Delivery rights discussion 3 October 2011 at 4:20PM edited 10 November 2011 at 5:22PM in Consumer Rights 584 replies 109.8K views

Former_MSE_Rose

Hi all, we've written a new Delivery Rights guide to help you get compensation for extra time off if you've lost out due to a delivery problems, and we'd love your feedback.

If you've tried the techniques mentioned in the guide, were you successful? Did you manage to get compensation, and if so, how much? Is there anything you'd add, or if you work for a delivery company, have you any insider tips?

Thanks for your help!

MSE Rose

wealdroam

Hi, an excellent article, but can I just point out a small error?

It states...

Buy online or use 'time is of the essence' trick

The easy way to ensure you can is always get a refund is to buy online. Most goods and services you buy online (or by mail order, or phone) are covered by Distance Selling Regulations. This gives you the right to return orders within seven working days and get a full refund, although you may need to pay return delivery costs.

The last sentence there should read...

"This gives you the right to cancel orders within seven working days and get a full refund, although you may need to pay return delivery costs."

A refund is not conditional on the goods being returned. In other words, you can take as long as you like to return the goods, but the retailer must refund your money as soon as possible and definitely within thirty days if you have cancelled in those seven working days.

1ipstick

Brilliant. I remember suggesting something like this when Martin was asking for quick, straightforward changes he could ask for. I order online all the time and generally have no problems, but a John Lewis delivery became a long and very unfunny saga with the customer service agent being rude. (They used Home Delivery Network - go figure).
Asking for a delivery to go to a neighbour doesn't always work - I did this by asking them to just ring the three other bells in my building as someone would be in. They agreed. Several failed attempts later I found out they hadn't done this at all because they're not allowed to try multiple bells. Ridiculous...!

COSTLYPETROL

Has anyone experienced the fact Yodel (employed by Amazon) dump parcels instead of delivering them?

In our case our parcel was dumped by the roadside half a mile from our farm (we are remote!).

Amazon simply reply with a template apology email but no explanation.

Anyone know a contact at Amazon who is interested in what has occurred?

Bean2Bed.com

It is incredibly frustrating when you wait in for a parcel and it doesn't arrive, but how can Retailers cover consequential loss when no courier provides it?

A small business, and many large ones for that matter rely on a third party to manage their logistics, and if a delivery is late or doesn't arrive, there is nothing in the contract between the Retailer and the Courier to cover any losses as a result. If every customer was to make a claim for loss, the Retailers would keep losing out through no fault of their own.

apuleius

Excellent article Martin. I would add that following a number of horrendous delivery problems I will now not use any firm that uses YODEL (formerly HDNL/DHL). Similarly why John Lewis uses City Link another awful unreliable firm is beyond me: to date the only exemplary service that never fails is with online grocer Ocado.

lindso82

@COSTLYPETROL.. I have had the same problem with Yodel, and I am not remotely remote! I live in a city centre and was home, but they never rang. I'm only lucky that the concierge of my development is pretty switched on, and he saw my parcel outside the gates and brought it into his office, and put a card in my postbox to say it was there. It could easily have been stolen as it's quite a busy route past our apartment buildings. I got no joy whatsoever when I complained :-(

Main reason for my post, however, is to have a mini rant about Plusnet! Quite aside from their price hikes and rubbish customer service, I had a nightmare with installation. It took a great deal of messing around, making expensive calls to them on my mobile (since I obvs didn't have my landline yet!), and two missed visits, before they finally got someone round to plug my phone in (and it seems that's all they did, so quite what the "installation" fee was for is beyond me).
The part of this that really aggravated me, was that in their correspondance re: install dates, they threaten that if you aren't in and the appointment is missed, they will charge you a £40 missed visit penalty. Where is my £80 for the two visits that they didn't show up for when I had stayed home (ALL day) to wait for them?! The first one they said I hadn't answered. They never called; this is a small flat and I can guarantee there is no missing/ignoring the intercom bell when it goes off! The second time when I rang to see where they were, I got a vague and uninterested response that someone had mixed things up and I was booked in for a week later. I need the internet for work, and I'd already had two weeks of having to pay for mobile broadband while I waited for them. And yet another day off work? Not a happy bunny!

I wasn't sure if I could do anything about this, and if so, what? This article has given me a starting point to step it up (I had tried complaining by phone, but got fobbed off!), although it is a couple of months later now so I don't know if I will get any joy?

DragonQ

I also had an undelivered parcel from Yodel nearly two weeks ago, with no explanation. The tracking website then said it had been signed for and delivered which was completely false! Had to take an extra day off to receive it in the end (and gambled that it would turn up - they never actually told me it would). I asked how to claim compensation was given an email address ([email protected]). However, I've not received even an acknowledgement of my complaint/claim in nearly two weeks.

Inderveer

Really great article and, as someone that works for a specialist carrier and a serious online shopper, there is nothing more frustrating then taking time off for someone else's present this time of year! :mad:

I'm very mobile, no two days are the same, but lucky enough to work for a company that delivers parcels for mobile workers. About a year and a half ago it launched a service called myByBox.com which means that I can pick up all of my parcels from my nearest electronic locker.

So I don't need to wait in, ByBox receive it and send it to my nearest locker (at Victoria Station) and I pick it up from there.

Not sure if this will help any of you, but they deliver everyday (including Christmas). There's also a free month on sign-up so you can try the service over Christmas without paying... fearful this sounds like a promo but we genuinely have looked into consumer delivery rights and have tried to come up with a good alternative. Hope it works for some of you!

whitediabolo

You are right Martin, the buck stops with the Seller.... BUT the article you should be writing is about Fighting the Courier Companies that damage items en route, leave them without a signature or the courier signs it himself, having illegal excess clauses when you try and claim for an item that has been lost or damaged... should I go on?

They are ALL as bad as each other, finding a good courier with reasonable charges is impossible. All it takes is one person who is hired by a courier company who kicks items around and isn't bothered whether a parcel is signed for or left on a doorstep. The courier companies aren't bothered and are slow to react as they know it's not worth it for Sellers to claim because of excess clauses on the insurance which are illegal.

FranW1

I never even received my delivery from Amazon even though I'm a Prime member and it was supposed to be next day delivery. When I tracked it it said out with courier (DPD) who you can't get hold of EVER so I contacted Amazon after a week. :mad:They looked into it and before I knew it the money for the item was refunded. Now this may sound ok however the item in question was no longer on special offer and was on their site listed at twice the price....so how come I couldn't get a replacement??? Apparently something to do with Amazon listing the item but not selling it themselves....twoddle I'll never buy from them again!!