Courier problems – consumer champion Helen Dewdney welcomes action from the regulator Ofcom

One of the legacies of lockdown and the pandemic has been the explosion in deliveries as people ordered products online – and the related explosion in people using courier companies.

A significant number of consumers have had problems with couriers with their parcels not arriving, going to the wrong place, being damaged or never making it beyond a depot. This is also the case when sending parcels yourself – even if a consumer is using a courier through a service such as Vinted.

One of the problems then, has been actually getting hold of the courier company for an update or explanation.

From today, April 1 2023, that is supposed to change. Ofcom has imposed new stricter guidelines on courier companies. These include:

1. Courier companies must tell consumers who to?contact if things go wrong and what channels they?can?use to make a complaint.
2. They must also ensure customers know what the complaint process will be, and how long the complaint will take to resolve.
3. The companies must also use?staff?who have?received?appropriate training. 

Helen Dewdney,  a consumer champion known as The Complaining Cow, has welcomed this change.

She said: “Ofcom’s consultation, which was published last year, found almost two thirds (64%) of people sending parcels had a problem with a delivery firm in a three month period.

“Around 25% of senders found it difficult to make a complaint, or to contact parcel operators, when their delivery went wrong. This research published March 2022 highlighted inconsistency in satisfaction with complaint handling too, ranging from 29% for Evri (Hermes at the time) to 71% for Amazon.”

The research also found that:

• 40% of those who complained said their complaints were only partially resolved.
• 10% were left with their complaint completely unresolved.
• 37% of consumers of those who did not complain when they experienced a delivery issue said they didn’t bother because it ‘wouldn’t change anything’”.

Will all of this make a difference for consumers though?

When consumers purchase an item from a retailer and then have a problem with the delivery they will often try to contact the courier.

However the contract is with the retailer and it is the retailer which should resolve the matter. Some retailers may fob off consumers, telling them to contact the courier. However the seller is still responsible for trying to resolve the matter.

Ofcom is also introducing ‘a new requirement for parcel firms to establish, publish and comply with clear and effective policies and procedures for the fair treatment of disabled customers.’

Disabled people are more likely to experience parcel delivery problems than non-disabled customers. For example, not allowing enough time for people to answer the door, drivers not carrying out specific delivery instructions and leaving parcels in inaccessible places.

From 1 November this year postal operators “must have policies and procedures in place to ensure disabled customers can communicate their delivery needs to them, and firms will need to ensure couriers will meet those needs when delivering parcels.”

When asked why the rules are coming in much later for disabled customers, a spokesperson for Ofcom said: 

“Parcel operators need sufficient time to develop and implement new policies and procedures, including ICT systems changes and training programmes, to comply with our new rule. We expect parcel firms to be ready for the deadline.”

Ofcom has said that if it does not see substantial improvements in customer service and complaints handling as a result of these changes, it will consider enforcement action or further regulation.

“In line with how we regulate other sectors, we'll keep a close eye on the market once the guidance is introduced, and our monitoring work could include consumer research, information gathering and tracking complaint levels.”