Telling delivery companies about your delivery or collection needs
Mae'r cyngor hwn yn berthnasol i Cymru. Gweler cyngor ar gyfer Gweler cyngor ar gyfer Lloegr, Gweler cyngor ar gyfer Gogledd Iwerddon, Gweler cyngor ar gyfer Yr Alban
You might miss parcel deliveries or find it difficult to collect a parcel - for example, if you’re disabled or have a health condition.
Your delivery company must give you a way to tell them what you need when having a parcel delivered or collected.
These might include asking your delivery person to:
knock loudly or use the doorbell
wait longer for you to answer the door
leave your parcel somewhere you can reach - for example, in a locker on the lowest row
If your parcel company ignores your delivery or collection needs, you should complain to them.
Getting a parcel delivered to your home
How you tell the parcel delivery company what you need depends on which company is delivering your parcel.
If you’re not sure who’s delivering your parcel, check any information you’ve got from the person or company sending your item. For example, this might be an email that says your item is on its way.
Amazon Logistics
You can add your delivery needs to your Amazon order at the checkout. You’ll need to do this every time you buy something.
At the checkout, select 'Add delivery instructions' - you’ll find this under your delivery address. You can leave instructions for the person delivering your parcel. For example, you can tell them to:
ring the doorbell
knock loudly
give you more time to answer the door
not post your parcel through your letterbox
You can also add a place you would like your parcel left if it doesn’t fit through the letterbox.
You can check how to set your accessible delivery instructions on the Amazon website.
DHL
The way to let DHL know about your accessibility needs will depend on if your parcel is going to be delivered by either:
DHL eCommerce
DHL Express
You can find this out by checking the email you got from DHL about your parcel - you might need to look at the small print at the end of the email.
If DHL eCommerce is delivering your parcel
You can tell DHL eCommerce you need more time to get to the door on their tracking website - you'll get a link to this in an email when your parcel is on its way.
You can also tell the delivery person if you want them to:
leave your parcel in a safe place
deliver your parcel to a neighbour
deliver your parcel to a ‘pick-up’ point - like a shop
You can also update your delivery needs by contacting DHL eCommerce customer services. They’ll save your delivery needs to your address for any deliveries you have in the future.
DHL eCommerce Customer Services
Telephone: 02476 937 770
Monday to Friday, 7am to 8pm
Saturday 8am to 6pm
Your call should be free if either:
your contract includes all calls to landlines
you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
You might be charged if your contract doesn’t include all calls to landlines or you’ve used all your free minutes.
Check how much a call will cost.
If DHL Express is delivering your parcel
You can set most delivery preferences on the DHL Express website - for example, if you want the delivery person to:
leave your parcel in a safe place
deliver on a different day
deliver your parcel to a neighbour
deliver your parcel to a ‘pick-up’ point - like a shop
If you need the delivery person to give you more time to answer your door, you’ll need to call DHL Express customer services.
DHL Express Customer Services
Telephone: 0344 248 0012
Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm
Your call should be free if either:
your contract includes all calls to landlines
you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
You might be charged if your contract doesn’t include all calls to landlines or you’ve used all your free minutes.
DPD
You can tell DPD if you need more time to get to the door on their app.
You can also ask the delivery person to:
leave your parcel in a safe place
deliver on a different day
deliver your parcel to a neighbour if you’re not home
deliver your parcel to a ‘pick-up’ point - for example, a shop or Post Office
If you don’t want to download the app, contact DPD customer services. They’ll save your delivery needs to your address.
DPD Customer Services
Telephone: 0121 275 0500
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6.30pm
Saturday, 8am to 4pm
Sunday 9am to 3pm
Email: consumers@dpd.co.uk
Your call should be free if either:
your contract includes all calls to landlines
you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
You might be charged if your contract doesn’t include all calls to landlines or you’ve used all your free minutes.
Evri
You should get an email on the day your parcel is due to be delivered. This will give you the option to add your delivery needs for that parcel.
