Know your rights: Consumer expert reveals how to track down a missing parcel after holiday

You’ve enjoyed a week or two away for a well-deserved rest and in between sorting out the laundry and going through the post you realise that a parcel you were expecting has not been delivered.

It’s a common situation, with citizens’ advice estimating that 37 percent of customers face a delivery issue when they are away on holiday.

Consumer expert Jane Hawkes has shared her advice with customers who find themselves missing a parcel which states it was ‘delivered’ and says “make your problem the problem of the retailer.”

“Leaving packages unattended when you are going to be away for a period of time does leave you open to theft and the best advice is always to rearrange deliveries to when you are back or to another person who will be in,” says Jane who runs the advice website ladyjaney.co.uk.

“But whether it’s misplaced or stolen, you do have rights under the law which mean you should not be left out of pocket.

“The first port of call should always be with the retailer or sender, since your contract is with them rather than the delivery company.

“But it’s important to fully check the delivery details and check with neighbours before you raise a problem as this could save you time in the long run.”

Here are Jane’s top tips for tracking down that missing parcel. 

1. Check the tracking information carefully

Don’t panic if you return from holiday to discover a parcel is missing. Start by checking the retailer’s order information and the courier’s tracking. Look at the actual delivery details rather than simply the word ‘delivered’. There should be a delivery photograph and information about where it was left, who supposedly accepted it or if it was diverted to a collection point or locker. 

2. Check everywhere and ask your neighbours

If the parcel was delivered while you were away, it may have been left somewhere you wouldn't normally expect. Check your porch, garage, shed, garden, behind bins and any safe place you have nominated. Also ask family members who may have just forgotten and also neighbours whether they accepted it on your behalf. 

Don’t assume that because the tracking doesn't mention a neighbour, they haven't got it. Delivery drivers have an incredibly short time period to deliver parcels and if you live in a hard-to-find place they may have left it at another address. 

3. Check whether it was sent to a collection point

A parcel that couldn't be delivered may have been taken to a parcel shop, Post Office or locker. Check your emails, texts and the courier's app for notifications, particularly if you were away when the delivery was attempted. There may also be a deadline for collecting it so act promptly.

4. If it says ‘delivered’ but you don't have it, challenge it

A delivery scan doesn't automatically mean that the parcel has reached you. If you can't find it, contact the courier and ask them to investigate. Ask for the delivery photograph, exact delivery location, GPS information where available, the driver's delivery notes and an investigation reference number. The key thing is to make it clear that you have not received the parcel.

5. Don't be fobbed off by the retailer

If you bought the goods from a retailer and they arranged the delivery, your contract is with the retailer, not the courier. You can contact the courier to help establish what happened but don't allow yourself to be passed from pillar to post between the two. 

Tell the retailer that the goods have not been received and ask them to investigate with their delivery company. Make your problem theirs. The retailer remains responsible for the goods until they come into your physical possession or the possession of someone you nominated to receive them. 

6. Keep evidence and check the delivery date

If you've been away for several days, establish exactly when the parcel was supposedly delivered and what delivery instructions were in place at the time. Save screenshots of the tracking information, delivery photographs, emails and texts, and keep a note of conversations with the retailer or courier. This evidence can be invaluable if you need to make a formal complaint.

7. Don't immediately assume it has been stolen

A missing parcel may have been misdelivered, left somewhere unexpected, given to a neighbour, diverted to a collection point or incorrectly marked as delivered. Work through these possibilities first but if you still can't locate it, contact the retailer promptly. If there is genuine evidence that the parcel has been stolen, report that separately. 

Most importantly, don't assume that a courier's ‘delivered' scan is the end of the matter. A parcel being marked as delivered isn't necessarily the same as you actually receiving it.