If you bought online and the parcel is late, your contract is with the seller, not the courier. That single fact decides who owes you a delivery, a refund or a replacement, and it is the reason most people spend days chasing the wrong company.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not a retailer or a courier and cannot trace a parcel for you.
Who is responsible for what
- The seller owes you the goods. You paid the seller, and the seller chose the courier. If the parcel does not arrive, the seller is the party that must put it right, whatever the courier says.
- The courier’s customer is the seller, not you. A courier will trace a shipment by waybill, but it is generally not obliged to compensate you, because you have no contract with it.
- Courier liability is usually capped at a low figure in its contract with the seller, which is why couriers push claims back to the sender.
- A marketplace is not always the seller. On a platform hosting third party sellers, check whether you bought from the platform itself or from a merchant using it, because that decides who you pursue.
What to say, and to whom
Contact the seller first, in writing. Give the order number, the date, and what the tracking shows. Ask a specific question: will they redeliver, replace, or refund, and by when.
Do not let the seller hand you to the courier. “Contact the courier” is a common deflection. You may phone the courier to trace the parcel, which is often useful, but the obligation stays with the seller.
If the seller will not resolve it
| Who | Contact |
|---|---|
| Consumer Goods and Services Ombud | 0860 000 272 |
| CGSO WhatsApp | 081 335 3005 |
| CGSO email | [email protected] |
| National Consumer Commission | 012 065 1940, [email protected] |
| If you paid by card | Your bank, to ask about a chargeback |
The CGSO service is free, and it expects you to have exhausted the supplier’s own complaints process first. Keep the reference numbers and dates from every contact.
Related contact pages
Frequently asked questions
The seller says to contact the courier. Must I?
You can, to trace the parcel, but the seller remains responsible for delivering what you paid for. Keep pressing the seller.
Can I claim from the courier directly?
Usually not. You have no contract with the courier, and its liability is capped in its agreement with the sender.
Where do I escalate?
The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud on 0860 000 272, free, once the seller’s own process is exhausted.
Ombud and regulator details were read on official sources on 25 August 2026.