What to Check the Moment Your Cash on Delivery Parcel Arrives

October 16, 2026|Al Tijarah International

Cash on delivery puts you in a good position: you have the parcel and the courier is still standing there. The few minutes before you hand over the money are the easiest moment to catch a problem. Here is what to do with them.

Before you pay

You are allowed to look at the parcel before paying. What you check depends on the courier's policy, so do this first:

Check the parcel from the outside. Is the tape intact, or has it been opened and re-sealed? Is the box crushed, or the bag torn?
Check the name and address on the label match yours, and that the sender is us.
Weigh it in your hand. If you ordered three items and it feels like one, say so before you pay.

If the outside is clearly damaged, you can refuse the parcel. Tell us the same day and we will sort it out.

Film yourself opening it

This is the single most useful habit for anyone buying online, and it costs nothing. Start a video on your phone before you cut the tape, and keep recording until everything is out of the packaging and visible.

If something is missing, broken or not what you ordered, that video settles the question immediately — for us and for the courier. Without it, both sides are relying on memory.

What to check once it is open

Is it the right item? Compare against your order, not against your memory of the photograph.
Is it the right colour and size? Check the label, not the look. Colours vary a little between a screen and real life, which is normal; a different size is not.
Is the count right? Packs of two, sets of three, matching sets — count them.
Any damage? Tears, stains, broken zips, cracked cases.
For anything electrical, check it switches on before the packaging goes in the bin.

Try it on indoors and keep it clean

Try clothes and shoes on inside, on a clean floor, over the clothes or socks you intend to wear with them. Shoes worn outdoors cannot be replaced, and nor can clothes that have been washed or had the tags removed.

Keep the packaging until you are sure you are keeping the item. A replacement is far simpler to arrange when the original packaging is still there.

If something is wrong

Message us on WhatsApp at 0345 6650894 within seven days of delivery with your order number and a photo or the video. Every order carries a 7-day replacement if it arrives damaged or incorrect.

Tell us the same day if you can. The sooner we hear, the easier it is to trace what happened with the courier.

What a replacement does not cover

Being straight with you about this is fairer than leaving it vague. A replacement covers an item that arrived damaged, incorrect or not working. It does not cover an item that has been worn outdoors, washed, altered or had its tags removed, and it does not cover a change of mind about the colour or style.

That is exactly why it is worth asking before you order rather than after. Send us your measurements and the product link and we will tell you honestly whether it will fit.