What are your rights when deliveries and returns don’t arrive – and what common act could see you lose them all?
What are your rights if you’ve returned an item by post and the company says they never received it? Or if your delivery never turned up in the first place?
Money blog reader Lee asked: “I purchased two pairs of shorts from Nike a year ago. I shortly after returned them for a refund as they didn’t suit me. Nike are saying I can’t be refunded due to them not receiving the returned items. Even though I have supplied the Royal Mail proof of postage.”
We asked consumer rights champion Scott Dixon, also known as The Complaints Resolver, to answer this one…
Scott says Lee is very unlikely to get a positive outcome in this case.
“The problem is that you have left it so long to resolve the issue. It’s highly unlikely (virtually impossible) this can be resolved for that reason – you cannot leave a complaint on missing goods in transit for a year and expect a remedy.”
Though there’s unlikely to be a positive resolution here, delivery issues are common – so Scott has walked us through people’s basic rights when things go missing…
Scott Dixon, also known as The Complaints Resolver
Deliveries
Your contract is always with the retailer, not the courier firm, to ensure that your order is safely delivered, says Scott. If it hasn’t turned up, the first thing you need to do is to contact the retailer.
“It is their legal responsibility to make sure the item is safely delivered to you under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. They should contact the courier – who they’ve entered a contract with – and let you know what has happened to your item.
“S29 (2) of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 states the goods remain at the trader’s risk until they come into the physical possession of the consumer, or a person identified by the consumer, to take possession of the goods.”
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The retailer can either refund you or rearrange for the goods to be delivered, says Scott.
If this doesn’t work, raise a chargeback with your bank or credit card provider within 120 days of your purchase or payment to get a refund.
“You need to push hard on chargebacks and cite ‘breach of contract’ under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, as chargebacks are often rejected on the first attempt,” says Scott.
“Your bank or credit card provider will reverse the payment and give the retailer an opportunity to present their case.
“Retailers don’t like dealing with chargebacks as they are problematic and costly to resolve.”
What if you leave delivery instructions?
This could see you lose all rights.
Scott explains: “If you give specific instructions to the retailer for the item to be left in the porch, ‘leave in shed at rear’ or another designated safe place, and it is stolen, then you are responsible because the retailer and courier have simply followed your instructions.”
Returns
You have a 14-day cooling off period for all non-bespoke items under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.
Scott says: “A retailer will usually provide a returns label or a website link to their returns policy, and give instructions for you to return goods. Usually a retailer will engage a courier firm for returns – be it Royal Mail, DHL etc etc.”
This often involves dropping the item off at a local convenience store, where labels are scanned.
“Convenience stores often say you will get a receipt by email. This isn’t always the case, leaving you high and dry if the goods go missing in transit,” warns Scott.
To protect yourself, Scott says you should follow the policy courier firms use when they deliver goods to you: take a photo of the goods at the point of handover and insist on a receipt.
Pic: iStock
“This is your proof if you need to dispute lost goods in transit,” he says.
“The retailer will push back in these cases when goods are lost in transit with a fob off saying it’s not their fault and the responsibility lies with the courier, which is blatantly untrue.”
Scott says the retailer engaged the courier firm to safely return the goods and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies.
“Remember, your contract is with the retailer – you’re following their return instructions. So this is on them.
“You need to push hard on this and cite ‘breach of contract’ under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to get a full refund.
“If you hit a brick wall, simply raise a chargeback with your bank or credit card provider and cite ‘breach of contract’ under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to dispute the transaction.”
As a last resort you can take your case to the Small Claims Court in England and Wales – or use the respective legal routes in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
What if a company doesn’t provide specific returns instructions?
Your contract is then with the courier – but much of the above still applies with them. S49 Consumer Rights Act 2015 states that every contract to supply a service is to be treated as including a term that the trader must perform the service with reasonable care and skill.
Sky News contacted Nike for comment.
Jeffrey Epstein led two different lives – sex offender and celebrity networker – and he did that in the UK as well as the US.
The newly released Epstein documents reveal, in particular, how the paedophile financier ascended into the highest levels of British society.
