Whistl Parcel Tracking FAQs

Question 1

Do I need to retain my damaged item?

Accepted Answer

We strongly recommend that you retain any damaged item(s) should you wish to query them with the sender of your item. The sender may require photographic evidence of both the damage to the parcel and the packaging itself as part of their investigations.

Question 2

I no longer require my item, can I stop delivery?

Accepted Answer

If you no longer require your item, you may refuse delivery of the item. The item will then  be treated as undeliverable and returned to the sender.

Should you have already taken receipt of the item and wish to return it to the sender, please contact the sender direct to find out more information on their preferred method for accepting returned items.

Question 3

I wish to raise a complaint regarding my delivery, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Please contact the sender of your item, they will then be able to raise a complaint direct with Whistl regarding your delivery.

Question 4

My item is showing as On Hold with the carrier, why might this be?

Accepted Answer

Typically items are placed on hold by carriers if they are unable to affect delivery of an item due to a problem with the address however to investigate this further, 
please contact the sender of your item so that they can investigate this further as they may already be attempting to contact you about your order.

Question 5

My item shows as handed over to Royal Mail, why has tracking stopped?

Accepted Answer

If your item is showing as handed over to Royal Mail, it has been despatched upon our InSight service. 
As a postal service, items are part-tracked from receipt within Whistl's network to handover to Royal Mail 
for final mile delivery.

Typically you should expect delivery of your item by Royal Mail one working day after handover.

Question 6

My parcel has arrived but I have a question about it.

Accepted Answer

Please contact the sender of the parcel direct with your queries.

Question 7

My parcel tracks as delivered but I have not received it. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

Should nobody be at home when our carrier attempted delivery, the driver may have delivered the item to a safe place or a neigbour either side or directly oposite your property. This is normally indicated in tracking information and you should check these locations in the first instance.

If you are still unable to locate the item, please contact the retailer from whom you purchased the item so that they may investigate this further.

Question 8

When can I expect my parcel to be delivered?

Accepted Answer

The expected delivery date of your item will depend upon which service the item has been sent. Please contact the retailer from whom you purchased the item for your expected delivery date.

Question 9

Why has my parcel tracking stopped updating?

Accepted Answer

Most often when a parcel’s tracking has stopped updating, it is simply due to a small delay in the delivery, or a delay in the tracking system registering the parcel’s progress. However, if your parcel tracking has stopped for more than two or three days, there could be complications with the delivery itself. To check whether there has been any issues with your delivery, please contact the retailer who will be able to investigate further.

Question 10

Can I make a claim for a parcel which has not been delivered?

Accepted Answer

If an item has been despatched on a service offering compensation, you may  be able to raise a claim. Please refer to your Whistl contract for our Terms and Conditions regarding claims, you will also need to ensure you comply with the process and requirements detailed in the Tracked Services Customer Guide.

Question 11

My parcel is showing as delivered but my recipient has not received their item, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

If the item is showing as delivered to a safe place, 
please advise the recipient to check their property for the item. 
The item may have also been delivered to a neighbour directly opposite or 
either side of the delivery property.

If an item has been delivered with a signature, 
a copy of the signature can be obtained from your Whistl Internal Account Executive and on some 
services, the name of the signee may also be visible against tracking for the item in Despatch Manager.

Question 12

Does the price I pay include customs charges?

Accepted Answer

For information and support in understanding customs charges, please contact the sender of your item. The retailer or sender will be able to advise whether customs charges will apply.

Question 13

How long will my parcel be held in customs?

Accepted Answer

The courier will attempt to clear your parcel as quickly as possible through customs; however there are occasions where customs in the delivery country shall require additional information to assist in the clearing of the goods.

Generally customs will contact you directly and for this reason. You may wish to contact the sender of your item if it is showing as held in customs as they could require additional information from you to provide the customs authority.

Question 14

I do not wish to pay customs charges, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Please contact the sender of the parcel who will be able to assist you further.

Question 15

My item has received no tracking for several days, is there a problem?

Accepted Answer

Most often when a parcel’s tracking has stopped updating, it is simply due to a small delay in the delivery, or a delay in the tracking system registering the parcel’s progress. However, if your parcel tracking has stopped for more than two or three days, there could be complications with the delivery itself. To check whether there has been any issues with your delivery, please contact the retailer who will be able to investigate further.

