Parcels couriers - what are your horror stories?

[Zomboid]

That kind of thing is a bit of a "what do you expect for a pound?"

 

These outfits (I believe) are often in the sphere of the so called "gig economy", and the guy delivering that parcel would have earnt next to nothing for doing so. Expecting someone making £1 per delivered parcel to take much pride in the job is a bit unrealistic...

[Black Sheep]

I was going to place a large order this week for some models and other stuff, but the terms of the shop I was originally looking at said over a particular weight they used Parcelforce. Needless to say I haven't placed the order yet and that particular shop may not get any of it now.

 

It might be worth contacting the shop, they may be willing to use a different courier for your delivery but you might have to pay the diference, when I worked in Antics we'd happily use a different courier if requested

[TheSignalEngineer]

Got to Daughter's house today. Case of beer delivered by Yodel and two parcels by DPD on front doorstep in full view of road.

[John M Upton]

Got a parcel on the way, to be delivered by a company I have never heard of called Evri.  Who are they when they are at home?

[Paul.Uni]

13 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

Got a parcel on the way, to be delivered by a company I have never heard of called Evri.  Who are they when they are at home?

Hermes rebranded

[John M Upton]

Ah, nothing quite suppresses a tarnished reputation like a shiny new logo... 🤣

[Gareth Collier]

Hermes really didn't think their rebranding through did they. I've seen so many meme's etc along the lines of "Evri parcel lost", "Evri parcel misdelivered" and most of the quips in reply to their new name announcement on Facebook were along these lines. A cracking own goal!

[hayfield]

Hermes in theory has a great offering, but in my experience it is badly let down from its weakest links, its biggest downfall is a lack of customer service and accountability, something I have found unacceptable

 

But they are not alone many of the larger retail companies have call centres which are very hard to contact and it takes weeks to get them to do anything, at the moment I had a pair of recliners delivered faulty, waited 5 weeks for a repair only to find the initial diagnosis was wrong resulting in the wrong parts being sent and I guess several more weeks waiting for the correct parts to arrive, then a long wait for a fitter. I decided to contact my credit card company, they have opened a dispute and the payment which is due (I pay in full every month) is held in suspense at the suggestion of the card company, they said this often speeds up the process. This could have been avoided by being able to contact the company easily and getting a positive and quick response

 

I also have bed where an issue with a draw has occurred, its under guarantee and is not a cheap one. Their first suggestion was I repaired it myself  (its a manufacturing fault) and 9 weeks later I am still waiting for Homeserve to come and hopefully repair the item. Poor quality service seems endemic !!  Please note these are the first guarantee claims I have made in 20 years, so I am not a serial complainer !!!

[Jonboy]

Half the problem is that sending companies try and shift their responsibility to the customer, here’s a tracking number, sort yourself out with the carrier.

 

If they all had to take proper responsibility for their contractors actions it would likely improve the communications dramatically.

[zarniwhoop]

For delivery itself, I think it very much depends on who has to do it, and sometimes how they need to fit 25 hours into a day to make their target, or how unknown or difficult (or duplicate street names within a few miles) the area is for them. Yesterday I had a delivery from Evrie, but it was a Ebay purchase with click'n'collect to the local Argos at Sainsburys, so the delivery was good.

 

Oddly, when I first had a click'n'collect argos there was an option, but in the past two or three years argos was not among the local choices.

[Hroth]

Despite changing their name, Evri/Hermes fails again.....

 

CCTV shows Evri driver 'throwing Grand National Ladies Day dress to dogs'

 

Whenever I buy anything on ebay, I select click'n'collect whenever possible.

 

Has this slogan for their services been proposed yet:

 

"Evri delivery a disaster!"

 

 

Edited April 8, 2022 by Hroth
Just a bit more...

[hayfield]

14 hours ago, Hroth said:

Despite changing their name, Evri/Hermes fails again.....

 

CCTV shows Evri driver 'throwing Grand National Ladies Day dress to dogs'

 

Whenever I buy anything on ebay, I select click'n'collect whenever possible.

 

Has this slogan for their services been proposed yet:

 

"Evri delivery a disaster!"

 

 

 

 

I myself would never use Hermes (including Evri) after several bad experiences and the poor security of packages at the drop off point in my village, plus in most instances the royal offer a better service for less

 

Having said this I do receive the odd package from eBay purchases, sellers usually quote Packlink as the courier. I won an item on Sunday, received notification it had been sent on Tuesday and received it on Thursday, no tracking so I cannot see what happened when, but it all went well. Will I use Evri ? I doubt it as the Royal Mail is far superior in every aspect, most importantly with their customer service. 

