CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Delivery Folk Using the Weather as an Excuse?

(52 posts)
  • Started 14 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from Tulyar

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12

  1. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    I ordered a load of stuff from Amazon on 6th December. It's still not here. I checked the site and have a tracking number for the Home Delivery Network - the Amazon site tracking has as the latest update that on the 9th (i.e. a week ago) it was 'delayed in transit due to external factors'. The HDN website has as the last update that it arrived at the Droitwich sorting office on the 8th.

    Now, I understand there's a backlog but...

    One item was coming from a third party seller. By Royal Mail. Okay, it was delayed, but the box arrived on Tuesday.

    And last Thursday Mel called Cotic to pay for the reserved >X< frame - they sent it that day by TNT. It's been sitting in our spare room since Monday when it arrived.

    The main routes are clear, so why on earth is the Amazon delivery delayed, still, complete with presents I really needed for this weekend for the family pressie drop-off...? HDN can't answer this because their phoneline is constantly engaged. Argh!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  2. wingpig
    Member

    HDNL have probably thrown your parcel into a garden two streets away, seeing as they're not averse to leaving boxes which clearly contain laptops sitting under plant pots on balconies. They're by far the most useless courier service and a strong incentive to not select Super Saver delivery when Amazonning.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  3. Stepdoh
    Member

    I ordered something from play which is being sent by dpd, think it took a week to get from Jersey to DPD, then another to get from the DPD hub to the Edinburgh office. Then apparently its not going out today.

    Luckily as I'm oot in the sticks (and they happen to be oot in the same sticks) I can just ride over and get it. Bike Win! Van Fail.

    I thought all the supersaver things just went RM 2nd Class, or is it a bit more sophisticatit than that.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  4. cb
    Member

    An Amazon parcel was left on our doorstep in the rain a couple of days back. The door to the porch was open (actually open, not just unlocked) so for an extra 5s effort the delivery person could have, at the very least, put the parcel behind the storm door.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  5. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    I tihnk if it goes over a certain value they go with couriers - this was about 90 quid's worth. Wish they'd gone down the RM route!

    And wingpig, I'm sure Citylink could give HDN a run for their money!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  6. SRD
    Moderator

    We've gotten several amazon parcels in recent days - mostly Citylink I think. Although perversely, I prefer HDN since they will leave a parcel if you're not there!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    "Luckily as I'm oot in the sticks (and they happen to be oot in the same sticks) I can just ride over and get it."

    Well yes but.

    I was waiting over a week for a UPS delivery.

    Tracked online it went from the midlands to Preston and back again - 'adverse weather'.

    It arrived in Edinburgh on Monday and sat in the depot.

    It came yesterday afternoon even though online hadn't said 'out for delivery'.

    I know that at some depots it's so chaotic that if you turn up there is no guarantee they will be able to find items.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  8. wingpig
    Member

    At least in the absence of huge amounts of snow so far today I'll be able to get out to Ratho to collect the HDD DPD said "will be delivered on the 15th", unless they chuck it in the brown bin or leave it with a neighbour.

    CityLink are awful, but at least they'll take things safely back to Livingston (I preferred their old old depot in Niddrie, where you could see the parcel cages from the reception area and the workers throwing boxes clearly marked "Dell" and "Gateway" into them from several feet away) rather than leave them unattended. Like HDNL. Or Parcelforce, who once faked a signature and left my camera in the stairwell, whence it was swiftly thoven.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  9. Min
    Member

    "Wish they'd gone down the RM route!"

    Nope, my Amazon order was DISPATCHED on the 1st of December and hasn't arrived yet. This was RM. I am allowed to ask about it again tomorrow if it hasn't arrived today.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  10. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I've got some Amazon stuff through from Royal Mail and my Mum recieved some that came via Jersey. However hardly surprised that the Home Delivery Failwork have messed you about, I will also third / fourth or fifth the fact that they are utterly useless. Their drivers are by far the worst on the road in my most humble of opinions.

    When I used to live up by Ratho all the courier vans would be racing up the same road as me each morning and evening, either trying to get back to their depots in Newbridge / Broxburn / South Gyle or coming from their depots to make pickups / deliveries. The HDN drivers would just sit on the horn and zoom past you with inches to spare at 60mph (regardless of the direction they were coming from).

    From the state of their vans, I was under the impression that any chump with a white van and 9 points on their licence could just whack a few HDN vinyls on it at a jaunty angle and he was ready to roll as a fully qualified courier.

