Parcel Query

Hsl500

Hi I sold my special needs pram online few days ago, the lady who bought it paid for a courier via Interparcel, she told me would be picked up today,
Today a knock on the door white van with a man in a blue uniform asked if had a parcel to collect, so i gave him the pram, asked if needed a reciept and he said no text the lady to say picked up by white van and no paperwork she text back yes thats right,
3pm i get a knock citylink come to pick parcel up? so i ask the lady who courier was and she said citylink via interparcel,
Ive rung citylink and they have told me got it down as not collected as parcel want here to pick up at 3pm?
Somebody came at 1pm and collected the parcel but ive got no proof or paperwork just the text I sent the lady saying been collected.
Im not sure what to do next or whos got the pram, the lady paid me £200 bank transfer , any idea what i should do next do i refund her ? how long do i give for pram to be delivered?
thanks

arcon5

You don't refund her until you know what happened.

If the lady booked the collection and the courier lost it, she is responsible for that - she has the contract with the courier and she can claim compensation!

You do though need to determine who the first guy was as if that had nothing to do with her then it could in fact be you out of pocket and bearing all liability.
Maybe i'm just overly sceptical, but could this be a scam? lady books 2 couriers, second courier = failed collection = proof you never made the pram available for collection. She then retrieves the first collection and claims a refund, thus has money + goods.

The white unbranded van isn't necessarily something to worry about - many mainstream couriers employ self employed drivers who have their own vehicles, many without signage.
Did the blue uniform have any logos or anything on?
Maybe that's a start in tracing what company collected the goods?

Hsl500

Hi no just a plain navy all in one uniform
I told lady if cant find who courier is il contact police and they can use CCTV don't know if a option or not but don't know what to do
She's from Scotland and I'm north west uk , I've got tracking number so going to ring company on Monday make sure not 2 deliveries
I just don't know what to do as got no proof she paid bank transfer so don't think could claim back?
First time ever sold anything that's why I told her to sort courier so when they knocked never thought anything of it
Feel so stupid now
Thanks

arcon5

Hsl500 wrote: »

Hi no just a plain navy all in one uniform
I told lady if cant find who courier is il contact police and they can use CCTV don't know if a option or not but don't know what to do
She's from Scotland and I'm north west uk , I've got tracking number so going to ring company on Monday make sure not 2 deliveries
I just don't know what to do as got no proof she paid bank transfer so don't think could claim back?
First time ever sold anything that's why I told her to sort courier so when they knocked never thought anything of it
Feel so stupid now
Thanks

There's little to no protection when paying via bank transfer, so unless you refund her yourself the only other way would be to go via the courts - so it's in the recipients interest to work with you to resolve this.

It seems a major co-incidence on the day a courier was booked to collect it somebody turned up at your door asking if you had a parcel booked for collection.

You may even experience difficulties getting the police to take an interest, let alone trawling CCTV for evidence - still worth pushing for them to help though.

Could be something or nothing.

unholyangel

Nothing much I can add to what advice has already been given. Except perhaps did you notice if he was wearing or showed you an ID badge? Can you remember any of the details on it? You said there was no paperwork, did you mean that you had to fill in or that he didnt have any paperwork/clipboard etc? If he did have a clipboard, can you remember anything about them? Did they have a company name on it?

Only advice I can give for future (pretty sure no one else has said it, if they have, I apologise) is that whenever you hand over a parcel, even if it is something you have ordered that you are returning, always make sure you get a receipt from them.

Hsl500

Hi i know he had nothing was in a small white van lots of other parcels in it and he put the pram on top of those , he just had a navy blue all in one suit no badge that i saw, i did ask if that was it and he said yes hense texting the lady who bought it to check and she said yes thats right.
I didnt think of her having 2 couriers hoping not the case as put my trust in her , all i know is somewhere clearly labelled with her address is the pram , citylink are taking no responsbility as wasnt collected which is fair enough and tracking number she has given me via inter parcel is saying not collected as relates to city link , I did question as was a small white van and she said was fine used company lots of times , if she says not delivered im going to have to offer her a refund as no proof and tracking no she has given is saying never got picked up from me,
i dont even know any courier services who have plain white vans and navy uniform who could even ring see if had a collection from this address,
dont know what to do for best
thanks

Evilm

Hsl500 wrote: »

i dont even know any courier services who have plain white vans and navy uniform who could even ring see if had a collection from this address,
dont know what to do for best
thanks

These guys have Navy uniforms but don't show if they have plain Vans or not. They also say they have ID though...

http://www.courierlogistics.co.uk/pages/why-us

Seemingly these people have plain vans and all the photos show blue uniforms: http://dawlogisticsltd.co.uk/about-us.html

(probably both unrelated though.) When I first read your post I thought "that's a clever scam..." although since they've paid by bank transfer perhaps not!

Hsl500

Thanks I've told her of doesn't turn up il make it a police matter as somebody knew was being picked up, il need her details and inter parcels as its theft from somewhere , as she paid bank transfer it's in her intrests to help would have thought
I've got time frame as text her just after pick up our area is CCTV so hoping police could check that get reg trace van
Have to wait n see but hoping genuine mistake and turns up for her
Thanks

pendulum

Seems suspicious, BUT - I doubt that if the buyer planned this scam, she would pay via genuine bank transfer, as that can't be reversed. A scammer would use PayPal or some other method where in this case a full refund would be virtually guaranteed.

Perhaps it's just a slip-up by the parcel company and two people were sent to pick it up.

Hsl500

Update thanks
after last text i recieved one saying she has double checked and its status is now showing at depot and been collected so out of my hands now
never again lol

arcon5

Hsl500 wrote: »

Update thanks
after last text i recieved one saying she has double checked and its status is now showing at depot and been collected so out of my hands now
never again lol

Sounds like it could be a technical glitch then and the job was double booked.

I weight off your shoulders no doubt