Question 16

Will I be able to track my parcel to its destination?

Accepted Answer

You will be able to track your items from receipt through to delivery. The level of tracking information available will depend upon the service used and the destination country.

Please note that delivery confirmation will not always be provided for items sent to USA, Canada and Australia - this will depend upon the service used by the sender.

If you would like to query this further, please contact the sender of your item direct.

Question 17

Will my parcel be subject to customs charges?

Accepted Answer

If you are located outside of the European Union, you may incur customs charges (for example Duty) which must be paid before our carriers can affect delivery. For more information on customs charges, please contact the retailer from whom you purchased the item.

Question 18

How do I track my parcel?

Accepted Answer

Please enter your tracking ID and delivery postcode to track your item. If you experience a problem or do not have a tracking ID, please contact the retailer from whom you are expecting an item to be delivered for more information.

Question 19

I am unable to track my item, why?

Accepted Answer

When searching for items please ensure you enter the full tracking ID in addition to the delivery postcode for the item. When entering the postcode, you must ensure it is entered exactly as supplied when originally placing your order.

Should you still be unable to track an item, the retailer from whom you purchased the item may not yet have manifested their items to trigger tracking. Please contact the retailer direct to query this further.

Question 20

Do I need to retain my damaged item?

Accepted Answer

We strongly recommend that you retain any damaged item(s) should you wish to query them with Whistl. We will require photographic evidence of both the damage to the parcel and the packaging itself as part of our investigations.

Question 21

How do I request that my parcel is stopped and returned to me?

Accepted Answer

If you require the parcel from being delivered  then you would need to request this before the parcel is delivered via Whistl webchat. Please note this is only best endeavors and we cannot guarantee that items will be stopped from being delivered depending on where they are within the network.

Question 22

I have received a complaint regarding a delivery, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Using the link below, please raise your complaint direct with Whistl Customer Services. When raising your complaint, please ensure you have information such as the tracking ID to hand.

Question 23

My item has received a tracking event suggesting it has been relabelled, what does this mean?

Accepted Answer

Items may be relabelled by a carrier for a number of reasons. When an item is relabelled, Whistl will continue to receive tracking against the original tracking number for the item, returned items may however be received with a new barcode. Potential reasons for a carrier to relabel an item might include:

A problem with the print quality of the label

The dimensions or weight of the item are greater than declared, requiring the item to be reverted to an alternative service

The item label was printed several days in advance of the item being received by Whistl or our carrier, requiring new routing to be applied to the label

Question 24

My item is showing as On Hold with the carrier, why might this be?

Accepted Answer

Typically items are placed on hold by carriers if they are unable to affect delivery of an item due to a problem with the address however to investigate this further, please use the link below to chat with our customer services team.

Question 25

My item shows as handed over to Royal Mail, why has tracking stopped?

Accepted Answer

Items dispatched on our InSight service may be tracked to Royal Mail handover. As a part-tracked service, InSight items may only be tracked within Whistl's network.

Question 26

My parcel tracks as delivered but my customer has not received it. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

Should the recipient of a parcel be unavailable, drivers will often deliver to a safe place or neighbour either side or directly opposite. This is normally indicated in tracking information.

Items sent on POD services will also be delivered to the recipient, a neighbour or property directly opposite and a signature obtained. If you would like to view a copy of the signature, this may be obtained by your Whistl Internal Account Executive and on some services, the name of the consignee may also be visible within Despatch Manager when tracking the item.

Question 27

When can I expect my parcel to be delivered?

Accepted Answer

This will be dependant upon the service the item has been sent upon. When tracking the item within Despatch Manager, an indicative delivery date will be given based upon the date the item label was printed. If after the label was printed the item was handed over to Whistl a day or more later, you may wish to add this difference in time to the expected delivery date to generate a more accurate delivery window.

Question 28

Why has my parcel tracking stopped updating?

Accepted Answer

Most often when a parcel’s tracking has stopped updating, it is simply due to a small delay in the delivery, or a delay in the tracking system registering the parcel’s progress. However, if your parcel tracking has stopped for more than two or three days, there could be complications with the delivery itself. To check whether there has been any issues with your delivery, please contact Whistl via webchat

Question 29

Why is my parcel showing no tracking since it was collected?

