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If a retailer arranged delivery as part of your purchase, contact the retailer first about a parcel that has not arrived or has arrived damaged. If you booked the courier yourself, use the courier’s claims process. In either case, check the tracking and delivery details, keep evidence, and follow the rules for the specific service. The legal examples and escalation routes below are UK-specific; they do not necessarily apply elsewhere.
First, work out who arranged the delivery
The right contact depends on your arrangement, not simply on which company carried the parcel. For goods bought from a business where the seller arranged delivery, Ofcom says the retailer is responsible for resolving non-delivery or damage. Contact the seller in writing rather than assuming you must claim from the courier. Ofcom’s guidance, published 30 March 2023, explains this distinction on its parcel companies page.
If you personally booked and paid a courier to deliver something, you are dealing with the carrier under that booking. Check its claim procedure and the terms for the exact service. The same applies if your issue is about the courier’s conduct rather than a retailer-arranged purchase: Ofcom says carriers must publish complaint procedures, but it does not decide individual complaints.
- Retailer arranged delivery: contact the seller for a missing or damaged purchase and state the remedy you are seeking.
- You booked the courier: contact the carrier using the relevant service’s claims and complaints route.
- Unsure: check the order confirmation, invoice, or booking receipt to see who charged for or arranged delivery.
Citizens Advice Wales puts the seller-first approach this way: “You should try to contact the seller before you complain to the delivery company or ask them for compensation – you’ll usually get a better result.” This is especially useful if you bought an item and the retailer selected or arranged the delivery service.
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If the parcel is late or tracking says delivered but you cannot find it
Do a quick check before making a formal complaint. A tracking scan is useful evidence of a delivery event, but it does not by itself establish that you received the parcel. Check the delivery address, tracking page, delivery photograph or location note, and any safe place you nominated. Ask household members or neighbours if appropriate. Save screenshots of the tracking status and any delivery image or message.
Compare the tracking with the delivery date or window in your order confirmation. If it is simply running late, note whether the promised date has passed and whether the seller agreed to a different or longer period. If tracking says delivered but you cannot find the item, tell the responsible party exactly that; do not describe it as physically damaged or assume the scan alone settles who received it.
For a purchase delivered by arrangement with the retailer
- Check the delivery promise. Compare the expected date or delivery window on your order confirmation with the tracking history. Keep a copy of both.
- Write to the retailer promptly. Include your order number, order date, promised delivery date or window, and the current tracking status. Explain what checks you made and that the item has not arrived.
- Say what outcome you want. Depending on the circumstances, ask the retailer to confirm delivery, provide a replacement, or refund you. Keep the request factual and retain the response.
- Keep a record. Save the order confirmation, screenshots, messages, and dates of any calls. If you speak by phone, note when you called and what was agreed.
For UK purchases, the House of Commons Library’s 2026 briefing, Problems with parcel deliveries, summarizes the Consumer Rights Act position as delivery within 30 days where no longer period was agreed. That is a default, not a guarantee that every late parcel triggers an immediate refund: the agreed delivery terms and the facts matter. A missed agreed or statutory requirement may give grounds to cancel or claim losses, depending on the circumstances.
So, if the expected date has passed, do not assume you must wait for a particular number of days before contacting the retailer, or that you automatically qualify for a refund that day. Set out the agreed date, ask the retailer to resolve the failure, and keep its answer. The applicable remedy depends on the arrangement and circumstances.
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Use the carrier’s procedure for the service you purchased. Provide the booking reference, tracking number, collection and delivery addresses, posting or collection date, and a clear account of what went wrong. Retain proof of posting or collection and evidence of the item’s value. Claim deadlines and compensation terms differ between carriers and services, so check the current terms rather than relying on a general deadline.
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If the item arrived damaged
Photograph the damage before you discard or alter anything. Clear evidence of the outer parcel, label, protective packing and damaged item can help establish what arrived and how it was packaged. Keep the original packaging until the retailer or carrier says it is no longer needed.
Evidence to collect
- Photographs of all sides of the outer box or wrapping, including visible dents, tears or punctures.
- A clear image of the shipping label and any delivery note.
- Photographs of the internal protective material and how the item was packed.
- Close-up and wider photographs showing the item’s damage and its condition on arrival.
- The order confirmation or receipt, tracking record, and any messages about delivery.
Write to the retailer promptly if it arranged delivery. State when the parcel arrived, describe the damage, attach the photographs, and request the appropriate remedy. Keep copies of everything you send and receive. The Consumer Council for Northern Ireland recommends retaining damage evidence and photographs; it also says a signature does not waive your rights. Do not sign a blanket statement that an item is undamaged if it is not. If asked to acknowledge delivery, record the visible condition as accurately as the process allows.
If you are making a claim as the sender or courier customer, check the carrier’s rules before submitting it. The GOV.UK guidance for BFPO claims, for example, asks for tracking details, proof of posting, proof of purchase and pictures of the damage that include the original packaging. Those requirements apply to that guidance, not automatically to every courier.
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The person who booked the service should identify the carrier and service, read the current claims instructions, and submit the claim through the stated channel. Gather the booking confirmation, tracking record, proof of posting or collection, proof of the item’s value, and any photographs relevant to loss or damage. Follow the carrier’s requirements for original packaging, forms and supporting documents.
