Did you know that if your parcel gets lost whilst being shipped, is late arriving at the delivery address or stolen, you’re probably entitled to some form of compensation?

The amount you’re able to claim depends on such factors as how long the delay was, which courier service was used and the type of delivery service you paid for, i.e. same day delivery, next day or 3 day.

At the very least, the cost of the delivery service itself should be refunded, as the courier company will have failed to provide the service with ‘reasonable care and skill’ - a breach of the Consumer Rights Act.

It’s very important that you know the ‘terms and conditions’ of the courier company or parcel delivery service you decide to use so that you know exactly what compensation is on offer.

Usually, the basic delivery rate will not include additional financial cover for the parcel you are sending.

Did you pay for additional cover?

You can pay for additional cover and purchase the relevant insurance from the courier company, or pay for particular delivery methods that include extra liability cover - such as Royal Mail recorded delivery.

If so, the courier service will have it’s own claim process that you will need to follow.

It’s always a good idea to pay for extra protection delivery of high value or fragile items.

How to complain about a courier service.

If you want to make a complaint to a courier service you’ll need to follow the following process:

Firstly, you'll need to contact the courier companies customer services team.

If this doesn't work you need to take your complaint to the next level, the person who is actually responsible for customer complaints.

If the complaint regarding your delivery still can’t be resolved, you can ask the independent postal redress scheme (POSTRS) to investigate your case. But, only regulated postal operators are covered by this scheme. Non-regulated mail services are sometimes covered, provided both the company and customer agree to use the service voluntarily.

If you’re still unhappy with the response to your complaint, you’ll need to seek independent legal advice.

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