Parcelforce tracking status

Parcelforce says delivered but no parcel: what to do

The short answer

Take action

Parcelforce recorded your parcel as delivered, perhaps to a neighbour or a Safeplace, but you do not have it. Check the photo, the name and the location in the tracking, then ask your household and neighbours.

When to act: If it has not turned up by the end of the next working day after the Delivered line, file a complaint and we send it to Parcelforce.

Also shown as: “Delivered” · “Your item was delivered” · “Your parcel from [sender] has been delivered”

What to do now

Open the tracking on Royal Mail's Track your item page and check the photo, the map and any name. Save them straight away.
Read the place under the Delivered line. If it shows a depot or hub, not your area, take a screenshot.
Ask everyone at home, check your Safeplace and look for a Something for you card. Ask your neighbours, especially any named on the card.
Check the delivery address on your order, including the flat or house number.
Keep the screenshots and your order number for your complaint.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to Parcelforce, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

Start my complaint

Says delivered, but it is not here with another courier

Tracking says delivered but nothing arrived: who is responsible? →

What is going on

The driver records the parcel as Delivered, and depending on the service the tracking may show the name of the person who signed. UK services include a photo of the parcel with an open doorway where possible, and a map of the delivery location where available, on Royal Mail's tracking and in the app. If you were out, the driver should leave a Something for you card saying what happened, such as a neighbour or your Safeplace.

Read the place under the Delivered line as well. In a July history people share, Delivered showed Manchester PFW Depot rather than an address. Others report a photo of another door, a signature they do not know, or a photo that later disappeared from the tracking.

Why it happens

Left with a neighbour
Left in a Safeplace
Taken in by someone else at home, or by a post room at work
A wrong address or flat number on the label
A Delivered scan made at a depot or hub, not at your address
Taken from the doorstep after delivery

What usually happens next

A parcel left with a neighbour normally comes with a card. If you bought from a business, the goods stay at the seller's risk until they are in your hands or with someone you named, unless you booked the courier yourself (Consumer Rights Act, section 29). A neighbour you did not choose does not end that.

Other Parcelforce statuses

Held as Customs fee to payTake action
Item ReceivedNormal
Due to be delivered todayNormal
Delivery AttemptedTake action
Available for Redelivery or CollectionTake action
Item RetentionKeep an eye on it
Tracking not updating or parcel lateKeep an eye on it
Returned to senderTake action
We're expecting itKeep an eye on it

All Parcelforce statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from Parcelforce?

Buy online from a business and the seller usually has to sort it out until the parcel reaches you. Under UK consumer law (the Consumer Rights Act, section 29) the goods stay at the seller's risk until they are in your hands, or with someone you named to take them, unless you booked the courier yourself and the seller did not offer it as an option. Parcelforce's own help also says the retailer has a legal responsibility to make sure you get what you paid for.

If you sent the parcel yourself, your contract is under the joint Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide terms for the service you bought. UK express services include cover of up to £150 per item for loss or damage, and you can add more, up to £2,500 per item. A refund for late delivery depends on the service: 100% of the delivery cost for express10 and expressAM, 50% for express24 and nothing for express48 or express48large.

Questions about “Delivered but not received”

What can I do if Parcelforce says delivered but I have not received it?

Check the photo, map and name in the tracking, your household, neighbours and Safeplace, and the address on your order. If it does not turn up, file a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to Parcelforce.

Parcelforce delivered my parcel to the wrong address. Who is responsible?

If the address on your order was right and you bought from a business, the seller is responsible until the parcel reaches you, under the Consumer Rights Act. File a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to Parcelforce. If you sent the parcel yourself, it is a matter for Parcelforce under its terms.

What if the Parcelforce delivery photo is not my house?

Screenshot it straight away, because one person reports a photo disappearing from the tracking later. Show it to neighbours who may know the door. A photo of somewhere else points to delivery at the wrong address. Not every delivery has a photo: Parcelforce says privacy or operational reasons can rule one out.

My tracking says delivered at a depot or hub. What does that mean?

Parcelforce does not explain this. In a history people share, Delivered showed Manchester PFW Depot on a parcel that had come back from abroad. Save a screenshot and file a complaint on Complain.biz so we can send it to Parcelforce.

Who signed for my Parcelforce parcel?

Depending on the service, the tracking may show the name of the person who signed. It may not be someone you know, so ask your household and neighbours, and any post room at a work address.

Based on

Parcelforce: How can I track my parcel?
Parcelforce Worldwide: UK parcel services user guide (journey, notifications, Safeplace, photo on delivery)
Parcelforce: Buying items online, who you should contact
legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act, section 29 (goods stay at the seller's risk until they reach you)
Royal Mail: What does my tracking message mean? (glossary for the tracker Parcelforce parcels now use)
Reddit r/royalmail (shared tracking history): Delivered at Manchester PFW Depot (screenshot)
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): marked delivered, location, signature and photo all wrong
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): marked delivered with a photo that later disappeared
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): delivered to the wrong postcode
Reddit r/AskUK (shared account): marked delivered, nothing received
Parcelforce: Enhanced and inclusive compensation
Parcelforce: Refunds for late delivery
Royal Mail: Terms and conditions (Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide)