DxdeliveriesYour sofa is on its way. Here is what happens next.
When you buy something big from a shop or website, such as a sofa, a bath, a fridge or a garden set, the retailer usually hands it to a specialist two-person delivery crew. This guide walks through how those deliveries are booked, what the crew will and will not do, and how to sort things out if the day does not go to plan.
Large items do not travel like parcels
A shoebox goes through a sorting machine and lands on your doorstep with one driver. A 60 kg bath cannot. Bulky goods move on their own network, with two people per van, booked time windows and a lot more that can go right or wrong.
Two people per van
Heavy or awkward items need two handlers for safety, which is why these crews work in pairs.
A booked day
You agree a delivery day in advance, rather than waiting for a parcel to turn up whenever it is scanned.
Messages before arrival
Most carriers send a slot, a reminder the evening before and a heads-up when the van is close.
Room for surprises
Measure doorways and stairs before the day. A sofa that will not fit goes straight back on the van.
Kerbside, threshold or room of choice?
The level of service you paid for decides where the crew puts your item down. It is the single most common cause of disappointment on delivery day, so check your order confirmation.
Kerbside
The item is left at the edge of your property or the nearest safe point for the van. Carrying it in is up to you. Common for baths, building supplies and heavy garden items.
Threshold
The crew brings the item to your front door or just inside it, on the ground floor. They will not usually take it upstairs.
Room of choice
The crew carries the item to the room you choose, often including stairs, and may unpack it and take the packaging away.
A good delivery is mostly good communication
Read enough customer reviews of bulky-goods carriers and a pattern appears. The deliveries people praise are the ones where the slot was set days ahead, confirmed the night before and kept to. The ones people complain about are the ones where messages stopped, tracking froze or nobody answered the phone.
Your delivery is booked for Thursday between 10:00 and 12:00.
Wednesday eveningReminder: our crew will be with you tomorrow, 10:00 to 12:00.
Thursday, 10:20Your crew is about 30 minutes away.
Five minutes with a tape measure
- Measure the narrowest door, hallway and stair turn on the route, not just the room.
- Compare against the item's depth and height as well as its width.
- Check where the van can stop, and whether there are parking restrictions.
- Clear the route, protect the floor and keep pets in another room.
- Make sure someone over 18 will be in for the whole slot.
Missed, late, damaged or only part of the order?
Start with the retailer
Your contract is with the shop you bought from, not the carrier. Under UK consumer law the goods stay the retailer's responsibility until they are in your hands.
Keep a record
Save texts and emails, note the time of every call and take photos of any damage before the packaging goes.
Know your rights
If no delivery date was agreed, goods should arrive without undue delay and within 30 days. Citizens Advice has free guidance.