My parcel never arrived — is the retailer or the courier responsible?

Retailers deflect this constantly — "raise it with the courier", "it shows as delivered" — and they are wrong on both counts. You have no contract with the delivery company. You have one with the retailer, and risk of loss or damage stays with the retailer until you, or someone you nominated, physically take possession of the goods.

What that means in practice

• A parcel the courier loses is the retailer's problem. They must resend or refund. They cannot make you chase the courier, and courier delays are theirs to manage, not a defence.
• "Marked as delivered" is not proof. The burden is on the retailer to show delivery was made to you. A GPS scan or a photo of a door does not establish that the right person received it.
• A neighbour you did not authorise is not you. Risk passes only if you agreed the safe place or nominated the person who took it in.
• Goods damaged in transit are equally the retailer's responsibility. Photograph the damage at once, and never sign for goods as received in good condition before looking at them — note visible damage on the delivery note.

Getting your money back

If no delivery date was agreed, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 require delivery within 30 days of you placing the order; miss that and the retailer is in breach and you can cancel for a full refund. If a date was agreed and missed, write to set a new reasonable deadline — an extra five to seven days is typical — and cancel for a full refund if that is missed too. Where delivery by the original date was essential, such as equipment needed for a job starting that day, you can cancel immediately without giving a second chance.

Complain in writing first, citing the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Regulations. Then run the parallel routes: Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 where you paid by credit card and the cash price was over £100, up to £30,000, which makes your card issuer jointly liable for the non-delivery; chargeback through your bank for debit cards or smaller amounts, typically within 120 days of the transaction; and a report to Citizens Advice, which can refer the retailer to Trading Standards. Our refund wizard shows which route fits your purchase. You have six years from the date delivery was due to bring a county court claim in England and Wales, five in Scotland.