Courier Left a €500 Parcel at the Door: Who Is Liable for the Missing Item?

A reader of the LA.LV news portal has described an unpleasant experience with an online purchase. She had ordered an item worth around 500 euros with home delivery, but was not at home on the scheduled day. She later received a notice that the parcel had been delivered, yet when she returned, it was not there. It turned out the courier had simply left it at her door.

The woman stresses that nobody had contacted her beforehand or asked whether she agreed to such a valuable parcel being left unattended. She wants to know who is responsible for the lost goods.

What PTAC says

Eva Eglīte, a senior expert at the Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC), points to the first part of Article 30.1 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law. It states that the risk of delivery passes to the consumer once the consumer has taken possession of the goods. Put simply, responsibility shifts to the buyer when the item is in their hands.

There is one exception: if the consumer personally chose and hired the courier, rather than the seller, the risk passes to the consumer when the seller hands the goods to that courier.

In the case described, PTAC's assessment is clear: the courier was not allowed to leave the item and had to hand it to the consumer. Failing to reach the recipient does not by itself give a courier the right to put the parcel down at the door and leave. Depending on the delivery company's options, the parties can agree on a parcel locker, a repeat delivery or another way of handing over the goods.

If the parcel is already missing

PTAC advises contacting both the delivery provider and the seller in writing and asking for an explanation of why the parcel was left at the door. The consumer has the right to demand compensation for losses equal to the value of the goods.