Courier company had a crash in France, please help.

MISTYC

Hi everyone,
first time posting so please be gentle..
I sold an item an item to a gentlemen in Spain, the item cost £525 plus £105 courier fees.
I arranged the courier company which I thought was going to be a direct delivery. It turned out they had passed it onto another courier company, with a Portugese driver.
I contacted original company a number of times (whilst item was in transit ) as I needed a date for delivery.
(Originally I was told it will be picked up on Wednesday and delivery would start on the Friday) But then it turned out they where waiting for more cargo before they would start moving the items.
Anyway cut a long story short :mad: a few weeks later Portugese driver has managed to overturn lorry and there was French and British Insurers involved.

We where told they didn't know whether our item was damaged or not and we would have to wait until it arrived at a warehouse where everything was getting stored.

Weeks of communication and insurers say they could not access storage as French insurers where arguing over storage costs.

In the meanwhile we have had to pay the purchaser all the costs back.

Eventually insurers send us photographs of items asking if they where ours, and items looked quite poorly!!!
They said they would get them back to UK and then send them to us, hhhmmmm

Do we get them NO!!
Why ?? because they sent them to the wrong address and where now trying to find them!

The last communication with insurance company was 3 weeks ago and they are not answering e.mails.
This has gone on since January 6th

I am not getting anywhere and dont know what to do next,
and help appreciated, many thanks

pinkshoes

Why are you dealing with the insurance company directly??

Your contract is with the courier company and them alone.

Send them a letter (yes, pen and paper!) telling them you want a full refund of the £105 courier fees, and £525 for the cost of the item that was damaged in transit. Give them 14 days to pay.

If they don't reply, then send another letter giving them a further 7 days to pay, otherwise you'll take them to court.

MISTYC

Hi pinkshoes, we started dealing with the Insurance company directly because we started doubting the courier had insurance, as we felt like we where getting the runaround.
We had rung them with the details we had from the courier company.
As time went on we originally felt like we where getting somewhere, but it has now become laughable with the items going missing.

wealdroam

MISTYC wrote: »

Hi pinkshoes, we started dealing with the Insurance company directly because we started doubting the courier had insurance, as we felt like we where getting the runaround.
We had rung them with the details we had from the courier company.
As time went on we originally felt like we where getting somewhere, but it has now become laughable with the items going missing.

Whether the courier company that you contracted to deliver the goods has insurance or not is irrelevant.
They must take responsibility for your package.

Do as Pinkshoes says.
That is the most sensible way to address the issue.

MISTYC

Hi, I e.mailed the courier earlier with the information exactly as I was going to write in a follow up letter. Basically about the item going missing and asking for the costs etc

Surprise surprise he e.mailed me an hour later to say he would look into it and then a little later I received another e.mail to say he had been in touch with insurers. The insurers have now found it and it is enroute to be delivered back to me.

When the item eventually returns back to me, we know it is damaged from the photographs which where e.mailed to us a while ago.
Can you tell me where I go from here? Many thanks

unholyangel

MISTYC wrote: »

Hi, I e.mailed the courier earlier with the information exactly as I was going to write in a follow up letter. Basically about the item going missing and asking for the costs etc

Surprise surprise he e.mailed me an hour later to say he would look into it and then a little later I received another e.mail to say he had been in touch with insurers. The insurers have now found it and it is enroute to be delivered back to me.

When the item eventually returns back to me, we know it is damaged from the photographs which where e.mailed to us a while ago.
Can you tell me where I go from here? Many thanks

I would imagine find out if its repairable. If it is then send them the quote. If its not then you'd be looking to recover the full cost from them.

nomoneytoday

Is the courier UK based?
How did you pay their fees?