Telling delivery companies about your delivery or collection needs

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

1. Click ‘View your delivery options’ in your email

2. Select ‘Doorstep Instructions’

3. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

1. At the checkout, select ‘find a pick-up location near you’

2. Select the ‘wheelchair’ icon under the map - this will bring up a ‘Use lower lockers?’ window

3. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.