Online shopping, delivery contractors, Hermes grrrr

[TheWashingMachine]

Some delivery companies, such as Hermes are so unreliable, is it unreasonable to expect businesses to publish which contractors they use, before you make the order.

If I know it is Hermes, I would not opt for delivery, I'd do click and colle t in store where possible, or buy else where.

I get that there is a fuel shortage but this isn't a new problem, they almost always say they will deliver, send a date then suddenly it slips back and you get a text and then it goes awol. Frustrating when you pay for 2-3 day or next day delivery.

AIBU to expect them to publish which contractor will be used before you checkout and pay?

I was about to order from somewhere and it said it was yodel so I didn't. Out hermes deliveries are always perfect.

We don't get yodel at all anymore, but they were terrible too, maybe they could provide you with the info based on your postcode.

Can't you email them and ask?

I would have agreed with you six months ago, but I now work part time for a small business who ship out a LOT of parcels, and we have to switch between delivery companies sometimes on the day of shipping due to availability. If we have pallets of stuff to send, Hermes can't arrange a pick up at short notice (24hrs) for that volume, so we end up using DX that day. UPS burned their bridges with us a few months ago, never to be used by us again (too outing to discuss, but nil points for their ability to manage an abusive and threatening driver). DPD seem to have an insane number of breakages whereas Hermes are surprisingly good on that front.

It's not simple to update the website with a provider when it can change for business reasons at short notice.

I think with Hermes it depends who does deliveries in your area . We have a really nice chap who is very reliable .

Interesting @PinkFootstool do you think it is an industry which could do with a regulatory body to make sure certain standards are met.

I'm not sure what regulations would help though. It's never possible to force a delivery on a specific date - outside forces are absolutely not under control. Traffic, crashes, staff sickness, damaged deliveries/dropped or crushed pallets, missing items - happens to all providers including Royal Mail.

What would you like to see legislated for?

My Hermes drivers (husband and wife who do their round together) are absolutely fantastic. Very friendly and go out of their way for me.

Family and friends who live five minutes away and have a different person doing the round are always moaning about the service so think I’ve just got lucky!

Love my Hermes delivery man, couldn’t be more helpful the Yodel delivery man however is quite frankly useless and seems to deliver to any house on the street but the one it’s for

See the problem here OP it isn’t Hermes as such just your particular area driver, you may have a fantastic Yodel driver and think I’m bonkers, with all services like this it’s a bit of pot luck as to whether the driver in your are is ok or not

My Hermes deliveries have always been spot on, yodel on the other hand are a nightmare

@PinkFootstool

I would have agreed with you six months ago, but I now work part time for a small business who ship out a LOT of parcels, and we have to switch between delivery companies sometimes on the day of shipping due to availability. If we have pallets of stuff to send, Hermes can't arrange a pick up at short notice (24hrs) for that volume, so we end up using DX that day. UPS burned their bridges with us a few months ago, never to be used by us again (too outing to discuss, but nil points for their ability to manage an abusive and threatening driver). DPD seem to have an insane number of breakages whereas Hermes are surprisingly good on that front.

It's not simple to update the website with a provider when it can change for business reasons at short notice.

I think a business could list somewhere on its site which couriers they may use, with wording to explain it would be one of X number of couriers making the delivery.

Hermes and Yodel are the absolute worst.
DPD and Royal Mail on the other hand are fantastic.

Some websites will have it somewhere which couriers they use and same as you I wont get a delivery if they are using Hermes or Yodel.

Hermes here is brilliant, I know the driver personally and he's known to chuck parcels at me when I'm at my mums (pre-covid). He's always really polite, and hardly had any problems.

DPD here also great.

Royal Mai;/Parcelforce are a bit hit and miss, depends whose working I think.

Yodel are useless, I've had parcels put in my neighbour 3 doors down shed for some odd reason.

UPS never seem to find my flat, even though its sign posted as you drive into the street.

I avoid Hermes and Yodel like the plague. That said, Hermes locally seems to have improved, whereas DHL, who used to be good, flung a box marked "fragile" over my back gate despite the parcel being labelled with details of the shed we have for the purpose AND the driver having been told about the shed over the intercom doorbell.