Shipping Delays Plague Christmas Season

Thousands of British families won't have the merriest of Christmases this year as overloaded Internet retail outlets fail to deliver presents in time.

The government-backed Consumer Direct, a call center providing basic consumer advice in England, fielded nearly 3,000 complaints in the past six weeks regarding the late delivery of consumer goods purchased on the Internet, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.

The number of complaints filed is 29 percent higher than during the same period last year.

The British retailer Marks & Spencer sent out e-mails Friday apologizing to customers that some delays are inevitable and some gifts will arrive later than Christmas.

The recent order you placed with us is unlikely to arrive before Christmas due to our delivery carrier restrictions in reaching key geographical areas within the UK, the message read.

Marks & Spencer, as well as the Internet retail outlet Amazon, said the number of delays represent a very small fraction of its overall deliveries.

More than 99 per cent of goods arrive on time, a spokesman for Marks & Spencer said in the Telegraph.

Source: United Press International