Today, watchdogs demanded that parcel customers be protected more strongly after it emerged that two thirds of those who have received parcels in error in the past three months were affected.
The pandemic, as well as the switch to online shopping, has seen parcel deliveries increase 50 percent to over four billion in Britain each year.
The surge in complaints has led to 600 new complaints per hour. Now consumer groups demand that courier firms fail to pay fines.
Hermes, Yodel DPD, UPS DHL Amazon Royal Mai Parcelforce, and other companies are accused of not fulfilling delivery commitments and making it hard to complain.
The average parcel delivery is around 10 million per day. However, this number balloons after Black Friday. A tidal wave in parcels has now flooded warehouses and streets.
This graphic is part Ofcom’s recent research on the UK parcel industry
These are the top 10 issues that Britons who have delivered in the last three months faced.
The graphic below shows how the worst problems have been with suppliers when they send a package in the past 12 months.
On the other hand, Christmas can be a time of sorrow with mishandled or lost items.
The most frequent complaints are that you cannot get in touch with the right person. If the company refuses to answer the call, it is often the case.
Many people claimed it was hard to know how to complain, and that even if they tried it could take quite a while to resolve any issues.
Ofcom, the industry watchdog has proposed plans to improve delivery firm handling of complaints. It also announced new rules for disabled individuals to be treated fair by mail companies.
According to an Ofcom survey, 64% of customers experienced delivery problems in the past three months.
The report stated that 25% of recipients find it difficult or impossible to file a complaint with the postal service, or get in touch with them, after their deliveries go wrong.
“Two fifths of complainants say that their issues are only partially solved, and almost one-tenth are left without a resolution to their problem.
“Our evidence shows that the service levels vary across industries: customer satisfaction scores for complaints handling are ranging from 29% for one operator up to 71% for another.
Ofcom could not identify the firm with the worst reputation for handling complaints.
But, the company has released a table indicating customer satisfaction. Hermes is at the bottom of this list with a score of 57%.
The graphic below shows the reasons people called the parcel or retail operator to inquire about a package
These are the top problems people face when contacting suppliers or making complaints
The Ofcom graph below shows which consumers have complained and how the problem was solved.
Yodel came in second with a score of 61%, followed by UPS (74%) and Parcelforce (779%) and FedEx and Royal Mail (80%).
Recent failures by Hermes drivers
Hermes delivered driver said he attempted to deliver a parcel of customer’s package by posting a picture of him wearing slippers while watching television on a couch.
Thomas Gent (30) received an email notification that his delivery was attempted. It included a brazen September photograph.
His Preston house had been in limbo while he waited for craft materials. Hermes was sorry for the technical problem.
Last month, Hermes drivers were fired after they took parcels from their cars and made it appear that they would be thrown away.
Amy Taylor, 34, captured the driver unloading parcels from his vehicle and leaving them in Carnwath (South Lanarkshire).
The driver told her that he was sorting parcels. She then claimed to have asked what he was doing. She then claimed she discovered a pile of parcels on the ground, including one addressed to Hermes.
Hermes accepted our apology and informed us that courier was having his contract ended with immediate effect.
After a computer error marked packages as undeliverable, Hermes was forced to compensate retailers with a payment of ‘hundreds’ of pounds.
For every parcel that’s successfully processed, and thus able to go to customers, the parcel company will pay 35p.
Computer problems meant that many parcels were not correctly logged in the system by the retailers. This resulted in shop owners not receiving the correct amount of money for the actual number of packages they actually handled.
Amazon received the highest score of 89%, but it is still struggling to deliver next-day delivery under Prime before Christmas.
All post operators have to comply with existing regulations. Ofcom, however, is stepping up its efforts to make these more transparent.
Customers will need to be able to tell firms how they can complain and whom to contact.
The staff must be instructed in how to handle complaints.
Ofcom also proposes that parcel businesses must publish clear, effective policies and procedures to ensure fair treatment for disabled customers.
It warns you that failure to conform could result in enforcement actions and additional regulation.
Ofcom today published its plans along with the annual monitoring report for the postal market.
A Hermes spokesman said: ‘We welcome these proposals that are in line with steps we are already undertaking to improve the consumer journey.’
For comment, a Yodel spokesperson was reached.
Matthew Upton is Citizens Advice’s director of policy. He said that Citizens Advice has conducted its own research and found a broken courier system.
He stated that the outbreak of the pandemic had brought out the importance of the parcel business, in particular to the disabled or to people who have been instructed to keep them safe.
“Our research indicates that only 36% of parcel recipients experienced issues with their delivery and half didn’t get the support they needed to solve the problem.
“So, we are happy for Ofcom to investigate ways parcel delivery companies could improve their complaint processes. We’ve been calling for this since a long time.
“But there is still much to be done. Ofcom should step in and impose fines on companies that cause problems for consumers if they fail to comply with the law.
Lindsey Fussell is the director of Ofcom’s communications and networks group. She stated that parcel deliveries are becoming more important in our everyday lives, and customers expect positive experiences.
“We plan to tighten our rules in order to guarantee that people are treated equally by delivery companies. We will consider enforcement actions or tightening regulations if we do not see improvements in customer services.