To ask why parcel delivery services are so terrible?

[InveterateWineDrinker]

So, I've ordered a couple things for home delivery. It's quite a rarity for us: unlike some neighbours who have multiple deliveries every week even once every three months is unusual for us.

Yesterday, Royal Mail emailed at 5.25am to say that a parcel would be delivered between 12.50pm and 4.50pm. Signature required. Fine, I rearranged my day to make sure I'd be at home.

Then they emailed again at 2pm to say it would be delivered between 5.45pm and 7.30pm. Inconvenient and irritating, but there you go. It didn't actually arrive until 7.55pm, which meant I had to get a slippery, dripping DC out of the bath to stop them drowning while I went downstairs and signed for it.

Also yesterday, DHL WhatsApped me to say that the other parcel would be delivered tomorrow, signature required. Again, I re-arranged various commitments to ensure I'd be at home. Just now, they've WhatsApped again to say it's out for delivery now and due between 11.45am and 1.45pm - a whole day early. I'm not at home because I'm out doing something I'd planned to do tomorrow and rescheduled on the basis of the information they gave me less than 24 hours ago.

What is wrong with these people?

Nope, our Postie often leaves it at our local post office rather than taking it back to the depot. It's definitely something that they do.

Yes and I cant work out which one they choose- there seems to be no rhyme or reason. Sometimes it's the depot and other times it's the post office. Its really quite annoying

And yet that's exactly what ours does.

You should report that to the Delivery office. But double check you didn’t select it as an option on your account.

The post office won’t be paid for handling your parcel or dedicating the resource to holding it for you. So seems odd they accept it.

Why would I report/complain when it's a lot more convenient to pick it up in our village rather than drive to the nearby town's sorting office?

And no, not an option on my account, these are parcels/letters sent by random clients/supplier without me even knowing they were on their way, so I'd certainly not set them up as delivery elsewhere.

I bought a parcel storage box and its been a game changer. I've let Royal Mail know its a 'safe place' as well as all the other couriers. I highly recommend getting one!

A couple of my neighbours have asked if they can get parcels put in it as well. I've said that's fine but I'm not liable for any damage/missing deliveries.

Could you get one? Then parcels magically appear in it!

If you set it up once it will default - that’s my point.

you should report it because it’s illegal. There is no reason you can’t still get it taken to the post office, just select the option to rather than getting it taken there illegally and the post office not getting paid for it

Lately, even Amazon has been letting me down. Delivering things a day late or at 10pm at night when I pay for Amazon Prime.

There isn’t always an option offered for this! Where there was, I certainly used it.

Nope, not set up as these are post sent to my business address for which I've not set up an account. I've checked for my personal account at my home address for which I do have the app set up and that has no re-delivery settings either. So, no, I've never set up either address to default for local PO delivery.

Ironically, just remembered a couple of months ago, a parcel was sent by a client and because there was no one in the office, Parcelforce (part of RM) took it upon themselves to deliver it to a post office in the next village, so that kind of proves that there's no default set up. Still better than having to drive to the sorting office though!

@Badbadbunny I have no settings set up either and mine still randomly goes to the post office

I'm completely fed up with all of the services apart from DHL at the moment! Evri keep losing things, only gets sorted if I contact them - which to be fair, does always seem to get sorted as a person from the company does always contact me and gets in touch with the depot on my behalf. . Royal Mail have, so far this week, failed to deliver 3 things, plus I've got another 3 things out for delivery today that were supposed to be delivered by an hour ago, still no sign. I'm sick and tired of it -it's not like the service is cheap anymore!
The worse thing is our postman is on holiday, so there's somebody else doing his round and so far this week, he's not delivered anything! So, he's doing a great job - not!

It isn't just the delivery lot, whoever packs them are often quite bonkers too. I had 2 separate deliveries of pots in 1 week (from 1 order I made) and both arrived separately smashed to bits. No "FRAGILE" label or tape, zero pading other than newspaper! Guy carrying the box to the front door was the same both times and clearly heard it jangle as he carried it, but still he delivered them after they had separately been driven across the country for several days, only for them both to be returned by me the next. I mean, why?

Maybe it is just a massive front, like the vape shops etc and this is just jobs for the boys to cover a massive cartel?

Maybe it is just a massive front, like the vape shops etc and this is just jobs for the boys to cover a massive cartel?

I'm fairly certain Royal Mail is like that...

I am totally fed up of evri. I ordered my mum a football shirt for her birthday and evri never delivered it. Royal mail are rubbish too. If i get a time slot between 11:00 and 14:00 i will get my parcel at 17:00 if i am lucky.