Failed Amazon delivery - can I claim my time?

regency_man

Hi folks,

I read the article on Failed Delivery Fightback but I'm unsure on where my particular case stands - as to whether I can claim for my time.

City Link tried to deliver a parcel on 31st of December, completely unexpectedly because I ordered on the 30th using Amazon Super Saver Delivery - which is advertised as 3 to 5 days - in any case I was in Edinburgh for New Years celebrations and missed the delivery, and got left a little green card.

On the card it said I had several options, one of which was to go to their website and click a button to confirm I would collect the parcel from the depot. I did this, and decided I would take 2 hours vacation from work this morning (3rd) and collect the package. So I made the 40 mile round trip.

When I arrived at the depot the chap behind the counter very unceremoniously said "ah mate, its been loaded onto a van and it's out for delivery - in fact he just tried to deliver it while you were on your way over here". Why on earth did he do that, I asked, as I requested a depot pickup the day before. Well, he said, sometime the loaders don't check the pick-up list before they load the van, probably because yesterday was a bank holiday.

After a frustrating 10 minute exchange we established that I had requested a depot collection at 7pm on the 2nd Jan, the van had been loaded at 6am on 3rd Jan and the loader/driver must not have checked the pickup list, or the office forgot to send it through. My option was for another Mon-Fri 8-6 delivery, or to come back to the depot later in the week, when it would "definitely be here".

A bit miffed off I headed back home and got on the phone to Amazon, who said they would call CityLink and arrange for a Saturday delivery at no extra cost to me, but this would also be 8am-6pm - ruining my weekend but not actually 'costing' me anything. So she said I was not due compensation for this.

Is this right? I made a pointless 40mile journey and took 2 hours off work for nothing because of CityLink's incompetence and now I have to sit in my flat all weekend waiting for a parcel. I feel a bit hard done by.

Any ideas? Should I push Amazon for more?

visidigi

lets not over embellish things...

1) The speed of the service was quick - and you're only in this situation because of Amazon's efficiency - that should be taken into account somewhat.
2) You missed the delivery, so therefore its a problem caused by you not being in - the arrangement of the package in the depot is the depots fault, and they have offered solutions - agreed none of them good.
3) Amazon have added Saturday delivery to your shipment (when they didn't have to) as a goodwill - they are picking up the tab.
4) you do not have to wait in all weekend, its a Saturday delivery and the courier's want a weekend too, I haven't had a delivery come after 8am from City link yet (I have Amazon prime and use the Saturday delivery option ALOT).

Amazon seem to be going out of their way for a company who really haven't done anything wrong...can't really see why you feel you are entitled to compensation (I REALLY do not agree with that MSE guide - it makes out that compensation is a right and it simply isn't)

regency_man

I take your point, and if it does arrive early on Sat I will probably forget about this whole thing, but what is frustrating me and making me want to take action is that this happens every bloody time!

I work long hours Mon-Fri and I cherish my weekends, hence I would say 90% of deliveries I have ever received have been kept at the depot - requiring me to make 40, 50 or even 60 mile round-trips to the depot (depending on the courier). This is the only option retailers offer, Mon to Fri during business hours forcing you to take holiday, or forcing you to not make plans and stay in on a Saturday (and even then only some offer this).

Over the years this will have added up to hundreds of pounds in fuel and if you take the value of my holidays hours, thousands of pounds of those - which I have never been reimbursed for. But it's still cheaper for me to make these trips than wait in 8am to 6pm for a delivery.

If more people started making and being granted these compensation claims and the retailers pass their loss onto the couriers (which I'm sure they do in one way or another) then hopefully if will instigate change.

I mean really, how hard would it be for the couriers to start doing timed evening deliveries? Mon-Fri 6pm to 9pm - I could be around for those 90% of the time. The reason that they don't do it is because they scrape a bit of extra profit by combining their business delivery services (who want their items during the working day) with their residential delivery services (who want their items NOT during the working day).

If enough people start claiming compensation for this stuff it might force a much needed change of thinking in the retailer/courier industry.

I can't remember who it is (maybe HDNL or DPD) but one of the couriers offers a 1hr delivery window service, which is amazing, but with most big retailers (Amazon included) you can't request a specific courier you are stuck with what they offer - this needs to change.

peachyprice

regency_man wrote: »

to take action is that this happens every bloody time!

