Lost and hound: Which? reveals the most bizarre delivery disasters this Christmas and the courier with the lowest satisfaction

A dog delivered to the wrong house, smashed television and parcels chewed by foxes were just some of the disasters reported to Which? in the consumer champion’s shopping deliveries survey.

Which? surveyed over 1,000 people about their deliveries last Christmas, finding that many had been let down by couriers or retailers. 

Six in 10 (61%) said something went wrong with at least one delivery - with just four in 10 (37%) saying all their deliveries arrived without a hiccup. 

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

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 did not have a receptionist. They later found a soaking wet parcel in their garden. 

Which? also asked a number of respondents about the most bizarre delivery disasters they had ever experienced. 

One respondent said a pet shop attempted to deliver a dog to their address, only to find the correct recipient was a house with a similar name in a nearby village. They said: “It was a ghastly looking thing too - like something out of Star Wars.”

Even nominating a ‘safe place’ does not guarantee a smooth delivery – and could in fact dilute people’s consumer rights. Of those specifying a safe place or neighbour for their parcels, almost a quarter (23%) faced problems.

In the survey, common issues that people experienced included a delivery arriving late (21% of respondents), a package being left outside without their permission (21%) or not being delivered at all (10%).

One in 10 (10%) respondents received notes claiming they were not home during the delivery attempt, despite being present, and nine per cent received false notifications stating their packages had been delivered.  

In a separate survey, Which? analysed how some of the UK’s biggest delivery companies fared for customer satisfaction based on respondents’ most recent delivery. 

Amazon came top of the table with 93 per cent of customers saying they were satisfied with their most recent delivery. It was the only firm to receive five stars for delivery satisfaction, earning five stars for parcel condition, on-time delivery, and four stars for communication and ease of rescheduling. 

At the other end of the scale, 76 per cent of Evri customers said they were satisfied with their most recent delivery. Customers gave Evri three stars across all categories except for four stars for parcel condition. In a recent report by Ofcom, Evri also had the lowest customer satisfaction rate across all major parcel delivery firms.

With Christmas just weeks away, millions of people will be shopping online and relying on delivery firms to get their gifts - so it is important for consumers to know their rights if a delivery arrives damaged, late or not at all. 

If a delivery fails to arrive, customers should immediately contact the retailer, which should either help track down their order or send a replacement. Customers may also get a refund from their retailer if they paid extra for a special delivery that then arrived late.

Which? is inviting consumers to share their stories of poor customer service on its website as the consumer champion gathers evidence as part of a campaign for companies to improve their customer service. 

The consumer champion wants people to be able to easily contact companies, without unnecessary barriers and in the way that suits them best - whether that is speaking to a person or a chatbot. Everyone should be able to get the answers they need without long waits or endless loops, be kept informed and treated fairly, with empathy and as an individual.

Lisa Webb, Which? Consumer Law Expert, said: 

"The festive season is the busiest time of year for deliveries and many of us will understandably be worried about whether Christmas shopping will arrive on time - or at all. 

“Any delivery firms who are falling short on customer service need to up their game. They must ensure that they are properly prepared for the Christmas period and able to deliver people’s parcels on time.

“To help reduce the likelihood of problems with a delivery, it’s worth being specific when setting your preferences around timings or safe places - and if something goes wrong with your delivery this Christmas - it's the retailer and not the delivery company that you need to ask to fix the problem.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Link to Which?’s tool to report customer service stories here.

Research

Which? surveyed 1,014 people in the UK in January 2023 about deliveries due between November 2022 and January 2023. 

In September 2023, Which? asked 1,313 people in Great Britain about deliveries for something they had ordered online from a UK retailer in the previous six months.

Most common delivery issues

Delivery company satisfaction scores

*We didn’t receive a big enough sample of customers to include Parcelforce, Yodel, UPS and FedEx in our survey.

Your delivery rights if things go wrong

If you've had a damaged delivery or it didn't arrive at all, your rights are protected. 

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, your contract is with the retailer, so raise the issues with it initially. 

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

If a parcel looks damaged or appears to have been tampered with, it’s a good idea to take photos of the box from every angle before opening it. 

You should also report any 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 if your parcel goes missing – 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’s stolen or damaged, the retailer is in breach of contract and must provide a refund or replacement.

About Which?

Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen. As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.