New research has exposed a significant crisis in the UK's parcel delivery sector, with a record number of people reporting problems with their latest orders. A comprehensive study from the charity Citizens Advice has ranked the performance of the country's major delivery firms, revealing a stark contrast in service quality.
The League Table: Winners and Losers
Citizens Advice compiled a detailed league table scoring companies out of five stars based on customer service, delivery issues, and how well they met accessibility needs. Royal Mail emerged as the top performer with a score of 3.25 stars, marking the fourth consecutive year it has led the rankings.
In second place was Amazon Logistics, which received three stars. This was followed by DPD and Evri, which both scored 2.25 stars. Yodel was ranked the worst-performing delivery company, achieving a meagre two-star rating.
The findings are based on an online survey conducted by Opinium Research between August and September, which gathered responses from 8,000 adults who had received a parcel in the previous month. The data was weighted to be nationally representative of customers using these five major firms.
Millions Face Delivery Disruptions
The scale of the problem is vast. The survey found that a record 15 million people experienced an issue with their most recent delivery. This equates to more than one in three people surveyed, highlighting a systemic failure across the industry.
The most common problems reported by consumers included:
- Drivers leaving before the recipient had time to get to the door (29%).
- Parcels being left in an insecure location (24%).
- Late arrivals of packages (24%).
Despite Ofcom, the industry regulator, introducing strengthened guidance on complaints and accessibility in 2023, Citizens Advice says its research shows many parcel firms are still "ignoring the rules."
Accessibility Needs 'Ignored'
The report identified accessibility as the worst-performing area for delivery companies. The charity shared the experience of Mike, a man in his 70s with muscular dystrophy who relies on two walking sticks.
Mike explicitly asks delivery firms to leave parcels at his back door, which is closer to his home office, as he struggles to reach the front door in time. Despite these requests, companies repeatedly ignore his instructions, leading to parcels being misdelivered or left exposed to the weather.
"It makes you awfully frustrated, and it makes you really fed up," Mike said. He described one incident where a delivery agent was caught on video throwing a parcel over his back gate onto concrete, while the delivery confirmation stated it had been "handed to the resident." As a result, Mike has begun to stop buying from retailers that use certain delivery companies.
Calls for Tougher Regulatory Action
Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, stated: "We continue to see millions of people chasing lost parcels, having their accessibility needs ignored and hitting a brick wall when they try to complain. The question now is whether the regulator will take tougher action to improve the parcel market once and for all."
In response, Ofcom provided a statement to Sky News, highlighting its "strong track record of holding parcel firms to account." The regulator pointed to its decade-long monitoring of parcel delivery experiences and the introduction of strengthened regulations in 2023.
These rules mandate that postal operators must have a simple, transparent complaints process and clear policies for the fair treatment of disabled customers. Ofcom noted that while overall satisfaction is reasonably high at 78%, experiences vary significantly by company, and it will continue to press operators for further improvements.
Company Responses to the Report
Amazon responded by emphasising that the vast majority of its deliveries are completed without issue and that it works directly with customers to resolve any problems that occur.
Royal Mail expressed pleasure at topping the league table again and highlighted its expansion of the UK's largest out-of-home network, including shops, lockers, and parcel post boxes, to provide more convenient options for customers.
Evri acknowledged it has "more to do" but pointed to independent recognition of the progress it is making. The company noted a £57 million investment in operations and technology over the past year and highlighted its partnership with the disability equality charity Scope. Evri stated it is the only UK parcel carrier to commit to specific accessibility improvements, with 90,000 customers already setting accessibility preferences on their accounts.
Yodel and DPD did not respond to requests for comment from Sky News.
