Ahead of the crucial Christmas posting period, a major consumer charity has identified the delivery company rated as the very worst in the United Kingdom.
Millions Face Festive Delivery Frustration
According to a new survey from Citizens Advice, more than 15 million people in Britain have encountered a problem with their most recent parcel delivery. This comes at a time when families across the nation are preparing to send millions of cards and presents in the lead-up to Christmas Day.
The research, which gathered responses from 8,000 people over one month, paints a stark picture of customers being persistently failed by parcel firms. The overall findings indicate there have been only marginal changes in service scores over the past five years.
Yodel Lands at the Bottom of the Pile
While delivery woes are widespread, one firm has been singled out for particularly poor performance. The delivery group Yodel was assigned last place in the league table, failing to improve on its previous rating and securing just two stars out of five.
In contrast, at the other end of the spectrum, Royal Mail claimed the top spot with a rating of 3.25 stars. The full ranking of delivery firms is as follows:
- Royal Mail - 3.25 stars
- Amazon Logistics - 3 stars
- DPD - 2.25 stars
- Evri - 2.25 stars
- Yodel - 2 stars
Common Complaints and Accessibility Concerns
The survey, reported by ITV News, detailed the most frequent issues plaguing consumers. A significant 29 per cent of respondents stated that a courier left before they had time to get to the door.
Furthermore, 24 per cent reported finding their parcels left in an insecure location, and an equal number experienced late arrivals.
Alarmingly, the research also highlighted a decline in scores for accessibility this year. This is despite a new Ofcom regulation that requires companies to give disabled consumers the opportunity to report their needs. The survey suggests that three million people with accessibility requirements are still unable to communicate them to certain firms.
Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, criticised the regulator, stating: “Ofcom has passed the parcel of responsibility for long enough. We’ve been doing the work of the regulator for five years now by holding parcel companies to account and speaking up for consumers who are bearing the brunt of persistently poor service.”
In response, an Ofcom spokesman said they would continue to work with Citizens Advice and highlighted their strong track record of holding parcel firms to account, including the introduction of strengthened regulations in 2023.
