Home delivery network - I just want my parcel!

Fire_Fox

My parcel had a failed delivery on the 8th, and then not even put on the van again until today?? According to tracking there was another failed delivery at lunchtime which is absolute b*ll*cks as I deliberately remained home. :mad: I have had problems with HDNL before - failed deliveries, no cards left, damaged goods, rude staff - to the point I told Amazon I refused to deal with HDNL.

HDNLMAN

Forris wrote: »

Unfortunately, this is the way that many of the smaller courier companies are operating at the moment, and worst of all is that the retailers are falling for it. For many of the high-volume sellers, their prime motivation for using companies such as HDNL, Citylink and DPD is price. I have been in this business for 10 years and have seen companies like Amazon and Play move to the cheaper couriers only to return to the traditionally big players (UPS, DHL, Parcelforce) when enough customers complain about the level of customer service.

These 'smaller' companies are spending heavily on expansion and new technologies at the moment (which is not necessarily a bad thing).They will not be able to sustain their low prices and high spending for very long. The low entry price is a standard tactic to secure a contract, but then you have to make sure that the rest of your business is up to scratch so that, when it gets to contract renewal time, you can up the price without the retailer walking away. Any retailer that advertises its business on price, is not going to be loyal to a courier unless their price is low and/or their quality of service is excellent.

As I said earlier, the work-rate that HDNLMAN has stated is just not sustainable. I consider myself to be a very good delivery driver and my record is 24 stops per hour. This was in the run-up to last Christmas on a mainly-residential, high-density route using every trick in the book to keep up my drop-rate. Their is no way that this rate could be sustained for long without making yourself ill or your short-cuts catching up with you and your contract being terminated.

HDNLMAN - I hope that you are being paid well for the level of work that you are doing.

The targets Ive quoted have been in year in year out for as long as I can remember I was delivering 150 - 180 per day back in the 90s. Even in an extreamly rural area I was hitting 135 a day and clocking 110 miles !! Although later that target got reduced to 105 In my time ive done both rural and extreamly urban routes all high targets As for pay this is no word of a lie I am on 23 pence less per parcel than back in 2000 Needless to say the only way to make my job work is to work like a donkey I have many friends who have left and worked for DPD , Parcelforce and DHL none want to return to HDNL I wonder why not? lol

HDNLMAN

CashSaver wrote: »

I'm currently having a big problem with HDNL out of Leamington. Ordered a Blu-ray DVD from play.com, which was dispatched by them on 1st December. The track and trace says this.

03/12/2009 10:25:00 LEAMINGTON VAN The parcel has been loaded on to the drivers van
03/12/2009 23:26:00 LEAMINGTON DEPOT The parcel is in the Depot
04/12/2009 11:17:00 LEAMINGTON VAN The parcel has been loaded on to the drivers van

The trail stops there.

There is always someone in at the delivery address. No delivery has been attempted and no card put through the door. I have spoken to HDNL on 3 occassions but they cannot tell me where the parcel is and never phone back when they have promised to.

I now have to spend hours trying to get through to the retailer to see if they can help.

Any suggestions HDNLMAN?

If thats where the last parcel scan was then Id have to say the parcel is lost and I mean really lost ! If there was no futher scan I would speculate that the parcel has either fallen out of the van, been stolen out of the van or the entire van has been stolen. Not unheard of btw ! If you find out let me know.

