Parcel delivery firms......rant alert

[Loosehead]

Twice this week a parcel delivery firm has tried to deliver a parcel that needs signing for and failed, I called them and they can only deliver when I'm at work or I can collect it form 50 miles away! Now what really hacks me off about these firms is that their tone and attitude when you say that you cannot be in because you have the temerity to work for a living so in the end the parcel goes back to the sender. Surely to god most of their delivery tagets to not hang around at home between 9-5 on the off chance they might condescend to deliver a naffing parcel. There must be good money to be made, ie more delivery contracts by having a shift that delivers evenings or heaven forbid weekends! Makes my Blood boil, what are ABers experiences/ideas?

[Drusilla]

I agree entirely, Loosehead. It's a kind of throwback to a 1950's attitude when women were mostly at home all day. Delivery drivers would also finish their rounds more quickly if they worked in the evenings and avoided daytime traffic. Banks also work stupid hours, but that's another gripe, as banks have never given a monkey's about customer satisfaction.

[jake-the-peg]

I have parcels delivered to my work - is that a problem in your case?

[Hermia]

I know how you feel. What shocks me is how many delivery firms I've spoken to sound amazed when I say there will be no one in during the day - why is that surprising???? I had problems recently with a company that tried to deliver a parcel at 3pm on a Wednesday. I 'phoned them when I got home from work to reschedule. They said they had already rescheduled the delivery for 3pm on the Thursday and they couldn't cancel it! I then asked them if the depot was open on a Saturday. They said it was, but they were obliged to send the parcel back after 2 attempts at delivery. At this point I was getting somewhat annoyed and said surely they could keep it for a a couple of days longer and the answer was no. I know they must have procedures they have to follow, but could they not be a bit more flexible?

[Loosehead]

Yes Jake it is a problem, for "security" reasons my firm has to have parcells delivered to a central location and then distributed through the internal post. Guess what?no one there is allowed to sign for a parcell unless it's for them personally or it's for the company. I work in a satellite building so the effect would be the same. It's can be done for parcells that do not require signature but I never know that in advance.

[Loosehead]

Doh! I have suddenly lost the ability to spell Parcel

[jimmer]

they are a pain in the a*** aren't they. A friend of mine had a bed delivered recently. The delivery van delivered it three streets away to a confused old lady who signed for it by mistake. When they phoned the depot to find out where it was the depot said they couldn't do anything coz it had been signed for. Do you need to get it delivered LH? cant you let it go back to the makers and buy an alternative from the shops?

jim

[vehelpfulguy]

I really think there is a place for a NEW business offering a local drop off point, maye a post office or a site on a retail park.

More and more things are being ordered online or over the phone, but many people are not in during the day.

If a delivery person finds no one in they take it to the local drop off point, and sign it in, then when you are home you go to the local drop off point, pay a small fee for using the drop off point, and pick up your stuff.

Or maybe even better, instead of giving your home address you give the address of the local drop off point, and the driver delivers it to there.

You can then pick it up at your leasure.

[stevie21]

I take it that you're using a private courier? If it's sent Royal Mail (or Parcelforce) I'm sure that they keep it at the local sorting office and you can call them and ask them to deliver it to your nearest post office (for 50p) : that way you can collect it at a time that suits you. You can collect it directly from the sorting office if *that* suits you.

If your company insist on redelivering it, do they accept an alternative address such as a relative? They must have encountered this problem millions of times before - it's not cost effective for them to have to return the item to its sender so it's in their interests to find a solution that suits you.

[Loosehead]

I didn't choose the carrier, I just ordered something on line, the seller sent it.

[woofgang]

Its a real pain, yes, the firms always sound amazed when I say that I work and my neighbours work. Some firms will deliver on a saturday. In the US, quite a few of the carriers used to leave a signature waiver slip which you could sign and leave on the door, they would then leave the parcel on your step or in a safe place. If I get real pain with any courier service, i contact the firm who sold me the goods, tell them what happened and say politely that I will not be shopping with them again because of the courier service they use...it may not have an effect (it could if everyone did it) but it makes me feel better!!

[woofgang]

PS jake, my work (nhs) will not allow private mail to be delivered there

[Hermia]

woofgang - A company did recently try to deliver a parcel when I was out and they posted the signature waiver slip through the door. I filled it in and stuck it to the door as they asked. The next day I got home from work to find the courier had stuck a "we called, but you were out" notice over the form I had stuck to the door!

[Oneeyedvic]

Or stop using the internet and support your local businesses

;-)

[joko]

some companies will accept it being sent to your nearest post office, for a small fee, and you pick it up whenever.

You could always tell them you will at another place that day and that you can sign for it there, and then organise some one you know and trust, to sign for it for you pretending to be you. they would need ID though. I know this is wrong, but they make it so difficult for you and the main aim is to receive your parcel so if you trust someone, wheres the harm?