Parcel stuck in transit? What to do, step by step.
Your tracking hasn't moved for days and you're wondering if your parcel is lost. Usually it isn't — but there is a point where waiting stops helping. This guide tells you where that point is, and who to contact.
Step 1 — Check what “stuck” actually means
Open the courier's official tracker — not a third-party site — and read the last event and its date. Then ask three questions:
- Has the courier received the parcel at all? Statuses like “we're expecting your parcel” (Evri) or “label created” (DPD) mean the retailer booked it but the courier doesn't have it yet. Nothing is stuck — it hasn't started. Only the retailer can answer for this stage.
- Has the delivery aim passed? A Tracked 48 parcel taking two working days is on time. A DPD parcel arriving a day after its Predict window is late by hours, not lost.
- How long since the last scan? A gap of 1–2 days between depots is normal. A gap of 3+ working days on a UK delivery, after the aim has passed, is when you act.
Step 2 — Wait the right amount of time
Use the courier's own yardstick where one exists:
| Courier | When to act |
|---|---|
| Royal Mail | No update 48 hours after posting, or 2 working days after the delivery aim — contact the sender. |
| Evri | No movement for 2–3 days after Evri has the parcel — contact the retailer. |
| DPD | No movement for 2–3 days, or the delivery date has passed — contact the sender. |
| Parcelforce | No movement for 2 working days after the delivery aim — contact the sender. |
| Yodel | No update for 72 hours after Yodel received the parcel — Yodel's own pages say to contact Customer Care. |
International parcels are different: allow up to a week for the parcel to reach the UK carrier, and longer at customs. Don't judge an international parcel by UK timescales.
Step 3 — Contact the sender (not the courier)
This is the step most people get wrong. If you bought something online, your contract is with the retailer, and the retailer's contract is with the courier. Most couriers will only discuss a missing parcel with the sender, and only the sender can raise a claim. When you contact the retailer, include: the tracking number, the order number, the last tracking event and its date, and the delivery address. Ask them to raise it with the courier and tell you the outcome — and a date by which they'll do it.
If you sent the parcel yourself (for example through a ParcelShop or Post Office), you are the sender — contact the courier directly, with your receipt and tracking number.
Step 4 — If it's actually lost
- Ask the retailer for a refund or a resend. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the retailer is responsible for goods until they are in your hands — a parcel lost in transit is the retailer's problem, not yours.
- If the retailer refuses and you paid by card, ask your bank about a chargeback. If you paid by PayPal or a similar service, use its dispute process. Keep every tracking screenshot and message.
- For high-value items, check whether the sender bought extra cover — Evri, for example, includes free cover up to £20 per parcel when booked online (up to £50 in a Post Office branch), upgradeable to £999. If they didn't upgrade, compensation is capped at the cover chosen, even if the item was worth more.
- Don't pay anyone who contacts you claiming to be the courier and asking for a “redelivery fee” or “customs fee” by text — that is the most common UK parcel scam. Go to the courier's official site directly.
Track it with your courier
Before you contact anyone, re-check the live status — a parcel that looked stuck yesterday may have moved overnight:
Royal Mail tracking →Evri tracking →DPD tracking →Parcelforce tracking →Yodel tracking →
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wait before worrying?
For a UK delivery, wait until the courier's delivery aim has passed, then allow 2–3 working days with no scan. A parcel in transit between depots can go a day or two without a scan and still be fine. International parcels can pause for a week or more at customs or in transit.
Who do I contact — the sender or the courier?
The sender, first and almost always. You bought from the retailer, and the retailer holds the contract with the courier. Most couriers — Evri and Yodel included — only accept loss or damage claims from the sender. Contact the courier directly only if you sent the parcel yourself.
What counts as 'lost'?
There is no single UK rule, and thresholds differ by courier. Royal Mail only treats a parcel as lost for claims after a set wait past its due date: 10 working days for 1st/2nd Class, 7 for Tracked 24/48, 5 for Special Delivery — and 20 working days for international deliveries to Europe, 25 for the rest of the world. Other couriers have their own thresholds, so ask the sender. Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are against the retailer, not the courier.
The tracker says delivered but I have nothing — is it stuck?
No — that's a different problem. Check the delivery photo on the official tracker, safe places, neighbours and any ParcelShop or locker it may have been diverted to. If it's still missing, tell the retailer the same day.
Can tracking be wrong?
Yes, occasionally. A scan can be missed, a parcel can be scanned at the wrong depot, or a status can update late. One wrong scan doesn't mean the parcel is lost — a pattern of no scans for many days does.