The Absolute HELL that is AO and DPD

[WhatHellIsThis]

Can someone please tell me what is going on here and what my rights are?

About a week ago my vacuum stopped working. I'm extremely busy with work and caring responsibilities and I currently have a cold or flu and I also have all sorts of other things going in life. Bottom line is time is a bit precious at the moment. I thought I didn't have time to go to a shop to buy a vacuum, wouldn't it be much easier to get one online, delivered next day, and by tomorrow I'll be vacuuming again and getting on with things.

So on Saturday I mistakenly went onto the AO website, selected a vacuum, paid £169 for it and believed them when they said DPD would deliver the vacuum on Sunday. AO do not stock the vacuum bags so I then went to the Argos website, purchased the bags and believed them when they said they would deliver on Sunday. I went to bed Saturday night not realising the hell that was to come.

On Sunday morning I received a text saying Lovepreet from DPD would be delivering the vacuum that day between 10:48am-11:48am. I received a text from Argos saying they were delivering between 8:28am-10:28am. I received a message from Argos at 8:30am saying the driver was 20 mins away. 20 mins later Jason the Argos driver was at my door and I was taking deliver of the vacuum bags. Brilliant Jason! Spot on Argos!

Noon goes by, no vacuum. 2:00pm goes by, no vacuum. I realise I have no way to contact DPD, their online chat wasn't working. So I phone AO, wait on hold, finally get to speak to someone, where's the vacuum? She says it's definitely out for deliver, it definitely will arrive today. When? I can't keep waiting all day. She puts me on hold for ages, says she's phoning DPD, eventually comes back, says she can't get ahold of them, driver not answering his phone, vacuum definitely coming today, if it doesn't they'll deliver tomorrow. I won't be in tomorrow, that's why I wanted it delivered today. She says they can re-deliver for Tuesday, why can't it be delivered today? She says it definitely will be, but if not then Tuesday. I realise we're going in circles and call isn't worth having as not getting anywhere. She says she will try to phone DPD again and will call me back in 20 mins. She never called back and DPD never delivered the package.

On Monday I get a text saying package will be delivered by Alex on Monday. I message to change the deliver to Tuesday because, as I've already said, I won't be in on Monday.

On Tuesday I get a text saying package will be delivered by Alex on Tuesday between 2:58pm-3:58pm. At 4:00pm there's no package, no package at 5, 6, 7:00pm. I call AO, they say the package is definitely getting delivered today. They don't know why it wasn't delivered on Sunday. It's definitely out for delivery and definitely being delivered today, if not tomorrow. What?? Why is it being delayed again? They have no answer for this. They don't know why it wasn't delivered today. I won't be in tomorrow, they say it can be delivered Thursday. Why am I now having to wait until Thursday?? I say I want a refund, they say they will not give a refund until the vacuum has been delivered, even though they don't know when it will be delivered. I say I want to file a complaint, she ignores me. She says she will call me tomorrow. I wait on hold, again, while she says she phoned DPD, she says she can't get ahold of them, she will try to call them back. I hang up because sick of waiting on hold and need to get back to work, she calls me back and tells me off for hanging up while I was on hold (again). I say I don't have time to keep dealing with this, give me the vacuum today or give me my money back. She says I have to wait for vacuum to arrive. I write an email to AO saying I want to file a complaint. I've still not had a response to this.

On Wednesday I get a text saying package will be delivered by Narinder between 9:34am-10:34am. I have already told them I won't be there on Wednesday.

Today I get a text saying package will be delivered by Narinder between 3:44pm-4:44pm. At about 5:00pm I phone AO to say the package still hasn't arrived and again I want refund and again I want to file complaint. I had to wait on the phone with the AO person for over 40 mins today while he continued to put me on hold to phone DPD to find out what was happening. He will not give me a refund until the package is delivered but he has no idea where the package is or when it will be delivered. I said I don't even want a vacuum that has supposedly been tossed around several vans at this point and I don't understand why I can't get a refund for something you've failed to deliver. He says he will have a new vacuum sent out to me. Then comes back and says DPD will deliver tomorrow (Oh will they???) and I asked if this would be the new vacuum and he says DPD won't tell him if it's a new vacuum or the one that's been tossed around all week. What does he mean they won't tell him?? I'm fed up I want a refund now and a complaint filed. He says he will pass me to the complaint department. I wait on hold again. It's been over 45 mins now and I need to get back to work. Finally the complaint person answers, I have to explain the entire situation (again!) and he tells me to wait until tomorrow to see if a vacuum turns up. But I want a refund at this point, I don't want to wait another day for what probably won't turn up and then I'll have to phone yet again. Would you want a vacuum that has been through who knows what this past week? And even if a vacuum turns up tomorrow even if AO give me my money back, nothing can replace the amount of time and hassle I've had to spend on this all week! I just want done with it, give me a refund. No you have to wait until item is delivered.