You can tell the person delivering your parcel if you need:
more time to answer the door
them to ring your doorbell instead of knocking
them to not leave the parcel blocking your doorway
You can also ‘divert’ your delivery to a ‘pick-up’ point - this is a place for you to collect your parcel from. This might be a safe place, a neighbour, a parcel shop or parcel locker.
Add your delivery needs
You’ll need to:
Click ‘View your delivery options’ in your email
Select ‘Doorstep Instructions’
Select the options that apply to you
You can also use the Evri app and website to add a safe place, pick-up point or preferred neighbour for your deliveries. It will take 24 hours for your settings to be saved.
If you use a screen reader, you will not be able to use the website or app to set delivery preferences. You’ll need to contact Evri’s customer services.
You can also let Evri know your delivery needs through their online chat. You can start a chat on the Evri website.
Evri customer services
Telephone: 0330 808 5456
Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
Saturday, 8am to 2pm
Your call should be free if either:
your contract includes all calls to landlines
you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
You might be charged if your contract doesn’t include all calls to landlines or you’ve used all your free minutes.
Royal Mail or Parcelforce
You can add your delivery needs for both companies on the Royal Mail app or contact Royal Mail customer services.
You can let the delivery person know if you need them:
to knock louder
to give you more time to get to your door
If Parcelforce is delivering your parcel, you can choose a different delivery date. You can also ask for your parcel to be delivered to a neighbour.
If Royal Mail is delivering your parcel, you might be able to choose a different delivery date - it depends on what’s being delivered.
If you don’t answer your door, Royal Mail will automatically deliver your parcel to a safe place or to a neighbour.
If you don’t want Royal Mail to deliver to your neighbours, you’ll need to fill in a form on their website. They’ll send you a sticker to put near your letterbox.
Any delivery settings you add will be linked to the address. If you live with people who have different needs, you should think about what works for everyone.
Your settings will be saved for 1 year, so you should set a reminder to review your delivery needs regularly.
You can check how to add your delivery needs to the app on the Royal Mail website.
Choosing a safe place
If you want the delivery person to leave your parcel in a particular safe place, you’ll need to set this with Royal Mail - even if your parcel is being delivered by Parcelforce.
You can choose your safe place on the Royal Mail app, or by calling the Royal Mail customer services.
Your safe place settings will be linked to the address - if you live with people who have different needs, you should think about what works for everyone.
You can check how to choose a safe place on the Royal Mail website.
If you don’t want the delivery person to leave your parcel, you’ll need to let them know. You can do this on the Royal Mail app, or by calling Royal Mail customer services.
Post Brenhinol
Rhif ffôn: 03457 740 740
Dydd Llun i ddydd Gwener, 7am i 8pm
Dydd Sadwrn, 8am i 6pm
Dydd Sul, 9am i 4pm
Your call should be free if either:
your contract includes all calls to landlines
you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
You might be charged if your contract doesn’t include all calls to landlines or you’ve used all your free minutes.
Yodel by InPost
In the Yodel by InPost Parcel Tracker app you can add your delivery needs. You should only need to do this once - it will then apply to any Yodel by InPost delivery you get.
Under the ‘special instructions’ section you can tell Yodel by InPost if you:
need the delivery person to knock louder
need more time to get to your door
want your parcel to be delivered to a safe place or neighbour
want to pick up your parcel from a ‘pick-up’ point - like a shop
If you don’t have the Yodel by InPost app
Contact their customer services to have your needs added to your address.
Yodel by InPost Customer Services
Telephone: 0344 755 0117
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Your call should be free if either:
your contract includes all calls to landlines
you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
You might be charged if your contract doesn’t include all calls to landlines or you’ve used all your free minutes.
Collecting a parcel
You’ll need to know where you’re collecting your parcel from to know how to tell your parcel company your collection needs. For example, your parcel might be delivered to a locker, shop or collection point.
