Did you have an online order vanish last year?

. . . . and since Direct Line have done the ‘research’ there is not much point in using a precious Which? Conversation slot for this piece which doesn’t actually take us any further forward with possible solutions to some of the failed-delivery problems identified.

I presume Which? are not suggesting any legislative changes, so what are needed are practical changes to improve the service reliability of on-line shopping [given that it now accounts for 12% of retail activity and has driven the alternatives out of the market place]. Realistic delivery forecasts would be a good starting point. And allowing customers to specify the action in the event of the driver not getting an answer at the right address [many, including Amazon, provide no facility for this]. The best retailers use carriers with excellent tracking systems – M&S are poor in that respect. Click-&-Collect only works if you are near a collection point – more could be done to improve that system.

While I would not advocate any restrictions on its scope, the Consumer Rights Act does enable an unhelpful level of customer dishonesty that increases the cost of shopping by all channels.

We think on-line shopping is so wonderful. I can remember my mother ringing up a local department store where she had an account and her order would be delivered the next day by the company’s own van [properly wrapped and presented too].

@patrick, when one of the Which? staff introduces a topic like this I believe that readers will assume they accept the facts that are presented. Otherwise it as just another misleading Convo where people jump to the wrong conclusions. Why do that? Surely a similar Convo that is based on authenticated and accurate information should be the aim, or else not publish at all.

I detect some frustration from some contributors when Convos seem designed to provoke rather than inform, or distort the facts to create a misleading impression. What is it meant to achieve? I note the “would you pay to complain about an airline” is still as misleading as it was. It would be so much more useful to re-write the intro in a clear, accurate and informative way that would not only save people getting heated about a situation that isn’t, but also make the poll of more use – if that was re-written also. But all too late now, probably.

I think Which? should be seen as an organisation that deals with issues in a fair, balanced and informative way. Perhaps I am the only member who does. 🙂

Its too hot; roll on winter. 🙁

Malcolm I understand your frustration but unfortunately answers to life’s problems rarely come across as black or white but brimming with each and everyone’s contrasting grey areas. For example, your last sentence clearly portrays your feelings about today’s heat but some folk love it for lots of different reasons pertaining to themselves.

Let’s hear everyone’s version of events, it all adds appeal and intrigue to the way in which people relate to certain circumstances in their lives and the way in which they deal with them according to their own individual perspective and vision.

I have always viewed Which?Convo’s introduction to a topic as a means of extracting and sharing people’s contrasting opinions and life experiences and less of a way of expecting it to provide black or white factual and/or tangible information, other than that of course relating to the most exceptional and significant of events.

I enjoy the ebb and flow of the Conversations and reading the contrasting and conflicting comments of the contributors, but I expect the Intro to be a reliable piece of non-fiction [except on All Fools Day] and to have sound journalistic credentials without misrepresentation, distortion, and tendentiousness. I have no objection to articles being biased in favour of consumers’ interests but the underlying facts should presented fairly and objectively. Where this hasn’t happened [e.g. on the airline complaints topic] a lot of people were led to entirely the wrong understanding of the issue and the discussion started at a tangent losing all its value in terms of the benefits to airline passengers and with people believing they should have to take their cases [when they turn up!] to the County Court.

There are so many consumer problems that have not yet been flogged to death in these Conversations so why take a dodgy survey as the starting point for yet another series of rants about parcel deliveries and without offering any suggestions for improvement? No parcel companies have been disturbed in the making of this Conversation . . . . which is a shame.

But Malcolm has a very good point. He’s not against hearing everyone’s version of events, but whether it all adds ‘appeal and intrigue’ is questionable when Which? is attempting to gauge opinion on a contentious issue. What a mildly ambiguous (or misleading) headline does, of course, in to increase engagement of the public at large with what is, at its core, a problem for many, but I suspect it involves a fair bit of sorting of comments before any meaningful harvesting can begin.

