Failed home delivery: who pays the extra charges?

Establish what appointment was agreed

Keep the accepted appointment message, delivery window, address, recipient contact and any later changes together. Ask whether the booking was confirmed or merely proposed, who accepted it and whether advance contact was promised. Compare the actual arrival with that record. An estimated tracking date alone leaves the appointment unclear.

Our sofa home-delivery guide covers access measurements and the delivery service to book. For a failed attempt, identify exactly which accepted instruction was not met. Ask who booked the carrier and who is invoicing you: the seller, sourcing agent or a carrier you appointed separately.

Request evidence of attendance and access

Ask for the driver's arrival and departure times, vehicle location record, photographs identifying the property, attempted calls and the original failure note. Match these to the consignment and agreed address. A photograph of a nearby street or an unanswered call does not by itself establish that the crew attended the correct entrance during the appointment.

Preserve the resident's call log, messages, doorbell footage and account of waiting at home. Compare the access photographs accepted before dispatch with what the driver encountered. Ask whether the obstacle was a locked gate, unavailable lift, unsuitable stopping point, incorrect packed dimensions or missing equipment. Keep conflicting accounts visible rather than treating a tracking label as the conclusion.

Separate the cause from the demand for payment

If the resident missed a confirmed appointment or access differed from the information supplied, check the agreed failed-delivery terms before accepting the bill. If the crew arrived outside the agreed window, used the wrong address or lacked equipment accepted in the booking, request that the provider correct the service and withdraw the associated charges. Where accounts conflict, ask for an investigation.

Where UK sale-of-goods rules apply, a seller ready and willing to deliver who requests receipt can claim loss caused by the buyer's neglect or refusal to take delivery within a reasonable time, plus reasonable care and custody charges. Check whether those conditions are established. This rule concerns a seller's claim; ask a separately appointed carrier to identify its own charging basis.

Review the UK seller supply terms guide alongside your order. Ask the invoicing party to connect each charge to the relevant agreement and actual cause, rather than merely forwarding a subcontractor's invoice.

Check storage and redelivery separately

Request an itemised calculation showing the redelivery service, handling, storage location, charging unit, storage start and end, and any waiting charge. Ask for the accepted tariff or other basis being relied on. Check for overlapping charges and whether storage continued after you offered a workable collection or delivery arrangement.

Confirm where the goods are held, their condition, who can authorise release and the proposed next appointment. Ask what would stop further storage charges and request a pause while the dispute is reviewed. Do not assume the pause has been accepted. Use the freight storage charges guide if the invoice also includes port or container charges.

Challenge the bill and secure the next delivery

Write to the invoicing party: “I dispute the failed-delivery charge. Please provide the accepted appointment, attendance evidence, recorded reason for failure, charging basis and itemised calculation. My supporting records are attached. Please confirm the goods' location, proposed redelivery and whether further storage charges will be paused during review.” State the particular mismatch and the correction you request.

Keep the disputed bill and the replacement booking as separate written decisions. Record any accepted payment, credit or revised charge. If payment is demanded before release, ask for the release conditions in writing and seek advice before deciding how to proceed. Escalate through the provider's complaints contact if its response does not address your evidence.

Home delivery does not itself make a business purchase a consumer purchase. A consumer is an individual acting wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession. Where UK consumer rules apply, an unfair contract term is not binding on the consumer. For a personal purchase, ask for advice on a disputed term's fairness rather than assuming every published fee is enforceable.