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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect delivery people to knock on the door when attempting to deliver a parcel

26 replies

MuffinMclay · 16/11/2007 12:33

... not sneak a card through the door and drive off at high speed. I was siting about 2 metres from the door (not facing it). Noone knocked. There were 2 cars sitting outside, windows open upstairs. It looks like someone is in the house.

I heard the letterbox, saw the card, rushed outside waggling frantically. They sped off at high speed.

It was a huge John Lewis order, but delivered by Citylink. I'd paid extra for it to be delivered today, and have waited in all day. Spoke to a very unhelpful woman at Citylink ("its not my problem" she said). JL say it isn't their responsibility.

I am livid!

OP posts:

Original poster

MuffinMclay · 16/11/2007 12:35

So livid I wrote it twice!

OP posts:

bran · 16/11/2007 12:40

Keep an air gun by the door to shoot the tyres of escaping delivery vans.

YANBU

I'm surprised at JL, it is their responsibility to use a decent delivery agency. Tell them that you expect to have the extra charge refunded and to have the package redelivered at a time suitable to you or you will be charging them for your lost time.

Rabbitchat · 16/11/2007 12:53

I would be livid lived aswell (so livid for you that I wrote it twice too!)

That is completely unacceptable!

I would phone back citylink and rant again, ask for a manager.
If no luck, then phone back to JL, ask for a manager and make it their problem. State how utterly disgusted you are by the service and that it is their problem because 'Citylink' are carrying the good name of JL whilst JL uses them.

Then phone the prime minister and rant at him too!! Grrrr

PatsyCline · 16/11/2007 12:56

"It's not my problem" from Citylink. Not JL's repsonsibility? Whose is it then? Not surprised at Citylink. Very shocked that John Lewis don't see this as an issue.

Many years ago I worked as an account manager in IT and if a customer rang and complained about a delivery it was my business to get a happy customer by making sure that the warehouse/carrier bloody well did what we had agreed to do. This could be as far afield as France or Yugoslavia (told you it was a long time ago), but I always managed to get my point across...

I'd call back and insist on talking to someone who knows how to deal with a customer properly. Good luck!

Patsy

fawkeoff · 16/11/2007 12:59

i know what you mean....dpwaited in for a package the other day....nobody knocked or put a note through the door....they saw a neighbour coming out of her house and gave it to her .what annoyed me was had she not told me about the package we wouldnt have known that it had been delivered

Original poster

MuffinMclay · 16/11/2007 13:29

I am still livid, but have done something about it.

I spoke to a slightly less rude and moronic person at Citylink who said he would try to get the delivery man to come back, but couldn't promise. I have no expectation that he will (we are in the middle of nowhere and a long way from their depot).

I've emailed JL's customer complaints division, and told them how angry and disappointed I am. I'm waiting to see what they say. Normally JL are fantastic, and send their own delivery people who even phone and say when they are 5 minutes away.

I've now arranged that if they don't redeliver today dh will go and collect it tomorrow morning (too heavy/bulky for me to lift in a pg state) - easily a 1.5 hour/2 hour round trip. I'm waiting in tomorrow for part 2 of the delivery (God help me), which I'm assured is coming with proper JL delivery people.

Grrrrr!

OP posts:

Rabbitchat · 16/11/2007 13:33

Well done...you can do without the stress when in a PG state!

So, given the situation now, I'd be prepared for the next delievery attempt and take bran's advise above!!

Flame · 16/11/2007 13:46

oooooooooooooooooh with you

I am havign a spate of bad deliveries (all different companies).

One box came damaged.

One left next door with no note (I only went to ask because I had been expecting it).

And one... LEFT ON THE STEP!

£200 of nappies for stock left on my path - we have a fence, it isn't a terrible area (not a "good" one though by any means!!), but this bloody great box left in full view.

throckenholt · 16/11/2007 13:52

I had a similar thing with an argos delivery the other day (first time we have ever had from them) - car on drive, lights on, me sitting at computer 2 metres from front door. Luckily I heard him sticking a note through the door and caught him halfway down the drive.

Apparently he had rung the bell - but given that the bell made no noise (well it wouldn't - it hasn't worked for years ) he didn't seem to see the need to try knocking. Grrrr.

Especially annoying when you have waited in for said delivery.

Original poster

MuffinMclay · 16/11/2007 14:01

Interestingly, I also had an Argos delivery today, for the first time, and was pleasantly surprised. They phoned en route, came at the right time, and were polite and friendly.

I'd mentioned it to a friend a few days ago, and she'd told me that there was no way on earth the Argos one would come on the right day, let alone the right time.

OP posts:

Elphaba · 16/11/2007 14:10

All my parcels this week ahve been left in teh porch (not locked) even though I was in - Next adn ELC.

Crap.

lemonaid · 16/11/2007 14:18

My parents' neighbour once saw a White Arrow delivery van drive past her house, reduce its speed ever so slightly, and throw her package from the road in the general direction of her front door...