    My replacement glasses are still MIA in the Royal Mail.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  11. Stepdoh
    Member

    Phoned the depot (got the actual number for the depot with a bit of googling) and they said they'd pull it out of the delivery stream for me. Wingpig, I'd suggest you should do the same, they're on 0131 335 4043. If you see someone cycling in a suit in an industrial estate. That'll be me!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    Ah Google -

    http://benjam.in/dpd-couriers-i-am-not-their-customer

    Posted 14 years ago #

  13. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Same here. Ordered from Amazon on Dec 5th, and estimated delivery date was Dec 10th, which was six days ago. By Royal Mail, no less.

    Royal Mail update for Scotland

    RM says of my parcel, "we are currently processing it." Mind you, given the often next day ability of places like CRC and Wiggle, perhaps we tend to forget the old "Please allow 28 days for delivery." I wonder what Dom Littlewood makes of it?

    Posted 14 years ago #

  14. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Likewise, ordered amazon and dispatched 1st class on 1st dec..... Also a 7th dispatch from wiggle not here either. Its getting a little annoying.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  15. Stepdoh
    Member

    Wull, I got my parcel, although I forgot the f'ing consignment number (and my phone which contained it) and suddenly 'no one had spoke to me'.

    But put on my tenacious (annoying and not likely to go away) face and he had another dig. Lo and behold the prodigal parcel was found.

    Lawd, if a wiggle delivery doesn't reach you the day after you order it I think there's something wrong with the world. It's like the radio 4/submarine thing.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  16. chdot
    Admin

    "Weather is blamed as households miss out on council newspaper"

    http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Weather-is-blamed-as-households.6662594.jp

    Posted 14 years ago #

  17. cb
    Member

    "households miss out on council newspaper"

    CAN THINGS GET ANY WORSE!!!?!!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  18. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Wiggle just arrived, amazon are sending another :)

    Posted 14 years ago #

  19. wee folding bike
    Member

    Carry Freedom hitch and tow bars arrived today. Hitch is fitted to the trailer, a tow bar is on the Pashley and I'll fit one to a Brompton too.

    Need to pick up number 4 son from nursery 3 days a week after the holidays.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  20. splitshift
    Member

    Dont get this,two weeks ago when central scotland froze solid our company,supermarket ,hired 30 additional vehicles and drivers.2Days later we were sitting around with not a lot to do !we travel and deliver to shops from elgin, peterhead down to galashiels, tweedmouth and newcastle.Weve got thye biggest, most likely to jacknife artics available and all that happened was that people had to wait for max a day to go buy their tinsel, prepacked micro meals with real potato pieces !No idea why transit and merc sprinters cant get about, after all they are the best drivers in the world,and have the fastest vehicles,they keep flashing thier headlights while tailgating me (in the car ), I assume they want past at 100mph. Surely their not just a bunch of infantile bullies who didnt quite manage to get a real hgv license.! Or am I being too cynical again ?

    Posted 14 years ago #

  21. chdot
    Admin

    "I being too cynical again"

    I'm sure your company tries to hire the best drivers - by intelligent recruitment processes, above average pay/conditions etc.

    Does it also have good training/h&s strategies etc?

    Posted 14 years ago #

  22. Smudge
    Member

    @chdot, you obviously have spoken to some of the transport managers I have worked for, they have talked, sometimes convincingly, about all these things....

    But then I AM cynical ;-))

    Posted 14 years ago #

  23. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Splitshift - I think the transport problems to some extent are being talked up by the media. It suits them to have stories which fit the "country grinds to a halt, who's to blame" mould. I do work for an organic farm in the Borders. They contacted the Daily Record which was claiming that all business deliveries were at a standstill to point out that they had fulfilled all their local deliveries and were still taking and delivering orders. The Record wasn't interested.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  24. Min
    Member

    A bit like their (usually successful) attempts to encourage people to panic buy food and petrol I suppose.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  25. wee folding bike
    Member

    There are two things I believe in newspapers.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  26. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Two weeks since ordering from Amazon and still nothing. RM tracker still says "processing". :-(

    Posted 14 years ago #

  27. ruggtomcat
    Member

    i have 18 days between scans for a package...

    Posted 14 years ago #

  28. recombodna
    Member

    It's nonsense!!! I ordered a small elecrical component from ebay 2 weeks ago and it's still not arrived.

    I ordered a childs board game 3 days ago and it came today.........both from Englandshire!!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  29. Min
    Member

    Amazon order has arrived at last thank goodness. Only 20 days 
    after it was dispatched. At least it is here.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  30. wingpig
    Member

    I saw a DPD vanlet yesterday heading into Glasgow on the M77. It seemed to be in an awful rush, despite the conditions. I now have another package due (containing some slightly knobbly tyres) but Wiggle won't tell me how they've sent it.

    Posted 14 years ago #

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