A failed delivery attempt usually means the courier could not get access or nobody was available. What matters is arranging the next attempt before the parcel is returned to sender.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not a courier or a retailer and cannot trace or release a parcel. Everything on this page is a routing aid.
Who actually handles this
The courier, promptly. Parcels are held for a limited number of days after a failed attempt and are then returned. A returned parcel is far harder and slower to recover than one waiting at a depot.
What to do, in order
- Check the tracking note for the reason. Access, nobody home, incorrect address and refused delivery are different problems.
- Contact the courier with the waybill number and arrange redelivery or collection.
- Ask how long the parcel will be held before it is returned, and treat that as your deadline.
- Fix the underlying cause: give gate or complex access instructions, a contact number, or an alternative address.
- If collecting from a depot, ask what identification is required and take it.
What to have ready
- The waybill or tracking number.
- The reason recorded for the failed attempt.
- Access details: complex name, unit, gate code, security procedure.
- A contact number the driver can actually reach.
- Identification, if collecting.
Verified courier customer care routes
Every route in this table was taken from the company’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 |
| The Courier Guy WhatsApp | 064 848 1531 |
| RAM customer care | 0861 726 726 |
| RAM parcel tracking | 010 494 8223 |
| DHL customer service (shipment queries) | 0860 345 000 |
| DHL customs support | +27 11 923 0398 |
| PostNet call centre | 0860 767 8638 |
| PAXI customer enquiries | 086 000 7294 |
| CourierIT | +27 11 552 1000 |
| DSV national contact centre | +27 31 310 6000 |
Who owns the problem: retailer, courier or you
- If you bought online, the retailer is your contract. It chose the courier and it owes you delivery of what you paid for, in the condition you paid for. Whether its courier failed is a matter between them. Say this plainly and in writing when a retailer tries to hand you to the courier.
- The courier physically holds the parcel and is the only party that can trace it, produce a proof of delivery, or redirect it. It works from the waybill number and generally caps its liability unless extra cover was bought.
- If you shipped it yourself, you are the courier’s customer and the claim is yours to make.
- The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud takes unresolved consumer complaints free of charge, once the supplier’s own process has been used.
The waybill number traces the parcel; the order number traces the purchase. Having both, and knowing which party you are actually dealing with, resolves most courier problems faster than any phone number does.
Common mistakes that cost time
- Waiting for the courier to try again on its own. Attempts are limited and then the parcel goes back.
- Not fixing the access problem, so the second attempt fails the same way.
- Giving an address without a reachable phone number.
- Missing the holding deadline, which turns a redelivery into a return.
The scam to watch for
The failed-delivery notice is the single most imitated message in South Africa. A card through the door or an SMS with a link asking for a redelivery fee is the classic phishing setup. Real redelivery is arranged with the courier using your waybill number, and it does not require a card payment through a link.
If you bought online, your contract is with the retailer, not the courier. The retailer chose the carrier and owes you delivery of what you paid for. Whether its courier lost, delayed or misdelivered the parcel is a matter between them, not something you have to resolve.
If it is not resolved
The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud takes unresolved consumer complaints against participating suppliers, free of charge to the consumer. It expects the supplier’s own complaints process to have been used first and will ask for its reference number, so get one and keep it.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| Consumer Goods and Services Ombud call centre | 0860 000 272 |
| CGSO WhatsApp | 081 335 3005 |
| CGSO general email | [email protected] |
Related contact pages
- Transport and courier contact pages
- Failed Delivery Contact Details
- Transport
- Compuscan Contact Details
- Dr 911 Mkhulu Contact Details
- Dischem Contact Details
- Mmabatho Nursing College Contact Details
- How to verify a contact number before you use it
- How to Reschedule Courier Delivery
Frequently asked questions
How many delivery attempts do couriers make?
It varies by company and service. Ask when you call, because the number of attempts and the holding period together set your deadline.
Can I collect from the depot instead?
Usually yes, and it is often faster. Ask which depot holds it and what identification you need.
What happens if it is returned to sender?
For an online order the retailer receives it back and you then deal with the retailer about redelivery or a refund.
Contact routes on this page were checked against each company’s official source on 21 August 2026.