We asked thousands of shoppers about their deliveries in the past year* and, in a separate survey, about specific problems last Christmas.**
One in four people told us they had a problem with at least one delivery – and some spent weeks battling to get their issue resolved.
While delivery dramas can happen all year round, dealing with a missing or damaged parcel is particularly infuriating and stressful over the busy festive shopping period.
Which? is urging couriers and retailers to ensure their deliveries are up to scratch ahead of the festive season.
Here, we look at some of the worst delivery horror stories shared with us and how to complain if your orders don’t arrive as planned.
'My missing delivery was found in my green bin six months later'
Late deliveries were the biggest consumer gripe experienced by online shoppers in the past year. Four in 10 people in our survey said their parcel arrived later than expected.
‘A delivery went missing and turned up in the green bin six months later,’ one disgruntled shopper told us.
'Various Christmas gifts didn't arrive in time at their destinations. I ended up having to pay for more presents,’ another said.
A frequent problem was with couriers handing parcels to someone else, despite the recipient being at home (four in 10).
Some people waited in, only for their parcels to be left in random places. ‘They threw a fragile box through my top window even though I was at home,’ recalled one participant.
Delivery complaints – use our free tool to‘Safe spaces’ and damaged parcels
One in four who had a problem in the past year said their parcel went to the wrong address or was left outside and stolen. Some were baffled by the courier’s interpretation of a ‘safe space’.
‘I had items delivered to a "safe space" which was my front door in full view of the road. The parcel was subsequently stolen,’ one person told us.
Another said: ‘I’ve had couriers throw items on top of a roof and then take a photo saying it was in a safe place. I had to get a ladder out to get it down.’
Damaged parcels were a problem too – a third of those who had an issue with a delivery experienced this. One participant said a box of luxury chocolates left in their garden was nibbled by squirrels or rats by the time they found them.
Another said their most bizarre experience was a 'clothes order left on my central heating exhaust, which started to smoke after my heating was switched on automatically while I was at work.'
Find out more:Shoppers abandon baskets to avoid certain couriers
Some people’s poor experiences with certain couriers have led them to boycott the delivery firm (and any retailers who use them) completely.
One in four people abandoned their online baskets in the past year after seeing which courier the retailer was partnered with.
'I will avoid any retailer that uses Evri or Yodel,’ one consumer said.
Others said they ordered elsewhere in a bid to avoid Amazon, DHL, DPD, FedEx, Royal Mail or UPS.
Yodel told us it's investing to continually improve its services. It encourages anyone expecting a delivery to use the Yodel app to leave clear instructions for drivers.
Evri said it's invested to further improve its operations and make it easier for customers to get in touch. It's the only parcel delivery that mandates proof-of-delivery photos for every parcel, while its AI technology provides direct feedback to couriers if a parcel appears to be in an insecure location.
UPS advises customers to contact its customer support team if they encounter an issue.
Read more:Poor communication from delivery firms
Of those with a delivery issue, 36% said the courier's communication about when the parcel would arrive was poor.
'I ordered a guitar with next-day delivery,' one shopper said. 'The app kept stating it was out for delivery, only for the parcel to go back to the depot. This went on every day for three weeks before it was delivered.'
‘Regularly, I receive notifications to say my parcel is on its way,’ another said. ‘But when you check the tracking, the parcel is going in the wrong direction which delays it by several days.’
Shoppers left in limbo
Trying to resolve issues with failed deliveries can be an additional headache.
One in five who faced an issue had to wait between eight and 14 days to have it resolved, while one in 10 said their problem wasn't ever sorted.
There was also confusion about who to complain to. One in three people who contacted the retailer said they were told to contact the courier – despite it being the retailer's responsibility under consumer law to rectify any issues with deliveries.
For those who did complain to the retailer, a quarter were dissatisfied with how the company dealt with their issue.
One participant was left out of pocket after Yodel delivered their £350 pushchair to the wrong address and refused to reimburse them: 'The retailer said the delivery was signed for, so I never got my money back or my pushchair.'
If your parcels turn up late or damaged (or don't turn up at all), you do have rights to a refund.
*Which? surveyed 2,132 UK adults between 4 and 7 October 2024 about their experiences with deliveries in the past year.
**Which? surveyed 2,048 UK adults between 2 and 5 February 2024 about their experiences with deliveries over the previous Christmas period.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/christmas-delivery-disasters-my-deliveries-didnt-arrive-on-time-and-i-had-to-order-more-presents-aUFpp5F2pG4i