Initial City Link: AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

jamesbrownontheroad

Please forgive me, trusted and loyal MSE forum users. I'm just here for the venting...

Late last month I found a great three person tent (see an earlier discussion here) from Outdoor Megastore. £99 with free delivery, £10 cashback through Quidco and an all round quality tent I'd previously seen in store. I ordered it on 30 May. Joy was unconfined. But then I discovered that Outdoor Megastore use Initial City Link for their deliveries.

We live in a Glasgow tenement. There are two flats on each of the first, second, and third floors, with two shops at ground floor level. The front door to the street is always unlocked, and every apartment has its own letter box (we have in Glasgow, therefore, postmen with exceptionally well tuned thighs).

On the 4 June we were on our way up the stairs to our apartment, when we noticed a small delivery card had been stuck behind a riser pipe in the 'close' (stairwell). The City Link driver hadn't even bothered to climb the stairs to our floor to put it through out letter box. It was dated 2 June, and looking back at our diaries, I'm certain one of us was in all day (because I work from home).

:mad:

I called City Link to re-arrange delivery. We don't have a car, and conveniently for no-one (except perhaps folk in Cambuslang) their Glasgow depot is in an industrial estate in Cambuslang. They confirmed it was there, in the depot. I requested re-delivery and they refused, saying only the person who sent the parcel can request re-delivery.

:mad: :mad:

So I call Outdoor Megastore, and speak to a very helpful rep. He puts me on hold and calls City Link. They tell him the parcel is no longer in their depot. He comes back to me, and I tell him about the conversation I've just had. He checks City Link's online portal, which confirms its in the depot.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

He contacts City Link again, and requests re-delivery for Monday.

A week later? No redelivery. In fact, after sitting in the depot for a week, Initial City Link sent it back to Outdoor Megastore. The tracking history reads (upwards):

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

10/06/10 01:15 These goods have been returned to the sender.
09/06/10 04:33 These goods are in our network.
08/06/10 04:17 These goods are in our network.
07/06/10 08:48 These goods are in our network.
05/06/10 04:27 These goods are in our network.
04/06/10 04:16 These goods are in our network.
03/06/10 17:17 These goods are in our network.
03/06/10 16:28 There was no one to receive the goods at the delivery point so a card was left.
03/06/10 07:45 These goods have been loaded onto a van for delivery today.
02/06/10 16:23 These goods are in our network.
02/06/10 15:31 There was no one to receive the goods at the delivery point so a card was left.
02/06/10 06:48 These goods have been loaded onto a van for delivery today.
02/06/10 06:16 These goods have successfully arrived at the Depot ready for
delivery.
01/06/10 16:25 These goods have been scanned at the collection Depot and are now on route to the delivery Depot.

I've highlighted in bold some porkies. Firstly, we were almost certainly in on 2 June when they called. But assuming we weren't, they didn't leave a card with us, they left it in a public place (the close is unlocked) on the wrong floor stuck behind a pipe. Secondly, no attempt was made to redeliver on 3 June either. I know I was in, and no card was left. Thirdly, contact was made with City Link on 4 June to request another re-delivery attempt, and they didn't even bother.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

In my subsequent e-mails to Outdoor Megastore (I'm awaiting a reply from them, and have a lot of patience for the exceptionally friendly and helpful staff there, who also called me during the week to check up on the situation) I've suggested two resolutions: either dispatch the tent using Royal Mail, who in my experience can be trusted to get the missed-delivery card through my door and offer a choice of convenient collection or re-delivery options; or refund the purchase and cancel the order.

Is there no way that we, customers, can implore businesses not to cut corners on these shoddy delivery services? "Free Delivery" may seal the deal when it comes to the checkout page, but I'm beginning to prefer businesses that stump up for Royal Mail delivery, which not only seems (in my experience of online shopping) to be better but which also supports the local post offices that provide vital services in local communities? Every parcel shipped via Royal Mail instead of cut price carriers sends an extra couple of pence towards the local post office counters that struggle to remain viable.

Thoughts?

PS.... Think I'm ranting unfairly? I'm not alone...

http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/transport-automobile-services/initial-citylink/reviews/

KeepYourChinUp_2

I'm with you 100% I ordered to deliverys from an online retailer the royal mail one was here in two days, the city link one took best part of a week and I ended up collecting it myself. If I had paid postage I would have let them return it and asked for a refund.

jamesbrownontheroad

Jill_ wrote: »

Am I the only person not to have had issues with citylink?

