12 things we love under £100
18 Apr 2024
Damaged goods, shoddy service, and packages sent to the wrong address are just some of the things that can go wrong with deliveries.
Unfortunately for shoppers, most retailers don’t give you a choice about which courier delivers your parcel. But knowing the best companies to use can be useful if you are given several options, or if you need to send a package yourself.
This guide reveals which couriers had the highest proportion of satisfied customers in 2023, the most common delivery issues, and where to get advice when things go wrong.
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Delivery company | Overall percentage of satisfied companies | Communication by the delivery company about your parcel | Condition of the parcel when it arrived | Delivery on time/ as expected | How easy it is to rearrange delivery | Satisfaction with delivery |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amazon | 93% | |||||
Royal Mail | 92% | |||||
DPD | 88% | |||||
DHL | 85% | N/A | ||||
Evri | 76% |
We surveyed 1,313 adults in Great Britain in September 2023 to ask about their experience with deliveries of online orders in the previous six months.
Amazon had the highest percentage of satisfied customers (93%), but none of the firms in our survey scored poorly.
Amazon earned five stars for parcel condition, delivering items on time and satisfaction, and four stars for communication and ease of rearranging a delivery.
Royal Mail came second in our survey, with 92%. It scored five stars for parcel condition and four stars for satisfaction, ease of rescheduling and on-time delivery. However, customers only awarded it three stars for communication.
The lowest scoring firm in our survey was Evri, with 76%. It received three stars across all categories, except parcel condition, where it scored four stars.
We didn’t receive a big enough sample of customers to include Parcelforce, Yodel, UPS and FedEx in our survey.
If your delivery is late, missing or damaged we can help you make a complaint, and get a new delivery date or a refund.
Follow the steps in our delivery complaint tool to draft a letter to the retailer you bought the item from.
Fortunately, disastrous deliveries aren’t the norm.
76% of respondents to our survey said they were satisfied with their most recent delivery. But that still means a quarter of people experienced problems.
Here are some of the most common issues:
This was the most common problem, with 9% of respondents saying their parcel was left outside in clear view.
If your instructions aren’t followed (for example, the parcel is left on your doorstep) and it’s then stolen or damaged, the retailer is in breach of contract and must provide a refund or replacement. You should also report any stolen parcels to the police.
8% of respondents reported their parcels arriving late. If this happens to you, you should first complain to the retailer you bought the item from. Even if you think the courier is at fault, your contract is with the retailer.
If you paid extra for speedy delivery and the package doesn’t arrive on time, ask whoever you paid for the service (the retailer or the courier) to refund you this cost.
6% of respondents to our survey said a parcel was not delivered to them, despite someone being at home.
If your item is not successfully delivered, most couriers will attempt to redeliver the next day.
Although your contract is with the retailer, you can still complain to the courier if you're unhappy with its service.
All companies must have a complaints procedure that you can follow.
We explain what each courier offers and when they’re likely to deliver your goods.
Amazon provides its own delivery service, offering next-day delivery to Prime members.
This can make it more straightforward if you have a problem with your delivery, as the courier and retailer are part of the same company.
It also delivers parcels on behalf of some other retailers through its Amazon Shipping service.
Evri, which was rebranded from Hermes in 2022, offers courier collection up to seven days a week, and also has lockers and parcel shops where you can drop off and pick up packages.
In November 2023, it partnered with the Post Office, allowing people to drop off and pick up parcels through Evri in some Post Office branches.
DHL offers UK and international shipping to more than 200 countries.
It offers a fully tracked door-to-door next day UK delivery service six days a week, and has 3,500 service points across the UK where you can send, collect, and return parcels.
DPD offers UK and international shipping to over 200 countries and has 6,000 local drop off collection points in the UK.
In November 2023, it partnered with the Post Office, which means customers will be able to drop off and pick up parcels through DPD in some Post Office branches.
Royal Mail is best known for delivering your letters, but it also ships parcels within the UK and offers international shipping.
You can purchase shipping at the Post Office or via Royal Mail directly.
You can then drop off the item at your local Royal Mail delivery office, or have it collected from your home at no extra cost.
We didn’t get enough customer responses to include these brands in our survey.
If you buy something online, from a catalogue or over the phone that requires home delivery and it arrives late or doesn't turn up at all, don't worry - you've got rights.
Your rights vary depending on the issue. See our guides on what to do in the following scenarios: