Rogue delivery drivers are stealing valuable parcels, leaving them in unsafe locations and in some cases sending them to completely different countries, a charity has warned. 

Citizens Advice has named and shamed the worst couriers, based on customer service and frequency of delivery problems, after receiving complaints from disappointed consumers. 

One woman approached the charity after a driver claimed her son’s £350 birthday present had been delivered, even though her CCTV showed him making off with the parcel. 

Another customer reported being denied compensation from the courier after a £150 package was stolen. 

One man received an email confirmation telling him the headphones he had ordered had been “successfully delivered” to Australia, despite him living in Hertfordshire.

The charity has called for tougher regulation of the growing £12bn industry, ahead of an anticipated surge in parcel deliveries around Black Friday sales and Christmas shopping. 

It named Hermes as the worst for customer service. Amazon Logistics scored highest, followed by Royal Mail.

Dame Claire Moriarty of the charity said the scale of the problems reported by customers showed “huge cracks” in the sector. 

“This should be a wake up call for firms to strive to deliver a five-star service for consumers. We have serious reservations about how far companies will improve if left to their own devices. Our findings show it’s time for Ofcom to come forward and introduce tougher rules across the board for delivery companies,” she said. 

Ofcom, the watchdog, is already consulting on tougher rules following a massive increase in parcel deliveries, which grew 8pc in 2019-20 with close to three billion parcels delivered. Levels soared further during lockdown, when the number of mailed packages overtook the number of letters for the first time ever. 

Campaigners say the increasing pressure on couriers to meet this higher demand has led to a decline in customer service, with rushed drivers leaving before customers have time to answer the door and sign for items, or parcels being left in areas where they could easily be stolen. 

A spokesman for Amazon said: “The vast majority of deliveries make it to customers without issue. In the rare case something occurs, we work with customers directly to make it right.”

Royal Mail said it was “committed” to improving its services.

Hermes was approached for comment.