How to complain to Parcelforce
Royal Mail and Parcelforce are different from other couriers in one important way: they are regulated by Ofcom and they belong to an approved dispute resolution scheme. That gives you a free, binding escalation route that Evri, Yodel and DPD customers do not have.
The rights that apply when you complain to Parcelforce
Parcelforce is a UK postal operator, so the rules below are the ones that decide your complaint. Each is named, because a letter that cites the specific rule is handled by a different team to one that does not.
- Royal Mail is subject to Ofcom regulation and to the universal service obligation, which sets minimum delivery standards for letters and parcels across the UK. Postal Services Act 2011 and Ofcom’s universal postal service conditions
- Compensation for loss, damage and delay is set out in Royal Mail’s published scheme and varies by service. Special Delivery Guaranteed and Signed For carry higher levels than standard post, and proof of posting is normally required. Royal Mail Scheme for the classification, charging and handling of postal packets
- After eight weeks, or on a deadlock letter, you can take the complaint to POSTRS, the Ofcom-approved Postal Redress Service. It is free and its decision binds the operator. Ofcom-approved alternative dispute resolution for postal services
- Where a retailer posted goods to you, the goods remain at the retailer’s risk until they reach you, so you can claim from the retailer instead of, or as well as, dealing with the postal operator. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 29
Parcelforce complaints line: 0344 800 4466 — put the complaint in writing as well. A phone call leaves no record you can rely on later.
The deadlines that decide your claim
Claim windows are short and service-specific
Royal Mail sets separate claim windows for loss, damage and delay, and they differ by service. Check the current window on the Royal Mail claims page before you do anything else, because a late claim is refused on that ground alone.
8 weeks — when POSTRS opens up
Eight weeks after your first complaint, or on a deadlock letter, you can escalate to POSTRS.
12 months — the window to refer
POSTRS expects the case within 12 months of the deadlock letter or the eight-week point.
What to put in the letter to Parcelforce
Complaints teams work from a script. The detail below is what moves a case off that script and onto the desk of someone who can authorise a remedy.
- The tracking or reference number, the service used, and the proof of posting, because compensation levels turn on the service and proof of posting is normally a precondition.
- Evidence of the value of the contents, such as the original invoice, since compensation for standard services is capped and evidence-led.
- The dates of every contact so far, so the eight-week clock is unambiguous.
- An explicit request for a deadlock letter if the operator will not go further, so you can escalate to POSTRS without waiting.
If Parcelforce says no, or says nothing
Escalate to POSTRS, the Postal Redress Service.
When you can go: Eight weeks after your first complaint, or as soon as you receive a deadlock letter.
How long you have: 12 months from the deadlock letter or from the eight-week point.
What it costs: Free to you.
Whether it binds Parcelforce: Binding on the operator if you accept the decision.
Common questions
How much compensation can I get for a lost parcel?
It depends entirely on the service you paid for. Standard services carry a capped amount and normally require proof of posting. Special Delivery Guaranteed and Signed For carry higher levels, and you can buy additional consequential loss cover at the counter. Royal Mail publishes the current figures on its claims pages, and they are updated periodically, so check them rather than relying on a figure you saw elsewhere.
A retailer posted my order by Royal Mail and it never arrived. Who do I chase?
The retailer. Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 keeps the goods at the seller’s risk until they come into your physical possession, so the retailer owes you a refund or replacement regardless of what the postal operator does. The retailer can then claim from Royal Mail itself. You are not required to run the claim on the retailer’s behalf.
What is POSTRS and is it worth using?
POSTRS is the Postal Redress Service, the alternative dispute resolution scheme approved by Ofcom for postal services and administered by CEDR. It is free to consumers, and if you accept its decision the operator is bound by it. It is meaningfully better than the position for other parcel couriers, who have no equivalent scheme at all, so it is worth the eight-week wait.
Where this comes from
Every rule on this page is drawn from primary legislation, a regulator, or an approved dispute resolution scheme. Check them yourself.
- Royal Mail: claims and compensation
- POSTRS (CEDR)
- Ofcom: complaining about postal services
- Consumer Rights Act 2015
Paybacker is not a law firm and this is not legal advice. It is a summary of the published rules that apply to a postal operator, so that you can put your own case properly. For a dispute of real value, or anything turning on facts unique to you, speak to a solicitor or Citizens Advice.
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