Home Delivery Network - warning!

Forris

Tori10 wrote: »

It's beyond a joke now, I don't know why companies use HDL when all you have to do is 'google' them to find masses of complaints against them.
I've had items thrown over my 6ft fence before, but hey...at least I got them!
Why has nothing been done about this company yet?? It beggars belief that they are still in business.

The courier business is extremely competitive and HDNL are the cheapest of the the major players. Due to high-volume retailers, such as Amazon, trying to cut costs and offer free delivery (which the end customer is demanding), price is the main criteria for choosing a delivery partner.

Bournvita_Seeker

Hi All,
Just ot add my woes ;
I ordered a number of items from Amazon.co.uk as I always do at this time of year for my son's birthday.
these made up 1 order, and as usual - as I have done for a number of years this got me free delivery - nothing new here.:j
Amazon said my order was dispatched, but then actually dispatched it in 3 parts, 2 parts via royal mail which turned up no problem and 1 part through HDNL whom I had never heard of before.
I got in yesterday to find a card from HDNL in my hallway saying they had tried to deliver and that the parcel had been put ...... at the FRONT DOOR!:eek:
Well, I don't know about other people, but for me that is not delivered. There is not parcel and having read some of the posts here i doubt there ever was a parcel.

I have checked the whole front of my house - asked the neighbours if they saw a parcel - they say no - and so tried to contact HDNL - the HDNL website has a section where you can type in the card number and your postcode, but says mine is invalid - no option to email them. I tried to call HDNL - the premium rate number on the back of the card generally allows you to reschedule - but if you follow the meu it takes you throught o an option to speak to a customer service personnal - but if you select that option it hangs up on you - every time - I tried 8 times:mad:.
I found the "say no to 08700" website following other complaint threads about HDNL, and called their head office, their automated reply told me their customer service is closed, please call back when it is open and then tells you the days and times - which is right now - whilst I am on the phone!:mad:
I checked with Amazon online - it says delivered, no opportunity to mark the item as undelivered or to raise a complaint with them through the ordering system so back to "sayno to 08700" got Amazons customer care number and spoke to a lovely chap who sadly cannot help as he had to contact HDNL - he did it for me whilst I was on the phone and got the reply from them to say they need to speak to the driver on Monday. The Amazon customer care chap promised me if they do not sort this out by Tuesday 24th August 2010 that he will resend - I made it clear I want it sent via royal mail - even if I have to pay postage .:(
What I do not get, is that all the items I bought from amazon were from amazon, fulfilled by amazon and all of them were books.
They chose to send the more expensive books via the worst delivery company I have ever heard of, and yet managed to get the other books to me quite nicely through Royal Mail.
I have also emailed Amazon to advise them that I purchased these items from Amazon, not HDNL, I had no idea they would be sent via HDNL, and that the other parts of the same orderr were sent via royal mail and therefore I hold Amazon responsible for sorting it out - and sharpish as it is my sons birthday next week.
:rotfl:Honestly - they should say that their FREE delivery (supersaver) has now changed and that you may enver ever get your books or other items that way. I have never had a problem with Amazons free delivery, I have never had an order delivered via HDNL. If a major retailer is going to change their service so radically as to endager the delivery or in the case of someone here's DVD player safety - they should be required by law to state this in BIG RED LETTERS all over their website ordering section and before you check out make you have one of those pop up windows which says "are you sure, are you really sure you want to allow us to give the products you have already paid for, to the biggest bunch of crooks around - go on - select a different delivery method - this on e sucks!" before they let you check out.:rotfl:
I am fuming - I do not want to let my son down, I count myself as really really lucky that my son loves books so much and picks them for his birthday every year instead of all the fad toys out there - and I really do not want to let him down and am cross that Amazon can continue to use a company they know sucks ( the customer services guy admitted to me that Amazon are aware of the issues with HDNL)
sorry to rant - but this seemed to be the right place to do so and perhaps if what I have done so far gets me my parcels, it might help someone else.:beer:

custardy

give amazon a call 0800 496 1081
they use HDNL because they are cheap
Amazon obviously feel they make enough of a % of successful deliveries to keep them on

Bournvita_Seeker

custardy wrote: »

give amazon a call 0800 496 1081
they use HDNL because they are cheap
Amazon obviously feel they make enough of a % of successful deliveries to keep them on

I called Amazon again today as I had not heard back about the HDNL situation, they had never heard of the customer serrvices chap I had spoken to (and said I could call him on the number I had) and I had to start the thing all over again. :mad:

It turns out they have refunded me and the lady said - "just order it again" at which point I laughed and asked her why I would do that if they are just going to use HDNL again. I asked if I just paid for delivery would that guarantee me a non-HDNL delivery - she said no. She said the only way to ensure I get the parcels is to pay for express delivery which is £8.99 - which I did, simply because it is the only way I can get the items now, in the time I need them.

I have written a response to the open case email I got from the Amazon customer services chap I originally spoke to, saying I was not happy.
The one thing I asked him not to do, was to refund me - we agreed he would sent the items again if the matter was not resolved by the end of today, and yet he refunded me at 10:00 Am this morning without calling me back as promised.am miffed at having to pay such high delivery rates just to sort out a problem they caused.

At least I will have my money back - in 2-3 business days, but
hopefully I should have my order by 1pm tomorrow, luckily I am on hols so am able to be in to sign for it - others may not have this luxury.

good points - quick refund from Amazon
:mad: bad points - Amazon ignored what we agreed, I had to pay £8.99 to (hopefully) get what I had ordered under Amazon free delivery, you have to have at least twice as much money as it costs in your account (unless you have the time to wait for the refund to be processed by your bank - not bad if its a book, not good if its a fridge or TV!) you have to be in to sign for it.Still no reply from HDNL.

