Parcel not collected from the post office: what happens?

What happens if a parcel is not collected?

It goes back to the sender, usually by the same service.

1. NoticeA card, text or email gives the last day.
2. WaitingAt the post office, parcel shop or locker.
3. Going backThe last day passes and it heads back.
4. SenderDecides whether to refund you or send it again.

• Royal Mail returns it to the sender's address. With no return address, it goes to the National Returns Centre, which opens it to find a sender and disposes of it after a month unclaimed.
• UPS returns it "as undeliverable" after 7 calendar days at an Access Point. FedEx returns it to the shipper after up to 7 days.
• Canada Post charges the sender for the return trip.
• Mondial Relay sends it back, at its own cost, to the locker or Point Relais where the sender dropped it off.
• InPost in Poland sends it back to where it was posted, or to the return address. InPost UK says redelivery or a refund is up to the retailer.

Once the parcel is on its way back, returned to sender covers the trip and what to ask the shop.

How long does the post office hold a parcel?

For Parcelforce, the Post Office says 18 days on two of its pages and 15 on a third, so go by the date you're sent. At a Post Office, Amazon, DHL and DPD parcels get 7 days from the day they reach the branch, and Evri parcels get 10.

A locker parcel can get a second clock. At Australia Post, after 2 business days in a Parcel Locker it moves to the nearest Post Office, with a message and 10 more business days. At An Post, it goes back to the delivery depot after 48 hours and waits 5 more days there.

In Europe, a DHL Packstation in Germany holds a parcel 7 calendar days (9 after a missed delivery), Mondial Relay in France 5, and an InPost locker in Poland 48 hours.

Why your date may differ from the table

The sender can set its own period. USPS lets the sender write fewer days on the item. Amazon sets its own periods too: Amazon.fr allows 8 days at a Mondial Relay counter, where Mondial Relay itself says 5.

Calendar days count weekends and holidays. Working and business days leave out Sundays and holidays, and often Saturdays. The date on your notice wins.

Why would a parcel be held at the post office?

Either you chose a pickup point at checkout, or a delivery failed: nobody was in to sign, or there was something to pay. Royal Mail holds items it couldn't deliver, items with postage left to pay and, for 21 days, items with a customs charge.

The tracking then says something like Available for Pickup (USPS), Ready for collection (Royal Mail) or Awaiting collection (Australia Post). Tracking statuses explains each one, and missed delivery covers the card at your door and the ID to bring. If there's a charge, customs explains who wants it and why.

What to do if you can't collect your parcel in time

Extra time is rare. Royal Mail, Evri, An Post, Canada Post and Australia Post mention no extension, and InPost UK says it "cannot extend your collection time". Canada Post can't move a parcel once it's there either.

A few European carriers do give more time. Swiss Post lets you extend for free online, with no account. InPost in Poland sells 24 more hours for 7.99 zł in its app, before the first 48 hours run out, and you can buy it more than once.

Otherwise, work through these before the last day:

1. 1Find the last dayIt's on the card, text or email.
2. 2Rebook deliveryRoyal Mail, USPS and An Post let you book a redelivery online while the parcel is held.
3. 3Send someoneShare your locker code or barcode, or give someone the signed card and their own ID.
4. 4Tell the shopBefore the deadline if you no longer want it, after it if you missed it.

USPS asks you to allow 2 days when you rebook with the paper notice, and An Post says one can take up to 5 working days, so book early. Australia Post can move a missed parcel to another Post Office for $7.20, using a form. For an Amazon Locker or Counter, forward the pickup email to whoever is collecting.

With only 2 or 3 days at many lockers, a notice you see late can cost you the parcel. Peek can send a notification when the tracking says a parcel is waiting for pickup, but only the carrier or the shop can move the deadline.

Will I get a refund if I don't collect my parcel?

From Amazon, yes, without asking. "We'll automatically send you a refund and return it for you", say its US, Canadian and Australian pickup pages. Amazon US pays within 7 business days of getting the parcel back, Amazon UK and Amazon.ca generally within five for items Amazon sells, and Amazon Australia refunds delivery too. For an order a third-party seller ships itself, Amazon US tells you to contact the seller first.

With other shops, not collecting isn't cancelling. In the UK, Ireland and the EU, the 14 days to cancel start only when you, or someone you name, gets the parcel, so you can still cancel; once you have, the UK shop refunds the price and standard delivery within 14 days of getting the parcel back. In the US and Australia, the shop's own policy decides. Returned to sender has the refund rules country by country, return costs, eBay and Vinted.

Quick answers

Does a second notice give me more time?

Not at USPS. Its second notice comes 5 days after the first, inside the same 15 days.

Can someone else collect my parcel?

Yes: with your code at most lockers, or with your signed notice and their own ID at a counter. Missed delivery has the details.

Why do parcels get returned to sender?

Not collecting in time is one reason; a wrong address or a refused parcel are others. Returned to sender covers them all and the trip back.

My locker says delivered but I can't find it

A locker or mailroom counts as delivered. See delivered but not received.