If you’re not sure where you’re collecting your parcel from, check any information you’ve got from the person or company sending your item. This might be a shipping confirmation email or text message.
Amazon Locker
At the checkout on Amazon you’ll be asked how you’d like your parcel delivered. If you select an Amazon locker, you can ask for a locker which is closer to the ground.
The lower lockers are between 38cm and 122cm from the ground.
Amazon lockers are usually outside and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
To select a locker closer to the ground:
At the checkout, select ‘find a pick-up location near you’
Select the ‘wheelchair’ icon under the map - this will bring up a ‘Use lower lockers?’ window
Select ‘Always use lower lockers’
If you already have a locker in your saved delivery addresses, you should be able to select ‘Always use lower lockers’.
If your Amazon Locker has a screen
The screen is usually in the middle of the lockers. Underneath the screen it will have:
a tactile headphone socket
a keypad
instructions in Braille
Plug in your headphones to get audio instructions and use the keypad to pick up or return parcels.
If your Amazon Locker doesn’t have a screen
On your collection email there will be a button that says ‘Start pick up’. You can also find this button under your orders in the Amazon shopping app.
When you reach your locker location, press ‘Start pick up’ on your phone. Your phone will need to have its ‘Location’ and ‘Bluetooth’ settings turned on.
If you’re blind or have sight loss you might need to use a screen reader on your phone to get the instructions.
InPost locker
The locker will usually be outside and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you need a locker close to the ground, use the InPost app to select the ‘Easy Access Zone’.
The Easy Access Zone lockers are between 30cm and 150cm from the ground.
Check how to ask for an Easy Access Zone locker on the InPost website.
You’ll get an email and a notification in the app when your parcel has been delivered. If it wasn’t possible to deliver your parcel to the Easy Access Zone, InPost will deliver it to the next available locker.
If InPost has to deliver your parcel to a locker outside the Easy Access Zone, they’ll let you know. If you can’t ask a friend or family member to help you collect it, contact InPost to see if they can move it for you.
InPost Customer Services
Telephone: 0330 335 0950
Monday to Friday, 7am to 10pm
Saturday to Sunday, 8am to 8pm
Your call should be free if either:
your contract includes all calls to landlines
you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
You might be charged if your contract doesn’t include all calls to landlines or you’ve used all your free minutes.
Post Office
You can arrange to have some parcels delivered to your local Post Office branch. Check which parcels can be delivered to a Post Office on their website.
Some post offices have:
low counters
non-assisted wheelchair access
induction loops if you’re a hearing aid user
You can check if your Post Office is accessible - find your branch on the Post Office website.
Royal Mail Delivery Office or Customer Service Point
You might have missed your delivery or chosen to collect your parcel from a Royal Mail Customer Service Point (CSP) - these are usually in delivery offices.
If you missed your delivery you should have been left a ‘red card’. This will have the address and opening times of where you’ll need to collect your parcel.
You can ask for your parcel to be redelivered to your door. Check how to arrange a redelivery on the Royal Mail website.
If you want to collect your parcel from a delivery office or CSP, you can check whether it’s accessible - find your nearest service by searching the location on the Royal Mail website. You’ll need to select ‘More information’ under the address of each location.
Shop collection
You can arrange to collect parcels from newsagents, supermarkets and other shops with collection facilities.
You can arrange to collect parcels from different delivery companies from the same shop.
You can check the accessibility of your collection location by searching for it online.
Complaining to a parcel delivery company
If your delivery needs haven’t been listened to, you should complain to the parcel company using their complaints process. You might also get a response by complaining to them directly on social media.
Check the parcel company’s website for details of their complaints process.
If your parcel company was delivering something on behalf of another company, you should complain to that company too.
If you have a disability
You should also check if you’ve been discriminated against. This is where you’re treated less favourably because of your disability than someone without a disability in the same situation. Check what counts as disability discrimination.
If you think you have been discriminated against, you should mention this in your complaint.
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