What does the tracking description mean?

My parcel tracking results states ‘addressee advised to collect from Post Office’ and the driver left a card. What shall I do now? 

If you are not at home when the driver attempts to deliver, they will leave a card with the details of your local Post Office where your parcel is being securely held for you to collect from the next working day. You need to take the card and a proof of ID showing your delivery address to collect your parcel. 

The address and opening times of the local Post Office can be found by using the Post Office locator

Our delivery depot and our delivery partners overseas will do everything they can to locate the delivery address, but sometimes this isn’t possible from the details on the parcel. If you think you can help with additional details then please contact us on 03448 00 44 66 stating the parcel number.  

As soon as we have the details about a parcel being sent on our systems the tracking results will state ‘Advised’. As soon as the item enters our network it will get a tracking scan and the Advised status will change to ‘In progress’  

All countries need to control the import and export of goods where this involves them coming in from or being delivered outside of the EU.  Where the value of these goods is above the minimum value for commercial items or gifts for the destination country they have to be inspected by that country’s Customs Authority.   

Your parcel has been identified as being in this category and has been passed to UK Border Force (for UK import items) or the destination country’s Customs Authority to be evaluated for any import duties or taxes that may be applicable.  Once this is done, your item will be handed back to us for delivery in the UK or our delivery partner overseas for onwards delivery, although there may be charges to be paid before this can be done. 

All countries need to control the import and export of goods where this involves them coming in from or being delivered outside of the EU.  Where the value of these goods is above the minimum value for commercial items or gifts for the destination country they have to be inspected by that country’s Customs Authority.  Your parcel has been through this process and there are duties and/or taxes to be paid before it can be delivered.  

If you are the recipient in the UK, you should have received a letter from us detailing the charges the UK Border Force (for UK import items) wish to raise and how they can be paid.  You now need to pay these charges and our automated system will recognise when you’ve done this and schedule the delivery for the following working day. 

If you have any questions about the charges, these will need to be directed to UK Border Force and their contact details will be included on the letter you receive.

All countries need to control the import and export of goods where this involves them coming in from or being delivered outside of the EU.   

Where the value of these goods is above the minimum value for commercial items or gifts for the destination country they have to be inspected by that country’s Customs Authority.   

Your parcel has been through this process and there are duties and/or taxes to be paid before it can be delivered.  If you are the recipient in the UK, you will receive a letter from us detailing the charges the UK Border Force (for UK import items) wish to raise and how they can be paid.  Our automated system will recognise when the charges have been paid and schedule the delivery for the following working day. 

If you have any questions about the charges, these will need to be directed to UK Border Force and their contact details will be included on the letter you receive. 

If during the journey of a parcel throughout our network we note there is damage to the packaging we will record this.   

Where possible, our depots and hubs will repackage items to allow the items to be delivered. 

Our driver has called to deliver your parcel, but was unable to get anyone at the address to sign for it.  They will have left a card detailing what they have done with it and the next steps you need to take. 

This is likely to be either taking it to a local Post Office to be held securely for you to pick up (the card will give the details of the Post Office and our website tracking will be updated when our driver has handed over your parcel and it is available for you to pick up), or taking it back to our depot.   

The card will explain if a further delivery will automatically take place or whether you need to contact us to make arrangements for receiving your parcel. The most convenient way of doing this is to visit our Receiving a parcel page on our website. 

If there is a specific reason why our driver has not been able to deliver your parcel, this will be displayed in the website tracking results.  If you think you can help with additional details then please contact us on 03448 00 44 66 stating the parcel number.   
 

This track displays when a parcel is in one of our locations prior to it being exported. This track also appears in overseas locations when it is moving between destination countries.

My parcel tracking result states ‘Held’. What shall I do now?

