What should I do if my Christmas present deliveries still haven’t arrived by January?

One week ago, families across Scotland gathered around their Christmas trees to exchange gifts to celebrate the festive season. 

But for some, the space underneath the tree was a little bare, thanks to delays with items being shipped. 

From worker strikes to overwhelming demand, some Scots just didn’t receive their Christmas gifts on time. 

Now, more than a week on from Christmas Day, we take a look at what you can do if your presents still haven’t arrived on your doorstep. 

Royal Mail

From Christmas cards to presents, many Scots who rely on the Royal Mail have noticed an impact on deliveries in recent weeks, as members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) carried out a number of strikes during December. 

As a result, Scots were warned that ‘huge amounts’ of Christmas post wouldn’t arrive in time, with final posting dates brought forward in anticipation of strikes. 

Union members have staged a number of walkouts in a dispute over pay, accusing Royal Mail bosses of failing to treat workers with respect. 

The organisation hit back at CWU members, accusing the union of “holding Christmas to ransom” for families and businesses.

Royal Mail have apologised to customers for delays to Christmas post and said they have deployed ‘additional resources’ to get services back to normal “as quickly as possible”. 

Customers have been urged to visit the Royal Mail website for updates to services following strike action. 

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are very sorry for the disruption and delay that CWU strike action has caused to our customers. We continue to deploy contingency plans to keep communities, businesses and the country connected.

“After each period of industrial action, we have increased our network capacity and used additional resources to assist with getting services back to normal as quickly as possible. 

“Collections from business customers, Post Offices and post boxes resume the day after any strike action has finished, as do deliveries. 

“Customers can find the latest information on our services during industrial action at Royal Mail strike updates | Royal Mail Group Ltd.”

Evri

As many Scots turn to online stores to complete their Christmas shopping, delivery companies see an increase in demand for their services over the festive period. 

Demand means that some parcels go undelivered, which is frustrating for customers waiting for the perfect gift to arrive. 

Delivery company Evri has advised customers to go directly to the retailer they purchased their gift from if they are still waiting for it to arrive. 

An Evri spokesperson said: “If a customer has not received a parcel within a week of notice of it being distributed from the sender, we advise that the customer is in contact directly with the sender so that we can look into the delivery and provide a solution.

“If a parcel is damaged, or a refund is required, the fastest way for customers to resolve this is to speak directly to the retailer. We work closely with retailers and customers on the development of packaging to mitigate against this happening”.