When the carrier is not liable
1 - Force majeure: Force majeure is an event, or the damaging consequence of an event, that the transport operator can neither foresee nor avoid. Thus, an event that is both unforeseeable, insurmountable and external to the transport company will be considered as force majeure. Strike action or any local demonstration preventing road or air traffic, or any other measure taken by the public authorities likely to affect delivery times, constitute cases of force majeure.
2 - Fact or choice of sender or recipient:
The most frequently encountered facts or errors are :
For items deposited at a post office: delivery of the parcel after the deadline for same-day collection; this deadline is posted and varies from one post office to another;
For parcels delivered to a pick-up point: drop-off after collection by the carrier for pick-up on the same day; the parcel will be collected by the carrier the following day;
Absence of the addressee at the time of delivery: the delivery will not be late if the first delivery attempt is made within the period initially announced.
Change of delivery date due to recipient's choice: some carriers allow the recipient of the parcel to change the delivery date and location 24 hours before delivery (point relais, delivery to a neighbor's house). Delivery will not be considered late if the recipient chooses to shift the delivery date.
3 - Characteristics of the merchandise and/or its packaging that render the package non-mechanizable or require rewrapping:
Any item packed in metal or wooden packaging
Any cylindrical item such as a barrel, can, paint can or tire that is not fully packaged in a lined cardboard box.
Any package whose longest side exceeds 100cm, or whose second longest side exceeds 76cm.
All parcels weighing more than 32kg
Any package that is part of a shipment with an average weight per package greater than 32kg and for which the weight per package is not specified on the packing slip issued by one of the UPS automated shipping systems.
Any parcel whose length + 2*Width + 2*Height exceeds 300cm.
This list is not exhaustive. There are other cases where the sender or recipient is at fault.