I'm stuck in this horrible loop and I'm so fed up with it now! I don't have time for all this. I only wanted a vacuum! WTF is going on? Why is this vacuum not being delivered? Why will they not give me a refund? How can I get my money back? How can they not file a complaint? How long is this going to go on? So many questions. Is AO normally this bad? WWYD at this point?

Well done for reading through that! Sorry I didn't realise how long it would be but please can someone tell me what my rights are at this point. I thought if a customer said they wanted to file a complaint a company had to take that seriously and document the complaint and respond within a certain timeframe? I don't know how they can keep ignoring me?

I also don't understand why I can't get a refund if three drivers haven't delivered the item in the three days they've said they would deliver? If they never deliver that means I will never get my £169 back? That can't be right surely?

If you paid on a credit card maybe you can claim it back via them?

Blimey! Surely it’s DPD who are at fault here. AO have sent it out for deliver via DPD, DPD have failed several times to fulfil the contract. AO need to know what’s happened to your vacuum before they can refund - after all, you could be telling porkies and actually have the goods stashed under the stairs!
Im amazed there’s no track and trace for DPD.

Message them via X - @AO. They don’t like SM posts complaining and likely will respond!

Message them via X - @AO. They don’t like SM posts complaining and likely will respond!

My DiL does this whenever she has a problem. It certainly works!

Also there seems to be quite a few ways to contact DPD, they may be better placed to answer where the parcel is rather than AO. I'm guessing the parcel is missing and a computer glitch is happening for it not to be delivered on multiple occasions.

www.dpd.co.uk/content/how-can-we-help/contact.jsp

It’s ridiculous OP. I’m sorry. Stuff like this is hell and many “service” representatives act like you are a three headed monster when you are firm (but not rude) about how you want the situation resolved.
I’m stuck in a loop about a package that was delivered compromised- bag had a taped up hole - and surprise, surprise: two items missing. I feel like such a tit as it was handed to me by the courier in that state and I accepted it. It was in a pile of four packages so I didn’t notice. Shop won’t even look at a claim until 3 business days after the last date of the delivery window, which closes 20th November. They said the items may still turn up within the delivery window. Yeah, right!! Bloody rubbish!

Ooh! I paid via debit card. I'm not sure if that has the same protection as a credit card. I hadn't thought of calling the bank. I'll try them tomorrow to see if they can take my place in the loop with AO in getting the £169 back.

Going forward I guess I should be using credit card for online purchases. Thank you for the tip I hadn't thought about it.

I don't have a twitter account but I'll set one up now. Thanks!

Is it DPD's fault or AO's fault?

I'm not sure. AO took my money and should be responsible for me receiving the goods. Surey the fight over where the vacuum is now is between AO and DPD rather than me and DPD. I can't even file a complaint on the DPD website because I didn't pay DPD for their service. It's down to AO to file the complaint with DPD, so why haven't they done that?

AO will not allow the package to be left at my front door nor left with a neighbour. Apparently DPD are suppose to take a photo of the package in front of my door as proof that they were there and tried to deliver but all the various photos show a black blur rather than a package or a door. I haven't seen the photos, but they are apparently visible to AO. So AO are still assuming DPD have the vacuum and DPD keep saying they will deliver the vacuum to me, so it seems they do still have it. Why doesn't AO refund me and tell DPD to return the vacuum back to them?
I can't understand why this isn't one, not two but THREE DPD drivers over a period of about a week now. It's crazy. I just want my money back at this point.

What do they think happened the bag ripped, two items fell out, the bag taped itself back up and the items will be found and returned to you? So frustrating!
At least they gave you a date and hopefully they will honour their refund on the 23rd 🙏

It's making me concerned about ordering online again because you really are powerless it seems if they take your money then don't deliver.

It’s the joy of dealing with a big ‘computer says no’ retailer and a terrible courier.
AO are still fine by and large, but they’re not as customer focused as they used to be.

DPD (in my experience) have always been absolutely dire.

Sadly, this is a harsh learning experience for you; never use a debit card for such purchases, online or not. A credit card or paying via PayPal (for online) is so much safer in terms of your protection and consumer rights.
Hope you get your vacuum soon!

I had similar with DPD a few months ago OP. They were due to collect an item between 11:48-12:48 but never showed up. They also couldn't get hold of the driver and so they rescheduled the pickup to Monday but nope, were a no show on Monday too. Some of their reviews on Trustpilot are scorching!

