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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have hijacked the DPD van!

163 replies

IchWill · 16/12/2018 13:58

Just taken a Christmas delivery and DP reminded me about something that happened a while ago. Feeling a bit mortified on reflection! Blush

I ordered some shoes in-store at Kurt Geiger, got home from work to see DPD had tried to deliver and the card said to go online to book a new slot. The next morning I went online to rebook and see the next slot was the next day, at lunchtime so I could be home from work to accept the delivery.

Then later that day, I was home from work, saw the DPD van pull up and notice it's the exact time I had rebooked for, but it was obviously the day before.

Thinking I'd made a mistake, I went out to the driver as he delivered at the house opposite and was looking like he was about to drive away, I showed him my card and asked if he has my parcel, he checked the back of the van and he did. So be scanned it and said that he couldn't give it to me as the delivery was cancelled that morning (at the time I'd gone online to book a slot) and it seems that DPD had put the parcel back in the van to reattempt delivery that day, despite the fact that I hadn't booked a slot myself at that point.

So when I'd gone online, I effectively "cancelled" it from his deliveries that day, in favour for delivery the day after. Odd system.

Anyway, I said to him, well look you're here now, as am I. I really want that parcel, so please can I have it. He refused. Said he can't. So I asked him to call someone senior to ask if they can authorise it, he started to get rude and said no. I understand they are under pressure for deliveries, but I was frustrated by his rudeness and just being a bloody-minded jobsworth. I'd been extremely polite to him.

I pleaded with him, to please call a supervisor, he's stood there with my parcel and I can't have it.

Again he refused and lobbed my parcel into the back of his van and started to close a door.

I saw red at this point, the way he threw the parcel and his manner tipped me over the edge.

So before he could close his second door, I flung myself into the van like a mad woman and sat in it, with my legs dangling out of it and said I wasn't moving until I got my parcel. He was speechless and said I need to move. I again asked politely and asked him to call someone to get authorisation to give me my parcel.

Seeing I wasn't budging, he complied and rang someone. I heard them say to him, "Of course she can have the parcel, don't be so silly!", so sheepishly he gave me the parcel.

I thanked him, apologised for my drastic action and went back inside.

My shoes are lovely by the way. (See pic).

To have hijacked the DPD van!
OP posts:
Original poster
IchWill · 16/12/2018 20:32

Withbellson88 No hole in my story. I went online that morning and was offered delivery the next day.

OP posts:
Withbellson88 · 16/12/2018 20:34

You said you chose a slot at lunchtime.

Original poster
IchWill · 16/12/2018 20:34

I've not been posting as I'm at work. No, not as a call girl as a PP implied. Hmm

OP posts:
LanaorAna2 · 16/12/2018 20:40

I've chased the DPD van down the street numerous times when I saw them drive past dropping a fistful of You're Out cards.

DYK you can 'collect' parcels for other people using those cards? I didn't until all my neighbours' parcels rolled up at my house as well as mine. Yes, I did deliver them myself, but don't be surprised if someone doesn't one day.

IgglePiggleWiggle · 16/12/2018 20:49

Naw you're a twat. The poor guy was just trying to do his job and they have a really tight schedule that if they don't hit they don't get paid.

SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst · 16/12/2018 21:08

You have made me chuckle out loud and our whole family applauded your maverick actions! Bravo.

Do people really read MN threads out to their whole family? And the whole family then enacts an appropriate response?

The dark winter nights must fly by ...

Coffeebean76 · 16/12/2018 22:01

Love it!

Callmedarcy · 16/12/2018 22:41

You have made me chuckle out loud and our whole family applauded your maverick actions! Bravo.

Do people really read MN threads out to their whole family? And the whole family then enacts an appropriate response?

The dark winter nights must fly by

Omg this ^ .... this has to be the weirdest comment I’ve ever read on here.

People genuinely read out threads on here to their family? Confused

Madein1995 · 16/12/2018 23:54

Oh for goodness sake, everyone getting in a flap over this ... Get a hold of yourself.

Delivery driver was rude, a jobswirth (as the call demonstrated) and refused to use an ounce of common sense! In what world but would it be sensible to drive off with the parcel in the back, to return tomorrow instead? Op was right there. Itd be a waste of time and petrol.

And yes ok op could have waited. But why should she? They were right there! What is the point of her rushing home to be there at lunch etc, when she could just get them now?

Ridiculous. Do people really follow such stupid petty rules and put themselves out unnecessarily? Op didn't demand he give them, she wasn't abusive. She just wasn't happy with the lazy 'cant do it's answer and wanted confirmation from his manager. Much as you would in the supermarket. DPD man refused, then did and boss thankfully was much more sensible.

Op wasnt aggressive at all. It was just an extension of asking to speak to a manager in a shop, which I'm sure most of us have done

twilight17 · 17/12/2018 11:24

It's pretty rude though isn't it? I mean all the OP wants is pats on the back about how absolutely brilliant she is, but I doubt you'd have heard the phone conversation to say that the parcel was handed over immediately - that's just a bit of seasoning to make a terrible story sound more humorous.

