Logistics
Proof of delivery in parcel services
A scrawl on a screen or a photo at a doorway: what each proves when the customer says it never arrived.
In parcel work the argument is not whether the parcel left: it is whether it reached the right person. And the usual proofs carry very different weight, even though the system shows them all as "delivered".
What each proves
| Proof | What it evidences | Where it is weak |
|---|---|---|
| On-screen signature | That someone signed there | A scrawl identifies nobody on its own |
| Recipient's name and ID | Who collected it | Depends on the courier actually asking |
| Photo at the delivery point | That the parcel was left there | It does not prove the recipient took it |
| One-time code | That whoever received it had the code | Only if it is genuinely required, not skipped |
Important
The third row gives the most false confidence. A photo of the parcel on the doormat proves the courier arrived and left it — not that the addressee received it. For valuable shipments, that photo does not close a claim: it opens it looking tidier.
What decides a consumer claim
With a business customer you argue the contract; with a consumer, the burden of proof tends to fall on whoever delivers. The more valuable the shipment, the more it pays to step up: a code, an ID, or an identified signature.
Watch out
The point that wrong-foots people coming from pallet freight: at a residential address, **delivering to a neighbour is not delivering**, unless the addressee authorised it beforehand. Many claims that look absurd — "someone did take it" — are lost exactly there, and not over the fact but over being unable to show the authorisation.
How to capture it without slowing the round
- 1
Capture the proof at the moment and at the place
From the phone, not back at the depot.
- 2
Keep it linked to the shipment, not loose
A photo in the courier's gallery is not proof of delivery.
- 3
And retain it for the claim period
Which is usually longer than the delivery system's memory.
Worth knowing
Claim windows and who bears the burden of proof vary by shipment type, recipient and country. **Confirm that with your adviser or in the transport contract**; what is compared here is what each type of proof evidences in practice.
›Is an on-screen signature enough?
It helps, and alone it identifies nobody. With a name or a code, much more.
›What if the customer authorised leaving it at the door?
Then the photo is worth considerably more: what you must be able to show is the authorisation.
›How long should proofs be kept?
Longer than the applicable claim period, with margin.
A real case
The situation
A courier firm loses a claim despite having a doorstep delivery photo.
What you do
- Starts requiring a one-time code on valuable shipments
- Records the authorisation when a customer asks for no-signature delivery
What you get
Claims on expensive shipments start being settled with proof that actually identifies the recipient.
The situation
The on-screen signature does not say who signed.
What you do
- Records the name alongside the signature
What you get
Half the disputes disappear.
The situation
Delivery happens with nobody authorised and is signed anyway.
What you do
- Gives the courier a rule and records their decision
What you get
What was decided is documented.
The situation
The proof lives in the partner's system.
What you do
- Collects and stores what they provide
What you get
The proof stops depending on someone else.
The situation
A client complains months later.
What you do
- Keeps evidence beyond the order
What you get
The answer exists when the complaint arrives.
The situation
The delivery arrives damaged and there is no photo.
What you do
- Captures a photo when the delivery is not clean
What you get
The condition is documented as it happens.
This article answers
- parcel proof of delivery
- customer says the order never arrived
- is a doorstep photo enough
- delivery to a neighbour dispute