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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wish that online companies would just use Royal Mail

42 replies

AKMD · 02/04/2012 12:06

I do buy quite a lot online but recently have been wondering whether it would actually just be easier to brave the car parks, queues and tantrums (from DS) of shopping in the real world because courier companies are just so annoying. If you can actually speak to a human being then they can only reschedule delivery for a workday morning, when I am... um... at work, and the depots are so far away it's ridiculous (City Link 30 mile round trip, another was 60 miles Shock - I left that one). Only a few of them will let you designate a 'safe place' and I hate it when they leave packages with my neighbour because she is so sweet but also very ill and I don't want her to be bothered.

Royal Mail is fine. The postman uses his common sense and just leaves the parcel by the back door or in the shed if it's raining. On the odd occasion I've had to collect a parcel the sorting office is just outside the town centre.

AIBU to wish that online companies would stop using low-cost couriers for home deliveries and just use RM?

OP posts:
catsareevil · 02/04/2012 12:08

YANBU. Its so off-putting, and often after they have attempted a delivery I realise that I will never be able to get the item, because I'm not going to take a day off work to sit in my house and wait for it, so I just have to cancel the order.

WhereMyMilk · 02/04/2012 12:12

I think you are being unreasonable really, as Royal Mail charge too much. They are just about to put first class up to 60p for a small letter.Shock

Original poster
AKMD · 02/04/2012 12:15

I know, I'm stockpiling stamps. They do offer the best service for household deliveries though. Couriers are good for business deliveries but, from my experience, absolutely rubbish at personal ones. In the time it takes to go and collect the package from the depot I might as well have gone to the actual shop in the first place.

OP posts:
HettyKett · 02/04/2012 12:16

Meh, they should offer a choice: royal mail with extra postage costs OR other at lower price.

SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 02/04/2012 12:17

I don't know, I'm torn on this issue. While it's true, the RM does use common sense and will put the parcel in a safe place and then let you know where it is in that note they leave, I find that RM takes such a long time to deliver. I've paid for first class delivery and had RM handling the delivery, only for it to take over a week for my parcel to actually get to me, and that's happened quite a few times. With couriers, paying first class means my parcel gets to me in 2 days, 3 days max.

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 02/04/2012 12:17

Can you have things delivered to your office / workplace?

SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 02/04/2012 12:18

You can get stuff delivered on a Saturday if that helps. I usually order stuff on a Thursday evening and it gets to me by Saturday lunch time.

Northernlurker · 02/04/2012 12:19

My Boden account specifies Royal Mail only after an awful experience with Yodel. Maybe worth asking the companies you order from if they would do similar?

squeakytoy · 02/04/2012 12:19

YABU.

Royal mail are extremely expensive to use for parcels, and therefore the costs of your items would go up.

Have your parcel delivered to your workplace.

Original poster
AKMD · 02/04/2012 12:20

Hearts I would not dare. At the moment it's maternity stuff and I haven't told work I'm pg yet.

Smells timing is a good idea. Northern I'll have a go.

OP posts:
AFuckingKnackeredWoman · 02/04/2012 12:24

I've found royal mail to be rather unreliable An i must admit i avoid them wherever possible. I've paid for all singing all dancing next day delivery only to get it 8 days later. Few years ago my son got 3 birthday cards on the same day delivered and all were opened.when i rang about it the staff were rude and sneery

I pay Couriers(and find little difference in the price) and use email instead of letters.

And before someone has a go, I'm not slagging of all of there staff, just the ones that did me wrongGrin

Meglet · 02/04/2012 12:27

yanbu.

If RM try to deliver and I'm out then I can nip over to the sorting office to collect it. Even with work and the DC's I can get there within a few days. I have a car though, would be tricky without one.

But other couriers don't have a warehouse in the town so it's a logistical PITA to arrange re-delivery. Last time I arranged delivery to work but didn't feel happy having to do it.

BusinessTrills · 02/04/2012 12:28

YANBU

A sorting office 50 miles away is not "local".

sayithowitis · 02/04/2012 12:45

Maybe it depends where you are. Round here, the RM is completely unreliable, so much so, that I refuse to use unless there is absolutely no alternative. OTOH, my own experience of the various courier companies is that they all seem to do a decent job. I only use RM for the occasional card etc and during the past year, on about 60% of occasions, they have delivered either late or not at all. And that is after I have forked out for recorded delivery. We have had the same postman for about 18 years now. And he STILL insists on delivering post to me that belongs in the next road, and vice versa. It's not even as though the road names are in any way similar. Photographs that are clearly marked as such in a card envelope printed with a request to please do not bend? They get folded and shoved through the door anyway! He has put cards through my door telling me I was out yet when I open the door as he is walking back down the garden path it turns out he never had the item with him in the first place. And our local sorting office has such ridiculous opening hours that it is almost impossible to get there until the weekend.

So, no, I do not wish companies would just use RM. In fact, I would rather pay a bit more for one of my local couriers.

5Foot5 · 02/04/2012 13:22

YANBU - I could have written your OP myself!