I tend to sympathise with Malcolm’s frustration in this as I dislike the same tactic when employed by the egregious DFM, for instance, and my preference would be for Which? to be more precise and less…electrifying in its mission to attract different demographic groups. But it does provide Which? with ammunition in sheer statistics when choosing their battleground.

While not disturbed by Which,s Convo, Hermes was certainly disturbed – John , by a security camera a customer had showing a female delivery driver bring a parcel to the side gate of the customers property but was stopped because the gate was locked –she lifted the parcel and threw it into his back yard – plain as day. He posted it on the web on a well known social organisation and it had over 4000 hits in a short time , and yes John I watched it. Now that got a reply from Hermes amounting to -we will talk to the delivery driver. This brought in a deluge of posters complaining about the company.

Beryl, when it’s Winter I actually want Spring to roll on. Not keen on wet cold weather. I suppose I’m fickle. What I do not like is being misled by what should be a responsible organisation.

My trust (that’s the word Which? use a lot) in Which? is becoming slightly tarnished. Since it is the prime representative of consumers what worries me as to who else could stand up for us if others begin to doubt its motives. My concern here is that putting forward a possibly unsound set of “facts” to stimulate constructive discussion is rather a waste of time, and leads to misconceptions. “I just wanted to share that we didn’t assume that this survey was accurate”. What is the point when so many other topics warrant attention.

Perhaps Which? could assemble real facts about failed, lost and stolen deliveries for another Convo? As I suggested earlier I imagine the major on-line retailers will have plenty of genuine statistics; maybe even the “common carriers”, as John rightly describes them, will.

Yes, and it happened to us too, more than once – coming home and finding parcels ‘delivered’ by Hermes lying, wet through, along the side path. And there was an earlier Conversation which brought forth scores of tales from contributors about the behaviour of this and one or two other delivery companies. But because the stories just kept coming I am convinced the company took no notice and did absolutely nothing about it. They probably never thoroughly investigated any alleged misconduct by their delivery drivers so long as they were still being paid by the traders who consigned their orders to them for delivery. We stopped ordering goods from firms who used Hermes and another carrier and informed these suppliers of our reasons for doing so, but I suspect nothing has changed because we still see the Hermes driver in our area. So despite all the publicity the company remains undisturbed. If they relied on customers to choose who should deliver their parcels it might be different, but since the decisions are made within the consignor companies who might be more concerned with cost than quality of service nothing will change for the better. That is why I urge people with parcel delivery problems to take it up with the supplier and persist – as it says in the Intro: ” . . . don’t get fobbed off”.

Malcolm, it’s human nature to want that which is often unattainable 🙂

Back to topic. Referring to the question of misleading information, it was perfectly obvious to me at first glance, paying £25 to lodge a complaint for an airlines misdemeanour was highly contentious and it was by continuing to read the remainder of the report did it all become abundantly clear before proceeding to post my comment which stated “I would challenge being charged a fee for taking the matter further through the airlines apparent incompetence to solve it at its basic rudimentary level.”

Most regular contributors, and indeed the majority of non regular contributors, come across as being pretty savvy and intelligent individuals, so one questions the rationale behind the criticism for the “misleading misconceptions and unsound set of facts”.

I pointed out in my comment on 30th August the many ‘grey areas’ that exist in most situations today and that the “facts” are increasingly becoming open to dispute and discussion, which I consider to be a necessary requisite to solving the many challenges that feature in the ever changing world in which we now live.

Every open forum inevitably invites a wide approach and viewpoint (subject to its T&C’s) from its many different contributors which is open to discussion, which surely is the fundamental aim and purpose behind Which?Convo’s objectives?

PS: I have not yet failed to receive a parcel from a delivery company but there’s always a first time for everything I guess. I have on one occasion had to return damaged in transit goods however which were replaced without question by JLewis.

