Rules for parcel delivery to agreed-upon location
More and more delivery services are allowing consumers to give specific delivery instructions and have parcels dropped off in their garden, shed or garage. Sometimes, things go wrong and the parcel may not be where it should. Continue reading to find out what to do if this happens to you.
Delivery options
When you make an online purchase, you can often choose from several delivery options and even give specific instructions. Parcels can be delivered to your home address or to your neighbours, and you can even tell couriers exactly where to leave the parcel. Some parcels cannot be delivered to your neighbours or left in a specific spot, e.g. because a signature or identification is required. In that case, the shipping company is allowed to disregard your delivery preferences.
Lost parcel
If the shipping company claims that your order has been delivered but you never received your order, contact the seller. The seller is responsible for your order until you receive it. If the order also claims that your order has been delivered, ask the seller to investigate the issue with the shipping company responsible for delivering your parcel. If the investigation yields nothing, the seller must give you a full refund.
Wrong address
If your order was delivered but you accidentally entered the wrong address, the seller is not responsible for incorrect delivery of the parcel. In some cases, you can contact the shipping company or delivery service to change your address details.
Stolen parcel
If you choose to have the shipping company leave your parcel in an agreed location around the house and your order is stolen or broken, you are responsible. If you allowed the delivery service to deliver your order somewhere around the house, the delivery service or seller is no longer responsible for theft or damage.
If you have ordered valuable goods and know that you will not be home for a long time, we recommend having the parcel delivered to your home address, rather than giving specific delivery instructions. It is also best to pick a delivery date on which you know you will be home, so you can take delivery of the parcel yourself.
Need help?
If you purchased something from an e-retailer in another EU country and something goes wrong with the delivery, get in touch with one of our lawyers for free information and advice.