When a parcel fails to arrive or turns up damaged, shoppers often waste time chasing courier helplines and chatbots. Yet according to Citizens Advice, the legal contract for an online order sits with the seller, not the delivery company. This means the quickest route to a refund, replacement, or compensation is usually to contact the retailer directly.
Your Contract Is With the Retailer
For anything bought from a shop or website, the key rule is simple: the retailer is responsible for ensuring the order is delivered. Citizens Advice states that the seller must resolve issues quickly, typically by offering a refund or sending a replacement. Under consumer law, you can generally ask for a refund or redelivery if your item hasn’t arrived within a reasonable time—usually up to 30 days unless agreed otherwise. You can also return damaged or faulty goods at the seller's expense, meaning you shouldn't have to pay return postage for an item that arrived broken.
Claiming Compensation for Lost or Damaged Items
If a parcel is lost, damaged, or significantly delayed, you may be able to claim compensation—either from the retailer or the delivery company, depending on the situation. You can raise a complaint at any time, and this does not need to come before making a compensation claim. If you sent the parcel yourself, or need to deal directly with the courier, you may still be eligible for compensation. How much you receive depends on the postage service used and the value of the item.
For Royal Mail, there is a dedicated, structured claims process. For other couriers like Evri, DPD, or Yodel, you will usually need to log into your account on their website, navigate to their customer service portal, and fill out an online claim form with your tracking details and proof of value.
Making a Formal Complaint
If a courier's service was unacceptably poor, you can lodge a formal complaint at any time. Making a complaint and claiming financial compensation are two separate actions—a complaint alone won't automatically trigger a payout. Each delivery company must publish its complaints process clearly on its website. If a company makes it needlessly difficult to find out how to complain, you can report them directly using the Citizens Advice Consumer Service page. If your complaint isn't resolved to your satisfaction, most companies have an escalation route, such as taking the matter to an independent ombudsman.
If Important Documents Go Missing
If something sensitive like a passport or driving licence has been lost in the post, it’s important to act quickly to protect yourself against potential identity fraud. You should contact the organisation that issued the document straight away. For example, if a passport has gone missing, you’ll need to contact the Home Office via the GOV.UK lost passport tool. It’s also important to ask for the document to be cancelled as soon as possible, to help prevent it from being misused.
What If Your Parcel Was Stolen?
If a driver leaves a package on your porch or doorstep without your permission and it gets stolen, you can still claim compensation or lodge a complaint. In the event of theft, it is always a good idea to report the incident online via the Police.uk reporting page. While officers may not be able to actively hunt down the package, having a crime reference number adds significant weight to your refund claim with the retailer or courier.
To prevent doorstep theft in the future, consider having items delivered to local collection points or parcel lockers, designating a trusted neighbour as your default safe place, or installing a locked, weatherproof parcel box outside your home.
A missing or damaged delivery is always frustrating, but knowing whether to contact the retailer first or go directly to the courier can make the process quicker, simpler—and in many cases, help you get your money back with far less stress.
