'I ordered a gift in November and it turned up on Christmas Eve' - how to resolve a delivery problem
Parcels chucked in bins, thrown through windows or arriving almost a month late; these are just a few of the delivery nightmares people experienced during last year's Christmas shopping season.
A quarter* of those who placed an online order had at least one problem during 2024's festive shopping season – and some struggled to get their problems resolved swiftly.
Here, we look at the most common delivery misses and explain what to do if one of your orders goes awry.
Late deliveries and post
Late deliveries were the most frequent problem experienced by Christmas shoppers last year, with one in five people saying their delivery arrived later than expected.
‘I ordered a present in November which turned up on Christmas Eve,’ said one participant, while another cautious shopper spent £11.99 for next-day delivery only for their parcel to arrive two days later.
If you paid extra for special delivery and your order arrived later than agreed, you can claim back the extra delivery cost as the service wasn’t delivered.
We recommend ordering any gifts ahead of time this year to account for issues with late parcels or slow-to-respond customer service teams. Always check the returns policy before you order to ensure you'll be able to exchange any unwanted gifts after the Christmas period – most reputable retailers offer an extended returns policy that will run until the new year.
If you're planning on sending Christmas cards, you may also want to post them promptly; in October, Royal Mail was fined £21m for missing its 2024/25 delivery targets for First Class and Second Class mail. This year, the last Christmas posting dates are Wednesday 17 December for 2nd Class post and Saturday 20 December for 1st Class post.
- Find out more: make a delivery complaint with our free tool
'The box was damaged despite the fragile sticker'
Couriers leaving deliveries on doorsteps without prior consent was another common issue. More than £666m worth of deliveries was stolen from doorsteps in the first six months of this year, according to police data gathered and analysed by parcel locker company Quadient.
One person in our survey told us that they came home to find their parcel had been stolen from their doorstep: ‘I eventually got a refund, but the item I’d bought was no longer in stock so I had to get my daughter another present,’ they said.
Another explained that they found their delivery had been left out in the rain – despite it being small enough to fit through their letterbox.
Other shoppers found parcels thrown in bins, over garden fences and through kitchen windows.
'The box was in a bad condition despite the fragile sticker on the box,' said one shopper.
'It wasn't left in the safe space I nominated'
Some shoppers who'd given consent for parcels to be left with a certain neighbour or 'safe space' found that these instructions weren't followed.
'I asked [the courier] to leave [the parcel] with a certain neighbour and they delivered it to a neighbour that I've asked them to avoid,' said one participant.
'It wasn't left in the safe space I nominated,' recalled another. 'I found it in the back garden, damaged. They must have thrown it over.'
If you give your consent for your parcel to be left somewhere, you may struggle to get a refund if something goes wrong. Under the Consumer Rights Act, if you specify a safe space or give consent for your delivery to be left with a neighbour, and the parcel then disappears, you do not have a right to a refund.
We advise you not to give consent for parcels to be left anywhere, as this ensures you can get your money back if things go wrong.
- Find out more: how to complain if you receive damaged goods in the post
Retailers' poor customer service
Fortunately, four in 10 shoppers whose issues were resolved said the problem had been sorted within a week, but one in seven said it took up to a fortnight.
Of those who complained to the retailer, three in 10 were dissatisfied with how it dealt with their issue. ‘I tried multiple ways to get in contact with them – they didn’t answer my WhatsApp messages or phone calls,’ said one person.
'The retailer wasn't very sympathetic,' said another shopper whose delivery was more than three weeks late.
Another participant had to make a claim with their bank after the retailer failed to refund them for a parcel that had gone missing.
Our survey also found some confusion about who's responsible for resolving the problem – the retailer or the courier.
Just under one in 10 who complained to the retailer were told to contact the courier instead.
'DHL lost my M&S parcel and no one is taking the blame,' recalled another participant.
If you experience a problem with a delivery this Christmas, remember that it's the retailer's responsibility to correct the issue, not the courier's. Always complain to the retailer, rather than the courier.
How to get a refund for a missing, late or damaged parcel
Shockingly, four in 10 people who had a delivery problem last Christmas didn't contact anyone, with many stating that they didn't think complaining would achieve anything.
Of those who didn't complain about their issue, three in 10 said they didn't think it would achieve anything, while one in five said it wasn't worth the hassle.
Enacting your delivery rights can sometimes feel like an uphill battle – particularly if the retailer isn't responsive or forthcoming with your complaint.
But you do have delivery rights that protect you if your parcel goes missing, is late or is damaged – and Which? has a free tool to help you make your complaint.
Here are five key things to remember when making a delivery complaint.
- Complain to the retailer, not the courier. Under the Consumer Rights Act (CRA) the retailer is responsible for delivering your order safely. You can use our free tool to start your delivery complaint.
- Tired of waiting for your parcel? Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, you can cancel your online order from the moment it's placed until 14 days from the day you receive your goods.
- If you paid more for next-day delivery, but it arrives days later, you can claim the extra delivery cost you spent on top of standard shipping.
- Be aware that if you give permission for a parcel to be left with a neighbour or in a safe place, the retailer won't be responsible if something goes wrong. If you didn’t leave instructions, the retailer is legally bound to refund or replace your parcel.
- If your parcel is damaged or faulty, you’re entitled to a refund, repair or replacement. If you get a parcel that seems to have been opened or tampered with, take photos of the parcel from every angle before opening it. Use our free faulty goods tool to start your claim with the retailer.
Has it become more difficult to fight for your delivery rights?
Which? has heard from people who have struggled to complain about missing parcels, with retailers asking for additional evidence or paperwork.
Back in March, we helped Jennifer fight her corner after she ordered three items online from Monsoon and they went missing. She received an email saying that the goods had been delivered by Evri, with a photo showing that the parcel had been left outside her flat door. But when Jennifer arrived home in the evening, the parcel wasn’t there.
She checked with her neighbours, but nobody had taken her parcel in. Jennifer then contacted Monsoon to let it know what had happened.
‘Their customer service department emailed me a form which they wanted me to print out, sign and scan back to them, as they said Evri do not accept an electronic signature,’ Jennifer said. ‘I explained to them that I do not have a printer or scanner, and they told me they were unable to take my case any further unless I completed and scanned back the form. I’m in my late sixties and wouldn’t even know how to scan something.’
At the time, Monsoon told us: 'In line with the requirements of our delivery partner, Evri, we recently implemented a new policy where customers must confirm that they have not received an item, and we then send that confirmation back to Evri so they can either locate and re-deliver the item or confirm that it is lost.'
It noted how asking customers to fill in a physical form with a hard signature to report missing items (versus signing an online form with an electronic signature) wasn't practical for all its customers.
Monsoon said it would work with Evri to adjust its process to make it easier and more practical.
Retailers might ask for some additional information when you make a complaint, but you shouldn't feel as though you're being prevented from enacting your legal rights.
If you too have been asked to fill out paperwork or provide extensive evidence to support your complaint, get in touch at yourstory@which.co.uk.
*In January 2025 we conducted a nationally representative survey with 2,047 members of the public