Your last paragraph Beryl- once again you have demonstrated a deeper thinking on this matter and more to the point (in my view ) of what a consumer website should act like . To constrict , to “pigeon hole ” people (put into boxes ) all members of society is to deny to yourself the fact that every person can have a view deviant from yourself and try to mentally and in the case of Herr Himmler physically constrict the publics comments on life itself . I abhor this , it is what i have fought against every day of my life , it is mental domination “crowd control” in the pure police sense . It is certainly not the vision put out by the West of the “All inclusive” modern Digital Society vision they have. I have said before I understand perfectly where Which is coming from and even in my old age I can accept this “New Vision ” , I might not agree with it all but it is inevitable and I see it every day elsewhere . Change happens those who dont change get left behind , now this might sound an “Americanism ” comment but as America already heavily influences this country and after TTIP will even more I only see Which looking at that vision of a modern young digital population and making changes to suite . This is long term . I fully understand Which,s heritage but posters must bear in mind that a heavy “control ” of the website will just put off many members of the public even though it might make others feel better in their mind . Which has actually influenced me , I now hardly visit radical websites “breathing fire ” and I am sure those watching me know this . I spend a lot of time here that I would otherwise be on very political /radical websites incurring the wrath of the Western governments. So its been a “calming ” influence to me and I like the intelligent rebuttals as it stimulates my mind.

I run a small on line retail company and use DPD for deliveries as they are very good with their tracking, if we ever have an issue with a delivery we immediately re send whether it is damaged or lost as we feel this is a vital part of our customer service. Our trustpilot feedback accurately reflects the trouble we go to to ensure deliveries are timely and reliable and I am sure we are not the only company who takes care with our customers deliveries, a survey of how happy some other customers may be would be nice.

And I am sure your customers appreciate the fact you use DPD Elaine . I have never had bad service from them and I notice it is quality business companies who use them as they send business to business.

Malcolm – Gallup have been paying people to take part in survey,s since I was young . I was involved in their door to door survey,s it involved gifts to “customers ” and I have been pulled off the street in a large city and was paid £2 for 15 minutes of my time in the 70,s . You all have a good reason to be suspicious of survey,s , do you know I was told to go round a certain middle class area most of the time , it was only when it came to Gillette razor blades that I was told to go round working class areas giving out free samples as I went . You can bet your bottom $$$ that survey,s arent all they seem. On the top left of the survey sheet that I used as a reference people were put into different classes -ie how far up the pecking order they were in society and you marked that in as well .

Given the instructions on the mix of social classes that are generally required you wonder how often the A/B, C etc was completed to fulfil an expectation.

I do not do them often on the street but I was once approached by someone surveying and we came to insurance companies and I was asked if I knew the names of any. I said we can start with the A’s probably Aviva I said and go through to Zurich – how many do you want?

It made me think that surveying in certain towns where they have financial service companies that dealt with insurance could give very skewed impression of the knowledge base even if you were diligent about class / employment and age.

Wont argue with that Sandy also two of the worst delivery services in the UK . Hermes -owned by a French female operating in France, got reputation of chapping on your door with a feather and then running away or- toss it over the garden fence (Smash ! ) . Employs sub contractors on individual contracts to deliver locally , was told by both company employees – only allowed to wait 3 minutes (at most ) due to number of deliveries required . Had blazing row with one old guy who said I should have answered the door quicker – complained to their headquarters . Nominated by another customer complaints website as quote- the “worst ” delivery service in Britain , I complained on that site too,actually got it posted there ,amazing ! as they remove posts that are adverse to companies that sponsor them. Yodel not much different. Tell you one I have never had trouble with DPD , operate a quality service , next day delivery (yes it costs ) is excellent . No bent packages , delivery driver courteous, well dressed in uniform , gives out a professional feel . If you want cheap you get cheap , like you Sandy I ALWAYS ask who is doing the delivery if it is a down-market -2 weeks to delivery service I hang up the phone and go elsewhere.

I agree that DPD are by far the best carrier. Their tracking system is superb with on-line updates showing you, on a map, where the van actually is and how many more deliveries to go. Their forecast one-hour time slots are reliable so you don’t have to hang around all morning doing not much if the delivery will be in the afternoon. DPD drivers are polite, efficient and helpful – and the tracking system gives you their name. Owned by France Poste.

