Published 21 April 2026
Quick Answer
If you bought goods online, your contract is with the retailer, not the courier. Under Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the retailer stays responsible until the goods reach you — so they owe you the refund or replacement, even if the courier is the one who lost or misdelivered the parcel.
For anything you bought online in the UK, the retailer is the party legally responsible for delivery going wrong — not Evri, not Royal Mail, not Yodel, not DPD. Your contract of sale is with the retailer, and under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the goods remain at the retailer's risk until they come into your physical possession. Always go to the retailer first and ask for a refund or replacement. If you want the tool to generate the exact message for your situation, start with the free refund tool.
Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the core protection for missing deliveries. It states that goods remain at the trader's risk until they come into the physical possession of the consumer, or of a person identified by the consumer to take possession. In plain English: if the parcel does not reach you, the retailer — not the courier — bears the loss.
Section 28 adds a second protection: if no delivery date was agreed, the retailer must deliver within 30 days. If they fail, you can treat the contract as at an end and claim a full refund under Section 28(7). Neither of these sections can be overridden by the retailer's terms and conditions. Any clause that says "we are not responsible after dispatch" is unenforceable.
This is one of the most common — and most incorrect — pieces of advice UK shoppers receive after a missing parcel. Retailers deflect to the courier because it slows the complaint down, reduces their customer service workload, and gives them more tracking information before they have to act. None of that changes your legal position.
The retailer chose the courier, the retailer pays the courier, and the retailer bears the consequences if the courier fails. Any claim the retailer needs to make against the courier is their business to handle separately — it does not sit with you. If you are being bounced back and forth, reply in writing, cite Section 29, and set a 7-day deadline. Most retailers back down once they see you know your rights.
The courier's job is to transport the parcel, scan it at handover points, and record a delivery event — sometimes with a photo or GPS data. What couriers do not do is approve refunds to consumers, send you replacements, or settle the underlying dispute. Most couriers only accept claims from the sender (the retailer), not the recipient. That is why chasing the courier as the recipient is usually a dead end for getting your money back. The courier's records can still be useful as evidence — a mismatched photo, wrong GPS location, or missing scan — but you send that evidence to the retailer, not to the courier.
Evri (formerly Hermes) is one of the most commonly cited couriers in deflection messages, especially for fashion retailers (Asos, Next, Boohoo, JD Sports). Evri only accepts claims from the sender — which is the retailer, not you. If the retailer points you to Evri's help centre, reply: "My contract is with you, not Evri. Under Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you are responsible until the parcel reaches me. Please process a refund or replacement within 7 working days." For courier-specific context on what Evri's tracking and photos actually prove, see our Evri lost parcel claim page.
Royal Mail has its own claims process at royalmail.com/claims, but it is only available to the sender. If the retailer used Royal Mail and tells you to file the claim yourself, push back: Royal Mail will reject a claim from the recipient because the contract of carriage is between Royal Mail and the retailer. Stand on Section 29 and ask the retailer to refund you, then they can pursue Royal Mail themselves if they wish. For courier-specific compensation limits and the 80-day claim window, see our Royal Mail compensation page.
Yodel is often used for larger, heavier items. If Yodel's tracking shows "delivered" but the parcel did not reach you, or the tracking has stalled, the retailer is still responsible. Yodel's driver photo, GPS, or signature data can support your complaint but it is not evidence that discharges the retailer's duty under the Consumer Rights Act. See our Yodel lost parcel guide for the tracking signals that strengthen your claim — but send them to the retailer, not to Yodel.
DPD handles many higher-value orders and provides detailed GPS data and delivery photos. Retailers sometimes lean on the photo as if it settled the dispute. It does not. A photo of an unfamiliar doorstep, a communal entrance, or a wrong door is evidence that the parcel was not delivered into your possession — which strengthens your Section 29 claim against the retailer. For how to read and use DPD's evidence, see our DPD lost parcel guide, but keep the complaint focused on the retailer.
If the retailer refuses to refund after you cite Section 29, you have strong escalation routes. For credit card orders over £100, file a Section 75 claim with your card issuer — the card company is jointly liable with the retailer under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. For debit card payments, request a chargeback through your bank. For PayPal transactions, open a Buyer Protection dispute. If none of those apply, report the retailer to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice and consider Money Claims Online (Small Claims Court) for amounts up to £10,000. Court fees start at £35 and most retailers settle before a hearing.
Subject: Re: Order [ORDER NUMBER] — Missing Delivery Dear [Retailer Name], Thank you for your response. However, my contract is with you as the retailer, not with the courier. Under Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you remain responsible for delivery of goods until they come into my physical possession. I have not received order [ORDER NUMBER] placed on [DATE], value [AMOUNT]. Please issue a full refund or send a replacement within 7 working days. If you do not, I will escalate via my payment provider (Section 75 / chargeback) and, if necessary, Trading Standards. Yours sincerely, [Your Name] [Order Reference]
For courier-specific help, compare Royal Mail compensation and Evri lost parcel claim, or use the full parcel refund process to generate the next steps for your case.
The retailer you bought from is responsible, not the courier. Under Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods remain at the trader's risk until they come into your physical possession. The retailer must refund you or send a replacement, regardless of which courier they chose or what the courier's tracking says.
They can say it, but they cannot enforce it. The retailer's internal process does not override your statutory rights. Your contract is with the retailer, and the retailer remains responsible until the parcel reaches you. Most couriers only accept claims from the sender (the retailer) anyway, so being redirected to the courier as the recipient is usually a dead end. Push back in writing and cite Section 29.
Section 29 states that goods remain at the trader's risk until they come into the physical possession of the consumer. Section 28 adds that if no delivery date was agreed, goods must be delivered within 30 days — if not, you can cancel the contract and claim a full refund. These protections cannot be overridden by the retailer's terms and conditions. Any clause saying 'we are not responsible after dispatch' is unenforceable.
If you booked and paid for the courier yourself (personal post, a gift, or a return you arranged independently), your contract is with the courier and you should claim directly from them. The Consumer Rights Act only applies where there is a retailer-consumer purchase.
For credit card purchases over £100, file a Section 75 claim — the card issuer is jointly liable under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. For debit cards, request a chargeback. For PayPal, open a Buyer Protection dispute. If those fail, report to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice, or file through Money Claims Online for amounts up to £10,000.
Not on its own. A courier's 'delivered' scan or photo is evidence, not proof. If the photo shows the wrong door, a communal area, or a location you did not agree to, that evidence works against the retailer's position and strengthens your Section 29 claim.