Addressing delivery problems before offering discounts

If a subscriber wants to leave because a parcel was late, missing or damaged, investigate that order and agree on a remedy before considering a price adjustment or discount. Keep the subscriber informed while you check what happened; a discount does not locate a parcel or resolve an Australian Consumer Law remedy.

Establish what happened

Check the order ID, promised dispatch information, tracking, delivery address and contents. Distinguish an order that was never dispatched from one delayed in transit and one marked delivered but not received. Check whether an address change came after the order was released. For damage, record the affected items and whether anything remains usable.

For Australia Post parcels, check its current service updates for delays or disruptions affecting deliveries within Australia. Australia Post also provides information about compensation if an item is lost, late or damaged. For another carrier, check its tracking information and contact channel.

A carrier status does not by itself establish that the subscriber received usable goods. Tell the subscriber what the tracking shows, and what you are checking next.

Give a remedy and a next update

Tell the subscriber what is known, what still needs checking and the date and time of your next update. Set a time you can meet, and send an update then even if the investigation is still underway. Depending on the facts, tracing the parcel, correcting an address or replacing affected items may help resolve the delivery problem; confirm stock and operational timing before promising a replacement dispatch.

Check the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) before agreeing a remedy. Consumer guarantees require goods to meet standards including acceptable quality, match their description and be fit for a stated purpose. Services must be provided with due care and skill, be fit for purpose and, if no timeframe was agreed, be supplied within a reasonable time.

When goods or services do not meet an applicable consumer guarantee, the remedy depends on the problem. A major product failure includes an unsafe product, one significantly different from its description, one the buyer would not have bought if they had known about the problem, or one that does not do what it is supposed to do and cannot be fixed quickly or easily. For a major failure, the buyer can choose a refund or replacement; for a minor problem, the business must provide a free repair or may choose to offer a replacement or refund.

Do not assume every late, missing or damaged parcel has the same remedy. Assess the circumstances and the applicable guarantee. A discount or store policy cannot replace a remedy the subscriber is entitled to under the ACL.

Keep the affected order distinct from the next subscription cycle. Explain whether the upcoming order will proceed while the issue is resolved, and what can still be changed if it is already processing. A replacement should not silently become an extra subscription charge.

If the subscriber disputes the proposed resolution, escalate the case internally to someone authorised to review it. If it remains unresolved, the relevant state or territory consumer protection agency may offer voluntary dispute services. The ACCC accepts reports and addresses widespread issues, but does not resolve individual disputes.

Consider price after the service response

Do not offer a discount in place of a remedy required under the ACL. If you offer an additional price adjustment, state whether it applies to the affected order or a future charge, and explain how the original delivery complaint will be resolved.

After closing the case, compare the promised dispatch with handover and review repeated address errors, damage or carrier exceptions. Assign the operational fix to the team that can make it. Check whether the customer’s issue was resolved and whether later orders arrived as promised; accepting a cancellation offer alone does not establish either outcome.