I’d second all that. Living in the middle of nowhere on a mountain means it’s hard for anyone to find us, yet DPD manage it every time and always on time. Outstanding performance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes_Group

French?! Non!

Last time I checked up it was owned by a French woman living in France , that was 2 years ago I will recheck on your advice Diesel to see if its still oui . I see it wiki says its German but Hermes UK is listed elsewhere as quote -a completely independent company , still checking .

theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/18/how-hermes-couriers-shoulder-insecurity-of-internet-shopping-boom

” But while most of ParcelForce’s deliverers earn an hourly wage with sick pay and paid holiday, every one of Hermes’ 10,500 couriers is self-employed. They are paid per parcel – 48p is common, but it can be more. Yodel, with 8,000 couriers, operates a similar system.”

“The political pressure for a rethink of HMRC’s rules comes as figures show as many as two-thirds of self-employed workers in the transport sector, which includes couriers, delivery drivers and Uber taxi drivers, now earn below the national living wage.
The finding comes from the Social Market Foundation (SMF) thinktank, which assessed detailed information for 1,600 transport sector workers from the 2013-14 Family Resources Survey and extrapolated for earnings growth.
“The government has focused its efforts on tackling low pay among employees, in particular by introducing the national living wage,” said Nida Broughton, chief economist at the SMF.
How Hermes couriers shoulder insecurity of internet shopping boom
Read more
“But in doing so, it is further sharpening the divide between employee and self-employed. Policies such as the [national living wage] risk making it artificially more attractive for firms to engage contractors rather than employees, and ignore a large section of low-paid workers. The government needs to adapt to a world that is moving away from the traditional employer-employee model of working, and look at how the low-paid self-employed can be supported into higher-paid work.”

theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/19/hermes-couriers-low-pay-national-living-wage-self-employed

Hermes Group is a parcel delivery company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, with operations also in Austria, Italy, China, Russia and the United Kingdom. Nothing in France. Still rubbish. Some call it Her*es.

These delivery and taxi drivers are self employed, and I would suggest like any other person deciding to be self employed they must examine the viability of their business model. As far as I know, no self employed business operator has the cushion of a guaranteed wage. Sub-contracting is common practice – the building, plumbing, decorating, electrical industry are prime examples where enterprising people choose to try and make a living on their own account. But nothing guarantees success.

Knowing what we do about the appalling state of mathematics in the UK I am rather doubtful that many of the people who do these delivery jobs actually calculate the overall cost correctly.

Provided the delivery companies keep getting willing and desperate employees there will be no incentive to increase pay.

I had no idea they were so poorly paid. I say poorly paid as by advanced mathematics and taking into account car depreciation wear and tear and servicing I would think many routes impossible.

If I ordered anything to be delivered in future I am almost inclined to tip them a £1. I don’t often order for delivery, I admit that I have had several deliveries of tonnes of shingle and railway sleepers, but other than that nothing this year.

The only drawback is that we end up as in America were the poorly paid are desperate for tips and the employers drop wages further. I think the HMRC should alter the status and if people end up paying a few pence more per item delivered to cover a proper wage then so be it.

We have had problems with Hermes. My wife ordered some clothing, which took some time to come by Hermes. It was the wrong size and the merchant agreed to have it collected by Hermes. They repeatedly said the premises were unoccupied, although we were in all day on the days they say that they attempted to collect. The merchant had a premium telephone number, so we decided eventually to post it back as it was cheaper than running up bills listening to music and barefaced lies about the call being important to them repeated every 20 seconds.

The merchant did refund the purchase price. They also sent a goodwill voucher redeemable against future orders. We put it in the paper recycling after removing identification.

I would like to recommend that merchants give customers a choice of carriers. If they had to by law, then I suspect that Hermes would go out of business.

A very good comment John , especially the last paragraph , as I have said in another post I ask who the carrier is and if it Hermes/Yodel its Sayonara /Gooten Tag and on to a company that doesnt employ cheapskate companies for more profit.

