t have a receptionist. They later found the soaking wet parcel in their garden. 

Another respondent told us they had to turn to their community Facebook group to track down their missing package, which was fortunately recovered. 

Poor customer service

A common thread was that couriers seemed to be in a hurry, resulting in poor customer service.

One person, whose parcel was incorrectly marked as delivered, said: ‘I believe this was so that the courier could meet a difficult target for the day, when in reality they had no intention of delivering that day.’

10% of respondents to our survey experienced rescheduled deliveries. Another 10% received a note claiming they weren’t home during the delivery attempt, despite being present. And 9% received false notifications stating their packages had been delivered.  

Several respondents reported that couriers arrived at unsociable hours, and were upset by their attitude. 

One frustrated shopper told us: ‘Quite a few times they won’t come to my floor, even though I’m disabled. They prefer to argue rather than help.’ 

Find out more: 

Safe place concerns 

Of those specifying a safe place or neighbour for their parcels, 23% faced problems. 

Among those who had deliveries left with neighbours, 19% faced situations where the neighbour denied receiving the parcel. 

One person described their parcel being left with an ‘unreliable neighbour’ which took ‘great effort’ to retrieve. 

Find out more

Best delivery companies 2023

In a separate survey, we analysed how some of the UK’s biggest delivery companies fared for customer satisfaction.

undefined

Amazon received five stars for parcel condition, on-time delivery and delivery satisfaction, and four stars for communication and ease of rescheduling.

Evri received three stars across all categories except for parcel condition, where it was awarded four stars.

Find out more

Best ways to send a gift this Christmas

When you buy a present online, it’s usually cheaper to get it delivered directly to the recipient. 

If it’s sent to you, then on to the recipient, you might need to pay two sets of delivery charges. 

If you are sending a present yourself, the cheapest shipping option will depend on its weight and destination.

You now have the option to ship with Evri or DPD at the Post Office, after it recently ended Royal Mail’s 360-year-old monopoly. 

The Post Office said the new partnership was ‘disrupting’ the mail market and would give consumers more choice. 

Last posting dates for Christmas 2023

If you've still got cards and gifts to send out this Christmas, you'll need to get them on their way with plenty of time to spare.

Final posting days vary depending on the courier you use. Royal Mail's latest recommended posting days for Christmas 2023 are as follows:

Monday 18 December:Wednesday 20 December:Thursday 21 December:Friday 22 December:

Your delivery rights if things go wrong

1. Your contract is with the retailer

If your parcel is damaged, late or doesn’t arrive, you should first complain to the retailer you bought it from – even if you think the courier is at fault.

If you paid extra for speedy delivery and the package doesn’t arrive on time, ask whoever you paid for the service (the retailer or the courier) to refund you this cost. 

2. Your parcel looks damaged 

You should eport stolen parcels to the police.

3. Your instructions weren’t followed

While some online retailers still require deliveries to be handed to someone at the recipient’s address, many offer the option of delivery to a neighbour or a safe place. 

If a courier is able to give evidence (such as a signature or photo) that it followed your instructions, then you may struggle to make a successful claim for a missing parcel – so think carefully about opting for safe place delivery for important or valuable items. 

If, however, your instructions aren’t followed (for example, the parcel is left on your doorstep) and it is subsequently stolen or damaged, the retailer will be in breach of contract and must provide a refund or replacement.

*We surveyed 1,014 people in the UK in January 2023 about deliveries due between November 2022 and January 2023

source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/parcels-chewed-by-foxes-and-stolen-from-doorsteps-your-christmas-delivery-disasters-axNWk2I2BSqb