As soon as your order reaches the “Shipped” status, you can follow your parcel’s journey almost in real time. No more waiting in the dark: you know when it will arrive.

The tracking number

When shipping, the seller usually adds a tracking number to your order. You will find it:

• In the dispatch email you receive.
• On your order page, in the “My account” area.

A single click on that number (or on the “Track my parcel” button) opens the courier’s page, where the stages are displayed: collected, in transit, out for delivery, delivered.

Reading the tracking information

• The estimated delivery date, usually stated plainly.
• The last known location of the parcel.
• For a collection point, the address and opening hours of the pick-up location.

If tracking doesn’t move for a day or two, don’t panic: updates come in stages. Should there be a significant delay or a stuck parcel, you can contact the seller, as we will see in the final module.

Key takeaway: from dispatch onwards, a tracking number lets you follow the parcel stage by stage, with an estimated delivery date, either from the dispatch email or from “My account”.