Was I BU to have complained about this? (fairly minor first world problem)

[VelvetSpoon]

Interested in views.

I bought an expensive item from a major retailer recently (£500). Delivery was arranged. Can't remember the exact slot length (it was either 4 or 6 hours).

I was supposed to get a call before the slot started to give me a rough idea of delivery time. No call came.

When it arrived, it was literally 5 minutes before the end of the slot - I was actually just on the point of calling them (especially given lack of call to me) when it arrived. Delivery guy basically rang the doorbell, when I answered he rushed in, dumped box on floor, and when halfway out of the door asked for a signature. Whole thing took about 20 seconds.

Shortly after (as I moved the item from the hallway and started unpacking) I remembered that the retailer offered to take away all packaging - and kicked myself for not remembering it when the delivery guy was still here. I was also a bit annoyed at having to move it into the correct room (when I checked I realised that he also should have asked where I wanted the item, not dumped it in the hallway).

So I fired off an email to their Customer Services.

I got a reply saying that I was wrong to expect this, I hadn't paid for this service (disposal of packaging) so that's why I didn't get it, and next time I might like to add this to my order.

I replied, screenshotting the relevant part of their website where it was clearly stated that this was offered for ALL deliveries, at no additional cost.

I got a reply thanking me for raising this as a training issue .

So I responded, saying they still appeared to be missing the point, I am stuck with a big cardboard box and a load of polystyrene that won't fit in my bin and so I'll have to take it to the dump.

They sent me £5.

What do you think? I've spoken to a few people in RL about this, and opinion seems to vary between thinking I should have just sucked it up and not complained in the first place, to £5 being a bit of an insult. For my part I'm just bloody annoyed that they tried to make out I was lying when I was simply quoting from their own website!

I've always found JL excellent. Heavy king size mattress up three floors, unpacking dishwasher, tumble dryer, washing machine etc. That is not to say nothing has ever gone wrong with a delivery / item but they have always exceeded my expectations in dealing with the problem. From what you stated, they delivered in the given slot (albeit towards the end), their fault was they did not confirm by phone and did not remove packaging. They are competitive in their cost and level of service / guarantee; if anything goes wrong my experience has been good. I wouldn't, however, be too bothered about taking some packaging to the dump, but did you ask the driver to remove the packaging? Sounds a bit like a first world problem - frankly I would have better things to do with my time.

They also didn't deliver the item to the correct room just left it in my hall.

The delivery person was in and out of my house in literally seconds; I didn't have the presence of mind to think about the packaging in the less than a minute he was there; equally he didn't ask.

It's not a small amount of packaging. It's a box almost 5ft in length, various bits of polystyrene, bubble wrap and other assorted wrapping materials. I do have better things to do with my time, hence why I can do without having to take a massive box and everything else to the dump. If it was a small item/small packaging I could probably have disposed of it with my household refuse, but it's just too big.

I would complain, if it's JL. They pride themselves on their customer service and they've done a really bad job there.

I would complain on Twitter.

If it's JLt then I would raise merry hell. You'll get somewhere. A £5 voucher spectacularly misses the point.

I think JL sometimes subcontract deliveries.
We had a bed delivered a few months ago and the driver couldn't find the address, he was shouting at my down the phone that we weren't where he thought we should be. I ended up driving round the village looking for him in a big green van, but when I found him it was an ordinary transit one.

JL customer service isn't as good as they think it is.

Absolutely keep complaining. You're not just complaining about the delivery man now you're complaining about way your complaint was handled! I would also cut my nose off to spite my face, take whatever they then offered me as recompense and THEN send the item back for a refund. But I'm known to go too far with these things :-)

JL are usually fab at taking away packaging and putting things in the right place. I often pay a higher price for goods just to get this sort of service. I would keep complaining and tell them specifically that you need to packaging removed.

Last JL delivery I had was with sulky delivery driver/assistant. They scraped the sofa on our newly painted wall and weren't at all worried about causing damage.

I don't buy furniture or white goods from JL any more after a couple of poor experiences. I think things have gone to pot a bit over the past few years.

I think I read recently that JL now subcontract all their deliveries, and complaints have risen quite a lot.

Agree that it's not just the hassle of disposing of the packaging, but the rubbish response when you complained that would make me cross.

Good luck in pursuing this, OP!

I don't buy furniture or white goods from JL any more after a couple of poor experiences. I think things have gone to pot a bit over the past few years.

^^ This, in spades. They really let us down badly with a household appliance. It took weeks & a lot of persistence to sort it out. We ended up getting someone local in after it had been rumbling on for over a month & wished we had done so at the outset. Never again!

Personally I have better things to worry about, but I can also understand how annoying it if you were expecting something and didn't get it.

But they apologised and sent you a goodwill gesture - what more do you want?

I recently had quite a good experience with JL delivering stuff.

However, I think you would be right to take this further. The way they handled your complaint/enquiry was not really good enough and I think companies (and individual staff) need to be reminded that they are trading on their reputation.

The life of a delivery van driver is not a bed of roses.

Mauled yes, sending them back was my initial reaction. Unfortunately, they were a great fit and the exact colour we wanted, so we kept them.

Yes Footle I know that, it's the practices of the companies- targets, expecting delivery first time (even if that means lobbing over a fence) that I take issue with. I avoid companies that use the same courier as Debenhams to deliver now.

I'd also complain on Twitter.

We bought a Mac computer from JL they sent us four by mistake DH being the honest fellow he is rang them straight away to be told he would need return to the nearest store (20 miles away) himself. When he said no he was told to arrange a courier, again he said no and eventually they agreed to collect them meaning we had to sit in and wait. No thank you or recognition for saving them thousands of pounds.

I wouldn't let it go either. I woul in complaints (not retail) & your quite right to expect a resolution - £5 voucher is just a kick in the teeth