Snow is affecting some deliveries, what are your rights if services are delayed?

Much of the UK, including Scotland, Wales, the north and midlands, has experienced the first major snowfall of the winter.

This is causing problems on some local roads and to regional rail services.

However, so far there has been no significant national disruption to UK courier and mail services, says the delivery comparison expert Parcelhero.

Parcelhero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: ‘We partner with all the leading couriers and are monitoring issues that could impact UK deliveries and collections. This week’s snowfall was accurately forecasted, so it’s not caught couriers by surprise and there has been no major disruption to UK mail and courier services so far.

‘That said, there has been some localised disruption where snowfall has been higher, as is to be expected.

‘One major courier has advised us some services to areas of Clwyd (LL20 7-9), Powys (SY22 5-6) and Shropshire (SY10 0-9) will experience a delay of one day. Another nationwide courier cautions that, although services are working normally in most areas of the UK, snow and ice are slowing it down in some local areas. A small number of parcels could be delayed by up to 48 hours.

‘One impact of the snow is that flights to and from East Midlands airport were temporarily suspended overnight and early this morning to enable the runways to be cleared. Many flights, not just dedicated cargo but also passenger services, also carry airfreight and mail. As a result, some packages have been transferred to alternative modes of transport. This means certain deliveries travelling between the midlands, the southwest and north of England, Wales, Northern Ireland, central and southern Scotland and Guernsey may arrive later than planned.

‘Additionally, adverse weather last night on the M1 and A50 delayed the arrival of vehicles travelling from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to one major carrier’s Midlands Hub. As a result, some packages sent yesterday from the NE postcode area, due for delivery today in other parts of the UK, may arrive later than expected.

‘Of course, weather conditions can improve or deteriorate quickly, so couriers have been carrying out risk assessments throughout the day to ensure deliveries can get through safely. The safety of drivers and staff is a priority for all carriers. That means future disruption can’t be ruled out if conditions deteriorate.

‘If Brits have recently bought items online and are waiting for them to be delivered, can they get compensation if they are delayed because of snow, or other adverse weather conditions?

‘If your online order doesn’t show up, it’s important to understand your contract is with the retailer, not with the delivery company. The first thing you need to do is raise the issue with the seller, as it will be their responsibility to track down your package.

‘It’s unlikely you’ll be entitled to compensation if your shopping is late due to snow. Of course, it is very frustrating to have waited in for a delivery in vain, but most retailers insist that they are not liable for missing a delivery slot.

‘Parcelhero’s advice is to keep your eyes on your emails and texts and ensure you have downloaded and updated couriers’ delivery apps. Many services are dynamic and will constantly update you of the latest location of you shipment and its revised delivery time.

‘In terms of online marketplace orders, shoppers are rightly quick to complain of slow deliveries, and these complaints are often reflected in, for example, eBay’s feedback and seller ratings. However, in times of serious weather conditions, eBay will take them into account. In a way it’s the most accurate bellwether of how bad weather conditions really are!’

‘eBay encourages its sellers to use delivery services which offer tracking in order to keep their customers fully informed. However, during significant  weather-related disruption, eBay will automatically protect its sellers’ performance by removing any negative and neutral feedback relating to or arising from late or non-delivery. Sellers’ “item not received” count in their service metrics dashboard are also automatically removed for the affected dates. However, eBay does insist sellers respond to all “items not received” cases within three working days, even during times of bad weather.

‘If you have sent a parcel through a courier and it arrives late, you are generally not entitled to compensation unless you have selected a timed delivery or money back guarantee service. If you have selected a guaranteed service then you will get a full refund if the delivery is delayed due to a courier error. However, in the case of adverse weather conditions, you may not gain compensation as most couriers have what is known as ‘force majeure’ clause. Force majeure events are delays beyond the courier’s control, such as bad weather or accidents.

‘If you are planning on booking a parcel collection in the next couple of days, we recommend you check the latest updates before doing so.’