A charity has revealed a league table of the worst-ranking parcel delivery firms with "miserable" service.
Citizen Advice's annual survey ranked Evri and Yodel at the bottom with two out of five possible stars — and many other firms scored similarly. Major firms such as Royal Mail and Amazon did not trail far behind with a joint 2.75 stars.
Some Brits voiced their criticism about such firms on X, previously known as Twitter, with one user saying: "[There's] no customer care with most of them."
Others remarked that the table was not as clear cut as shown, with service usually "depending on the delivery driver I think. I've had good and bad with all of them."
But this has led to other questions about parcels not arriving and what to do about it.
What to do when a parcel has not arrived
Citizens Advice says "if you bought something from a business to be delivered, it’s the seller’s responsibility to make sure the item is delivered to you. If the seller used a courier, they should chase the courier to find out what’s happened to your order - it’s not your responsibility."
People can check the delivery address given to the seller or inputted when the order was made online. If there is no mix-up with a location or tracking number, it might be best to contact the seller and ask for a location.
If the seller claims they've delivered the parcel already or do not know where it is, it is of course possible to ask for a redelivery and customers may be reimbursed in some instances.
Think about how neighbours are involved
There are two rules of responsibility regarding parcels Royal Mail has left with neighbours:
- If a lost parcel was left with a neighbour because the courier was asked to leave it with them, it is not the seller's responsibility.
- If a lost parcel was left with a neighbour without the customer asking the courier to do so, it is the courier's responsibility.
Write a letter
Letters will depend on the circumstances of the order and whether an essential delivery date was agreed. An item may also be considered "essential" if this seems obvious. For instance, a cake is needed for the day of the wedding.
Citizens Advice says people could write it is "a breach of contract under the Consumer Rights Act 2015" in their letter if:
- the seller was told the delivery date was essential and they didn’t meet it.
- they agreed with the seller a delivery date which wasn't essential, and a second date also wasn’t met.
- they did not agree on a delivery date with the seller and a second chance to deliver wasn’t successful.
People are advised to use the line: "I am asking for a refund and expect a full repayment within a reasonable time."
To receive help in circumstances that go beyond this and where there has been no resolution, see what can be done here.