If your debit card is Visa, you can usually submit a request for a chargeback although I don't know if Visa will talk to AO or DPD about this. Either way you do have plenty of consumer rights here so you will eventually get your money back,

Kick up a fuss on Twitter/X!

I've always had absolutely brilliant service from AO, sad to read this. They always delivered white goods themselves..maybe different with smaller things? I do think the main issue here is with DPD. I do get why you're so annoyed though, I would be too and I also agree that actually, best practice here would be to refund you and them to fight it out with DPD. It may end up with them out of pocket for the trade price of one vacuum but that's far less to them than the retail cost of one to you.

When you receive your delivery times, there will be a tracking number and contact method, use them. AO know as much as you if DPD now have the parcel, no idea why you haven't contacted dpd yourself.

DPD are the absolute worst for this! We got a delivery slot recently, waited in for it, then got a text to say the driver had attempted delivery (they hadn’t). We have a ring doorbell that also proved that they hadn’t tried. Several phone calls happened and we still haven’t received the package (2 weeks later). Luckily it was ordered through Amazon so I got a refund. If is see that a company uses dpd, I won’t order from them 🤦‍♀️

Your issue is definitely with DPD. Can you collect from their depot? That's usually an option.

Tbh, I am always happy when my parcels are delivered by DPD because you can track the driver. Its Evri that makes my toes curl!

Your sorry tale is pretty much a repeat of my sorry tale from a few months ago. To the point where now, if I see a company uses DPD to deliver, I will not buy from them.

My item was a pillow from Woolroom. I have issues with my neck and their pillow that allows removing increments of wool seemed ideal. I will never know, because they use DPD to deliver. Now it's true we live in a narrow road that's a dead end. However, other delivery companies get very large vans up that road (some drivers complain a lot, but they still bring one's delivery). Like you, I had emails and texts saying 'X will deliver your item between Y-Z o'clock' yet I never got the item. After 2 days of non-delivery I eventually got onto DPD's web chat (not easy to find!). Apologies madam, etc. You will have your item tomorrow! Well I did NOT have it the next day, despite me watching the tracking like a hawk. The driver simply did not come up our road. Pictures of 'our house' were definitely NOT our house!

By the fifth day of this sorry saga I was begging them NOT to deliver. I said please I do NOT want this item any longer as it was clear I was never going to receive it. I contacted Woolroom who I think also tried to contact DPD. Eventually I got a refund. Of course WR apologised profusely, claimed they'd never had problems with DPD before and (maybe this is a plus) they would raise an internal investigation. They contacted DPD to request a return. So I suggest you do this very firmly with AO, insist that as they use DPD as a carrier, it is down to them to organise the return. Lay it on with a trowel. And absolutely insist on a refund.

Honestly it was so, so stressful, because every time I'd think maybe today's driver will actually come here! But no. I have never 'shouted' on an online chat but goodness, I was so very angry I was using all caps almost continuously! 😱😅

Yes now I know I need to use a credit card online. It's been a hard lesson learned and I will do it going forward. The amount of time I've wasted this week on this is absolutely ridiculous.
AO like to put people on hold for ages to 'check something' or 'read notes' or 'phone DPD again'. This morning I phoned AO to again request to cancel the order, the complaints department woman argued with me that the DPD drivers have said they tried to deliver. Basically it's turned into my word against theirs. I know I've been here ALL day on the days I said I would be here (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and today).
I've been sat on hold with the bank this morning.
I don't think AO follow twitter. DPD have responded that I need PM them which I did, not response yet.
😂 @CrunchyCarrot I'm also now begging DPD to please return the item to AO so I can have my money back! I can't keep staying in this loop of hell. It must end!! AO are saying they won't refund my money until the vacuum is returned. DPD seemed set to keep 'delivering' it to me. I don't even want it now. I'm replacing a broken vacuum, why would I pay £169 for one that's been rolling around the back of a van for a week? No thanks! I just want my money back at this point.

£169 is a lot of money for me. It was a birthday treat. I can't believe £169 would impact AO or DPD that much. I don't know why AO will not return the money to me and then have it out with DPD about getting their vacuum back.

I am also going to be getting a ring doorbell now. I'm so angry the various AO people keep telling me 'DPD driver said they attempted delivery' when I KNOW they did not. It's so frustrating when someone calls you a liar. I've paid money in good faith, I've waited for days, I've spent hours now on the phone, I've been called a liar again and again, they've refused to allow me to file a complaint, they've refused to give me a refund, they've failed repeatedly to deliver and now they're just hanging up on me. Worst customer service fail in the history of customer service.