Thanks for the accolade, but the only problem with that is that it presupposes that the order is placed by telephone and the telephonist even knows who the carrier is. We tend to avoid placing orders by telephone as this involves the aforementioned listening to music and barefaced lies about the call being important to the company repeated every 20 seconds.

I try to deal, mainly with business wholesale companies who sell to other businesses John and they answer quickly are polite and yes , no music on hold or “Americanisms ” . My wife lived in America in the 50,s (California ) and the worst expression she got was as she was opening the door to leave after a purchase was= missing you already -the height of IN-sincerity .

Like “engineers” John. Clearly Hermes is mythological to some.

I bought a curtain pole on line from Dunelm (much better value than John Lewis) as a Christmas present for a family member setting up home. It never arrived by the delivery service. It transpired that the pole was slightly longer than the self-employed courier’s motor vehicle. So it was not collected and I had to take my slightly longer car to collect another one. Although all properly organised with the store (by me), and the pole was now in the sale, so cheaper, about 2 weeks later an identical pole was left, unannounced, on my doorstep. Despite repeated email exchanges the second pole was never collected – presumably the courier with the slightly longer car was not available. So the matter drew to a natural conclusion.

I have found ornamental uses in the garden for unwanted curtain poles, Malcolm, especially if they have an attractive finial.

thanks, I didn’t understand the difference until I read your comment.

My wife is a regular customer of Cotton Traders, and her experiences with Hermes (as previously described in this list) are so bad that she has told them that she won’t order from them any more unless they change their delivery company. The Sunday Times Wine Company have written that they have marked her account not to use Yodel again after they broke a crate of wine.

Other delivery companies can do it properly, and the question must be asked why can’t these two.

Which? can usefully campaign for mail order companies to state the delivery company they use, or even better offer the customer a choice. That way, poor companies will either have to mend their ways or go out of business.

At one time companies such as DHL had the same driver on a route and they would get to know regular customers and where they lived, like the post man. They also gave them more time per drop. Now it seems to be “pot luck” as to whether you get a driver that knows the place and can do his or her job properly.

Suzie – it is very difficult to avoid the use of certain carriers because they are chosen by the consignor – the company from whom you have made a purchase. The parcel delivery trade is highly competitive and so is on-line selling, so there is a lot of pressure on both sides to cut costs. Carriers can do so by skimping on the work, requiring more drops in a day than is reasonable, paying low wages to their drivers and putting them on zero-hours contracts; if their prices are lower they will get more contracts [they hope].

Because the consignors are the customers, not the recipient, there is no sense of customer service towards the addressee in many cases – no tracking system, no telephone line or e-mail address for contact, and a refusal to accept any complaints except via the consignor [and then with denial]. There are around a dozen home-delivery parcel carriers of whom I would say six are good, including the two best ones in my opinion [UPS and DPD]. Yodel and Hermes are in another place.

The best way to complain about a delivery let-down is direct to the company from whom the goods were ordered as they are responsible in law for fulfilling your contract with them. People should warn them that if they continue to use a bad carrier there will be no more orders. I agree with John de Rivaz’s comments about what Which? could be doing to tackle this on behalf of consumers [para 3].

That’s fine if you have an office number for the local depot. No good if the number is a telephone call centre.

They stay in business because their customer is the company selling mail order goods, not the customer **of** the company selling mail order goods. They offer a cheap contract to the company selling the goods, which makes them more competitive in the market. The only way that would end this is for mail order companies to be obliged to say who their carriers are and offer their customers a choice.

Another problem is for the selling company to use a carrier who then subcontracts, and garbles the address over the telephone to the subcontractor.

I agree that it would be good for companies to name their carriers, John. I’m not sure if we could persuade companies to offer a choice but it might be a good selling point if they did.

I used to look for companies that used Royal Mail because there was a convenient depot to collect missed deliveries from. Having moved, I don’t know where the nearest depot is, but carriers seem happy to deliver to neighbours.

