I try to be helpful to delivery drivers by being at the door waiting. It means they spend the least amount of time possible delivering my parcels. With Amazon, it is very easy to see as your parcel gets closer thanks to real-time tracking. I’ve now discovered another essential reason to be there at the door waiting; damaged parcels!

Because of the lockdown, this year, I had to take full advantage of Amazon and ordered a lot of my presents through them. Recently I had 4 deliveries coming in a single day. The first two were handed over no problem.

The next to arrive was an electronic device. The driver saw me waiting at the door so couldn’t leave the package outside. Just as well because the box the device was wrapped in was dripping wet and ripped (no rain today so that wasn’t the reason). I declined delivery based on the external damage I could see.

Because I rejected the delivery before it was handed over, I won’t have to pay extra postage and the company I purchased the device from can’t charge me a restocking fee or postage fee because it’s been returned non-delivered due to damage. The supplier won’t lose out because they will charge the courier. It just means it is now the supplier’s issue with the courier, not mine.

I so rarely return anything but I have been stung with restocking fees in the past because I had to return an item badly damaged in transit. They also made me pay the second postage fee and told me I had to claim all that back through the delivery courier.