Accepted Answer

Items will receive their first scan upon receipt at a depot following collection. If none of your items from the collection have yet to receive a scan, it is possible that the vehicle has yet to arrive at the depot or there has been a delay in the items being scanned.

If your parcel is showing no tracking but other items collected have, then it is possible an issue with the item was identified upon receipt and it has been quarantined, please contact us via the link below if this is the case.

Please note that if your item has not been quarantined, then it most likely was not handed over for collection and you may wish to check your warehouse for the status of the order.

Question 30

My customer has cancelled their order. Can I recall my item in transit?

Accepted Answer

Once an item has been received by Whistl or our carriers we are normally unable to have an item recalled and returned to you. You may however use the link below to chat with our customer service team should you wish us to check whether this is possible.

Question 31

Why am I unable to track my item on your consumer portal?

Accepted Answer

When searching for items on our consumer portal, please ensure you enter the full tracking ID in addition to the delivery postcode or zip code for the item. When entering the postcode or zip code, you must ensure it is entered exactly as supplied when originally printing labels.

Should you still be unable to track an item, please check to ensure it has been manifested - only items manifested will appear on our consumer portal.

Question 32

Are my recipients able to track their items on your consumer portal?

Accepted Answer

International items may be tracked using our consumer portal. Please be aware that should your recipient wish to query an item in transit, we will be unable to help with their enquiry.

Question 33

Do I need to retain my damaged item?

Accepted Answer

We strongly recommend that you retain any damaged item(s) should you wish to query them with Whistl. We will require photographic evidence of both the damage to the parcel and the packaging itself as part of our investigations. On International services where compensation for damage is available, this evidence may also be used as part of our claims process. For information on our claims process or where compensation for damage may apply, please refer to your Whistl Contract(s) and the latest Tracked Services Customer Guide.

Question 34

Does the price I pay include customs charges?

Accepted Answer

The price you pay does not include customs charges as these are not known at the time the order is placed.

The decision is made by the relevant authorities in the delivery country who will contact your recipient if there are any charges to be paid.

Items sent on our International Premium Express service may be sent as DDP (Delivery Duty Paid), when this is selected any duty payments and customs charges will be passed back via our carriers and appear on your next International Tracked invoice.

Question 35

How long will my parcel be held in customs?

Accepted Answer

The courier will attempt to clear your parcel as quickly as possible through customs; however there are occasions where customs in the delivery country shall require additional information to assist in the clearing of the goods.

Generally customs will contact the recipient directly and for this reason we request for you to ensure that you include all up-to-date and correct contact details for the receiver during the booking process.

Question 36

I have been asked to provide contact information for my recipient, why is this required?

Accepted Answer

On our International Tracked services, delivery notifications are managed by our carriers to ensure recipients experience a local-look delivery experience.

Should our delivery partners encounter issues with delivering an item they may need to contact the recipient. Potential reasons might  include: Address queries, payment of duties or additional information about the recipient (for example a passport number).

Question 37

What happens if customs charges are refused?

Accepted Answer

If customs charges are refused, your item may be returned as undeliverable and incur an undeliverable surcharge. In some instances, you may also be liable to pay the customs charges in question.

If the item was sent on our International Premium Express service, you may also have the option to pay the duty charges on behalf of your recipient, this may be a more cost effective alternative to the item being returned.

Question 38

My item has received no tracking for several days, is there a problem?

Accepted Answer

Items sent on International services may experience small breaks in tracking whilst in transit between the UK and destination countries. However, if your parcel tracking has stopped for more than three or four days, there could be complications with the delivery itself. To check whether there have been any issues with your delivery, please use the link below to query your item with Whistl Customer Services.

Question 39

Will I be able to track my parcel to its destination?

Accepted Answer

You will be able to track your items from receipt at your local Whistl depot through to delivery. The level of tracking information available will depend upon the service used and the destination country.

Please note that when sending items on our Standard service, delivery confirmation will not always be provided for items sent to USA, Canada and Australia.

Question 40

Will my parcel be subject to customs charges?