The cheaper couriers might be OK if you are at home all day but a complete PITA if you are out at work. Some I have encountered have delivery options where, for more money, you can specify delivery am or pm/ on a Saturday eyc. But of course it is the sender who makes that choice and they always go for the cheapest - which is usually just whenever.

Personally I would rather pay extra P+P and know I will get the goods without having to take time off work or trek to some depot miles away.

Scholes34 · 02/04/2012 13:25

Royal Mail have always provided us with an excellent service. Our postie is great - has been the same one since we moved here over 12 years ago. I'm more inclined to use on-line retailers who use RM, rather than courier companies. We've certainly had no problems when ordering from Amazon.

StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes · 02/04/2012 13:33

I am not liking RM at the moment, I have had around 6 cards / letters that have never been received by my mum and a couple from her to me that never showed. Enquiries responded to with a 'oh dear very sorry' but no other help, I would like them to investigate why it is her post that goes when others to family in same town arrive. I get cross paying for 1st class delivery for it to arrive days later, totally unreliable so I only use them when I have to.

5Foot5 · 02/04/2012 13:35

StepAway Have you checked that you are using the correct postcode for your Mother? Could she be mistakenly giving out the wrong one?

knowitallstrikesagain · 02/04/2012 13:45

YABU. Have you seen the price of a stamp?

My royal mail sorting centre takes over 20 mins to get to, another 20 mins queuing because everyone is there after work, then 20 mins to get home. If you are ordering stuff for delivery, you need to be realistic. Get it delivered to work, or to a friend who will be in. But you know if you ask for something to be delivered it will come in work hours so work around that.

Can you check delivery company before buying? Can understand your frustration.

StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes · 02/04/2012 13:48

5Foot5 yes I checked that when the second one went missing and it was correct, thanks though

Clytaemnestra · 02/04/2012 14:05

I work for a big online retailer. To explain why we don't use Royal Mail much I can offer a handy real world example which happens all the bloody time.

Royal Mail Signed For delivery
Customer's item has not arrived on the day it was meant to. Customer is upset and contacts us. Tracking number is no use, because Royal Mail don't actually track the parcel through their own system, they only track is someone has signed for it or not, which they have not. One of the customer service team here explains to customer have no idea where their parcel is. Customer is still upset. A week passes and the parcel has still not been delivered. Customer is now angry and upset. Customer service team have to explain now that Royal Mail don't care and won't do anything about it, including talk to us (the retailer) about it for 14 days, until they decide that on balance they probably have lost it and we can claim for a replacement. Customer is now angry, upset, blaming us, being extremely rude to the customer service team and telling all their friends that we are a rubbish and unhelpful company.

Citylink/Yodel/HDN/whichever courier
Customer's item has not arrived on the day it was meant to. Customer is upset and contacts us. Customer service team drops a quick email to courier and says where is the parcel? Courier gets straight back to us and gets on the finding the parcel case. If they don't get back to us within the hour, it gets escalated and they send out additional grovelly emails about how they're sorry and love us and value our custom. If they've lost/broken/thrown the thing in a hedge, we know within 24 hours and can immediately issue a replacement to the customer, while the courier refunds us. If they've just not delivered it, they deliver again the next day. Customer service is able to go back to the customer and tell them exactly what is happening and when they will get their item. Customer is happy.

We do know redelivery is a pain in the arse and there are occasions when they make monumental fuck-ups, but from a retailer perspective they are a million times more helpful and attempt to correct problems than Royal Mail, who give you a blank look and not my problem shrug, no matter what they've done asnd take forever to acknowledge problems, never mind actually deal with them.

Can you tell head of customer service has been moaning at me today? :)

willbeskinny · 02/04/2012 14:21

I don't mind the couriers usually, but the Yodel guy who delivers round here is an idiot. I have no designated safe place, but lots of neighbors that are always in and don't mind signing for me.
At Christmas when I'd ordered a mass amount of stuff, the driver threw 200 quids worth of stuff over my back wall. I live in an end terrace so anyone could've seen and climbed over and stole it. This is poss as I was burgled by last year by someone climbing over wall and smashing back door. Also it was lashing down, so when I retrieved parcels they were soaked through.
Suffice to say Yodel CS were on the receiving end of a massive gobful.

LondonKitty · 02/04/2012 15:29

Oh I could so have written this too!!! YANBU! I have lost hours of my life chasing packages that have disappeared forever into some mysterious depot nether-world. Or turn up about 3 weeks late (especially if I have paid for next day delivery). I also have specified that packages should be delivered by RM. They are not perfect, but in my experience much better.

Whatmeworry · 02/04/2012 17:08

Absolutely. I hate the others. Royal mail at teh worst has local depots.

Still, the Govmnt are trying as hard as they can to break Royal Mail, so it'll be as crap as the rest in a few years.

OriginalJamie · 02/04/2012 17:14

I never have a problem with Royal Mail, or with Hermes.

Other courier companies - annoying. DH is waiting for a large item he can't have delivered to work. They won't accept a Safe Place. Their depot is closed at weekends. Stoopid.