Parcel allegedly delivered - now missing - what can I do?

[anonymous-user]

Real nightmare happened today. I will try to be clear as to what happened.

I ordered 2 identical electronic items with a fairly high value from a UK supplier.

The delivery took place today via a major courier company.

They were ordered in my name personally and to be delivered to me. I gave no alternate delivery instructions such as permission to be left with anyone else etc.

Strangely they were sent as 2 separate items, delivered to my office and signed for by a colleague as I was in a meeting.

I was told by a staff member that there was 'a parcel for me' and sure enough there was one sat there. I was a little confused and went on the vendors website and tracked my order, to be informed that '2 of 2' had been delivered successfully.

I find it very odd that someone in my office would have stolen one of the items as they were both in plain brown boxes with no indication of the contents, plus we get things delivered all the time with no problems.

I asked the colleague who signed for them and he said they only handed over one parcel to him to sign for, and he signed.

I cannot ring the courier yet as the customer service lines are closed until the morning, but I want to know where I stand on this one as if the second parcel cannot be located and the delivery company stick to their guns and state they definitely delivered 2, I am screwed and will have lost quite as lot of money.

I am really, really quite annoyed at this point!

What is the legal position of courier companies getting other people to sign for things and then the named customer not receiving them?

[Durzel]

How big were the parcels? I had two parcels that made up one order delivered on two consecutive days because "the driver didn't have any more room on the van".

Chase it up tomorrow morning, but I wouldn't worry too much at this early stage.

[marshalla]

You do not have a contract with the courier -only the supplier does.

your contract is with the supplier. If the order isn't fulfilled, you need to take it up with the supplier.

[anonymous-user]

Durzel said:

How big were the parcels? I had two parcels that made up one order delivered on two consecutive days because "the driver didn't have any more room on the van".

Chase it up tomorrow morning, but I wouldn't worry too much at this early stage.

The parcels were small shoebox sized, so pretty small.

I'm hoping that the delivery driver only thought he had one for me rather than two and discovered the other when he got back to the depot, but the cynic in me says he knew what they were and handed over one and got someone in my office to unknowingly sign for both at once.

I fear that the person at the couriers office I speak to in the morning will just look on the computer and tell me that both have been delivered 'because computer says so'.

Thanks for the reply regarding my contract with the supplier rather than the courier.

[Nickyboy]

NinjaPower said:

What is the legal position of courier companies getting other people to sign for things and then the named customer not receiving them?

Try and find a courier company that does only deliver to the named person as the norm, you won't.

Reality of it is if you deliver to a company either a receptionist or post room person will normally sign for it. Some companies may insist they get the named person to sign for their own parcels but again in reality this isn't realistic, people are busy, in meetings, out of office etc etc. Half of their deliveries will end up being returned to sender. There is often no way of knowing as to whether the delivery is a work or personal item. I still deliver to offices with parcels that have names of people who have long since left, years ago in some cases.

I think we tried what's called desk delivery in the States in the past where the driver delivers to the consignees desk in an office complex, it turned out the drivers spent so long trying to find the consignees when they weren't at their desk that it was quickly dropped.

As has already been said, contact the shipper as it's them who haven't fulfilled their obligation. The problem is the fact it states it's been signed for, there could be an honest explanation or someone could be light fingered. Could be at work or could be the driver, the driver won't have any idea whats in it anymore than anyone else however.

[160]

when I ordered a custom pc a couple of years ago the pc was in one box and the cds and some spares were in another the delivery driver only delivered the pc to me it wasnt till later that I realised there was 2 parcels, rang the pc shop who got the parcel company to redeliver the 2nd parcel the next day. As there were 2 parts to 1 delivery there was only 1 signature for both.

[Sheepshanks]

Any CCTV at work that might show how many parcels the courier carried in?