This photo of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor sprawled across the lap of several women, whose identities have been protected, speaks to his close relationship with Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was jailed for child sex trafficking and other offences in connection with Epstein. But the furnishings are even more revealing.
Epstein files – latest updates
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell. Note: inclusion in Epstein files does not infer wrongdoing
Sky News matched the fireplace in this photo with the one in Sandringham, the estate where the royals tend to spend Christmas – (Andrew is not invited this year).
Andrew has vigorously denied any accusations against him.
Prince Charles, now King Charles III, at Sandringham with Prince Edward. Pic: PA
Also included in the latest release are Epstein’s flight records. They provide some useful corroborating evidence.
A flight log from the Epstein files
On 9 March 2001, his plane landed at “EGGW” – Luton Airport – with JE, GM and VR on board – Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Virginia Roberts, better known by her married name of Virginia Giuffre and perhaps Epstein’s most famous accuser.
The next day is when this photo was alleged to have been taken, in London, of Giuffre and Andrew.
Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts, aged 17, and Ghislaine Maxwell at Ghislaine Maxwell’s townhouse in London, in March 2001
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell hunting, date unknown. Pic: US DoJ
Other photos show Maxwell on the steps of Downing Street – and power was as much a draw as celebrity.
Ghislaine Maxwell outside 10 Downing Street, date unknown. Pic: US DoJ
On 15 May 2002, the flight records show Epstein again arriving at Luton.
A flight log from the Epstein files
The next day is when he met Tony Blair, prime minister at the time. This was before Epstein’s first arrest and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing.
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The meeting was arranged by Peter Mandelson, who lost his job as ambassador to the US because of his Epstein connections, and who features prominently in the files.
Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein. Pic: US DoJ
The UK was a draw for Epstein’s wider circle too – Maxwell here is pictured touring the Churchill War Rooms with Bill Clinton and Kevin Spacey. Neither are accused of wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
(L-R) Ghislaine Maxwell, Kevin Spacey and Bill Clinton, with three other men. Pic: US DoJ
And the other grim life that Epstein led, of sex trafficking, also had British links.
A page from the Epstein files
Another document released in the files, from 2019, shows witness testimony from Maxwell’s trial. In it, a victim is mentioned who is “17 years old” and who grew up “in England”. She would later be taken to Epstein’s private Caribbean island.
Police have announced a £20,000 reward in the hunt for the killers of a man in north London in March.
Mahad Abdi Mohamed, 27, died after being shot in the head in Waverley Road, Tottenham at 8.45pm on 20 March, the Metropolitan Police said.
The Met, which announced the reward from the independent charity Crimestoppers, said officers believed the shooting was a case of mistaken identity.
Police now want to speak to two people in connection with the incident.
DCI Rebecca Woodsford, who is leading the investigation, said: “There is someone out there who knows what happened that night, and we are urging those individuals to find it in their heart to come forward. It could be exactly what we need to locate those responsible.”
Images of the two people police would like to speak to. Pics: Metropolitan Police
A targeted attack
Police believe the suspects, who got out of a stolen Mitsubishi Outlander, which was later recovered burned out, were taking part in a targeted attack.
On the night of the murder, Mahad had spent the early evening with his friend at their home.
They were breaking their fast outside when the Mitsubishi Outlander approached and the suspects opened fire, striking Mahad and his friend multiple times.
Mahad’s 26-year-old friend received treatment for a gunshot wound to his leg.
The force suspects another stolen vehicle, a blue Jaguar, was used to transport the suspects to and from the Mitsubishi.
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The stolen cars from the night. Pics: Metropolitan Police
Police arrested four adult men in March and April on suspicion of murder, who were subsequently bailed.
The investigation so far has led officers to believe whoever killed Mahad set out to hurt someone else in a pre-planned, targeted attack.
Appealing to the public for information, Mahad’s youngest sister said: “To stay silent is to be complicit. To stay silent is to let a grieving mother suffer in confusion. To stay silent is to let a little boy grow up not knowing what happened to his father.”
Pic: Metropolitan Police
The reward, which is offered for information that leads to the identification, arrest and prosecution of those responsible, is available for three months and is due to expire on 20 March 2026.
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