International Delivery Query FAQs

Question 1

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 2

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 3

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 4

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 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

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 9

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 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

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 14

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 15

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.

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