Thorntons Delivery Disaster

G51shopaholic

Took advantage of a code on this fab forum and ordered my OH a selection of his fav Thorntons goodies.

1st reduced items cause it says they have july end date (but when they were delivered they were dated Nov 11).

BOGOF on BIG red box of chocolates

and free box of £10.99 chocolate because I spent over £15 :T

So far so good, even paid £4.95 delivery to get next day delivery.

This is where the problems began.

I phoned Thorntons customer services at 12.40 to ask where the stuff was - customer services rep said package booked out at 8.30am. I said don't fancy having chocolates out in a van for over 3hrs.
Customer services said "no it's ok the chocolates are delivered in chilled van as they are a food product".

GREAT I SAID - back to my sun bathing as Glasgow was lovely and sunny on thursday

3.20pm a wee white car pulls up outside my house - "Delivery from Thorntons" he says.:eek:

To say I expressed disappointment is an understatement.:mad: Stuff inside was melted

Back on the phone to Thorntons, who suggest I return them to my nearest store!
After poiletly declining this offer Thorntons arranged 2nd delivery (keep the stuff - Oh great I said - who wants melted chocolates).

Friday afternoon 3.20pm (I kid u not) 2nd delivery arrives - same wee car, same wee guy. Weather in Glasgow that day was heavy rain, so box was cold but I'm angry about having to sit in for two days and no chill van delivery!

What do I do? 2nd box of stuff was ok but I feel this was only because it was a cold day so box didn't heat up in car on route to my house.

treasureirealnds

oh dear.....least u got something, my order hasnt arrived!
Had to go to Tesco sat night for fathers day pres!

paddyrg

Did you actually inspect the chocolates? Assuming they are not meat-based(!) they could well be just fine. With heat they don't collapse into a liquid pool, and often have anti melting agents - this is how come you can buy chocolate in other, warmer countries too. You may have found that keeping them somewhere cool they would be ok?

POPPYOSCAR

I have ordered from them loads of times and they have never arrived in a chilled van!!

They have never been melted though I would have thought they would have needed to be in the sun for that to happen.


My order last week was fine.

As the second lot you got were ok I don't see what more they could do.If you ring them and complain they may refund your delivery charge as a gesture of goodwill or send you a box of chocolates( but then you would have to wait in again!!)

jb66

LOL, chilled van for chocolates

pulliptears

jb66 wrote: »

LOL, chilled van for chocolates

Indeed LOL.

Thorntons plc manufactures high quality chocolates, toffee and ice cream. These are delivered to 520 retail outlets throughout the UK using a fleet of articulated and box van refrigerated vehicles.

POPPYOSCAR

pulliptears wrote: »

Indeed LOL.

I would hate to see the ice cream if they were not delivered in refrigerated vans!!!!!!:)

geordieracer

pulliptears wrote: »

Indeed LOL.

To be fair though thats delivery to the stores not the home buyer.. I cant begin to understand how hot it must have been for the chocs to melt though.

POPPYOSCAR

geordieracer wrote: »

To be fair though thats delivery to the stores not the home buyer.. I cant begin to understand how hot it must have been for the chocs to melt though.

Yes and as they have ice cream on board they would have to be for that alone.

pulliptears

geordieracer wrote: »

To be fair though thats delivery to the stores not the home buyer.. I cant begin to understand how hot it must have been for the chocs to melt though.

Wouldnt need to be very hot would it?

Chocs loaded into a car boot in the morning that don't get delivered until the afternoon will be melting by the time they get to the buyer.

Azari

The ideal melting point for chocolate (the type V cocoa butter crystallisation) occurs at 34c. This is a temperature that is very easily reached in a vehicle in direct sunlight.

Whilst it may not require active refrigeration it would certainly be necessary to use some sort of coolbox technology for all weather chocolate delivery.