Stamp out dodgy deliveries

New Which? research reveals one in four people have had a problem with a delivery in the past 12 months as we launch a campaign to Stamp Out Dodgy Deliveries.

Six in 10 (60%) people say one of the reasons they shop online is due to the convenience of having the product delivered, but we’ve found one in four (26%) have had a problem with a delivery in the past 12 months.

Delivery issues included parcels being late (17%), not delivered (3%) and even damaged (2%).

We also asked people what frustrated them and a third (36%) of people said not being able to choose a suitable delivery time was an irritant when shopping online. Not being informed of the time goods will be delivered (26%) was also a gripe, along with delays in receiving an item (15%) and getting goods that are damaged (11%).

Which? has launched a campaign to Stamp Out Dodgy Deliveries, targeting shops to improve the delivery service they provide. We want retailers to:

  • Provide specific time-slots for deliveries on a named day;
  • Inform customers of the estimated delivery time on the day of delivery by phone, email or text;
  • Ask customers to specify at the time of purchase what to do if the delivery is unsuccessful.

Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd, said: “One of the attractions of shopping online is the convenience of having your items delivered but we’ve found the experience can be anything but convenient. “We want shops to do more to ensure that the service is first class, first time. Retailers need to respond to consumers’ demands and stamp out dodgy deliveries.”

To support our campaign to Stamp out Dodgy Deliveries visit www.which.co.uk/stampout

In our new survey of the best and worst online shops, specialist photography retailer Wex Photographic came out on top with a customer score of 91%, scoring top marks for deliveries as well as product stock and the usability of its website. DIY.com (B&Q) was at the bottom of the table scoring just 47%.

Notes to editors

1.    The Which? Consumer Rights website has advice and information on your delivery rights. Visit www.which.co.uk/yourdeliveryrights

2.    We surveyed 10,450 Which? members in June and July 2014 as part of our online shopping survey.

3.    The best and worst online shops as voted by Which? members can be found here.

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