Millions of customers facing parcel delivery problems - what steps should you take to resolve them?

By Olivia Mustafa, ITV News Producer

With Christmas around the corner and Black Friday approaching, parcel delivery firms are facing their busiest time of year - but 15 million customers had delivery problems in the past month, Citizens Advice has found.

The organisation's annual parcels league table ranked Yodel and Evri at the bottom, with two stars out of five each, while Amazon and Royal Mail came first, with three stars.

However, all of those firms saw their customer service scores drop from last year, with only DPD's score remaining the same.

Customers have faced problems such as parcels being left out in the open and arriving late - and the number of people experiencing further issues when trying to solve the issue is at its highest level in three years.

Figures from Ofcom last month found two thirds of people have had problems with delivery in the previous six months, and the regulator said it has strengthened regulations on parcel companies to ensure consumers are treated fairly.

Here are some tips on how to dodge parcel delivery issues.

Approach the seller

Under consumer law, retailers which sell products are responsible for making sure items are delivered to you.

If your parcel doesn't turn up, or the item is damaged, you must contact whoever you've bought it from, as they legally have to resolve the issue.

But you should complain to the delivery company directly if you've had a problem with how the parcel has been delivered, such as the conduct of the delivery driver.

Check delivery information

Make sure you're clear on how much delivery will cost and how long it will take before ordering an item. It is also worth researching the company's return and refund policies.

Deliver it elsewhere

Jane Parsons, a consumer expert from Citizens Advice, suggests looking into finding an alternative delivery address if you're likely to be out of the house when it arrives.

She said: "Consider asking a neighbour or friend if it can be delivered to their address.

"But beware, if you do provide details of a safe space or nominated neighbour and something goes wrong with those arrangements, it’s not the seller or courier’s responsibility."

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Online traders or private seller?

Your consumer rights remain the same whether you're buying online or in-person from a shop.

Check whether you're buying from a private seller or a trader. Try to find if the platform has a process to resolve disputes which might make things easier if there's a problem with a private seller.

Consider reviews

"It’s always worth taking a careful look at reviews to gain an insight into how reliable the parcel company is and how well they deal with missing parcel complaints and refunds," Jane said.

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