A complaint and a compensation claim are not necessarily the same thing. Citizens Advice Wales notes that making a complaint does not automatically obtain compensation; a separate claim may be needed. If the carrier’s response is unsatisfactory, use its published escalation procedure and check which independent route, if any, applies to that company and service.
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Before submitting, check that you are using the correct claim route for the service you purchased, not just the carrier’s general contact form. Note the applicable time limit, the documents it requires, and whether it asks you to retain or provide the original parcel or packaging. Keep copies of your submission and any acknowledgement. If you are both sender and booking customer, your proof of posting, booking record and proof of the item’s value help identify the shipment and support the claim.
Royal Mail examples: check the service and current terms
Ofcom’s postal advice gives examples for Royal Mail retail services, not a general courier schedule. It says Royal Mail mail is not considered lost until 15 working days after posting, and lists maximum compensation of £20 for qualifying lost or damaged First or Second Class standard items and £50 for qualifying Signed For items. The examples require intrinsic value and proof, are subject to actual loss, and include a postage refund. Verify the current Royal Mail procedure and the exact service before treating those figures or that period as applicable to your item.
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BFPO examples: a separate procedure
GOV.UK’s Ministry of Defence guidance says a claim under its BFPO procedure must be made within 80 days of posting. The page lists £1,000 for items in BFPO care, £20 for standard Royal Mail items posted at a Post Office, and £100 for standard Parcelforce items. These are specific examples under that guidance; additional cover or where the loss occurred can affect the applicable limit. They are not universal limits for other services.
The 80-day period belongs to the BFPO procedure described on that government page. Do not treat it as a general deadline for ordinary Royal Mail or other courier claims. For any service, check the current rules promptly so you do not miss the applicable window.
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How to escalate a complaint
Start with the party responsible under your arrangement and follow its complaint process. Ofcom requires parcel companies to publish complaints procedures, but it does not investigate individual complaints. If the retailer arranged delivery, continue pursuing the seller for the consumer remedy; a carrier complaint is not a substitute for that request.
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For Royal Mail, Citizens Advice Wales describes escalation to the Postal Review Panel and, in specified circumstances, a possible referral to the independent Postal Redress Service (POSTRS). Its guidance says a consumer may go directly to POSTRS if Royal Mail takes over 90 days or has not followed its procedure. Check current eligibility and instructions before using that route. Other carriers have their own escalation arrangements.
When escalating, make the record easy to follow: give dates, the tracking or order reference, a short timeline of what happened, copies of earlier messages, and the response you are challenging. State whether you are asking for a complaint to be reviewed, a compensation claim to be considered, or the retailer to provide a consumer remedy. Those requests can involve different processes.
Keep the claim focused and well documented
- Use written communication where possible, so the dates, request and response are easy to verify.
- Keep original records and submit copies or photographs unless the carrier specifically requires something else.
- Describe the problem precisely: late, missing, marked delivered but not found, or physically damaged.
- Separate the outcome you want from a compensation claim. A retailer remedy, a carrier complaint and a carrier compensation claim can follow different procedures.
- Do not assume one carrier’s deadlines, evidence rules or payout limits apply to another company or service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do I contact about a missing parcel?
If you bought goods from a business and the retailer arranged delivery, contact the retailer in writing first. Include your order number, promised date or window, tracking status and the checks you made. If you personally booked the courier, contact that carrier under the claim procedure for the service you bought.
Tracking says delivered, but I can’t find my parcel. What should I do?
Check the address, delivery photo or location note, nominated safe place, and ask household members or neighbours where appropriate. Save screenshots. A tracking scan is useful evidence, but does not by itself establish that you received the item. Tell the retailer or courier according to who arranged the delivery.
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What evidence do I need for a damaged parcel?
Photograph the outer packaging on all sides, the label, protective packing, and the damage to the item. Keep the packaging, order or booking details, tracking record, receipts and messages. Send copies of the photos and a written description to the retailer if it arranged delivery, or follow the carrier’s requirements if you booked it.
How long should I wait before claiming a late parcel?
There is no single waiting period or claim deadline for every service. The House of Commons Library summarizes the UK default as delivery within 30 days if no longer period was agreed, but that does not mean every late item triggers an immediate refund. Check the agreed delivery terms and contact the responsible party promptly.
Will a courier complaint automatically get me compensation?
No. Citizens Advice Wales notes that a complaint does not automatically obtain compensation; a separate claim may be needed. The responsible party, claim route, evidence rules and any compensation limit depend on whether the retailer or you booked delivery and on the exact service.
Do the Royal Mail and BFPO compensation figures apply to every courier?
No. The £20 and £50 Royal Mail examples and the BFPO figures and 80-day deadline relate to specific services or procedures in the cited guidance. Check the current terms for the exact carrier and service before relying on any deadline or limit.
The Bottom Line
First identify who arranged delivery: for a retailer-arranged purchase, write to the seller about non-delivery or damage; if you booked the courier, use that carrier’s claim process. Check the tracking and delivery details, preserve records and packaging, and keep the remedy or claim request clear. UK timing, complaint routes and compensation examples are service-specific, so verify the current rules rather than assuming one carrier’s limits apply to another.
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