UPDATE:
AO complaints department have called me. I was on the phone with them when I heard something outside. I opened the door and saw DPD driver running away and there is a damaged vacuum box sitting in my front porch. He didn't knock he just dumped the box and ran off. (AO policy says items can't be left at porch or with a neighbour)
I did not take possession of the package, it's still sitting on my front porch. I've told AO I'm not paying their £25 fee to return the box. I've been saying I want to cancel the order. This box is very damaged and I would be shocked if the vacuum isn't also damaged.
AO are now trying to organise DPD to collect the box today and when the box arrives back at AO then I can apparently have a refund.

All of this hassle and time wasted and the best I can hope is to get my money back so I can go to a shop and buy another vacuum. Insane!!!

It’s ridiculous OP. I’m sorry. Stuff like this is hell and many “service” representatives act like you are a three headed monster when you are firm (but not rude) about how you want the situation resolved

Yes, because it's not the reps fault and they have little control once the item is in the hands of the courier, so being short with them is a waste of both your times and making some poor person's life hard for nothing.

I work for a medical firm and sometimes items don't arrive when they're meant to. Usually it's UPS that will mess up occasionally. Sometimes I'm actually the middleman in a three or even four way delivery process where other companies have had to adapt the item and repackage to our spec and send on.

Best I can do is contact courier on behalf of the customer, ensure they have correct address, possibly get it diverted to another more convenient location for the customer or back to us for the customer to collect.

Beyond that nothing I can do. Yet I've been subjected to the 'firm' aka draining, relentless questioning. And no, we cannot refund before it arrives. Case in point, we had a lot of trouble with a customer whose new medical device hadn't arrived. Customer kept phoning and complaining for days. I phoned the courier twice (turns out the customer address was wrong in their computer system just a few letters but postcode and door number correct) who said it was now too late for next day delivery. With 'firm' aka demanding and bossy customer to please, and wanting to help, I decided to reroute the item back to us and then spent extra company money getting another device sent to the customer for next day delivery via another courier.

The original device did not arrive back to us. Predictably.

Phoned the customer two days later, she cheerfully and breezily thanked me for my help and said she now had two devices. Big mistake by the courier and she didn't return the one we spent extra money on. Had I not phoned, she wouldn't even have informed us that both arrived.

All courier companies can be crap at times (though Dpd are quite subject to inconsistencies) but it's often not in the power of the main company once it's out. Best they can do is send another one via another company but you risk a customer receiving both items and keeping them or just being dishonest that it didn't arrive in the first place.

What I think should happen is (depending on how critically needed the item was) some money refunded, perhaps 15% or so of the cost of the item, or gift vouchers, or money off future purchases or services or an upgraded item sent as replacement.

But I agree that a company using Dpd should be more accountable as they're known for being particularly unreliable. I had them insist they couldn't get into my block once. Two weeks of them turning up and driving away, because there was scaffolding up and they assumed they couldn't get in.

I live in socialist inspired communal block. Built for families and a vision of communal utopia (potential antisocial behaviour hell) All one level. Think open. Very open. There are approximately 8 different entrances to the entire block. Just Eat and Deliveroo drivers don't even bother coming off their bikes. They just drive through to the front door. But apparently these entrances were all hidden to Dpd couriers.

After they sent me a picture of the outside of the block, explaining why delivery hadn't been possible, it emerged they hadn't even bothered to get out of their vans and walk through the wide open entrance in front of them!

I can see where there could be a potential for a customer to lie and keep two items or have a refund and also get the product. But if AO know DPD still have the item then surely it's down to them to organise with DPD to get the item back to AO instead of me having to wait weeks for them to sort it so I can get the money back to go buy another vacuum. It wasn't like the item was lost, DPD have had it all this time.

A debit card, not just a credit card, offers protection. It’s a little known fact.

Oh my word OP that is truly ghastly! So DPD actually did manage to 'find' your house only when they were probably threatened by someone higher up the food chain! No wonder the delivery guy ran away.

I am so sorry what was meant to be a birthday treat has turned into a hellish nightmare. Also I cannot see how anyone can call you a liar as there are records that DPD 'tried' to deliver numerous times. Why would they be doing that if you had the item all along?

That sounds dreadful!

For anyone I interested I had fabulous service today. Ordered a cooker from Appliance Centre last Friday and picked today for delivery. Received a text with time slot for today ( between 8-10 am) but would get a phone call 30 mins delivery. 7.25am phone went, we can deliver in 10mins or at 8am. Delivery done by 7.40am.

I've never bought from this company, normally use AO or John Lewis but they didn't have stock so found Appliance Centre. Maybe it was luck but I would definitely use them again.