Accepted Answer

If you’re sending a parcel outside of the European Union, it could incur customs charges.Customs charges are required to be paid by the sender before the parcel in question is permitted entry into the country it’s been sent to. Because customs charges are determined when the parcel arrives, it’s impossible for us to determine whether you’ll be charged and by how much in advance.

Therefore, we advise any customers planning to send outside of the EU to set aside an allowance to serve as a buffer in the event your parcel does incur customs charges.

Question 41

I have received a complaint regarding a delivery, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Using the link below, please raise your complaint direct with Whistl Customer Services. When raising your complaint, please ensure you have information such as the tracking ID to hand.

Question 42

My item is showing as On Hold with the carrier, why might this be?

Accepted Answer

Typically items are placed on hold by carriers if they are unable to affect delivery of an item due to a problem with the address however to investigate this further, please use the link below to chat with our customer services team.

Question 43

My parcel tracks as delivered but my customer has not received it. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

Should the recipient of a parcel be unavailable, drivers will often deliver to a safe place or neighbour either side or directly opposite. This is normally indicated in tracking information.

Items sent on POD services will also be delivered to the recipient, a neighbour or property directly opposite and a signature obtained. If you would like to view a copy of the signature, this may be obtained by your Whistl Internal Account Executive and on some services, the name of the signee may also be visible within Despatch Manager when tracking the item.

Question 44

When can I expect my parcel to be delivered?

Accepted Answer

This will be dependant upon the service the item has been sent upon. When tracking the item within Despatch Manager, an indicative delivery date will be given based upon the date the item label was printed. If after the label was printed the item was handed over to Whistl a day or more later, you may wish to add this difference in time to the expected delivery date to generate a more accurate delivery window.

Question 45

Why has my parcel tracking stopped updating?

Accepted Answer

Most often when a parcel’s tracking has stopped updating, it is simply due to a small delay in the delivery, or a delay in the tracking system registering the parcel’s progress. However, if your parcel tracking has stopped for more than two or three days, there could be complications with the delivery itself. To check whether there has been any issues with your delivery, please contact Whistl via webchat

Question 46

Why is my parcel showing no tracking since it was collected?

Accepted Answer

Items will receive their first scan upon receipt at a depot following collection. If none of your items from the collection have yet to receive a scan, it is possible that the vehicle has yet to arrive at the depot or there has been a delay in the items being scanned.

If your parcel is showing no tracking but other items collected have, then it is possible an issue with the item was identified upon receipt and it has been quarantined, please contact us via the link below if this is the case.

Please note that if your item has not been quarantined, then it most likely was not handed over for collection and you may wish to check your warehouse for the status of the order.

Question 47

How should I package liquids?

Accepted Answer

For detailed requirements on despatching liquids and to ensure the type of liquid may be sent using our services - please refer to the Tracked Services Customer Guide and www.whistl.co.uk/restricted items

When liquids are despatched they must be sealed within a plastic bag designed to contain any leaks. A rigid outer box should then be used with suitable cushioning and structural support. Orientation arrows will also be required on the side of the box.

Question 48

I am sending an item outside of the UK, what documentation do I require?

Accepted Answer

No additional documentation is required when using our International Tracked services. We electronically declare information regarding the contents of your packages to our carriers who onward manage customs and any additional labelling requirements on our behalf.

Question 49

We wish to send hazardous goods, how should these be packaged?

Accepted Answer

Due to the sensitive nature of hazardous goods, please speak with your Account Manager for more information. Detailed requirements on despatching limited quantities of hazardous goods, including prohibited and restricted items, may be found in the Tracked Services Customer Guide and on www.whistl.co.uk/restricted items

Question 50

What type of packaging should I use?

Accepted Answer

Packaging should be strong and durable, including sufficient packaging for fragile items. When selecting your packaging it is important to ensure it will be suitable for transporting the items to your customer and being returned to you, whilst only a small percentage of items are returned - ensuring your packaging is suitably durable will protect the contents sufficiently and assist with resale.

You should avoid using cylindrical packaging, or packaging which allows movement of the contents within the package. This can be achieved with rigid packaging or using suitably shock resistant packing material.

When sending your items, you should always ensure they are contained within an outer package for transit - point of sale packaging is not sufficient.