A big problem with Royal Mail is that they used to bring it again the next day for a total of three attempts before giving up. Now on the first time they don’t get an answer to the boor bell they insert a two working day delay after which you can get a redelivery on request, either on line or via a telephone call centre. I am surprised that there hasn’t been more howls of protest over this inserted delay, especially from Which? on behalf of their subscribers.

If you collect from Royal Mail after the two working day delay you have to prove your Identity Purity by showing photo ID plus utility bills etc.

The depot I used would accept a debit or credit card for the identity check for items that did not have to be signed for. When I received a card I ignored the specified waiting period and went to the depot a few hours after the failed delivery and very rarely did I have to go back. I have not tried to rearrange a delivery with RM but I would try ignoring the waiting period and see what they had to say.

Its been like that for a good while John, as I live in a small village I get a lot of deliveries just like my neighbours .If they cant get it through the letter box a card is put through the door saying it will be held for several days at their local postal centre ,luckily enough my local postal centre is in the next village . I drive up to it go to the reception ring a bell PO employee comes to the window I show the card , produce an accepted means of identity including my address and voila ! I receive my parcel. I realise PO conditions of postage delivery have changed but that is down to competition and the government on their back to make a profit . Just imagine that the delivery was to the Cairngorms mountains in Scotland , name me how many private companies will even deliver there let alone make a return visit , many have small print knocking back deliveries to the Western Islands and remote areas of the Highlands but not the PO.

I am quite satisfied by the Parcelforce and Royal Mail redelivery arrangements which I use quite often. The on-line facility works well and stores my details so it is quick to use on subsequent occasions. Redelivery is never available on the following working day from accessing the site but from then onwards there is a long list of available dates which you can select for redelivery. This has always worked well.

I am currently experiencing serious difficulties with two Amazon consignments. Two books were promised [their word] for a certain day and we duly waited in all day at considerable inconvenience. Late in the day an e-mail was sent saying they could not deliver as promised but could we give them “two or three more days” non-specific] and they would try and deliver by Sunday 2 October, failing which they would re-dispatch the order. Well the delivery didn’t come and the order has now been split into two separate deliveries for different dates. In the meantime I ordered five CD’s and these have been split into three different deliveries over three different days [not synchronised with the book deliveries].I am hoping that the CD packages are small enough to go through the letterbox if there is no one at home, but the books won’t so it will be another case of hunt the parcel. Amazon’s e-mails tell me that this is all being done for my convenience and to “give me quicker service”. I would prefer it if they waited until the whole of each order was ready and send it as one consignment, but one never has that option because they obviously want to ship everything out of their distribution centre as soon as possible. No mention has been made of refunding the additional cost to me for choosing a faster than free delivery option. If you don’t want their ‘Prime’ service their new delivery terms are very confusing and unreliable. They say the orders are being sent by Amazon Logistics but so far as I can tell its the same old git who also does drops for other carriers in our area.

I manage an internet company and use DPD for all our deliveries, we dont charge for postage or returns and we will always help a customer with a lost parcel issue by dealing direct with DPD on their behalf. there are good companies out there who care about the delivery of our customers goods.

In our experience DPD are leagues ahead of other delivery companies. Yes – good companies do exist but I suppose most only really recall the bad ones.

Elaine – I agree that DPD are one of the top three parcel carriers in the UK, and it is good that you don’t charge for postage and returns [presumably that is reflected in your overall pricing], but did you not realise that you are responsible for your deliveries getting to your customers and that it is your obligation, not a favour, to deal direct with your carrier in the event of any problems? Your customers have no commercial relationship with your carrier as they are under contract to you. It is so good that you use a reliable company like DPD because they rarely make mistakes and their tracking system is the best.

