delivery panic

[elephantcandle]

Is anyone else a little concerned about royal mail delivery times at the moment?
Every year I go into a (very mild) panic, but things do end up arriving on time. Bit anxious again this year.

Looking at our local Facebook group it's not just Royal Mail that's the problem. Lots of stories of non deliveries from Evri and DPD. I think this year is the year to shop local.

Yep. My Christmas party dress did not arrive on time so I pushed my ExDH to order all the presents we can't buy in shops. Luckily he agrees, most say will deliver on the 22nd 🥶

I posted birthday cards over a week ago and they still haven't arrived. It's so shit.

Waiting for 10 packages, a couple posted on the 25th Nov. Royal Mail tracking is useless. Must be a nightmare for the retailers as well.

I have 3 more parcels to arrive hopefully this week.
After that I’m ordering nothing else online, will be shopping local.
I expect everything that’s coming to arrive in the next week but no more waiting in for post for me after this.

Every parcel carrier is struggling this year. They can't get the people to deliver to expected levels.

Everywhere is also taking on Christmas delivery people. If anyone has a mind to, they could offer themselves to help out. Make a bit extra coin.

Personally I got it all out the way earlier. Partly because I saw DPD panicking looking for decent drivers I felt a bit twitchy. Id tell people to do an old fashioned shopping trip rather than rely on online deliveries this year.

I've still got a toy kitchen to order but I think I'm going to have to go with amazon as I don't want to risk it not coming 😬 Our HelloFresh didn't turn up yesterday 🙄

Not all bad, I ordered a toy kitchen and all the accessories from John Lewis on Friday. Just got a text it will be delivered today 🤞🏼

Some stuff has been a day or two late. But made the brilliant discovery that "returned to office" just means the local post office counter which is open 12 hours a day Monday-Saturday. In our last place the sorting office was open 8-10am four days a week, in a big town...

I was watching the progress of my Yodel parcel yesterday, it was two hours overdue, I was 4 stops away, when flipped to saying they couldn't get an answer and had left a card!! Bloody well didn't. Nobody came to my door, no card, nothing!

Supposed to be delivered today. Really not impressed.

Mine are weeks late!

Amazon is taking weeks too.

Oh no 😥 I ordered it yesterday so hopefully it will come 🤞🤞

"Amazon is taking weeks too."

Everything we've ordered has come the next day as usual apart from
One parcel which was a day late

amazon are also using evri - i ordered stuff on sat afternoon and got them yesterday was very surprised when i got the email saying evri had the package

My Royal Mail parcel is three weeks late and another two weeks. We go away when schools break up so hoping they come before then, especially with stories of deliveries being left out on doorsteps.

I have a couple of presents that are with Royal Mail and haven’t moved in over a week, I’m starting to get twitchy over those two.

I must be unlucky then.
One item ordered last week has just arrived, the one ordered on the 26th of November has just been dispatched.

This is so bizarre as my DD's American Girl doll from the US arrived in less than a week.

Not delivery related, but I'm still trying to chase up something ordered on Pound Toy on the 14th of November. The kids party stuff I needed is no longer needed now and I'm not hearing anything from them, just that they had a warehouse move and are behind with orders, hmmm. They should have maybe stopped taking orders then?

Just asking them for a refund now. Probably won't get it.

Its a shame as they were brill before but obviously have gone to shit like everything else now.

I sell online.
Royal Mail are only just clearing backlogs- but lots more strike days to come, including this week again, and all the way up to 23rd and 24th.
Other delivery companies are struggling too, as customers switch from Royal Mail.
I think the best bet is Amazon, they have their own delivery service, if you have prime you can select items for same or next day delivery.
I have had 50 or so packages bought from Amazon in the past week- all prime, no delays.

Only the one elusive present left to arrive and that will be by courier. I am feeling a wee bit anxious (as well as annoyed) that DH will be waiting for medication to be delivered. I would have arranged to collect at local pharmacy rather than risk delivery given the strikes.

Im missing Evri packages that where next day delivery from black friday, missing a few non tracked royal mail ones too (tracked ones are arriving fine though).

This is why I did my shopping in early October! I have everything I ordered & none of the stress as we knew there would be postal strikes and the service barely copes at Christmas anyway.

I did order a couple of hampers and paid £5 extra for specific day delivery. UPS were shocking, it eventually arrived a week late on a day I wasnt home. Luckily neighbours took it in.