[wombatofludham]

Since Brenda's Mail started collect from home (in my case, porch whilst asleep...) I always use them, they haven't let me down yet.  Unfortunately My Herpes/Evri Which Way to Lose Your Parcel really annoyed me by losing a parcel, then getting iffy when I claimed compo.  It's a shame as our local Hermes courier is a sound chap, it's when it gets outside Wales all bets are off.

After the last parcel loss I sent this reply to their request for a receipt.

 

Quote

Dear Hermes Support,

I did not supply a receipt because the item was a gift.

I was sending a friend some spare model railway track I had purchased back in April that was surplus to requirements, as a thank-you gift for previous work he has helped me with.  It is pointless me supplying you with a PayPal receipt for the original purchase made 23 March 2020 as it will be meaningless, being for over £228, 11 times the amount in dispute as it covered a much larger order than the track in question.

Before you start making claims that the item has no value as it is a gift, that is not the case.  The track was unused an in original carton and as such would have had a value on a well known online auction site, especially as there is a shortage of model railway track at present due to Covid-19 production problems.  This was why I was sending the parcel to Sussex to help out my friend.  They normally retail new at £3 per length, I was sending 12 lengths so I consider £20 to be a low figure compared to what I could achieve had I decided to sell it rather than mistakenly trust its delivery to your woeful organisation.  My friend will now have to source track which is in short supply nationwide, at a cost.  So your company's negligent and disgraceful service has had a double cost - I have forgone potential sales revenue and my friend will have to source his own supply.  Well done to your incapable staff on this spectacular foul-up.

You then compound this by demanding a receipt or proof of value, and in so doing miss the point spectacularly - that you have lost a parcel I had already undervalued at £20 (the rounded-down value of the item I was gifting) when no transaction took place for this particular item.  Your system is so inflexible it assumes everything we mistakenly entrust to your tender mercies is an eBay sale.  It isn't.  But that doesn't mean it has no monetary value.  Far from it.  If I was claiming for an item worth £200 I could understand your pernickety insistence on some sort of proof of sale or purchase, but this is £20.  £20.  Frankly, for the way your service has mislaid the item, it should be the minimum compensation and just accepted without having to go through the equivalent of the Spanish Inquisition to prove I'm not scamming you.  Trust me, you're not worth it.

My previous attempt to send a parcel from Fairbourne in Wales to Newhaven in Sussex was delayed by a fortnight when it went missing apparently at Gatwick, although I wasn't aware you used Air Mail from Wales, I know we like to think of ourselves as a nation but we're not quite international, yet.  However, and fair play to your investigators, it was located and sent on.  This one however has vanished, presumably at Gatwick again and for all I know might now be in Nepal rather than Newhaven.  So that's twice you have provided bad service, one an unfathomable delay, the latest a missing presumed dead in action.  To say I'm disappointed is an understatement, especially as I've sent a few other items via your service all of which arrived in a timely and safe manner.  However, your insistence that I provide proof of value for an item which I stated was worth no more than £20 (even though I suspect it's open market value to be nearer £25...) when it is your organisation that has clearly mislaid the item, which was securely boxed in the packaging it came in - via courier, so I know it was acceptable - securely bound up with good quality parcel tape, and with the consignment details securely affixed to the outside, again with parcel tape, is in my mind an insult, as if I'm some sort of criminal mastermind trying to defraud you.

Of £20.

Trust me, if I was that desperate for money I'd sell my body as a toy boy to my pensioner neighbours.  I do have some self respect.

So if you really want a copy of the receipt from Hattons of Liverpool for £228.90 for the whole order, part of which the parcel in dispute came from, I'm sure you will find it of little use.  The details were as follows

(Hattons receipt attached for £228 worth of panic bought track)

In the meantime, I have entrusted a birthday present to my niece to a rival courier company who also offer home collection.  Slightly more expensive, yes, but if they deliver, as promised, overnight and it arrives at the destination safely, it'll be worth it.  Being of German ownership, I have every faith in Teutonic efficiency.

Yours extremely angrily,
Mark Wiles.

I got my twenty sheets compo with a grovelling apology.  I expect a print out of my missive went on the customer service noticeboard as well.

[Hroth]

Just had a less than optimal interaction with Amazon.  I was expecting a book delivery this afternoon and was in all the time.  While watching the GN on the telly, I heard some muffled noises from outside and then noticed an Amazon van shooting off down the road.  On investigation, I found the book propped up against the door. I checked the doorbell, which was working perfectly, so the only conclusion I can draw is that the idle b@st@rd dropped the package off and did a runner without pressing the doorbell and waiting for me to attend.

 

The really annoying thing was that on the "tracking" page, Amazon claimed that the "Parcel was handed to resident. ", which is a thumping great lie. 