Bear in mind people are generally more inclined to rant on MSE or DooYoo after bad experience than rave after a good one

Snakeeyes21

They aint called shi*tyink for no reason

donquine

Jill_ wrote: »

Am I the only person not to have had issues with citylink?

Do you live in a house rather than a flat?

I agree with the OP that it is annoying when courier companies write little cards but shove them behind a pipe or leave them on the floor instead of putting them in the correct flat's letterbox. In our tenament, the letterboxes are on each flat's door, rather than all downstairs together. Makes you wonder if they ever bothered walking upstairs to see if anyone was home!

I actively avoid companies that use City Link or Home Delivery Network. As much as RM get it wrong, at least their staff can be bothered delivering mail to flats on each floor, not just the ground one.

kr15snw

I live in a house and still had nothing but problems with them!

We've had them knock I then walk to the front door and their gone! Once managed to catch up with him walking to his van and asked for my parcel and it was in the van. When I asked how he was going to deliver it by leaving it in the van (due to the design of our estate he had to park a 2 minute walk from the house) and he shrugged.

Also had the 'we left a card' no you bloody didn't as I sat at home and my front room window looks out onto the front door so I can see everyone that comes to it.

Also had a card to say it was left in a neighbour / a secure place. They didn't put where though!! Rang them and they didn't know where it was, they advised I went looking for it. I looked in every secure point and rang every neighbour in my street (10 houses) and the connecting two streets (further 20 hours). Then rang them back and said no one had it and it wasn't in the bins (not a collection day) or around any corners where the postie normally hides things. They said they'd call me back. 2 days later I rang them again to be told 'oh yeh it's here!' AGRHHH!!

[Deleted User]

Jill_ wrote: »

Am I the only person not to have had issues with citylink?

AKA Sh*ttyLink

wabuthu

my housemate ordered some software cd online and it was to be delivered by city link. i was in the house everyday of the week it was to be delivered and there was no knock on the door and there was NO delivery card left behind. and when he called them they said they had come by the house on two consequtive days and left a card behind! the liars!

at the end of it all he had to go to their depot to collect the cd on a saturday morning it was either that or he'd have to pay for redelivery that they never even delivered in the first place!

puppet1984

it all depends where you live. i used to live in wales (back of beyond) would never get parcels to me. i'd either have to pressure the person on the phone at the depot to give me the drivers mobile so i could meet them somewhere.
Or drive to the depot (ellesmere port) which was about 40 miles from my house.
However now i live in manchester city centre i have no problems.

Something i have done in the past and i don't know if this is an option available to you but is their a pub or shop you frequent (are known or friendly with the owner etc) ie. somewhere open all day you could have the parcel delivered to and pick up at your convience. I used the local pub on several occasions.
You could try
http://www.useyourlocal.com/

TattyBear

Had huge trouble with Sh1tty Link at the start of the year. I ordered a duvet cover featuring yours truly online from Carte Blanche. Paid £6 for Sh1tty Link to deliver (the only option available), they refused to deliver, said they'd carded twice when no one came, and only after extensive contact with Carte Blanche, who to give them credit were wonderful, did Sh1tty Link pawn my delivery off on to another courier company because they couldn't be arsed with it.

Sh1tty Link only care about delivering suff from their biggest customers like Amazon. Everything else gets ignored as they don't seem to have the resources. They are capable of doing what they're paid to do if their contract with the retailer is big enough. Had an a next day delivery from Amazon delivered to me by SL 2 weeks ago. Left Glasgow 8.30pm, delivered next day to me 12.30pm in Somerset.

Hezzawithkids

Yep - had some bad time with them. Once bought something off Ebay that was delivered via Sh*tyLink - not a bulky item but certainly a valuable one. The seller told me when to expect delivery so I waited in. Spent most of the time in my living room, about 6 feet from the front door. Went upstairs for 2 minutes, came back down and - you guessed it - card on the doormat. Now my house isn't very big so I would have heard a doorknock or bell ring and it wouldn't have taken me long to get to the front door if I had.

Their drivers are obviously on piece-work and under the clock. Plus not getting paid very much.