For more information on the type of packaging you should use, in particular to ensure compliance with our requirements - please refer to the Tracked Services Customer Guide.

Question 51

Do I need to carry out any sortation of my items for collection?

Accepted Answer

You will need to carry out a small amount of segregation for your collection, in particular, to ensure the driver is able to identify and prioritise any Next Day traffic. For detailed requirements on presenting your items for collection, please refer to the Tracked Services Customer Guide. The latest version may be obtained from your Internal Account Executive.

Question 52

I have experienced a problem with my collection, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Please contact your Account Manager or Internal Account Executive.

Question 53

I need to change my collection time, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Please contact your Whistl Internal Account Executive. A request may take up to five days to process, for more information please refer to the Tracked Services Customer Guide.

Question 54

Is there any documentation I should provide with my collection?

Accepted Answer

If you are using any of our postal services (both untracked and part tracked), you will need to provide a Whistl Tray Card with each container you have used (for example a container may be a bag, pallet or magnum).

If you are using our fully tracked services, you will need to use a Tracked Services Container Card and apply one to each container.

Failure to provide a tray or container card may impact our ability to process your items, for detailed requirements and assistance - please refer to the Tracked Services Customer Guide. the latest version may be obtained from your Internal Account Executive.

Question 55

When will my collection take place?

Accepted Answer

When setting up your account, Whistl will agree collection windows prior to your first collection. A schedule will be agreed which ensures forecasted volumes are received by our network in time to meet our carrier injection times. Collection times are considered fixed from this point, however may be changed by agreement with Whistl Customer Services. Should forecast volumes increase, Whistl may look to adjust collection times to ensure carrier injection windows continue to be met.

For more information on collections, please refer to the Tracked Services Customer Guide.

Question 56

I am unable to log into Web Despatch, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Please use the Forgotten Password option on the login page. If you are unsuccessful, please contact your Customer Services Internal Account Executive. When calling please ensure you have your Whistl Client ID (for example: L10054) to hand.

Question 57

Our API calls are returning unexpected error messages, what should we do?

Accepted Answer

Please contact your Customer Services Internal Account Executive. When calling please ensure you have your Whistl Client ID (for example: L10054) to hand.

Question 58

Our labels are not printing clear and there appear to be breaks in the barcodes. How should we address this?

Accepted Answer

You may need to check your printer and either change your ink or the printer head. Print quality issues on labels are not typically an issue with Web Despatch and if in doubt, you may wish to contact the supplier of the printer.

If your printer was supplied by Whistl, please contact your Customer Services Internal Account Executive for assistance. Please ensure you have your Whistl Client ID (for example: L10054) to hand.

Question 59

The API is not returning a response, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Please contact your Customer Services Internal Account Executive. When calling please ensure you have your Whistl Client ID (for example: L10054) to hand.

Question 60

The system is not responding and I cannot access the API or website, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Please contact your Customer Services Internal Account Executive. When calling please ensure you have your Whistl Client ID (for example: L10054) to hand.

Question 61

We are integrated via API and have noticed issues with our labels missing data. What should we do?

Accepted Answer

Please check with your IT team to check whether you are experiencing a local issue with your integration. If unsuccessful in identifying the issue, please contact your Customer Services Internal Account Executive. When calling please ensure you have your Whistl Client ID (for example: L10054) to hand.

Question 62

We are unable to print labels, what should we do?

Accepted Answer

Please contact your Customer Services Internal Account Executive. When calling please ensure you have your Whistl Client ID (for example: L10054) to hand.

Question 63

We are using Web Despatch and have noticed issues with our labels missing data. What should we do?

Accepted Answer

If you are still within your 2 week Implementation period, please contact your Whistl Implementation Manager.

If you are outside this period, please contact your Customer Services Internal Account Executive for assistance. Please ensure you have your Whistl Client ID (for example: L10054) to hand.

Question 64

We asked to receive tracking files to a daily schedule but have not received our files, what should we do?

Accepted Answer

If you are still within your 2 week Implementation period, please contact your Whistl Implementation Manager.

If you are outside this period, please contact your Customer Services Internal Account Executive for assistance. Please ensure you have your Whistl Client ID (for example: L10054) to hand.

How can we help?

Popular help topics

Most frequently asked questions