I think my postie is ace - and he has never let us down, perhaps because he knows everyone on our road, the personal touch helps - but probably because as a Royal mail employee he takes more pride in his work than delivery comapnies do - but either way I really wish online companies would just use royal mail - surely if more parcels went through them the costs would come down?

flush80

I dont understand where they employ these people that work for hdnl, its like they were all born in a barn .

I recieved a delivery today, quite expensive batch , about 200 quid worth of items in a package.

I was in all day and heard no bell or knocks. at 6pm , i went outside to get some milk and voila, there is was, DUMPED outside my house in full view of any passers by in a busy residential street.

delivering stuff is NOT rocket science, there 2 steps involved,

1) ring bell or knock
2) hand over package

I seriously hope they improve thier standards, thank god royal mail deliver most of my stuff- at least thier delivery folk are polite and have a brain cell, it seems to me these hdnl chavs dont give a crap about customers.

they should be named and shamed until someone high up over there sorts them out , the CEO , whoever or whatever he is should be ashamed.

custardy

flush80 wrote: »

I dont understand where they employ these people that work for hdnl, its like they were all born in a barn .

I recieved a delivery today, quite expensive batch , about 200 quid worth of items in a package.

I was in all day and heard no bell or knocks. at 6pm , i went outside to get some milk and voila, there is was, DUMPED outside my house in full view of any passers by in a busy residential street.

delivering stuff is NOT rocket science, there 2 steps involved,

1) ring bell or knock
2) hand over package

I seriously hope they improve thier standards, thank god royal mail deliver most of my stuff- at least thier delivery folk are polite and have a brain cell, it seems to me these hdnl chavs dont give a crap about customers.

they should be named and shamed until someone high up over there sorts them out , the CEO , whoever or whatever he is should be ashamed.

its simple
their staff get paid pennys and need to maximise their number of deliveries to earn
so they cut corners

trickyvicky1972

I bought a bed from Littlewoods 11 weeks ago and it still hasnt arrived! They have been really good about it, but HDNL are absolutley awful. They have given me 9 delivery dates and failed to tun up to any! I have taken 4 days off work to sit in for it and still NOTHING! I have explained to them that my daughter is sleeping on a mattress on the floor. Again NOTHING

After 5 weeks they cancelled my order and sent it back to Littlewoods. then they couldnt locate the bed! They call to tell me its on its way and then I sit and wait, and wait but no-one comes. I had murder with them on the phone, after being told it was coming on the 6th, then the 10th, then the 13th, then 20th of August. I was promised by a manager that it would come today, but surprise surprise NOTHING! I did get a phone call at 8.30am by a lovely condesending lady who informed me that "the bed is not on the van and she doesnt know why, it just isnt!" I asked to speak to a manager and was told that the manager is "too busy to speak to you" at which point I lost it completely!

The manager was also unhelpful. You would assume that the manager of customer services would know various things about customer care etc wouldnt you? The manager does not know the complaints procedure. She also does not know what the company policy is around complaints. I suggested that maybe the complaint fairies come in the night to fix any problems that they have or that more likely they sit in an inbox or a drawer until someone can be bothered to deal with them. (the complaints, not the fairies!) I have asked for a form or an email address to address complaints to and have been given wrong infomation twice.

I have never swore so much or been reduced to tears of frustration as I have today. HDNL are an absolute disgrace. They have no customer care, no facility to make a complaint (well if the staff dont know how are we supposed to know?). They are rude and obnoxious and hopefully will be dropped by companies as a result.

Apparently they have a new IT system which is causing problems. I wish they would realise that it isnt a pc that rings me with dates, but a real human person! It isnt a pc I argue with, who promises me new dates and times, but again, a real human person. !!!!!! :mad:

Bekko

Hi guys i brought an item from Play.com on the 26/8/2010 and it arrived on 28/8/2010. the item had been opened and probably used. It was a mobile phone that had no screen protector on it and all the plastic bags that have the charger etc had been opened. I phoned Play to report it that same day and they issued for HDNL to pick it up for return to play.com for a refund on the 1/9/2010. Noone came to my address i made several phone calls to HDN that day to see where the driver was and was told he left the depo at 11:10 am and would still be with me i was told this at 7:45 pm that evening. The next day i phoned HDN to see why noone came the day before and i was told someone came to me at 10:40 am and left a calling card in the door. Nobody came here that day and left a calling card in the door. How do you leave a depo at 11:10 am and get to your destination at 10:40 am ? lol were they using a time machine.I arranged for another HDN courrier to attempt collection of the parcel on the 3/9/2010 i had to goout that morning so asked them if they could collect the parcel from my next door neighbours. HDN never turned up i phoned them and was told exactly the same thing that they called at 10:40 and left a calling card in the door. Myself and my neighbour has had no calling card left and my neighbour was in all the time waiting for them to call i returned home about 11:30am and phoned them. I have arranged for collection of the parcel for Monday the 6th September now. I have spoken to Play on the phone about this and they say it is to do with the courrier. I have allso sent Play an email to complain about it but still waiting for a response from them. I phoned HDNL and all they say is a calling card was left and they will attemp to pick it up again on Monday the 6th September. What can i do to get HDNL to pick this dam parcel up lol i am getting annoyed with waiting around and phoning them up now.

Thanks Michael

Dr_Cuckoo3

Bekko wrote: »

What can i do to get HDNL to pick this dam parcel up lol i am getting annoyed with waiting around and phoning them up now.

Thanks Michael

order about 20 parcels from companies that use HDNL - when the courier turns up to deliver hand over your parcel and refuse the rest :idea:

Lookman

: It is only since the beginning of September and not Christmas yet. My parcel dispatched from Amazon in late August is stuck in the Gatwick depot of Home Delivery Network.

Things have not improved in nearly four years.