Evri has been named the UK’s worst delivery company for the third year in a row, after new Ofcom figures revealed widespread customer dissatisfaction over delays, damaged parcels and poor communication.
According to the regulator’s annual delivery market review, more than four in ten people (41%) said they were dissatisfied with Evri’s service — the highest level of any major courier. Just 31% of respondents said they were satisfied, marking a further decline from last year’s scores.
It is the third consecutive year that Evri has ranked bottom of the courier performance table, with Ofcom warning that delivery standards across the industry remain inconsistent despite rising parcel volumes.
Evri’s latest ranking comes just months after the company completed a merger with DHL’s UK e-commerce division, a deal approved by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in September. The combined business will deliver more than one billion parcels annually, equivalent to a quarter of all parcels sent in the UK.
However, the boom in online shopping has exposed widening cracks in last-mile delivery operations. Ofcom said a record 4.2 billion parcels were sent across the UK last year — a 7% year-on-year increase — yet two-thirds of consumers reported at least one delivery issue in the past six months.
The most common complaints included:
• Delayed deliveries (27%)
• Parcels left in unsuitable locations (22%)
• Drivers failing to knock loudly or allow enough time to answer (20%)
• Missing or damaged parcels (18%)
Yodel ranked second lowest in Ofcom’s consumer satisfaction index, with one in three customers reporting poor complaint handling.
Royal Mail, which was acquired by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský earlier this year in a £3.6bn deal, also fell into the lower half of the rankings, with 24% dissatisfaction despite modest improvements since 2024.
The postal service has been attempting to pivot from letters to parcels, announcing plans to convert thousands of convenience stores into parcel hubs and expand its locker network through partnerships with Sainsbury’s and Co-op.
At the other end of the scale, Amazon topped the rankings with 57% of respondents satisfied and just 16% dissatisfied, followed by FedEx and UPS.
Ofcom has tightened its rules around parcel company complaints handling and transparency, with a renewed push for “sustained improvements” across the delivery market.
A spokesperson for the regulator said: “Customers have a right to expect their parcels to arrive safely and on time. Companies must invest in better systems and processes that reflect the scale of their operations.”
Responding to the findings, an Evri spokesperson said customer satisfaction was a “top priority” and highlighted £57 million of investment in operations and technology over the past year.
“Every parcel matters to us. That’s why we’ve invested heavily to make deliveries smoother, faster and more sustainable,” the company said.
“We’re on track to deliver 900 million parcels this financial year, and following our merger with DHL UK, we’re building towards becoming the UK’s premier parcel delivery company for businesses and consumers alike.”
Despite the investment, analysts say Evri’s reputation problem underscores a broader challenge for Britain’s courier sector — balancing speed, cost and reliability amid record parcel demand and heightened regulatory scrutiny.
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Evri named UK’s worst delivery firm for third consecutive year as complaints mount