Deliveries, missing parcels and returns

Online orders, food boxes and furniture deliveries are part of student life, and so are 'delivered' parcels you never received. Here is who is responsible, what to do, and how to return things without losing money.

Who is responsible until it reaches you

• In the UK, Citizens Advice says 'it's the seller's responsibility to make sure the item is delivered to you'. If they used a courier, the seller should chase it, not you.
• If you told Royal Mail to leave a parcel with a neighbour or in a safe place, the seller and Royal Mail are not responsible if it then goes missing (Citizens Advice).
• With a courier, if you agreed to other delivery places in your terms or account settings, the seller is not responsible for losses there (Citizens Advice).
• So think before you tick 'leave in a safe place', especially in a shared house or halls with a busy entrance.

Late deliveries (UK)

• If no date was agreed, the item should arrive within a 'reasonable time', usually within 30 days (Citizens Advice).
• An 'essential' delivery date is one you told the seller you needed it by, or one that is obvious, such as a cake ordered for a party. If it is missed, you can ask for a full refund (Citizens Advice).
• If a non-essential date and then a second agreed date are both missed, you can ask for a full refund (Citizens Advice).
• Tip: if the date matters, say so in writing when you order, for example in the order notes or an email.

Step by step: a parcel shows 'delivered' but is not there

• Check the address on your order, your building's post room, reception, neighbours and any safe place.
• Look for a delivery photo or GPS note in the tracking.
• Contact the seller, not just the courier, and ask where your order is (Citizens Advice).
• If they cannot find it, ask in writing for redelivery by a set date or a refund, mentioning the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (Citizens Advice). Citizens Advice has a template letter for non-delivery.
• If the seller refuses, take the complaint further (see lesson cn-06) or report them to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice.

Fake delivery messages

• Citizens Advice warns that messages asking you to pay a fee or reschedule a delivery through a link are usually scams.
• Delivery companies will not ask for payment through an email or text link (Citizens Advice).
• Check tracking only by opening the retailer's app or typing the courier's address yourself.
• If you clicked a link or gave card details, contact your bank straight away. See the Scams and Fraud module for full steps.

Returning things without losing money

• Read the returns policy before buying: deadline, who pays postage and whether returns are free in store.
• Use a pre-paid label if offered; Citizens Advice says you then do not have to pay for postage.
• Photograph the item and the packed parcel, and keep the proof of postage until the refund arrives.
• Buying from overseas sellers may mean paying VAT, customs duty or fees before delivery (Citizens Advice), and in the UAE, u.ae notes local consumer law does not apply to purchases from businesses registered outside the UAE.
• Keep a simple list of open returns (item, date sent, tracking number, refund due) and tick them off.