A courier complaint goes to the courier first, in writing, with the waybill number. If it stays unresolved, the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud takes consumer complaints against participating suppliers.
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Who actually handles this
The courier for a service failure in transit; the retailer if you bought online, because your contract is with the seller rather than with the courier it chose. Working out which of the two you are dealing with saves the most time.
What to do, in order
- Complain to the courier in writing with the waybill number and a clear statement of what went wrong.
- Ask for a complaint reference number and keep it.
- If you bought online and the goods have not arrived or arrived damaged, raise it with the retailer at the same time. It is the retailer’s obligation to deliver what you paid for.
- Give the courier a reasonable, documented chance to resolve it.
- If unresolved, take the full history to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud.
What to have ready before you make contact
- The waybill or tracking number.
- The complaint reference number.
- A short written history of each contact, with dates.
- Photographs where damage is involved.
- The order number and retailer if it was an online purchase.
Verified courier customer care routes
Every route in this table was taken from the organisation’s own official contact page and checked on 21 August 2026. Contact details change, so confirm on the official site before relying on one for anything urgent.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| The Courier Guy customer support | 086 120 3203 |
| RAM customer care | 0861 726 726 |
| RAM parcel tracking | 010 494 8223 |
| DHL customer service (shipment queries) | 0860 345 000 |
| PostNet call centre | 0860 767 8638 |
| PAXI customer enquiries | 086 000 7294 |
| DSV national contact centre | +27 31 310 6000 |
Who owns what when something goes wrong with a delivery or a journey
- The retailer, if you bought online, is who your contract is with. It owes you the goods, in the condition you paid for, at the address you gave. Which courier it chose is its arrangement, not your problem.
- The courier physically carries the parcel and is the party that can trace it. It works from the waybill number and generally caps its liability unless extra cover was bought.
- The operator, for a journey, runs the service and holds the booking, unless you booked through an agent, in which case the agent holds it and is usually the only party that can change it.
- A consumer body such as the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud takes unresolved consumer complaints, free of charge, once the supplier’s own process has been exhausted.
The most common dead end is being sent back and forth between a retailer and a courier. If you bought online, say plainly and in writing that your contract is with the retailer and that delivery is its obligation.
Common mistakes that cost time
- Complaining by phone only, leaving nothing in writing.
- Complaining to the courier when you bought online, and never raising it with the retailer that owes you delivery.
- Escalating to an ombud before the supplier’s process has run.
- Not photographing damage at the time, which weakens the claim permanently.
If it is not resolved
The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud handles unresolved consumer complaints against participating suppliers, free of charge to the consumer. It also expects you to have gone through the supplier’s own complaints process first.
Escalation works on evidence. Keep a short written log of every contact: the date, the channel you used, the name of the person you spoke to and the reference number you were given. Every formal complaints process asks for exactly that history, and having it ready is usually the difference between a fast resolution and starting over.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| CGSO consumer complaints call centre | 0860 000 272 |
| CGSO WhatsApp | 081 335 3005 |
| CGSO general email | [email protected] |
Related contact pages
- Courier Complaints Contact Details
- Transport
- Nsfas Complaints Contact Details
- Multichoice Complaints Contact Details
- Fsca Complaints Contact Details
- Fnb Complaints Contact Details
- Reaston Attorneys Contact Details
- Cook For Life Contact Details
- How to verify a contact number before you use it
Frequently asked questions
Should I complain to the courier or the retailer?
If you bought online, the retailer is your contract and is responsible for delivery. Complain to it, and to the courier as well where the failure was clearly in transit.
What does the CGSO cost?
The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud is free to consumers.
Will the CGSO take my complaint straight away?
No. It expects the supplier’s own complaints process to have been used first, which is why the reference number matters.
The contact routes on this page were checked against each organisation’s official source on 21 August 2026. Where a detail has changed, the official source is always the authority.