Home delivery network - I just want my parcel!

Pound

gracie83 wrote: »

The home delivery network deliver between 7am and 7pm. I am out at work for the best part of the day so I asked my neighbour to keep an eye out. The HDN attempt to deliver on the first day at 10.35 they don't even try my neighbours and just drive off. So I rearrange delivery again for the next day. Again delivery is attempted at around 10.30 and no attempt is made to ask my neighbour to accept instead.

How are the drivers supposed to know you want it left with a neighbour? Some people don't like parcels left with neighbours and HDNL would be liable if there's any problems after doing this. BHS may have even given them instructions to only deliver to your address.

The guy said we are not a timed delivery service so they would try to deliver to the school anytime between 7 and 7 but we reasoned as they had been twice to my house at the same time and the school is just down the road they would be in the area at the same time again the next day. Wrong. Delivery attempted to a locked up school at 5.48. I am so annoyed!

So HDNL attempted delivery within the quoted time that you were aware of. You're the one that agreed to a timeslot that covers times the school is closed yet it's somehow HDNL's fault?

I think I even saw the delivery van drive past my house on its way to the school!

I'm sure lots of HDNL vans cover the same area. You can't possibly know that your parcel was inside it.

Who on earth plans these routes for the drivers! Surely common sense would dictate that you don't attempt delivery to a school after 4pm!

The route would be planned by computer, it wouldn't know which deliveries are to a school. Even if it did, to make a special exception could require a significant detour. Why did you ask them to deliver to an address that is closed after 4pm when you knew that the delivery could be up to 7pm?

The parcel has once again just been loaded on to the van for delivery attempt number 4. I am so tempted just to get them to post it back to BHS!!

Nice of them to keep paying drivers to try and deliver to addresses that you've given that don't have people there so sign for without charging you any extra.

Forris

How are the drivers supposed to know you want it left with a neighbour? Some people don't like parcels left with neighbours and HDNL would be liable if there's any problems after doing this. BHS may have even given them instructions to only deliver to your address.

Maybe they could ask? Just knock on a neighbours' door and ask if they would mind taking a parcel in for next door.

So HDNL attempted delivery within the quoted time that you were aware of. You're the one that agreed to a timeslot that covers times the school is closed yet it's somehow HDNL's fault?

If you have a parcel for a business address, it should be common sense to deliver it within business hours.

I'm sure lots of HDNL vans cover the same area. You can't possibly know that your parcel was inside it.

If they have lots of vans covering the same area then they need to look at their route-planning, because its not very efficient!

The route would be planned by computer, it wouldn't know which deliveries are to a school. Even if it did, to make a special exception could require a significant detour. Why did you ask them to deliver to an address that is closed after 4pm when you knew that the delivery could be up to 7pm?

Even if it is planned by computer, it should take into account that the parcel has been redirected to a business address. This is a major weakness in HDNL's business model. As I understand it, they are set up to deliver to residential addresses (hence the name) and not businesses.

Nice of them to keep paying drivers to try and deliver to addresses that you've given that don't have people there so sign for without charging you any extra.

If they got the delivery right first time then they would not have to keep taking parcels out unnecessarily.

Amistoso_2

Forris wrote: »

How are the drivers supposed to know you want it left with a neighbour? Some people don't like parcels left with neighbours and HDNL would be liable if there's any problems after doing this. BHS may have even given them instructions to only deliver to your address.

Maybe they could ask? Just knock on a neighbours' door and ask if they would mind taking a parcel in for next door. perhaps it's not their policy, not all neighbours are to be trusted

So HDNL attempted delivery within the quoted time that you were aware of. You're the one that agreed to a timeslot that covers times the school is closed yet it's somehow HDNL's fault?

If you have a parcel for a business address, it should be common sense to deliver it within business hours. no, if it states 7 am to 7 pm then it's the customers responsibility to make sure somone is there to sign for the parcel

I'm sure lots of HDNL vans cover the same area. You can't possibly know that your parcel was inside it.

If they have lots of vans covering the same area then they need to look at their route-planning, because its not very efficient! no different to any other courier company

The route would be planned by computer, it wouldn't know which deliveries are to a school. Even if it did, to make a special exception could require a significant detour. Why did you ask them to deliver to an address that is closed after 4pm when you knew that the delivery could be up to 7pm?

Even if it is planned by computer, it should take into account that the parcel has been redirected to a business address. This is a major weakness in HDNL's business model. As I understand it, they are set up to deliver to residential addresses (hence the name) and not businesses. well then surely the company's that use HDNL would know this but still choose to use them

Nice of them to keep paying drivers to try and deliver to addresses that you've given that don't have people there so sign for without charging you any extra.

