The Courier Didn’t Collect the Parcel. What Now?
TL;DR
- If the courier didn’t collect your parcel, common reasons could be holidays, traffic jams, bad weather, or an incorrect address.
- Ensure your address is correct and accessible, and inform anyone at a reception or gate if necessary to avoid issues.
- If the pick-up is delayed, contact the courier or shipping service to reschedule or inquire about the issue.
- If booked through a third party like Eurosender, reach out to their support team for assistance with refunds or rescheduling if needed.
What to do when you wait all day at home for the parcel collection and the courier doesn’t show up? Read our guide to find out the possible reasons for a delayed parcel collection and what are the next steps to make sure your shipment will be collected and delivered.
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Why didn’t the courier show up to collect the parcel?
There are many reasons that can result in a delayed collection. Below, you can find the most common reasons that would cause the courier not to show up to collect the parcel on the scheduled date.
Holidays
In peak season or on national holidays, the demand for sending and receiving packages is so high that delays can occur. During peak periods, couriers tend to prioritise deliveries, resulting in possible delays in the pick-up of some parcels. Make sure you book shipping services soon enough if you’re sending Christmas presents and want to make sure they arrive on time.
Traffic jam
Another cause for a delayed collection or delivery can be traffic jams. This sounds like just an excuse, but it can be true! The driver can sometimes get caught in a traffic jam, and the schedule of collections and deliveries changed due to this unforeseen situation.
In case of delayed parcel collection, couriers usually inform the customer about the inconvenience as soon as possible.
Bad weather conditions
Weather conditions can also be the reason for a delayed pick-up. When there is a storm, snowfall, or any other unfavourable meteorological event, pick-ups and deliveries of parcels can get affected. As travel conditions get worse, and the courier driver might have to postpone the collection or the delivery.
Incorrect, incomplete or misspelt address
Another possibility is that the driver arrived at your building, but he couldn’t find the right door to ring or knock on. It can happen that, in some cases, the address is misspelt, incomplete, or outdated, so you should make sure you check all the details before booking a service.
If you’ve recently moved to a new place and haven’t received any post yet, make sure you check your address is indeed already functional to make sure the courier will be able to reach you.
You may also be interested in:
- Why the courier can’t locate the address
- What does shipping address mean?
- Reasons for uncollected shipment
Difficult access
A possible reason why the courier didn’t show up is because the address is difficult to access. Always make sure to provide all the information needed to locate the address. In case of closed areas or commercial addresses, inform the receptionist or gatekeeper about the scheduled delivery to avoid issues for the driver at the entrance.
What to do if a pick-up was delayed?
The first thing to do when there is a delay in the parcel pick-up is to contact the company you ordered the service.
If you cannot be at home the next day waiting for the driver, a good solution is to ask a dear friend to be there for you. An even better option would be to change the pick-up location of your parcel to the place where you will be, which can be at your workplace, for instance.
Don’t forget that the time window for collection is usually between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
You may also be interested in:
- Reasons for an uncollected shipment
- What to do if the pick-up request is cancelled?
- Why did the courier refused to collect the parcel?
Can I reschedule a pick-up date?
If the courier didn’t come to collect the parcel, most likely the collection will happen the following business day. In case of late collection due to courier delays, you won’t need to reschedule or pay extra.
For any detailed answer about why your parcel wasn’t picked up, contact the courier company directly. If you booked the delivery with us, reach out to our support team using the button below and provide us with your order number.
Can I cancel the service and be reimbursed if the courier doesn’t collect my parcel?
Each courier company has its own cancellation policy. While some couriers may offer a full refund, other couriers may keep an administrative fee for the incurred costs of organising the service or not offer any refund at all. We recommend checking the courier’s Terms and Conditions and contacting them directly.
If you shipped with Eurosender, you can contact our customer support team to ask for the cancellation.
The courier didn’t come on the scheduled delivery date. What should I do?
If you waited all day long for the courier to show up and the delivery didn’t happen, here’s what you can do to ensure that there are no problems.
- Check the tracking status of your shipment to understand if there were complications or delays in the shipment.
- Check for messages from the courier. Check your phone or email (even the spam folder) to be sure the courier company didn’t send you any notification about the delayed delivery.
- Contact the customer support team in case you find strange tracking statuses, any missing information, or if you need to ask for further details that you couldn’t find in the previous steps.
- Be patient. The courier may show up with a few minutes of delay or will communicate about the late delivery as soon as possible. In case of delays in the courier schedule, the delivery will most likely happen on the next business day.
Read more about:
- Failed delivery attempt
- Reasons for a delayed delivery
- Missing the delivery of a parcel
- Can I get compensation for a late delivery?
Still have questions?
Check our articles that answer the most common questions about shipping.
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About the author
Marcel Nahtigal is Head of Marketing at Eurosender, specializing in digital strategies to enhance customer connections in logistics.