UK consumers let down by delivery service

British consumers spend £3.6 billion a year on delivery charges but are still disappointed with delivery services, according to research commissioned by Trimble, a provider of fleet and field service management solutions. The study by OnePoll, which surveyed 1,000 British adults, revealed that paying an average of £2.99 per order for shipping fees is not a problem for consumers, but tardy arrivals, missing deliveries and the inability to specify a time and date for arrival are leaving them feeling let down by online retailers.

Other major consumer gripes with home delivery services include goods being left when no one is home (30 percent) and not being able to specify a short delivery window (14 percent).

When it comes to delivery charges, a quarter of UK adults believe that delivery costs are too high, but the research revealed that consumers are prepared to pay to get the items they want, when they want; 40 percent of consumers are willing to pay for next-day delivery, 22 percent would pay for delivery within a two-hour slot; 13 percent would pay for a Saturday delivery and nearly three quarters of respondents agree that fast delivery is a key factor when shopping online.