Online shopping has boomed of late as shoppers have swapped the high street for their computers and mobile phones, but so has the number of missing parcels.

Research from Citizens Advice, the consumer advisory group, found that a parcel goes missing every 10 minutes in Britain due to loss or theft. Overall, one in 10 people have had a parcel lost or stolen – around six and a half million people.

About 6,000 people a month complain about problems with deliveries to dispute resolution service Resolver – most often because an item has not turned up.

But missing parcels can also come down to driver negligence. Citizens Advice found four in 10 adults had received a “sorry you were out” card when they were actually at home, often leading to parcels being left in insecure places such as doorsteps.

Here Telegraph Money nails down what your rights are – whether you’re sending or receiving a parcel. 

If you are receiving an item 

If you purchased something online for delivery you should take up your issue with the retailer, not the delivery company, said Sophie Kasmi, lawyer and founder of Know Your Rights, a legal advice website.  

First check the retailer’s terms and conditions to see whether it has broken these. If not, you might be protected by the Consumer Rights Act. 

“This says that the item must be delivered within 30 days unless longer has been agreed,” Ms Kasmi said. “If you haven’t received the parcel within this time frame, you have the right to cancel the order and get a refund.”

You should log your complaint officially to the retailer, explaining why you’re unhappy. If you don’t get the response you want, you could try asking your card provider or PayPal – whichever you used to pay for the item – for a refund under the chargeback scheme.