Parcel delivery
For many retailers in the mobility sector, selling online has been vital for their survival while continuing to provide equipment to vulnerable customers who are shielding

Retailers across multiple sectors have experienced a spike in online orders since the coronavirus outbreak but questions have been raised about the reliability of deliveries.

For many retailers in the mobility sector, selling online has been vital for their survival while continuing to provide equipment to vulnerable customers who are shielding. Poor experiences with deliveries may be negatively impacting consumers’ confidence to order online.

A poll of 2029 18+ UK adults, commissioned by Citizens Advice found 96 per cent of people have ordered a parcel online since March but 47 per cent have had issues with parcel delivery.

According to the survey, almost one in three people (30 per cent) have faced a delay with their order while one in five people (18 per cent) who experienced a parcel issue incurred financial loss as a result.

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One in four (24 per cent) of respondents said that their experience of a delivery issue had impacted their confidence to order goods again.

Paul Ramsden, Executive Director of Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “Parcel deliveries have become vital for so many people during the lockdown, and I am concerned to learn of the rise in damaged and late deliveries, many of which will affect the most vulnerable.”

Citizens Advice reports that its Consumer Service has received three times as many calls about delivery issues since March compared to the same period last year. In response, the organisation is now using National Consumer Week (Monday 16 November – Sunday 22 November) to clue the public up on their online shopping rights.

For mobility retailers selling online, the results also reinforce the need for businesses to be aware of their obligations when delivering goods and ensuring their businesses’ Terms and Conditions comply with the latest consumer rights laws.

In particular, retailers should be aware of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/contents/enacted), which states that if a trader arranges for goods to be delivered to a consumer, the goods remain at the trader’s risk until delivery. Therefore, it is the trader’s responsibility to ensure that goods are not lost or damaged in transit and/or to take out appropriate insurance.

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