Parcelforce tracking status

Parcelforce “We're expecting it”: what it means

The short answer

Keep an eye on it

The sender has told Parcelforce about the parcel, but it has not been scanned into the network yet. Until the first scan, the parcel may still be with the sender or waiting to be collected.

When to act: If it still says We're expecting it 3 working days after the seller said it was sent, file a complaint and we send it to the seller.

Also shown as: “Item despatched to Royal Mail” · “Sender has despatched item” · “Sender despatching item” · “Collection Request Succesfully booked for item”

What to do now

Check the date the seller says it was sent, in your order or dispatch email.
Check the tracking number matches that email exactly.
Look on Royal Mail's Track your item page, where Parcelforce tracking now runs, in case a newer line shows there.
Keep the dispatch email and a dated screenshot of the tracking, so your complaint shows how long it has waited.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to the seller, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

Start my complaint

What does “We're expecting it” mean?

We're expecting it comes from the sender's details, not from a scan of the parcel. Below it you may see Sender has despatched item, Sender despatching item or Collection Request Succesfully booked for item, spelled that way. None of these means Parcelforce has the parcel. The first real scan usually reads Item Collected or Item Received, with a place under it.

The parcel can still be on the sender's shelf, on a driver's van with no scan, or on its way to a depot. The old Parcelforce tracking page called this stage Advised, with the text We have no tracks for your parcel yet. That page now redirects to Royal Mail's tracking.

Why does Parcelforce show it?

A label exists, but the sender still has the parcel
A collection is booked but has not happened yet
The parcel was collected or dropped off and the first scan has not come through
The label was not scanned at collection
The order was marked as sent before the parcel left

How long does it last?

The next line should be Item Collected, or Item Received at a depot, followed by a hub. In accounts people share, that first scan has taken two to four days, and one sender's parcels showed nothing for several days after a collection someone watched.

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
Delivered but not receivedTake action

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 “We're expecting it”

What does We're expecting it mean on Parcelforce tracking?

The sender has given the details of the parcel, but Parcelforce has not scanned the parcel itself. The status changes when it gets its first scan.

What does Advised mean on Parcelforce tracking?

It was the old Parcelforce tracking page's word for the same stage: the details had arrived, the parcel had not been scanned. That page now redirects to Royal Mail's tracking, where this stage reads We're expecting it.

How long can Parcelforce tracking stay on We're expecting it?

Parcelforce sets no limit, because it depends on when the sender hands the parcel over. In accounts people share, the first scan took two to four days. If the wait goes on, file a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to the seller.

Has my parcel been sent if it says We're expecting it?

Not necessarily. It shows the sender has told Parcelforce about the parcel, not that Parcelforce has it. A seller can create the number before the parcel is collected or dropped off.

What does Item Collected mean after this?

At the start of a history it means the parcel was picked up from the sender or scanned in at a Post Office or depot. From then on it is in the network, so the next lines should show where it goes.

Based on

Royal Mail: What does my tracking message mean? (glossary for the tracker Parcelforce parcels now use)
Parcelforce: Track your parcel (single network with Royal Mail, tracking numbers)
Parcelforce Worldwide: UK parcel services user guide (journey, notifications, Safeplace, photo on delivery)
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): the old www7 Parcelforce tracking page now goes to the new site
Reddit r/royalmail (shared tracking history): We're expecting it, Sender has despatched item, parcels with no scan after collection (screenshots)
Reddit r/royalmail (shared tracking history): Sender despatching item and the collection request line (screenshot)
Reddit r/royalmail (shared tracking history): Sender despatching item before the first scan (screenshot)
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): Advised and We have no tracks on the old page
Reddit r/AskUK (shared account): We have no tracks on the old page for four days
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): collected on Saturday, not scanned by Monday
legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act, section 29 (goods stay at the seller's risk until they reach you)
Parcelforce: Buying items online, who you should contact
Parcelforce: Enhanced and inclusive compensation
Parcelforce: Refunds for late delivery
Royal Mail: Terms and conditions (Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide)