SO YOU’VE been savvy and saved money by shopping online – but what happens when your parcel doesn’t turn up or is damaged?
A new report reveals more than two thirds of online shoppers have had parcels lost, damaged or turn up late in the last year.
The study by Citizens Advice, shows customers who didn’t manage to get compensation were left £148 million out of pocket – £30 per parcel – due to damaged or lost of goods, hours wasted and time away from work.
Worryingly, 54 per cent of shoppers don’t take any action if their parcel is late – such as complaining or asking for a refund.
Meanwhile a third of consumers who receive a damaged parcel don’t take action either, despite possible being entitled to compensation.
Citizens Advice Chief Executive, Gillian Guy, said: “Online shopping should be quick and convenient – but problems with delivery create unwanted hassle.
“Retailers are responsible for getting the parcel to the customer – and making this clearer to customers at the checkout could help them sort out problems quicker if deliveries go astray.”
So with the summer sale season underway and more of us than ever shopping on the web, what can you do to protect your cash?
Here are the top tips from Citizens Advice.
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If your parcel doesn’t arrive when you expected it to:
Standard delivery: If you’re worried an item hasn’t arrived by the date agreed on your order, contact the retailer to find out where it is. The retailer is responsible for getting orders delivered to you, not the parcel company. If you didn’t agree a specific delivery date, it should arrive within 30 days of when you ordered it. You can cancel the order and get a full refund if it doesn’t arrive after 30 days.
Premium delivery: You can claim a refund for some of the cost of delivery. Legally, retailers only need to refund the cost of the cheapest delivery option – so if you paid for a premium ‘next day’ or ‘named day’ service, you may not get all your money back.
If your parcel is damaged:
It is the retailer’s responsibility to make sure items arrive in good condition. Contact them about the damage and they will either offer to send you a new item or refund you.
If someone was waiting at home for the parcel, but a note said it couldn’t be delivered:
Contact the parcel firm to arrange a redelivery, or alternatively if you don’t want it any more you can cancel the order if it’s been less than 14 days since you bought it and get a refund.
Although legally you’re not entitled to compensation in this situation it’s worth complaining to the delivery firm and retailer – they will value your feedback and may offer you a goodwill gesture.
If your parcel was left in a location that was not secure
If you get a note saying your parcel has been left in a certain location but it isn’t there, the retailer should replace it or give you your money back. If you receive the item but aren’t happy with where it was left, complain to both the retailer and delivery firm. Although not legally obliged, they may offer you some sort of compensation as a goodwill gesture.
See http://www.cas.org.uk/ for help
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