non delivery of gift.......AIBU

[lurkerspeaks]

I ordered a friend who lives overseas a gift from a local supplier in early September.

I hadn't had a thank you but didn't want to e.mail to ask about present in case she felt I was insinuating that she was rude in not contacting me to say 'thank you'.

Alas. We have now been in contact and she didn't receive my gift.

The company I ordered from are saying that as the courier company the useput a card through her letter box they aren't liable. Friend says she didn't get a courier company card at all.

I feel that to only make one attempt at a delivery and to then not inform me that delivery has failed is shoddy and they should attempt a further delivery of a new consignment (the gift was perishable).

The supplier disagrees and is basically saying tough.

Did you pay for it on your credit card? If it's over £100 you should be able to get a refund. The supplier sounds like a tit. Is there a 'buyer beware' web site??

Have you asked them to supply you with proof of posting? How did you pay for the item?

Paid by credit card. Value around 20quid.

They have sent me a PDF of a courier company tracking system basically saying "card left: X date"
"no contact: Y date. Parcel destroyed".

I am just v. sceptical having had various incidences over the years where I've sat in waiting for courier parcels for them to tell me that they'd left a card and I was out when in actual fact I didn't have a card and had been in all day. Ie. I don't trust that the courier left the card at the correct address or left the card at all.

There's no obligation for them to do anything but you would think that they would for good customer relations.

I think you should ask them if they mind you publishing their company name and a copy of their reply.

Lots of us would be interested.

If you contact your credit card company you should be able to get that payment removed, though it may depend on how long ago it was.

Good one PigletJohn.

I agree, I would personally be interested in knowing who this company is so I can avoid.

My DH and I have often sent parcels [sometimes food] to our families in Australia and South Africa.

We would be very unimpressed with this company's response if one of our gifts failed to arrive.

Surely as a goodwill gesture they should attempt to recompense you and perhaps take up the issue with their courier?

Is it normal to destroy a parcel after two attempts? Surely the parcel belongs to you? My understanding was that the seller is responsible until the parcel is delivered - they can't just say its not our problem we sent it to a courier.

Normal practice is for the couriers to return the parcel to the sender after a certain amount of time (usually about two weeks) The seller should then have contacted you for further instructions. Destroying the parcel is unacceptable, it was not their property. I would ask the courier for an explanation & refund.

I think it is the seller's responsibility to pursue the courier as they commissioned the courier. OP has no contract with the courier.

Seller should refund OP, then get money back from courier.