ONLINE shoppers face a “nightmare” before Christmas over deliveries, says a consumer watchdog.

Which? found 58 per cent had issues with at least one delivery in the festive period last year.

Almost a quarter had a failed delivery while 11 per cent had a package left outside.

The study also found that some online shoppers found their deliveries in a bin, had them thrown over a fence, or didn't report receiving them at all.

One shopper commented that "delivery drivers often leave items in bins. I even had a laptop left in there once".

Another said their parcel was “left in the recycling bin and was taken by binmen”.

Last Christmas, shoppers faced chaos as supermarkets ran out of delivery slots, while Amazon faced a backlash for failing to deliver to Prime customers on time.

This year, some rural areas in the UK ran out of supermarket delivery slots at the start of the month, while bigger cities, such as London, have sold out in some locations as well.

With nine in 10 people purchasing Christmas gifts online, it's important that deliveries arrive as promised.

To help ensure you don't miss out, we've rounded-up the major retailers' last order dates for Christmas 2018.

Alex Neill, of Which?, said: "Problems with our deliveries really can be a nightmare before Christmas, causing added stress at a busy time of year.

"If you face a delivery issue, remember that you have rights and should contact the retailer as soon as possible to have your problem solved."