Are sellers allowed to request a parcel be returned before delivery?

phdwho

I ordered a boardgame from an online seller I'd successfully used previously. I got a Yodel tracking number. I piad for next day delivery which should have been yesterday. Didn't show up today either and according to Yodel the seller (whom they reference as 'whistl uk') asked for it be returned. Not sure what's going on here as Whistl UK are a logistics company and not the actual seller. Yodel could not tell me why this had happened. What circumstances would allow this to happen and why might a logistics company intermediary (as I assume Whistl are) ask for a return? 

Thanks

MorningcoffeeIV

Perhaps they've sent the wrong thing, or there is something wrong with it.

But it doesn't matter. Only they can tell you why.

phdwho

Entirely possible and I have contacted them. But I thought it wasn't allowed to do this? Once something gets posted, isn't that too late?

Jenni_D

But Yodel etc. aren't postage (in the sense of Royal Mail), so such logistics channels can abide by their own procedures.

visidigi

The seller will have used Whistl who in turn selected yodel. The seller must have asked it to be returned (which is possible to do) - but the reasons for it aren't clear - its usually for fraud of course - did you buy it at a super cheap price or use vouchers not sent to you or something?

The T&C's you agreed when buying will tell you what they can and can't do. 

user1977

phdwho said:

Entirely possible and I have contacted them. But I thought it wasn't allowed to do this? Once something gets posted, isn't that too late?

No, it isn't yours until if and when it gets delivered to you. What happens in the meantime isn't really relevant.

MorningcoffeeIV

phdwho said:

Entirely possible and I have contacted them. But I thought it wasn't allowed to do this? Once something gets posted, isn't that too late?

To correct a mistake?

No.

If you've ordered a tablecloth and they've sent you a hamster, they won't just ignore it 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

user1977 said:

phdwho said:

Entirely possible and I have contacted them. But I thought it wasn't allowed to do this? Once something gets posted, isn't that too late?

No, it isn't yours until if and when it gets delivered to you. What happens in the meantime isn't really relevant.

Title would pass when the contract stipulates or if not follows the rules under the SOGA and a contract would be formed when stated acceptance occurs.

It's risk that passes upon delivery  

Not that either make much difference really and hopefully OP will receive the boardgame at some point. 

cannugec5

I’ve had a couple of occasions when parcels have been recalled before delivery. In each situation the item has been damaged in transit, so the courier contacted the sender and returned to them. Replacements were sent in due course. 

My tracking showed it as dispatched , then returned to sender. When dispatched a second time had new tracking (obviously) 

RefluentBeans

If you paid extra for next day delivery be sure to get a refund for that portion. As for why it’s been recalled - it may be worth just asking the seller. 

DullGreyGuy

phdwho said:

Entirely possible and I have contacted them. But I thought it wasn't allowed to do this? Once something gets posted, isn't that too late?

Depends on the capabilities of the company you posted it with and probably the size of customer you represent to them.  Clearly if you put a letter in a postbox to your boss and the next morning you remember you signed it with love and kisses then you have a snowballs chance of asking royal mail to search through the millions of bits of post it handles to find your one letter. 

In principle an item that is end to end tracked could be redirected mid route, it just needs to be flagged the next time it's scanned. Its a pain for the couriers so if you are Joe Public sending five parcels a year they'll say it cannot be done but if you are sending hundreds of thousands of parcels its in their interest to keep you happy. 


Personally, have known "seller recalled" to actually mean the courier company broke it but rather than admit they are to blame to you they say the seller told them to return it. There could be other reasons though, like mentioned above if they've realised they sent you a set of frilly knickers rather than the boardgame you ordered.