If the pickup point is closed or full when the parcel arrives, the carrier usually drops it at another point nearby, or sends it back to the sender, depending on the case. The "ready for collection" message and the tracking tell you where it is. If the pickup point is closed when you come to collect, the deadline in your message still applies. In every case, track the parcel and reply quickly to the carrier's messages.
Pickup point closed: three situations, three answers
"Pickup point closed" covers three different cases. Work out which one is yours before contacting anyone.
| Situation | What happens to the parcel | What you do | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickup point closed when the parcel arrives (holidays, unexpected, permanent) | Depends on the carrier: dropped at another point, or sent back to the sender | Read the message you received, check the new point in the tracking. See this section | - |
| Pickup point full or unavailable | Redirected to another point, sometimes after you choose one | Reply quickly to the message and choose a pickup point nearby. See this section | - |
| Pickup point closed when you come to collect | No official rule found: the deadline in your message still applies | Check the opening hours, come back, report it. See this section | - |
The pickup point is closed when the parcel arrives
Planned closure: holidays, summer
With La Poste, the French postal service, shopkeepers give notice of their closure and the point is normally not offered on online shops during that time. Holding periods do not change in summer: 14 days at a pickup point, 5 days in a Pickup Station parcel locker. If the shopkeeper closes while your parcel is waiting there, La Poste collects the parcels the day before the closure and sends them back to the sender, letting you know by email (La Poste).
For Mondial Relay, see its page on unavailable points. For other networks, see the carrier's terms in the table. Going on holiday with a parcel waiting for you? Check its collection deadline.
Unexpected closure
- Colissimo (La Poste's parcel service): the parcel is made available at another point nearby, a shop or a post office, and you are told by email (La Poste).
- Pickup network (Chronopost, DPD): the parcel may be redirected to another point if the original point is temporarily closed (Pickup).
- Mondial Relay: see its page on parcels delivered to another point.
Permanent closure
We found no official page that treats a permanent closure differently from a temporary one. Track the parcel and read the carrier's messages: they give the new point or say it is going back to the sender. A useful sign: the point no longer appears on the carrier's website. Noticed that a pickup point has closed for good? Let us know.
Pickup point full or "unavailable": why your parcel is redirected
A pickup point has limited space. In the Pickup network (Chronopost, DPD), a parcel may be redirected to another point because of storage constraints or a temporary closure of the original point. Once redirected, it cannot be delivered back to the original point. If it is not collected in time, it goes back to the sender (Pickup).
For Mondial Relay, see the page on unavailable points and current local disruptions.
How to choose another pickup point quickly
- Open the link in the carrier's message. Check your spam folder too.
- Look for an open pickup point from the same carrier near you: find a pickup point near you, then filter by carrier.
- Check its opening hours before choosing it.
The pickup point is closed when you come to collect the parcel
- Check the pickup point's hours for that day, on its page or on the carrier's website: closed at lunchtime, one day a week, holidays.
- None of the official pages we checked extends the holding period in this case. Come back before the deadline in your message.
- Report it. Pickup's support offers a category for a pickup point that was closed when you came although it should have been open (Pickup). For other networks, contact the carrier's customer service.
- If the deadline is getting close, contact the carrier with the tracking number, or have someone else collect the parcel for you.
- Parcel locker out of order: see the carrier's terms, for example Vinted help for Vinted Go.
Pickup points open on Sunday in the largest cities:
What does the tracking say? Where is my parcel now?
Always start from the official tracking: track your parcel. The address of the point where your parcel is waiting is in the "ready for collection" message, and that address is the one that counts, even if it differs from the point chosen when you ordered.
Tracking labels vary from one carrier to another and are not all published. We do not repeat here any label we have not seen on an official page. If in doubt, the carrier's customer service can tell you where the parcel is.