John you obviously dont understand me , I am not the type of person to hang around waiting on hold I just hang up and go elsewhere I have no intention of adding to their shareholders profit. I deal mainly with business companies not so much retail as they answer quick ,usually by someone in authority and I buy at around wholesale prices , thats how I bought my latest commercial microwave . The companies deliver by prestige delivery services like DPD , yes it costs but after years of Hermes/ Yodel .etc it is a delight to get top class service . Even when I bought from a US electronic parts company , all the import/trade deductions were done BEFORE it arrived I even had a label from Homeland Security authorising it as not being vital to the defence of the USA. AND it was delivered by the UK branch of the US,s top delivery service. As I said before I dont use Internet banking it was a bank transfer. If people want to save money by using a dodgy delivery services thats up to them I know who I am dealing with and its never Amazon and all its derivatives or the UK equivalents. PS -I wish I could get my URL,s passed as quick as yours?

Thanks for the elucidation.

How can you do bank transfer except by the Internet? Do you personally visit the branch, or by telephone? If the latter, how can you be sure that they have taken down the receiving bank details correctly?

Visit the bank John . When at the bank counter they have a device that verifies if the transfer is kosher IE-genuine , I have also sent money to Australia but you are right about getting it right the transfer involves long winded numbers and is sent to a UK international bank or foreign bank of the recipients choosing, it is pretty security heavy. I even got a receipt

A C A -Hopkins -I am having trouble with Hermes also – silent knock on door – 10 second wait – complained to company where I bought the goods they are sending a new package . Hermes dont want to know they demand all the details that are held by the sending company which I dont have , if I didnt know better its getting near Christmas and “somebody ” needs money , Hermes are so “mercurial ” in their delivery drivers I dont think they exist. I wouldnt have dealt with a company that deals with Hermes but my wife insisted , my anger is generating exponentially.

Je ne comprene pas David ? mysterieux.

Hedges-I tried to contact them , they did reply demanding all the advice note numbers , job numbers etc that the seller has so didnt do me any good . right on the money TWO parcels opened up and stuff broken/missing ,sent them back-local delivery driver said -thats the way he got them. Hermes has been voted in several customer complaints websites as quote- the WORST delivery service in Britain-end quote. DPD -great !!

Mark- Many people in your position end up going to the Small Claims Court , this always seems to spur companies into action . On the other hand getting anything from Amazon will be near useless , even US customers in your position on American websites say – Amazon will not answer you even if you get a lawyer they seem to be “above the law ” . I know very well they have a branch here although for tax purposes its Eire but like you I am very skeptical you will win but if anybody has won please let us know ?

If you paid by credit card, there is the option of making claims against the credit card company. This might be your best chance of recovering your money at least. See –
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/section-75-of-the-consumer-credit-act

Hopefully the credit card companies will give Amazon a smacking if this is a common occurrence. If Amazon can no longer accept payment by card this could seriously damage their business.

It seems absolutely ridiculous if there is no feedback path to delivery companies whose employees throw valuable products just anywhere. They need to dismiss these employees so that their service can be as it should be.

That would be my hope John. I think with the increasing number of distance-selling companies letting customers down and then ignoring them, and with trading standards being so useless, people should now assert their S.75 rights under the Consumer Credit Act more proactively. If banks are constantly having to deal with aggrieved customers they should quickly take action against such companies and withdraw or constrain their merchant status. The problem is the credit card issuers probably just deduct any recoveries from merchants’ accounts before remitting the nett amounts due so are not financially troubled by commercial defaults.

John-Great company Lakeland ,nice staff , polite, very sympathetic with bad deliveries –and thats the problem I have already told Lakeland that why tarnish your good reputation with a down-market delivery company ? I have told them I dont mind paying more for postage from them , I hope Lakeland Directors are listening -your company is an inspiration to many why put people off with your “delivery service ” ?

I totally agree. Good companies compromise their customer satisfaction scores by putting the last bit of their operation, the part the customer is eagerly waiting for, in the hands of cheese-parers and skinflints. This is why John Lewis, who used to dispatch via several different carriers, has now put all [or nearly all] of its deliveries with DPD. It found its reputation was suffering due to unreliability and slipshod service. It wouldn’t surprise me if the John Lewis contract was behind, and effectively paid for, the investment by DPD in their best-in-class tracking system.

Can,t beat DPD John.