matUK

I placed an order for a laptop on play.com last wekend and was given UPI number to trace it. I noticed the parcel was 'loaded onto a van' and as I am off this week, I stayed at home, not even had a bath or anything, reading books and looking throutgh the window. Not even stepped out of the house. Logged on to HDNL in the evening and what?
15/12/2009 22:59:00 WOODFORD DEPOT The parcel is in the Depot
16/12/2009 10:06:00 WOODFORD DEPOT The parcel has been returned to the Supplier
What a hec? No one called my number or even buzzed the entry bell. That is impossible. I called HDNL once, no answer. Called play.com, hmmm yes, we have a signature the parcel is undeliverable. WHAT???? The woman gave me HDNL number, oh, thank you as if I hadn't called them. OK. After minutes on the phone one guy confirmed 'NO ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY' That is outrageous! Come on, guys, the driver did not even bother to press the bell! My £500 laptop is being shipped to the supplier and I have to wait for a response from them or refund. Wanted a laptop which I haven't really found in the high street, did some research and finally was charged for something which is in someone ele's hands. I am so upset, cannot work from home. On Monday I am picking up friends from the airport and I pray they won't come at that time. Monday is the date the parcel MIGHT come back to me. I have noticed even tesco.direct use HDNL! Not a great chance to enjoy the laptop before Christmas.
Beware of HDNL. I have shopped online before and I always give my phone number just in case. HDNL sucks a lot.
I was promised a call back from play.com and HDNl itself, but obviously I lost all my confidence in their 'services'.
Anyone got a trouble with them as well?
Thank you for all the posts, we are not alone!

DarkConvict

Im currently lodging a formal complaint with a manager called Jill.

I have ordered a Blu-Ray Player (£135.99) from play.com on saturday. Today i get home at 5pm and find a card from them saying left by gate. Now by left at gate it means they have dropped it over a 6ft high gate. In addition the parcel wrapping was split so with heavy heavy the item is soaking wet. Impact damage and water damage, I have not even bothered to open the parcel its going straight back .... well done HDNL....

!!!!!!, Leave it will my neighbours they both work from home!

Play.com will replace but cannot say if the replacement can be made before Christmas as they want it back for testing first, i refuse to open it but can assume it is damaged without much guess work...

To make a point about HDNL i ordered a DVD player from Amazon, they used HDNL. Once again left by gate i.e. thrown over a 6ft gate. Guess what, totally broken sent back for a refund (not happy)

DarkConvict

ajb69 wrote: »

I've had HDN variously deliver -

- thrown through an small open window (when I was sitting in the room) - they "didn't want to bother me by ringing the bell first".

- thrown over the 6-ft high back gate (which is down an alleyway, and accessed from a different road) and left on the ground. The gate was unlocked, too.

- through the back gate and then through the cat flap...blocking the cat flap completely and leading to some very !!!!ed off moggies.

My heart sinks whenever I see they are delivering....

drew

i can back at least the 6ft gate one up, ours was locked, but they threw it over twice leading to 1 broken DVD player and 1 broken and very wet Blu-Ray player.

[Deleted User]

I too have had problems with this courier. I have now stopped buying from any retailer that uses them.

Forris

I have heard quite a few stories like this recently. I actually found an Amazon parcel on someone's doorstep again yesterday, whilst delivering, and it was soaking wet as it had been raining in the morning.

You can see from HDNLMAN's posts the unrealistic workload that their drivers have to deal with. When you have this many items to deliver there is no time to try neighbours and some drivers will do anything to get rid of a parcel.

The key to this problem is not to contact the courier, but deal with the retailer. Each time that they have to speak to the courier, this is logged and should be passed on to the contract manager to take up with the courier at a higher level. The retailers are using these services because they are cheap.They will only stop using them if their customers tell them about the issues.

deedeeday

I'm fuming, xmas is coming, both me and OH have ordered parcels. Had note through the door from HDN, tried calling and they hung up on me after keeping me on hold for 20 minutes, have no idea who the parcel is from and no way of getting it b4 xmas, rubbish!

DarkConvict

Forris wrote: »

You can see from HDNLMAN's posts the unrealistic workload that their drivers have to deal with. When you have this many items to deliver there is no time to try neighbours and some drivers will do anything to get rid of a parcel.

I know someone who is at citylink, they get over 100 parcels a day now and worst day is Tuesday so even more. They are totally overloaded and struggling with amazon parcels, winning delivery contracts due to royal mail strike has seemingly surprised courier companies how to manage like the royal mail.

Whilst the driver i talk to is honest and does try to deliver to neighbours, hey actually to the house too even if its off the beaten track. Many citylink drivers have been delivering a handful of parcels then fake carding the rest (i.e. person not in) and go home. As the bonuses are mixed on delivered parcels and attempted delivers not how long your shift was. With royal mail you paid for a decent service!