£1.5bn of Christmas orders returned, says ParcelHero
‘Takeback Tuesday’ returns increased by 25% yesterday compared to last year, says delivery specialist ParcelHero. Despite shoppers slashing their Christmas budgets, £1.5bn worth of items are now heading back to retailers, largely because they missed the Big Day through strikes and weather disruption.
ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: “It looks like Brits spent considerably less on presents this year. Figures from YouGov indicate planned spending on gifts fell from an average of £388 to £300. However, our overall Christmas budgets stayed relatively level, due to the increased cost of food, drink and post-pandemic parties.
“Even with this fall in gift purchases, we’re still seeing a significantly higher number of returns being handled by courier networks than we did last year. The chief reason is undoubtedly the fact that many items failed to arrive in time for Christmas. Some retailers, such as Currys, dropped their traditional mail options to ensure timely deliveries but that created knock-on delays in the alternative courier networks.
“In fact, with thousands of parcels still languishing in the system, many of us are still waiting for items to arrive ten days after Christmas. If that’s happened to you, don’t leave it too late to inform the seller your item has not arrived or they might refuse to reimburse you or send a replacement item. Then you may face a battle to get your money back.
“The law states that goods must be delivered within 30 days, unless a specific time frame was agreed upon, such as a guaranteed pre-Christmas delivery. However, we strongly advise everyone not to wait 30 days before contacting the retailer about a gift never arrived. Remember, you should contact the retailer, not their courier service. Until the item arrives safely with you, it’s the seller’s responsibility.”
‘For more information on returning large and heavy items see: https://www.parcelhero.com/en-gb/courier-services/large-and-heavy-parcels
