Author Topic: Sh!te courier thread (Read 145610 times)

TimC · « **Reply #150 on:** 19 December, 2015, 11:38:20 am »

Quote from: cpcnw on 18 December, 2015, 07:38:48 pm

Is there actually a 'recommended courier' thread?

Seriously... I want to send a folding bike in a box and as I have never sent a bike before could do with some helpful pointers

I've used Paisley Freight. £23.50 next day. The only issues I've had have been down to my poor packing!

CAMRAMan · « **Reply #151 on:** 19 December, 2015, 11:42:19 am »

Quote from: Jurek on 18 December, 2015, 07:51:31 pm

My experience of Hermes is nothing other than faultless.
I appreciate that YMMV.

My recommendations were based on the delivery of larger items, but I take your point for smaller items. I would only entrust my own larger valuables to UPS or Parcelforce. I have seen how the others handle their goods first hand and it ain't pretty.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #152 on:** 19 December, 2015, 11:47:55 am »

Quote from: DDCyclist on 19 December, 2015, 11:32:32 am

Harlow/Seattle. Easy mistake to make.

Parcel (approx. A6 size) sent from Seattle to Larrington Towers
Mr Larrington not in
Porcelfarce card says parcel left at post office up road
Post office up road denies all knowledge of parcel
Porcelfarce regional depot says parcel left at post office up road and signed for by "S Singh"
Post office up road deny knowledge of both parcel and alleged "S Singh"
Other post office up different road also deny knowledge ect. ect.
Long pause
E-mail from Nice Bike Shop Man in Seattle: parcel returned marked "undeliverable", should they try again?
Mr Larrington supplies work address in Harlow; parcel arrives on desk couple of days later

jsabine · « **Reply #153 on:** 19 December, 2015, 11:57:45 am »

Quote from: A Warwickshire Lad on 19 December, 2015, 11:42:19 am

Quote from: Jurek on 18 December, 2015, 07:51:31 pm
My experience of Hermes is nothing other than faultless.
I appreciate that YMMV.
My recommendations were based on the delivery of larger items, but I take your point for smaller items. I would only entrust my own larger valuables to UPS or Parcelforce. I have seen how the others handle their goods first hand and it ain't pretty.

I think it's almost impossible to generalise, especially from experiences as a recipient or a low volume sender, as the experience seems so dependent on the quality and attitude of your local depot.

DPD has been excellent for me both as a recipient and with a couple of parcels to Ireland; Parcelforce used to be good but then closed the depot that was just down the road, and I've had poorer service from the new one as a recipient, though they've been fine with a couple of pickups. Small packages I tend to give to MyHermes or the other one that lets you drop off at a local shop and have no complaints so far.

CAMRAMan · « **Reply #154 on:** 19 December, 2015, 12:28:29 pm »

Unfortunately, my job entails receiving lots of parcels on an industrial scale. UPS, in particular, seem to take great care of their items, but maybe that's down to the driver who seems very professional, although their whole approach builds confidence.

robgul · « **Reply #155 on:** 19 December, 2015, 08:07:25 pm »

Quote from: A Warwickshire Lad on 19 December, 2015, 12:28:29 pm

Unfortunately, my job entails receiving lots of parcels on an industrial scale. UPS, in particular, seem to take great care of their items, but maybe that's down to the driver who seems very professional, although their whole approach builds confidence.

Have to agree on UPS - our local chap knows me and if he spots me on foot in the town he'll give a friendly wave from his van ... and if he has a package for me stop the van and find it. Excellent.

Upside is that the same bloke has been on the SuA round for about 12 years.

Rob

ian · « **Reply #156 on:** 20 December, 2015, 11:25:39 am »

It depends, if you know the delivery person they can be ace. At our old place most stuff seemed to come via the late, unlamented Citilink, so we knew the driver and if I wasn't in, he give me a call to ask what to do. We get a lot from Hermes here, which actually seems to be him-and-her team, and they're great, they know where to leave stuff etc.

mcshroom · « **Reply #157 on:** 20 December, 2015, 05:49:00 pm »

Ok good effort in getting a local shop to hold onto my parcel so I don't have to go to the UPS depot in Carlisle for it. Picking a shop that's only open Mon-Fri 9-5 because I wasn't in on a week day is a bit stupid though, no?

Tigerrr · « **Reply #158 on:** 21 December, 2015, 06:41:12 am »

I think the delivery drivers are unsung heroes. Paid peanuts, work long hours and generally get the stuff delivered.

hellymedic · « **Reply #159 on:** 21 December, 2015, 02:29:41 pm »

Yebbut this thread mostly describes times when they don't get stuff delivered.
Which is not infrequent.