I work long hours Mon-Fri and I cherish my weekends, hence I would say 90% of deliveries I have ever received have been kept at the depot - requiring me to make 40, 50 or even 60 mile round-trips to the depot (depending on the courier). This is the only option retailers offer, Mon to Fri during business hours forcing you to take holiday, or forcing you to not make plans and stay in on a Saturday (and even then only some offer this).

Or you could just arrange deliveries to your place of work during business hours like alot of people do, problem solved.

regency_man

Unfortunately I have enquired about this and as I work for a company that services UK military contracts we are not allowed to receive personal deliveries at work for security reasons - they get turned away at the gate.

visidigi

regency_man wrote: »

If enough people start claiming compensation for this stuff it might force a much needed change of thinking in the retailer/courier industry.

compensation for what? this is why the guide is just wrong on so many levels. Imagine you are the retailer - what would you do? I'd probably shut up shop to be quite honest!

You ordering online at a cheaper price and complaining that they don't deliver round you? Do you not see how unreasonable that is? Its your choice to buy online - you buy knowing delivery needs to occur somewhere, somehow.

If you want convenience you buy in a store - in your own time. If you want price you buy online and accept the delivery service provided.

DPD is the courier who offer an ESTIMATED delivery hour - but that is not guaranteed, and my local driver knows me and knows when i will be around if I am not working from home on that day (he drives past early) he will come back later.

You would be much better placed to get to know your couriers - you're not going to change the way of the delivery world just to suit your needs I am afraid.

visidigi

regency_man wrote: »

Unfortunately I have enquired about this and as I work for a company that services UK military contracts we are not allowed to receive personal deliveries at work for security reasons - they get turned away at the gate.

ask the gate guy if he will sign for them for you

Oliver14

You can put a claim in for mental anguish caused by the early delivery. They will also pay for 10 years worth of counselling caused by this unacceptable early delivery.

somethingcorporate

I agree with most of the sarcastic replies, but, in this day and age if you don't ask you don't get. So ask them!

regency_man

visidigi wrote: »

compensation for what? this is why the guide is just wrong on so many levels. Imagine you are the retailer - what would you do? I'd probably shut up shop to be quite honest!

You ordering online at a cheaper price and complaining that they don't deliver round you? Do you not see how unreasonable that is? Its your choice to buy online - you buy knowing delivery needs to occur somewhere, somehow.

Yes, I agree, the delivery needs to occur somewhere somehow, but when all the options the retailer offers are not suitable what are you supposed to do? Pay an extra 20% on the highstreet? Not likely.

I only ever choose super-saver on Amazon - because I am cheap? No. Because why would I pay for a delivery when I know I am only going to have to drive and get it myself anyway? Whether it arrives next-day for £10 or 5 days later for £0 I still have to find a slot in my week to drive to the depot.

I would pay for delivery if I could time the delivery to a 1 or 2 hour slot, or guarantee evening delivery, I would pay every time.

It is a waste of my time and the couriers time and energy to load a parcel onto a van when I know I will not be in to receive it, but there isn't any other way.

What I am advocating is that couriers/retailers should offer more options:

1. Automatic hold at depot option - I get an email when the parcel gets to the depot and I can collect it same-day. Rather than what currently happens, which is it arrives, they try to deliver, I find out too late that day and have to wait until the next day to collect it. This would be almost zero-cost to implement for the couriers.

2. Evening deliveries (6-9pm) - self explanatory, charge a premium for it, I'd pay.

3. Accurate delivery windows - the couriers know the routes their vans take and what times they are in each area. Granted, it will vary somewhat with volume, but it shouldn't be too hard to give a 1 or 2 hour window for a delivery. Why not publish this, even as a 'guide time'? I mean really, it ought to be possible with modern software to give a 10 minute delivery window. The computers at the couriers plan the routes, they know exactly which parcels are on the van and the address each one is going to. Traffic will cause variance but as long as I could see that delivery window on some kind of live tracker I could plan to be in for that short time rather than the whole day.

You are being too nice to the couriers. In the business world, those couriers who deal with just-in-time supply chains have delivery slots as small as 15 minutes dictated by the CUSTOMER and if they miss them, late OR EARLY, they have a financial penalty. This is why the residential customers are an afterthought - its a 'best effort' service for us. I've had couriers shove a 'sorry we missed you' note through the door while I'm in and when I run after them they admit it was never loaded on the van.

If it takes a bit of questionable claiming to get couriers to treat residential customers more seriously, I'm all for it.

visidigi

Okay, well this is no longer a consumer rights discussion - this needs to be on the praise, vents and warning board.