It's just an odd thing to come online and gloat about, especially the fact you have a slipped disc (when it suits you to have one) and can seemingly climb into a van with ease and protest about not receiving a parcel - could it have killed you to wait the extra day? Probably not, but that doesn't make a good story for Mumsnet.

Oh and the people who read threads out to their family, that's one of the most sad things I've ever read.

Original poster
IchWill · 17/12/2018 11:32

I did hear the person on the phone @twilight17. So climb down off your perch.

Slipped discs don't bring constant and daily pain and I've had to make lifestyle changes to ensure this. Not that it's any of your business.

OP posts:
JaneJeffer · 17/12/2018 11:58

The DPD drivers round here would gladly give you your parcel and probably all the neigbours' parcels as well if it saved them another trip.

OrdinaryGirl · 17/12/2018 12:04

YANBU! 😆
You took a stand against SENSELESS officiousness. Vive la revolution!

Beautiful shoes too. 👠👠 And you'll have given him a story to tell in the pub for years to come too. Everyone wins. Happy Christmas OP. 😘

OrdinaryGirl · 17/12/2018 12:09

🤣 Have since just read about your train intervention too. CRYING.

Onslow · 17/12/2018 12:11

Yabu- why couldn't you wait? The poor chap is in a really low paid job and gets paid by delivery. If he can't scan it out he may get in trouble if you're not who you say you are.

The less people who cope with this kind of shit bottom of the barrel treatment the better. Maybe well start getting fairer earnings for all.

Onslow · 17/12/2018 12:12

*we'll

geekone · 17/12/2018 12:13

I bow down to you well done OP today you win MN. Brilliant Grin

Puggles123 · 17/12/2018 12:14

Haha, although he was just doing his job- admin things like this are so annoying! No one got in trouble or was hurt, so good for you!

ExplodedPeach · 17/12/2018 12:28

YANBU in my opinion

He'll be automated out of a job soon enough and the only reason to support that not happening is because people should have the common sense to be able to see past "computer says no".

"Just doing his job" is not an excuse to not use his brain.

tabulahrasa · 17/12/2018 14:51

“The less people who cope with this kind of shit bottom of the barrel treatment the better. Maybe well start getting fairer earnings for all.”

And what do they do in the meantime? You think you take a job like that despite having other options? Hmm

“people should have the common sense“

They do, they’re penalised financially for using it...

LadyinLavende · 17/12/2018 20:56

@ gamerchick Sun 16-Dec-18 16:58:39

" I think those of us who have knowledge of the back end workings of delivery companies are less likely to see the funny side.

For eg. Dpd brought in the precise which is a bit of a nightmare for drivers. You could have a precise for 10am and your next door neighbour could have one for 2pm. Now common sense dictates that both parcels could be delivered at the same time wouldn't it? But no, the driver has to leave after yours and come back later on at the right time. A waste of time and fuel. Not to mention the customers who book delivery and aren't in the ruddy house in the hour they've been told. "

I am fed up of DPD so must admit to having had a smile at the OP's story. Their system appears to work differently here in France and they offer random four hour delivery slots like 10h50-14h50 and you have to give them your mobile phone number.... but do they deliver? No they don't... not during the allocated time and not during the rest of the afternoon. When you go online to try and find out what is happening they just say "parcel is due for delivery today" and then they don't deliver it. This exact scenario has happened to me twice in the last two weeks so now I just say yes to whatever time they offer knowing that they won't deliver then anyway. To add insult to injury they then they offer you a selection of another set of 4 hour slots as if all anyone has to do is wait in for deliveries that don't come..... so I had to wait 5 days because I was working and couldn't get away during opening hours and then schlep down to the depot and pick up the heavy parcel that I had paid to have delivered to my home on my day off.
The DHL driver, on the other hand, phoned me to say he would be arriving late and we agreed that he would leave the parcel with my neighbours. if DHL can do it why can't DPD?

gamerchick · 17/12/2018 21:03

I dunno I'm not in France.

Husband says they are not DPD they are geopost, which is the French post office who owns DPD and are not governed by the same laws as the British DPD.

gamerchick · 17/12/2018 21:04

Or something

peachgreen · 17/12/2018 21:12

I think you were being pretty U but also it's a stupid system, so I don't really blame you. Also those shoes are absolutely knock out.

FoxInABox · 17/12/2018 21:21

DPD automatically sends parcels out again the next day- they like a clear depot each day, so yes the system would have took your chosen slot and overrided the slot that it had already been allocated to- presumably by the time you chose your slot the driver was already out which is why it was on his van. Also, there will have been no way for it to be added to his scanner again once he was out of the depot, so regardless of him seeming to scan it, he won’t be paid for it. At this time of year they are crazily busy, and they are penalised if they come out of their time window, so yabu. DPD do have one of the best systems in the delivery business- but there are restrictions particularly with their new scanners, that’s not the drivers fault. He could have phoned the depot and asked permission, but he was possibly already ‘in the red’ time wise and didn’t have time to do this- he could have ended up with points for coming out of his window- too many points in one year and you lose your contract.