If they got the delivery right first time then they would not have to keep taking parcels out unnecessarily.

if the customer (op) was in when the parcel was delivered then there would be no issue

geri1965_2

I posted about this a couple of weeks back. I paid M&S for "named day delivery" and waited from 7.30 am to 7.30 pm - no sign of them. I was on holiday the next week, when I came back and checked with M&S they said HDN tried to deliver the day before the "named day" (pointless as I was at work) and left a card - a lie, if I had a card I wouldn't have waited in for 12 hours the following day!

This week a parcel from Very was left in my front garden. I didn't mind so much about that, but it could easily have been stolen.

Kavanne

When I buy from the Book People HDNL always left the parcel by my garage.

When I bought from M&S they offered Saturday delivery so I arranged redelivery online. Guess what. No parcel on Saturday. Had to call their stupid 0871 number (none of them on saynoto0870.com worked) and ask them why. They had no answer, it was just still at the depot. Had to rearrange to bring it the following Saturday and it did finally arrive.

When I bought from Amazon I got a card and phoned (again 0871) and asked them to leave it by the garage. Fine they say. Next day.. another card, it's back at the depot!!! I phone and ask why.... Oh we need a signature. I asked why they didn't tell me that the previous day and again, no explanation. I said as a gesture of goodwill they should redeliver on Saturday for me (they dont have a saturday contact with amazon) and they have agreed...

We shall see what happens tomorrow. I will be phoning again at 9am to check it's out for delivery, and if it's not I will be making a formal complaint billing them for 2 x Saturdays spent at home (£10 an hour I believe I am allowed to charge) and all my calls which I have deemed necessary.

Pound

Kavanne wrote: »

billing them for 2 x Saturdays spent at home (£10 an hour I believe I am allowed to charge)

Only if you actually lost out on £10/hour because of their mistake. If you normally wouldn't be working on Saturday you wouldn't be entitled to any compensation.

Kavanne

Pound wrote: »

Only if you actually lost out on £10/hour because of their mistake. If you normally wouldn't be working on Saturday you wouldn't be entitled to any compensation.

Ah ha, I see.

Well I do feel that 2 bad experiences is not bad luck, it's getting towards chronic incompetency and it could be confirmed tomorrow....

I will be asking them for something towards my time should it not be delivered and I will certainly make sure any retailer I use in the future does not deliver by them.

RobertoMoir

sammiedoodle wrote: »

I don't see what you have to complain about!! how are they supposed to know your neighbour was "looking out" for your parcel? and that you wouldn't be at home to receive it? I'm sure on BHS's website they would have stated that someone needs to sign for the parcel. Would you rather they left it on your doorstep and someone nicked it?!? as for delivery times, I'm sure they didn't try to deliver to the school at that time just to annoy you or plan their whole route just so they would deliver when they knew nobody would be there, you knew they delivered between 7 am and 7 pm so you give them a delivery address of somewhere that you know someone will be available for that duration in order to sign for it. Nobody to blame but yourself
jeez some people never accept any responsibility...

You know, I've never had a good experience with HDN to the point where I now try to avoid doing business with companies that use them, but SammieDoodle does have a point.

greenbee

mustrum_ridcully wrote: »

HDN "making Royal Mail look brilliant", I've had them leave amazon purchases behind a flower pot next to my front door (£50 worth of DVDs - thanks HDN).

I stopped ordering from amazon after HDN left a parcel in the flowerbed behind a bush... so it was in pretty bad condition by the time I got to it (after searching in the dark!).

I also had a card through the door that a parcel had been left with a neighbour... went round, and it had been... but it wasn't for me. They'd delivered to completely the wrong street.

It would help if you were able (as you are with some carriers) to put instructions on for what to do if you are out. That way you could say if you wanted it left with a neighbour or in the shed. It's not difficult...

ETA - I do agree though that just leaving it randomly with a neighbour isn't a good thing, as it may or may not be someone trustworthy ... one of mine springs to mind - given the convictions she has for passing off cheques, shoplifting and drug dealing I'm not sure I'd be happy for anything to be left with her!

hollydays

After some frustrating experiences with shittylink last christmas (christmas temps and all that), i put a sign on my door that says"IF YOU CAN SEE THIS SIGN ,i AM IN",which avoids much of the hassles.Then when they tried to say you were out,you can assure them they did not attempt.