Pickled Onion · « **Reply #160 on:** 22 December, 2015, 06:21:33 pm »

"We tried to deliver your parcel but no-one was in so we left it at <actual delivery address>"

"

there's someone in waiting for you"

"Actually, we didn't deliver your parcel, there was no-one in."

"

"

"Here's a picture of the house to prove we tried to deliver:"

(click to show/hide)

bumper · « **Reply #161 on:** 22 December, 2015, 06:34:01 pm »

They really are shite, a random photo of a random door

I'm trying to avoid reading this thread. I've got a first class recorded missing from Friday, a parcel for work that the courier hasn't had time to deliver................................

and the saga continues, DiX are delivering my new bike again tomorrow $:-\$

mcshroom · « **Reply #162 on:** 22 December, 2015, 06:41:04 pm »

Quote from: mcshroom on 20 December, 2015, 05:49:00 pm

Ok good effort in getting a local shop to hold onto my parcel so I don't have to go to the UPS depot in Carlisle for it. Picking a shop that's only open Mon-Fri 9-5 because I wasn't in on a week day is a bit stupid though, no?

Collected this parcel from the Laundrette. Process was fine but strange place to pick. My royal mail parcel is still missing however.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #163 on:** 22 December, 2015, 06:57:51 pm »

Two parcels delivered by the good offices of Mega-Global Big River Corporation of Seattle, USAnia Logistics both arrived a day early. Nothing to rant about at all chiz

mcshroom · « **Reply #164 on:** 22 December, 2015, 06:59:28 pm »

ian · « **Reply #165 on:** 23 December, 2015, 09:14:35 am »

I can't find your house! What road are you on? That's why then.

hellymedic · « **Reply #166 on:** 23 December, 2015, 11:47:30 am »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 22 December, 2015, 06:57:51 pm

Two parcels delivered by the good offices of Mega-Global Big River Corporation of Seattle, USAnia Logistics both arrived a day early. Nothing to rant about at all chiz

I too have had precipitous delivery from The Big River.
In one case, a gift reached its recipient before the text I sent...

ian · « **Reply #167 on:** 23 December, 2015, 12:29:13 pm »

And again.

Top tip, delivery drivers. If you're on a road with a different name to the one in my address you're unlikely to find my house on it. That's how addresses work.

The first bit is the same, so says he with the parcel when he arrives at the door.

Again, that's still not how it works. It's not fuzzy matching.

tiermat · « **Reply #168 on:** 23 December, 2015, 12:35:53 pm »

@ian, this is where the correcthorsebatterystaple addressing system comes in.

bumper · « **Reply #169 on:** 23 December, 2015, 12:50:21 pm »

WOOOHOOOOOO

My new bike has arrived safely, so has the missing first class parcel.

The work one is still MIA but I couldn't give a toss, I'm now finished until after Xmas

Kim · « **Reply #170 on:** 23 December, 2015, 01:07:31 pm »

Quote from: tiermat on 23 December, 2015, 12:35:53 pm

@ian, this is where the correcthorsebatterystaple addressing system comes in.

They'd only deliver to the first thing with correcthorse in it.

Seems to be a common problem with professional drivers of all types. "27 Oxbridge Road" becomes mentally truncated to "27 Oxbridge", and the parcel/pizza/taxi ends up at 27 Oxbridge Avenue on the other side of town.

ian · « **Reply #171 on:** 23 December, 2015, 01:14:38 pm »

Indeed the problem. I'm on So-and-so Road, the say. I don't live on So-and-so Road. I live on So-and-so something else. They seem genuinely puzzled by this phenomenon. But it's so-and-so! Possibly they live in a special universe of couriers were streets, roads, crescents, avenues, are all interchangeable.

The rest of us don't. At least they call.

Kim · « **Reply #172 on:** 23 December, 2015, 01:54:13 pm »

I'm not quite bored enough to obtain a pile of data from Openstreetmap and wrangle it in an attempt to determine what the real world failure rate of this strategy is likely to be. But Christmas is coming, so who knows.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #173 on:** 23 December, 2015, 02:08:13 pm »

Yes, but think how exactly much worse it would be if Bono was in charge.

The white one, with the unusually long sleeves.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #174 on:** 31 December, 2015, 05:02:45 pm »

Amazon Logistics, Lt. Col. Larrington (retd.) was very surprised to learn that his new mouse had been "handed to resident".

Because it wasn't.

It was sitting on the doorstep and had been for four and a half hours when I rang him to check he'd got it just now