subject: Refusing A Shipment Sent Cod (collect On Delivery) [print this page] Most businesses, at one time or another, have received a shipment of some kind. However, not all businesses have encountered a delivery that was sent COD (Collect on Delivery.) If a Chicago courier service tries to deliver a shipment that is COD, it simply means that the individual or business that this package is going to has not yet paid for the shipment, and are therefore expected to pay for it at the time of delivery. Usually, you have opted for this shipping method yourself, it is not chosen for you arbitrarily. If you are unaware of how COD works, you may wonder if it is possible to outright refuse a shipment that has come to your business using this shipping method.
The answer is this: it is lawful to refuse a COD shipment. There are reasons for this, mainly, companies would otherwise be free to send you a shipment that you have not ordered and expect you to pay for it. Henceforth, if a COD shipment appears at your door and you have no knowledge of its origins or who requested it, you have every right to deny delivery. Technically, you can deny delivery for ANY reason whatsoever. Shipping COD is a very safe option for the customers, but can a source of irritation for the shipper. If a package is refused, they have paid for the shipping of the good to and from the destination for which it was intended. That is why you should not deny COD deliveries unless you are sure that it is not a valid order. It is a trust issue on the part of the shipping company.
Please remember that when companies ship COD, it is done so mostly to benefit the buyer. The customer does not have give out credit card information via mail, over the phone, or over the internet. It also allows, in some cases, for the receiver to inspect the shipment when it arrives, thereby eliminating or confirming any doubt that the buyer is getting what they were expecting (and what they intended on paying for.) Throughout this process, it is your right to refuse the shipment if it does not meet your expectations, for whatever reason. However, you should always be well-educated on the product before you buy it, as it will help reduce the chances you will have a reason to refuse the shipment when it arrives.
