Q&A: Mail delivery delays

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Find out where you stand if your post or Christmas shopping isn't delivered on time


Share Mark King guardian.co.uk, Thursday 16 December 2010 13.24 GMT Article history
The inclement weather has seen postal deliveries hit by severe delays. Photograph: Paul McErlane/Reuters

My parcel hasn't arrived, what should I do?
Check it has been dispatched by the retailer, and that it has the correct address. If you have a tracking number you should be able to find where it is. Failing that, ring your local office.

If you have been given a definite date for delivery, your goods must be delivered by that date. If not, the retailer is in breach of contract and you are entitled to your money back. When you claim compensation for late delivery you should also make additional claims for other losses on top of the cost of your order, such as the cost of taking a day off work while you were waiting for goods which didn't arrive.

Under distance selling regulations you are entitled to receive your goods within 30 days. If your items are delayed this long, for any reason, contact the retailer to seek a refund and possible compensation. The regulations also mean you have seven working days after receiving the goods to cancel your order, regardless of when you bought them.

If you were not given a proper date for your delivery you won't be able to claim compensation.


The courier said my item has been delivered, but it hasn't.
Be aware that couriers are allowed to leave your package with a neighbour two doors either side or directly across the road from you, so check with them.

Also ask the courier for proof of delivery and ask to see the signature used to sign for it. If they cannot provide this and your parcel is not with neighbours, contact the retailer immediately to arrange for a refund or replacement.


My Royal Mail package is delayed. What now?
Royal Mail aims to deliver first class items on the next working day and second class items within three working days, including Saturday. Special delivery next day items should arrive by 1.00pm the next working day (Mon-Fri).

Royal Mail has warned people not to pick up post from their local sorting office if it is delayed. Mark Higson, managing director of Royal Mail, said: "We will continue to do everything in our power to deliver as quickly as possible". Royal Mail is planning up to 7,000 delivery rounds this Sunday as the severe weather that has hampered essential services across the UK is expected to return. This will also give consumers a second chance to receive items at their home if they were not in when delivery was first attempted.

You can claim compensation from Royal Mail for lost or delayed parcels, but you won't get much. For stamped and metered items, compensation for delays consists of six first class stamps if the item is delivered three working days or more after the due date. You must make your claim within three months of posting. Check the Royal Mail compensation table for more.

For special delivery next deay items that arrive late, customers will be compensated by £5 or £10 depending on the severity of the delay.


Royal Mail has lost my parcel. What should I do?
You will need to supply it with proof of postage and a receipt for the cost of the item, but you can only make a claim once your item is deemed to be lost (after 15 days). Royal Mail only compensates for the cost price of goods rather than their retail value.


Is it worth posting or ordering something now?
Royal Mail is continuing to advise customers to post things early for Christmas. Its latest recommended posting dates for pre-Christmas delivery are Saturday 18 December for second class items; Tuesday 21 December for first class mail; and Thursday 23 December for special delivery items.

But some areas of Scotland are experiencing delays of up to three days, and deliveries to the rest of the UK may take up to two days longer than usual.

Amazon has updated its website so that the delivery date you see on the product page and in the checkout is now its best estimate of when your order will arrive. Its last order dates are 23:59 on Thursday December 16 for free super saver delivery; 23:59 on Saturday 18 December for first class delivery; and 23:59 on Monday 20 December for Amazon prime free delivery (via Expedite)

[estelle]

that's all good and well - but given the special delivery guarantee was suspended on the 1st December - shouldn't that be taken into account I wonder?