If the held details states:

• Held - awaiting instruction – please contact 03448 00 44 66 with your parcel number and supply necessary details.
• Held - damage recorded - If during the journey of a parcel throughout our network we note there is damage to the packaging we will record this. Where possible, our depots and hubs will repackage items to allow the items to be delivered. If the item cannot be delivered we will contact you if we have your details. Please contact us on 03448 00 44 66 with your parcel number if you have not had any contact from us.
• Held at Customs - incorrect paperwork- Customs are legally entitled to open parcels where information on the Customs declaration is not clear or if the customs declaration is missing and they need to make an assessment. If they cannot find the necessary documentation then the item may be returned to sender.
• Held in depot – we may hold an item at one of our depots awaiting redelivery. If your item has not been delivered after two working days please contact us on 03448 00 44 66 with your parcel number
• Held in depot - restricted contents – the parcel contains goods that are on our prohibited goods list. The recipient may be contacted or the parcel destroyed depending on the contents. Please contact us on 03448 00 44 66 with your parcel number to discuss with us.

Held in depot for redelivery – Our driver has attempted to deliver your parcel. It has been returned to the depot as the attempt was unsuccessful. If we were unable to deliver your parcel securely directly to you the first time, the driver will have left a “We called to deliver / collect your parcel” card. Please read this card as it will tell you whether:

• We will deliver the parcel again tomorrow.
• Your parcel has been left with a neighbour.
• Your parcel has been taken to your local Post Office branch.

If you would like to arrange for your item to be redelivered on a different day, to a different address, to a Post Office or if you would like to collect it from our depot please visit our Receiving a parcel page. 

As soon as a parcel enters our network it will get a tracking scan and the status to appear on the website will be ‘In progress’. This status will change to ‘Delivered’ once delivered.  

If it’s Monday-Friday, then your parcel is ready for delivery today. Deliveries to UK recipients in UK zones 1-3 are usually made between 7:00am and 6:00pm, depending on the service selected. 

All parcels received in our depot during Friday night and Saturday morning will be loaded to our delivery vehicles, whether they are due for delivery on Saturday or Monday. 

When the sender has chosen and paid for the Saturday delivery service, we will deliver your parcel on a Saturday. Deliveries on a Saturday are between 7am and 2pm. However, if the sender has not chosen the Saturday delivery service, then we will deliver your parcel on Monday (except for Bank Holidays / Public Holidays). 

Unfortunately it appears that at the time of tracking, the parcel cannot be found in our network. We will continue to look for it and will contact the sender if it is found. Please contact us on 03448 00 44 66 with your parcel number if you want to discuss the issue with us. 

All countries need to control the import and export of goods where this involves them coming in from or being delivered outside of the EU.   

Where the value of these goods is above the minimum value for commercial items or gifts for the destination country they have to be inspected by that country’s Customs Authority.  Your parcel has been through this process and has now been returned to Parcelforce Worldwide for delivery in the UK, or to our delivery partner overseas for onward delivery. 

We will always attempt redelivery of a parcel twice, with the second attempt being the following working day (unless otherwise stated on the card left by our driver). 

If redelivery has been rearranged by the recipient this scan may appear on the website. 
 
Please be aware that if you have arranged for a redelivery it is not guaranteed to be attempted the next working day. It may take longer for the delivery to take place, especially if the item was previously held at a post office. 

If we have been unable to deliver your parcel it will be returned to sender. There are a range of reasons why your item is being returned. If you are unsure why it is being returned, please contact us on 03448 00 44 66 stating your parcel number. 

Prior to export from the United Kingdom, your parcel will be sorted to its destination via our International hub in Coventry. Your parcel will be screened and then go forward for export. 

If your item is being imported into the United Kingdom, your item will be handled by our International hub in Coventry before (pending any customs clearance) being passed to our National hub for onward delivery. 

Our delivery network is made up of 54 depots, a processing centre in the north west of England, a national  hub in Coventry and a Southern Processing Centre called SEPC (South East Processing Centre) in Hatfield. Parcels are picked up from senders by our drivers from one of our depots and then transported to the appropriate delivery depot via our processing centre and/or our national hub. 

The "National Hub" location on the tracking results page relates to our main hub in Coventry 

The "North West Processing centre" location relates to our processing centre in the north west of England 

The "South East Processing Centre" location relates to our processing centre in Hatfield