Pickup point closed or full: the rules by carrier
| Carrier | Pickup point closed or full at delivery | Back to the original point | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colissimo, La Poste | Unexpected closure: another point nearby (shop or post office), email. Closure while the parcel is waiting: collected the day before and sent back to the sender, email | Not stated on the page | La Poste help: delivery to retail pickup points and Pickup lockerschecked on 20 October 2026 |
| Pickup network (Chronopost, DPD) | May be redirected because of storage constraints or a temporary closure of the original point | No: the parcel cannot be delivered back to the original point | Pickup support: change of collection pointchecked on 20 October 2026 |
| Chronopost, own rules | See Chronopost's terms | See Chronopost's terms | Chronopost: frequently asked questionschecked on 20 October 2026 |
| Mondial Relay | See Mondial Relay's terms | See Mondial Relay's terms | Mondial Relay: parcel delivered to another pointchecked on 20 October 2026 |
| Relais Colis | See Relais Colis's terms | See Relais Colis's terms | Relais Colis: help centrechecked on 20 October 2026 |
| UPS Access Point | See UPS's terms | See UPS's terms | UPS France: InfoNoticechecked on 20 October 2026 |
| Vinted Go | See Vinted's terms | See Vinted's terms | Vinted: help centrechecked on 20 October 2026 |
Amazon, GLS and Colis Privé: see each carrier's terms, linked from its page (Amazon, GLS, Colis Privé). The "ready for collection" message always counts.
If the parcel goes back to the sender
Documented case: with La Poste, a shopkeeper who closes while your parcel is waiting there means the parcel goes back to the sender. In the Pickup network, a parcel not collected in time also goes back to the sender.
In that case, contact the seller, or the platform for a purchase on Vinted or Leboncoin (the French classifieds site): the seller is the one who handed the parcel to the carrier. Reshipping or a refund depends on their terms. See holding period and uncollected parcels.
Want to change pickup point yourself?
That is a different case: here you ask for the change, rather than the carrier imposing it. What you can do depends on the carrier and on how far the parcel has got: see change pickup point.
Frequently asked questions
My pickup point is closed for the holidays, what happens to my parcel?
With La Poste, if the shopkeeper closes while the parcel is waiting there, it is collected the day before and sent back to the sender, with an email (La Poste). For other carriers, read their messages and their terms: the parcel may be dropped at another point.
Can the parcel be delivered to a pickup point far from where I live?
None of the official pages we checked sets a maximum distance for the replacement point. The exact address is in the "ready for collection" message. If it does not suit you, contact the carrier quickly.
Can I ask for the parcel to go back to my original pickup point?
In the Pickup network (Chronopost, DPD), no: a redirected parcel cannot be delivered back to the original point (Pickup). For the others, see the carrier's terms.
Why does my pickup point no longer appear on the online shop?
It may be closed, on holiday or full. With La Poste, a closed point is normally not offered on online shops. Choose another point nearby: find a pickup point near you.
What should I do if the pickup point is closed on the last day of the holding period?
Contact the carrier's customer service with your tracking number, the same day if possible. No extension rule is confirmed by the official pages we checked.
Sources
Official pages checked for this guide (in French). Carriers' terms can change: the notice saying your parcel is ready (text message, email, app) always prevails.
- La Poste help: delivery to retail pickup points and Pickup lockers, checked on 20 October 2026: holding periods unchanged in summer, unexpected closure, collection the day before and return to sender, undated page
- Pickup support: change of collection point, checked on 20 October 2026: redirection for storage or temporary closure, no redelivery to the original point, return to sender
- Pickup support: incident at a pickup point, checked on 20 October 2026: category "pickup point closed when I came"
- Mondial Relay: my Point Relais® is unavailable, checked on 20 October 2026: to read on the page, not repeated here
- Mondial Relay: parcel delivered to another point, checked on 20 October 2026: to read on the page, not repeated here
- Mondial Relay: local disruptions, checked on 20 October 2026: news page, check it when you need it
- Chronopost: frequently asked questions, checked on 20 October 2026: to read on the page, not repeated here
- Relais Colis: help centre, checked on 20 October 2026: to read on the page, not repeated here
- UPS France: InfoNotice, checked on 20 October 2026: to read on the page, not repeated here
- Vinted: help centre, checked on 20 October 2026: to read on the page, not repeated here
Written by the Relais autour de moi team, an independent site not affiliated with any carrier. All our guides: the parcel pickup point guide.
Find a pickup point near you
Pickup points, parcel lockers and post offices of every carrier, with today's opening hours.