Royal Mail Late Delivery: How to Get a Refund (UK)
If your parcel is well past its expected delivery date with a Royal Mail delivery, you have rights as a UK consumer. Under section 28 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a retailer must deliver within the agreed time or, if none was agreed, within 30 days of the contract being made. If the delivery date was essential, or a further deadline you set is also missed, you can treat the contract as ended and ask for a refund. If you bought goods online, the retailer is responsible under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Personal Royal Mail claims apply when you posted the parcel yourself. Use this page to check what to do next, the Royal Mail claim window, and when to escalate if the retailer refuses. Compensation figures vary by service, so always verify the current numbers on Royal Mail's website before relying on them.
How to claim a refund
- 1
Confirm the agreed delivery window from your order confirmation. Note the date the courier handover happened in Royal Mail tracking.
- 2
Check Royal Mail's tracking for any depot or hub holds. Many "late" parcels are stuck at a sortation hub.
- 3
Contact the retailer in writing. Reference section 28 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015: delivery must happen within the agreed period or, if none was agreed, within 30 days of the contract being made.
- 4
If the date was essential (named day, gift, event), state this clearly and ask to cancel for a full refund.
- 5
If the delivery is just slow, ask the retailer to chase Royal Mail via Royal Mail's online claim form (proof of posting and contents required). The window is 30 calendar days of the eligible claim date on Tracked 24 and Tracked 48, which most retailers ship on, and up to 80 calendar days from posting on other services (verify on the Royal Mail website).
- 6
If the retailer refuses to refund or replace after the 30-day backstop, escalate via the Postal Review Panel and then the Postal Redress Service (POSTRS) or use Section 75 / chargeback.
Royal Mail compensation and escalation
- Claim window
- 30 calendar days of the eligible claim date on Tracked 24 and Tracked 48, which most retailers ship on, and up to 80 calendar days from posting on other services (verify on the Royal Mail website)
- How to claim
- Royal Mail's online claim form (proof of posting and contents required)
- Escalation
- the Postal Review Panel and then the Postal Redress Service (POSTRS)
Frequently asked questions
Should I claim from Royal Mail or the retailer?
Claim from the retailer. If you bought goods online, the retailer is responsible under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Personal Royal Mail claims apply when you posted the parcel yourself. Your contract is with the retailer, so it is the retailer's job to deal with Royal Mail.
What is Royal Mail's claim window for this issue?
30 calendar days of the eligible claim date on Tracked 24 and Tracked 48, which most retailers ship on, and up to 80 calendar days from posting on other services (verify on the Royal Mail website). Always check the current terms on Royal Mail's own website before relying on a deadline.
What if the retailer refuses to refund?
If you paid on credit, you may have a Section 75 claim against your card issuer or lender for a single item (or a set sold together) with a cash price over £100 and up to £30,000, paid for wholly or partly on credit, most often a credit card (some point-of-sale loans and store or catalogue credit also qualify; paying through PayPal or some marketplaces can rule it out). If not, or if you paid by debit card, ask your bank about a chargeback; the usual time limit is about 120 days, but check with your bank. You can also escalate via the Postal Review Panel and then the Postal Redress Service (POSTRS).
When is a delivery legally late?
If a specific delivery window was agreed, it is late after that window. If no window was agreed, the statutory backstop is 30 days from the day the contract is entered into, under section 28 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Can I cancel and get a full refund for a late Royal Mail delivery?
Possibly. You can end the contract and ask for a refund straight away if the retailer refuses to deliver, or if the date was essential (from the circumstances, or because you said so before ordering). Otherwise you can set a further deadline that is appropriate in the circumstances, and if that is missed you can treat the contract as ended.
