Parcel delay

United Kingdom — delivery of goods, Consumer Rights Act 2015 s. 28

NationalGBUnverified — check before relying on it

United Kingdom

Rule id: parcel.gb-cra
Version: 1.0.0
In force from: October 1, 2015
Last read against its sources: August 5, 2026
Countries bound: United Kingdom

United Kingdom

In plain language

What this regime says.

Section 28 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires a trader to deliver without undue delay and within any agreed period, supplying a default where none was agreed. A consumer can specify a further reasonable period and, if that is missed, end the contract and get a refund. Section 29 keeps the risk with the trader until the consumer physically has the goods.

Who is covered

Consumers buying goods from a trader in the United Kingdom.

What you get

Delivery, or the right to end the contract and be refunded in full including delivery charges.

Where claims go wrong

Arguing with the courier instead of the retailer.
Ending the contract without first specifying a further period in writing.
Not using section 75 where the purchase was on a credit card, which makes the card issuer jointly liable with the retailer.

The official claim route

Authority

Every citation,
with its pinpoint.

A claim that cites “EU law” gets filed. A claim that cites Article 7(1)(c) gets answered. These are the exact coordinates this entry rests on.

Consumer Rights Act 2015, s. 28Consumer Rights Act 2015 (c. 15)URL verified 2026-08-05s. 28 (delivery of goods) and s. 29 (passing of risk)

Sources

Where a figure is indexed, converted or published by a regulator rather than fixed in the instrument, the provenance is recorded separately. Anything marked as a modelled estimate is exactly that — a model, not a statutory number.

Consumer Rights Act 2015legislation.gov.ukretrieved 2026-08-05

What it imposes

Clocks, defences and the ladder.

A rule module builds these while it evaluates, because a limitation period depends on which forum is open to you. What follows is the structure this regime produces — deliberately with no dates and no figures, because those belong to your facts rather than to the law.

What it entitles you to, beyond money

Specify a further reasonable period in writingDated, in writing, with a specific date on it. This is what turns a late delivery into a right to cancel.s. 28 (delivery of goods) and s. 29 (passing of risk)
Treat the contract as at an end and get a refundIf the further period passes without delivery, you can end the contract and require a refund of everything you paid, including delivery.s. 28 (delivery of goods) and s. 29 (passing of risk)
Risk stayed with the retailer until you had the goodsA parcel lost or damaged before it reached you is the retailer’s loss, not yours.s. 28 (delivery of goods) and s. 29 (passing of risk)

What the other side will say

Each of these is a refusal this regime lets a counterparty attempt, paired with the answer to it. Reading them before you write is worth more than any amount of polish on the letter itself.

"You are not our customer — the sender is"

high likelihood

The carrier declines to deal with the recipient of a delayed or lost parcel on the basis that its contract is with the shipper.

What answers it

Often correct, and it points at the better claim rather than closing one. If you bought the goods, your contract is with the SELLER, who is responsible to you for delivery until the goods are in your hands and who carries the risk of loss in transit under consumer law. Stop arguing with the carrier and put the claim to the seller — they are the ones who owe you the goods or the money, and they can take it up with the carrier themselves.

"The courier says it was delivered"

high likelihood

The retailer relies on a delivery scan or a doorstep photograph.

What answers it

Risk does not pass until the goods are in your physical possession, and the burden of proving that is on the retailer. Ask for the proof of delivery — the signature, the photograph and the GPS data — and check whether it shows your address at all.

Consumer Rights Act 2015, s. 28 — s. 28 (delivery of goods) and s. 29 (passing of risk)

"The service guarantee is suspended"

high likelihood

The carrier says its money-back or service guarantee does not currently apply to the service you used, or did not apply on the date you shipped.

What answers it

This can be true — the large carriers have suspended their guarantees for extended periods, and a suspension in force on your shipping date does defeat the guarantee claim. Two things to do rather than give up. First, ask them to identify the suspension notice in force on the date you shipped and the service it covered; suspensions are usually service-specific and the answer is often that yours was not covered. Second, remember the guarantee is only one route: a suspended contractual guarantee does not touch your rights against the SELLER under consumer law, which is where a late or missing online order is usually best pursued.

Where to take it next

Write to the retailer specifying a further periodState the order, the promised delivery date, and a specific new date. Say that if it passes you will treat the contract as at an end and require a full refund.Claim directtypically 14 days
Chargeback, or a section 75 claim if you paid by credit cardFor a credit-card purchase above the statutory threshold, the card issuer is jointly liable with the retailer for breach of contract, which is a stronger route than a chargeback because it is a legal right rather than a scheme rule. For debit cards, chargeback is the route and it has its own deadline.Alternative dispute resolution
The retailer’s ADR scheme, or Citizens Advice consumer serviceMany retailers belong to an approved ADR scheme, and the Citizens Advice consumer service can refer matters to Trading Standards where there is a pattern.Alternative dispute resolution
County Court money claim (small claims track)Binding on themMoney Claim Online is designed to be used without a solicitor and costs are not usually recoverable against you on the small claims track.Small claims

Documents

What this regime can produce.

Every one of these is a document you send yourself, in your own name. Duesday never writes to anybody on your behalf and is never anyone’s agent.

The same claim type elsewhere

CMR Convention — international carriage of goods by road (8.33 SDR per kilogram)CMRTreaty — party states varyCMR Convention, Art. 23 Hague-Visby Rules — international carriage of goods by seaHAGUEVISBYTreaty — party states varyHague-Visby Rules, Art. IV r. 5(a)Montreal Convention 1999 — international carriage of cargo by airMONTREALTreaty — party states varyMontreal Convention 1999, Art. 22(3)International postal items — Universal Postal Convention inquiry and indemnityUPUTreaty — party states varyUniversal Postal Convention European Union — delivery rights on consumer sales (Directive 2011/83/EU, Art. 18)EUSupranational — 30 countriesDirective 2011/83/EU, Art. 18 France — La Poste / Colissimo compensationFRNational — FranceCode des postes et des communications électroniques and La Poste’s conditions générales de vente Germany — Deutsche Post DHL domestic parcelsDENational — GermanyPostgesetz and the DHL Allgemeine Geschäftsbedingungen Paket/Päckchen DHL Express — service commitments and claimsDENational — GermanyDHL Express Terms and Conditions of Carriage

Other rights in the same countries

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Not a law firm. Not legal advice. You send it yourself. This page describes a law; it is not advice about your situation and no outcome is promised.