 

Naturally, there is no apparent way to provide appropriate feedback...

 

[SamThomas]

The blame does not really lie with the couriers - the blame lies collectivly with us - we want our goods delivered without charge/cheaply/quickly. Collectivly we don't really care that the final delivery driver is paid far less than we would get out of bed for, collectivly, we don't care if he/she works a long day driving a borderline MOT pass vehicle & having to carry out 80+ deliveries a day.

 

The logistics industry is very cut throut - any company that ups its game to alleviate the problems we collectivly complain about will lose business.

 

So, until we collectivly are prepared to pay a little more for our parcels deliveries then we need to "put up & shut up".

[Mark Saunders]

The worst thing is poor packaging/amount of that doesn’t protect the contents stand up to the rigours of transit!

[hayfield]

10 hours ago, SamThomas said:

The blame does not really lie with the couriers - the blame lies collectivly with us - we want our goods delivered without charge/cheaply/quickly. Collectivly we don't really care that the final delivery driver is paid far less than we would get out of bed for, collectivly, we don't care if he/she works a long day driving a borderline MOT pass vehicle & having to carry out 80+ deliveries a day.

 

The logistics industry is very cut throut - any company that ups its game to alleviate the problems we collectivly complain about will lose business.

 

So, until we collectivly are prepared to pay a little more for our parcels deliveries then we need to "put up & shut up".

 

 

Sam

 

I think that is a bit unfair, as a seller I charge a little more than the average for P&P, but my items are I hope well packed, sent very quickly using Royal Mail 1st class, the majority are very appreciative of a swift service and happily pay for it. As a buyer I work out its maximum value to me deduct postage and bid accordingly, if its economy postage I am happy to wait a bit longer

 

As far as Amazon is concerned my own experience has been very good, whilst they offer free delivery, its not really free but part of the cost I pay them, I agree don't use the bad companies simply as you are asking for trouble. As a sender I charge an amount that allows me to use the Royal Mail 1st class, I have found it pays in the long term . 

[Mark Saunders]

11 hours ago, SamThomas said:

The blame does not really lie with the couriers - the blame lies collectivly with us - we want our goods delivered without charge/cheaply/quickly. Collectivly we don't really care that the final delivery driver is paid far less than we would get out of bed for, collectivly, we don't care if he/she works a long day driving a borderline MOT pass vehicle & having to carry out 80+ deliveries a day.

 

The logistics industry is very cut throut - any company that ups its game to alleviate the problems we collectivly complain about will lose business.

 

So, until we collectivly are prepared to pay a little more for our parcels deliveries then we need to "put up & shut up".

Rather like MacDonald’s the number of times the food is cold or the order is wrong you still go back to them!

[stewartingram]

Two points from me.

 

Royal Mail. One service I trust, but I just wish we could go back in time to the days when this was THE courier service, when we didn't have multiple vans driving down the same street, and the staff was smartly dressed too! Personally I cannot recall a bad delivery from them.

Amazon. I went to the Est of England showground during the pandemic - there was a Covid site there - and was amazed to see a huge collection of new Amazon vans (I think they were electric) which were apparently awaiting delivery (Perhaps waiting for Royal Mail to deliver lol). Rather puts the 'dodgy' vehicle idea to bed! Mind you, I'm no real fan of Amazon.

[SamThomas]

1 hour ago, hayfield said:

 

 

Sam

 

I think that is a bit unfair, as a seller I charge a little more than the average for P&P, but my items are I hope well packed, sent very quickly using Royal Mail 1st class, the majority are very appreciative of a swift service and happily pay for it. As a buyer I work out its maximum value to me deduct postage and bid accordingly, if its economy postage I am happy to wait a bit longer

 

As far as Amazon is concerned my own experience has been very good, whilst they offer free delivery, its not really free but part of the cost I pay them, I agree don't use the bad companies simply as you are asking for trouble. As a sender I charge an amount that allows me to use the Royal Mail 1st class, I have found it pays in the long term . 

I see where you are coming from John & I did say "collectivly" in my post. RM are generally pretty good thesedays but not the cheapest for larger stuff. You are realistic in using a decent carrier & packing your items well, as I do, but I fear we are not in the majority.

 

As for the large unstoppable river goes I will not use them as a matter of principle - IMHO they are a deeply unethical company, but that's another subject & a container full of worms.

 

I agree, there is no such thing as "free" delivery - it's in the price somewhere - I have a friend who insists on "free" delivery - she will not buy an item that is say, £50 + £8 shipping but will happily buy the same item somewher else for £60 as long as the shipping is "free".....

