APC Overnight tracking status

APC Overnight “Sorry we missed you”: what it means

The short answer

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APC tried to deliver and left a Sorry we missed you card or email, and you have 3 working days to rearrange. After that the parcel may go back to the sender. You cannot collect it on the day of the attempt.

When to act: If you were in when APC Overnight says it tried, or your rebooked day passes without a delivery, file a complaint and we send it to APC Overnight.

Also shown as: “They attempted delivery but they got no answer” · “Delivery attempted”

What to do now

Find the 7 digit consignment number on the card, or in the email or text.
Rearrange on APC Choice within 3 working days: a new day, a neighbour, a safe place or a Parcelly store, as far as the sender allows.
To collect from the depot, choose that on APC Choice, before 7pm for the next day. Take proof of identity and proof of address, and look up the opening hours in APC's Depot Finder first.
Pick your new date with care, because APC allows one more reschedule after the first attempt.
If you were in, note the date and time of the attempt, and save the driver's photo and any doorbell footage for your complaint.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to APC Overnight, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

Start my complaint

Missed delivery or a card left with another courier

What does “Sorry we missed you” mean?

If nobody is in, the driver can leave a home parcel with a neighbour within walking distance, where practicable, and takes the rest back to the local depot with a card or email saying what to do. Business parcels are never left with a neighbour. Your options are on APC Choice and depend on what the sender allowed: another delivery day, a neighbour you name, a safe place, collection from the depot or a Parcelly store.

After the first attempt you can reschedule once more. A rebooked delivery keeps the service the sender chose. APC says drivers cannot try again on the same day, so the earliest new try is the next working day.

Why does APC Overnight show it?

Nobody was in, and no neighbour could take it
A business address that was closed
The driver had no safe access to the address
The sender did not allow a safe place

How long does it last?

Choose an option on APC Choice within 3 working days. For next day depot collection, ask before 7pm. If you do nothing, APC can return the parcel to the sender, and its terms let it charge the sender for that.

Other APC Overnight statuses

Out for deliveryNormal
Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
Your consignment could not be foundKeep an eye on it
Your parcel won't be delivered todayKeep an eye on it
Delivered but not receivedTake action

All APC Overnight statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from APC Overnight?

If you bought it online from a business, the seller chose APC and is usually responsible until the parcel reaches you. UK consumer law (Consumer Rights Act, section 29) leaves the goods at the seller's risk until you, or someone you named, have them, unless you booked the courier yourself outside the options the seller offered. APC says its terms apply to the sender of the goods.

If you sent the parcel yourself, through a local depot or APC Direct, your contract is with the carrier under APC's Conditions of Carriage, and the depot you dealt with can be that carrier. Those conditions limit cover to £100 for a parcel and £50 for a mail pack, courier pack or lightweight item, unless more was agreed before it set off.

Questions about “Sorry we missed you”

What should I do if I missed an APC delivery?

Follow the Sorry we missed you card or email and rearrange on APC Choice within 3 working days, using your consignment number and postcode. After that APC may return the parcel to the sender.

Can the APC driver come back today?

No. APC says drivers cannot try again the same day, and you cannot collect the parcel from the depot that day either.

How do I collect my parcel from an APC depot?

Choose collection on APC Choice, before 7pm for next day collection. Bring proof of identity and proof of address, and use APC's Depot Finder to see your depot's address and opening hours before you travel.

How many times can I reschedule an APC delivery?

After the first attempt you can reschedule once more. If you do not rearrange within 3 working days of a missed delivery, the parcel may go back to the sender.

APC says it tried, but I was home. What now?

Save the card or email and any photo the driver took, and note when you were in. In reviews people share, the photo sometimes shows a different address, which is worth keeping. Rearrange so you still get the parcel, then file a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to APC Overnight.

Based on

The APC: Receiving a Parcel, FAQ
APC Choice: FAQ (rescheduling, business addresses, depot details)
The APC: Terms and Conditions of Carriage (neighbours, undelivered consignments)
Trustpilot: APC Choice reviews (shared delivery attempts)
legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act, section 29 (goods stay at the seller's risk until delivered)
The APC: Terms and Conditions of Carriage (carrier, limits of liability)
The APC: Receiving a Parcel (terms apply to the sender)
The APC: Sending a Parcel (local depots and APC Direct)