Q. I ordered an item online recently. It was coming from abroad. It was shipped out but unfortunately when it landed in Ireland it was to be handed over to a courier service that is no longer operating. We’ve no idea where the package went once it arrived in Ireland. We are happy to wait – provided it is not too much longer, as it is a fairly niche and fairly expensive item. We paid all delivery charges etc. What can you advise?
Dear Reader,
If a courier is unable or cannot deliver a parcel, it should be returned to the vendor/seller that sold the item. It would thereafter fall to the vendor to arrange for the further delivery to you.
If you purchased the item from an EU country, you are entitled to receipt of the item within 30 days of ordering (or a longer period if expressly agreed with the vendor). If they cannot agree to reship or deliver within the timeframe, you are entitled to seek a full refund for all sums, including delivery charges.
It is not a matter for you to engage with the courier directly. It is a matter entirely for the vendor to ensure that you actually receive the item. If that means that they have to pay another courier or another method of delivery, or if they have to ship a further item, so be it. It is not permissible to ask you to discharge a further delivery fee.
If you bought from within the EU, you should have paid no customs or VAT charges.
If you purchased from outside the EU, including from the UK, the item should be returned to the vendor as outlined above. A difficulty might be encountered if you have already paid for customs and charges on the item that now has to be returned to its country of origin to be reshipped to Ireland then there may be an attempt to charge for further customs/excise charges. You should try and retain any receipts that you hold so that you are not charged twice for customs and excise fees.
While you should not be asked to pay further delivery charges, you may have to pay a handling fee if the item needs to go through customs clearance again.
If you have any issues, you should simply seek a refund of all costs and expenses from the vendor. If that is not forthcoming, you should consider a chargeback on your credit/debit card – but this could only be done within 120 days of the initial transaction.