CHRISTMAS DELIVERY DISASTERS
Parcels thrown over fences, broken items and packages taken away by bin collectors were among delivery problems experienced by around four in 10 online shoppers last Christmas.
Some 43% of those surveyed experienced at least one problem, Which? found.
Of those who had a delivery that went wrong, one in five (19%) was delivered late, one in 10 (11%) was left outside without consent, and 7% went missing.
Among the issues were parcels arriving broken after being thrown over fences – including a crate of wine thrown over a garden gate – packages left in rain and snow and deliveries deposited in bins.
A separate survey of customer satisfaction with courier companies by the watchdog found all the firms received a score of 80% or higher.
However 8% of Yodel customers rated the punctuality of the delivery as poor and one in seven (14%) said communication about their parcel was poor.
At the other end of the scale, Amazon Logistics and Royal Mail were top of the survey.
More than a fifth (22%) of those surveyed said they have chosen to avoid a retailer because of the courier it uses.
Customers can be entitled to a replacement, repair or refund if a delivery arrives faulty. They may also get a refund from a retailer if they paid extra for a special delivery that then arrived late.
If a delivery fails to arrive, customers should immediately contact the retailer, which should either help track down their order or send a replacement.
Ofcom is also planning to impose new rules on the delivery sector to improve their services and how they handle complaints.
Which? surveyed 2,100 UK adults in February to ask about their issues with deliveries last Christmas and 4,002 UK residents in November to ask about their most recent delivery experience in the last six months.