Amazon Logistics has been ranked as the UK's best parcel delivery firm in an annual poll of MoneySavingExpert (MSE) users.
The consumer group's survey of more than 9,000 people saw DPD Local knocked off the top spot. Its sister company DPD – which held a seven-year winning streak until 2020 – has stayed firm in second place for two years on the bounce.
Survey participants were asked to rate their experience of each delivery firm they had used during the past 12 months as either "great", "ok" or "poor".
Some 60% said Amazon Logistics, which is not always used for Amazon deliveries, was "great", with 34% rating it "ok" and just 7% saying it was "poor".
Overall, five out of 17 firms were rated better in this year’s poll compared to 2020.
CitySprint again ranked the worst, with 12% of users rating it "great". This year’s results also saw Hermes/MyHermes drop down two places to 16th. Yodel remains in the bottom three for the seventh year running.
It comes after another challenging year for firms providing essential services amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
But MSE recommends consumers should still complain to their retailer to get them to apply pressure on delivery firms when they fail to deliver.
News editor Chris Newlands said: "There’s no doubt that this past year has once again proven to be very tough for parcel delivery firms, especially with some staff forced to self-isolate. But sadly, we continue to hear of missing, late, damaged and dumped parcels – so it’s important for consumers to use their rights and vote with their feet when firms don’t deliver the goods.
"If it’s something you’ve ordered, chances are you won’t get much choice on which firm shows up at your door. But if you’re unhappy with the delivery, or it simply doesn’t arrive, complain to the retailer – that’s who your contract’s with – and make sure they know. It’s their responsibility to put things right, and if others are complaining too, they will have no option but to apply pressure on their couriers to raise their performance, or ultimately they’ll use another service."
MSE’s top three need-to-knows on delivery rights
1. Your contract is with the retailer, not the delivery company
Unless you paid directly for the delivery with a parcel firm, then it is the store that owes you a duty of care. If the item doesn’t turn up or is damaged, your rights under the Consumer Rights Act kick in and you should be due a full refund or replacement.
If that doesn't work, try escalating a complaint to the retailer. If that doesn’t work, and you've paid for even a proportion of the cost by credit card, then you could try to claim via Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act (for items worth between £100 and £30,000). If you've used a debit card or paid for an item worth less than £100 on a credit card, you might be able to apply the Chargeback rule.
2. If your parcel is late, you can likely send it back
If you ordered something online and it turns up late, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations you’ve got 14 days after you receive a package to notify the seller that you have changed your mind, regardless of whether it's faulty or not. You then have a further 14 days to send back the item. This means if your parcel doesn’t arrive in time for what you need, you can send it back and get a refund. (Some items – such as personalised or perishable items – aren't covered by these rules.)
You have fewer rights if you buy something in store and request it for delivery, but you can boost your delivery rights when buying in store with the ‘time is of the essence’ trick.
3. If you had to wait in for a delivery that was delayed, you may be able to get compensation
If you had to take extra time off work for a redelivery, you may be due compensation for ‘consequential loss’, such as loss of earnings or holiday taken. Importantly, you can’t claim for the original no-show day, this is about extra time taken off.
For full details on your rights, see MSE’s Parcel Delivery Rights guide.
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