[SamThomas]

1 hour ago, Mark Saunders said:

Rather like MacDonald’s the number of times the food is cold or the order is wrong you still go back to them!

Indeed, but when I use Muckydogs if it is wrong &/or cold then back it goes - if more people did that they would not keep trying it on.

 

Oh, & never, ever use the drivethrough.

 

[SamThomas]

1 hour ago, stewartingram said:

Two points from me.

 

Royal Mail. One service I trust, but I just wish we could go back in time to the days when this was THE courier service, when we didn't have multiple vans driving down the same street, and the staff was smartly dressed too! Personally I cannot recall a bad delivery from them.

Amazon. I went to the Est of England showground during the pandemic - there was a Covid site there - and was amazed to see a huge collection of new Amazon vans (I think they were electric) which were apparently awaiting delivery (Perhaps waiting for Royal Mail to deliver lol). Rather puts the 'dodgy' vehicle idea to bed! Mind you, I'm no real fan of Amazon.

Oh yes, the days when uniformed people were smart & wore peaked caps, not those bl***** awful US incarnations the baseball caps - Posties, meter readers (an extinct species), counil dog catchers (another extinct species) & so on.

 

IIRC the only alternative parcels carriers in those days was BRS (Bl**dy Rotten Service) or BR.

 

[hayfield]

33 minutes ago, SamThomas said:

I see where you are coming from John & I did say "collectivly" in my post. RM are generally pretty good thesedays but not the cheapest for larger stuff. You are realistic in using a decent carrier & packing your items well, as I do, but I fear we are not in the majority.

 

As for the large unstoppable river goes I will not use them as a matter of principle - IMHO they are a deeply unethical company, but that's another subject & a container full of worms.

 

I agree, there is no such thing as "free" delivery - it's in the price somewhere - I have a friend who insists on "free" delivery - she will not buy an item that is say, £50 + £8 shipping but will happily buy the same item somewher else for £60 as long as the shipping is "free".....

 

I am not a great lover of using Amazon, rather I make use of their service in quickly buying low cost items which arrive the next day, but I find them far better than some of the so caller reputable UK retailers, I currently am having trouble with two Major UK retailers with two expensive chairs both of which were delivered faulty and one of the bed companies taking 12 weeks to make a simple repair under guarantee.

 

Both have customer service centres where 45 min wait for an agent is the norm and lethargic responses with both companies , twice I have had small issues with delivery and received both times a quick and very generous service. Their ethics in these cases have been first class, as was an experience with my car dealership Glynn Hopkins, there was a slight issue which would at worst have caused a slight inconvenience. They were outstanding with a very generous gesture especially when I expected nothing as it was not their fault

[GeoffAlan]

I ordered a wheelchair to be delivered the day before my wife came out of hospital following treatment for a Brain Abscess. Yodel were the sellers chosen 'delivery agents' and I paid extra for next day delivery. It didn't arrive, and according to what I could glean from them they didn't know when it would arrive, so I cancelled the order. Then ordered an identical one from a different seller to be delivered the day after she was due home. 

 

The latter arrived on the due date and several days later, on arriving home from her first outpatient physio-therapy, we had a note through the door saying yodel had called. I went onto their online site where it proved impossible to tell them I had cancelled the order so again called the seller and informed them of the attempted delivery. Several more notes came through the door over the next few days, most when we were out, but once while we were in, no audible knock on the door and the door bell remained unused. I decided against kicking against a wall of blubber.

 

The day of the next physio-terrorist appointment, shortly after returning home, I popped out into our garden to go to the bins only to find a battered cardboard box containing a wheelchair. It had been thrown over our 1.8m rear gate. 

 

I called the original seller and asked them to collect the cancelled and now damaged wheelchair. Their response was they'd get Yodel to contact me. Yodel eventually called and demanded that I take the battered item to a 'collection centre'. I replied that hell would freeze over, the sun explode and the universe end before I'd run after them. So I contacted the seller yet again, who arranged for a different and better courier to call and retrieve the damaged item. 

 

Yodel, pay extra and we'll wait over a week after the due date to throw the parcel over a fence. Great advertising, they should use it.

 

At least it would be honest.

Edited April 10, 2022 by GeoffAlan

[Darius43]

Not a horror story (hopefully) but heard a letter come through the door whilst I no was on a phone call.  Went to see a few minutes later and it was a ParcelForce sorry you weren’t in card.  No sign of the van so it’s a walk to the local co-op tomorrow to collect it.  Wouldn’t surprise me if they are just delivering the cards having left the parcels at the co-op back room post office.   Caught a postman doing this few years ago - saw the card come through the letterbox and chased after him only for him to admit that he didn’t actually have the parcel…

 

Darius