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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Kat George

I often shop online. Is there anything I can do about dodgy couriers?

Miniature postman courier standing above a clock, isolated on blue background
‘Under Australian consumer law, the retailer is responsible for delivery. So the courier companies are right in directing you to the retailer in the first instance – for the most part.’ Photograph: miniartkur/Alamy

I often shop online and notice some courier companies create persistent problems for me. These include: couriers claiming to have attempted delivery on days when I have been working from home and know they didn’t bother to buzz my apartment; couriers failing to leave notice of attempted deliveries; lost packages; and in one instance, giving me conflicting information about the need to pay import duties, resulting in a time-sensitive delivery being delayed.

Trying to resolve these problems often takes multiple phone calls and a lot of waiting on hold. The shipping and courier companies always pass the buck back to the retailer when something goes wrong. This doesn’t seem fair since it’s the courier, not the retailer, who is at fault. Beyond complaining to the retailer, is there any way to hold a shipping company to account for their terrible customer service?

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