Original poster

MuffinMclay · 16/11/2007 14:25

OP posts:

mishymoo · 16/11/2007 14:33

I was expecting a Next parcel once, car parked right outside front door, lounge window open and he walked all the way round to the back (we lived in a mid terrace at the time) and threw it over the back fence. It was raining! I ran out and asked him why he did that and his reply was "I didn't think you were in". I told him that next time he should try ringing the door bell first...aargh!

claireybraxtonhicks · 16/11/2007 14:40

I've had a similar problem with Royal Mail recently. I ordered something off the internet which they attempted to deliver when I was not in so I arranged for them to redeliver the following Saturday. On Wednesday I had a card through the door saying "Redelivery as requested by customer, BUT NO ANSWER". I called and emailed the sorting office to complain and attached a copy of my redelivery confirmation to the email. They said they'd look into it and get back to me-which they didn't. So Saturday came and I wasn't sure whether they would be delivering my parcel or not, the post normally comes at around 10 and by 12 there was still no sign so I gave up and went out. Before I went out though I checked with neighbours that they were in and left a note on the door saying to leave with any of neighbours. Came home to another card saying "Tried to redeliver but NO ANSWER AGAIN -no answer from neighbours either. Customer must now collect from sorting office"

Saw my neighbour later and she said she had been in all day and they hadn't tried her house, just put her letter through the door.

I wouldn't mind so much but I have previously arranged both a "safe place" and "designated neighbours" (four of them!) for any parcels that come when out and they have never used them despite me checking that they are in place.

kekouan · 16/11/2007 15:34

Speak to ShittyLink again and make a formal complaint. Also, John Lewis should refund any extra delivery charge that you have paid - not your fault that the driver didn't knock, so why should you pay for it?

Couriers are a pain in the arse for this sort of thing...

Original poster

MuffinMclay · 16/11/2007 15:47

Bit disappointed that JL haven't phoned or emailed me back yet.

OP posts:

PieMama2007 · 16/11/2007 15:47

Grr! We have a garage and because they don't see a car in the drive, they assume we're out and don't bother to knock.ALso hate it when they leave things at the back of the house on the patio and don't leave a card - once found a cardboard box totally soaked and falling to bits so I couldn't lift it - if I'd known it was there I could have got it in hours before! Grrr!

UnquietDad · 16/11/2007 15:49

God, whatever happened to "the customer is always right?"

JenT · 16/11/2007 15:52

Is citylink the yellow and green vans?

I was here but we don't have a bell, so I called the number immediately and the girl contacted the man and told him to come back.. he was really rude and told me that I couldn't expect to know that he was there if I didn't have a bell.. I HAVE A KNOCKER RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE F*ING DOOR sorry for shouting but it got me really cross.
I called the number back again and complained about him and the girl told me that he isn't good with customers but is a good and reliable driver. WTF! surely being good with customers is part of the job!

Rant over.. delivery drivers are a law unto themselves.
hope you get your parcel soon!

Swedes2Turnips1 · 16/11/2007 15:57

Yesterday a delivery driver knocked at my door and asked if I would take something in for my next door neighbour - I said of course I would. He brought one big, heavy box then returned to his van and fetched another big, heavy box and I said to him: how many of these boxes are there? Eight he said. Turns out they were 8 cases of wine from a wine company. I said no way, he would have to take them back as there is no way I can carry eight cases of wine to my neighbour easily, nor can she easily carry eight cases of wine. He was really stroppy when he had to carry the two boxes back to his van.

Original poster

MuffinMclay · 16/11/2007 16:06

Yes, Citylink are the green and yellow ones.

Same situation here - huge knocker on the front of the door but no bell. LOL at their idea of a good and reliable driver!

OP posts:

Marina · 22/11/2007 14:52

Muffin, I had something delivered three weeks early from Waitrose (yay, Xmas wine...must not drink it all) via Citylink on Saturday. It was sheer chance I was in - he did knock at least, because otherwise I'd have been complaining too. I had requested 8th December and paid extra, like you.

flowerybeaker · 22/11/2007 15:13

Soo annoying isn't it? I've had that several times.

Recently I ordered quite a bit of stuff from Boden, it was a big box. I was at home with a knocker, a door bell and a dog all of which alert me to someone at the door.

Fortunately the plumber was here as well doing the bathroom - he popped outside to his van to get something and found the big box from Boden on our front step. Our front step leads straight on to the pavement outside which is on a main road. How it was still there by the time he found it I don't know (maybe local lightfingered demographic don't wear Boden...) and as there was not even a card through the door if the plumber hadn't been there I wouldn't have seen it at all.

BunnyBaby · 23/11/2007 08:28

We were waiting for a BT order from Home Delivery Network. They kept putting on their 'on line parcel tracker' that they called, carded and no-one was there! I lost the plot and pointed out that it was DH's business and as we had CCTV we could prove that no van was ever on site. Amazingly parcel turned up the following day. I just feel very sorry for those who can't prove what a waste of space some of these couriers are

YANBU

We refuse to use any company who use Home Delivary Network now.

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