MSE Blog: It didn’t leave my book in a puddle, but Yodel still bungled my delivery

juno

Yodel left a parcel that said "The Open University - educational papers" all over it, on my doorstep in the rain. Unsurprisingly it was soaked through and IT had to request a replacement.

sorrel

Well, Amazon used HDNL/Yodel to deliver the mother's day present I ordered via Prime on Friday, to be delivered yesterday. Tracking showing the "sorted at the hub" thing all day yesterday, and not even an attempted delivery. Great. I do not want to organise a redelivery when I haven't even had a first one, thank you.

We had a dreadful experience just before christmas with Yodel, stating they had tried to deliver somethng on two different occasions, when they hadn't, then an eventual arrival on a day it wasn't scheduled. I guess in future I shall have to get more organised and do my shopping instore, the old fashioned way.

joey2307

Having recently (Nov 2013) ordered a rabbit hutch (flat pack but obviously still huge) we tracked the parcel via Yodel's site. I was at work, but my wife was at home and available to receive the package.

Whilst at work I checked the tracking and it said delivered and signed for by me! I thought no more of it and then text my wife to ask was it any good etc? To my horror she said it hadn't arrived.

Numerous phone calls and e-mails happened in the following hours. I was told (a) the trace team would be on the case but it would take 24 hours to trace, (b) they would talk to the driver when he finished his shift - they could not get hold of the driver whilst he was out because they do not have company mobile phones and they don't hold personal mobile numbers of staff on their database, (c) if the driver had simply said he didn't remember there was little that could be done, (d) they put he name of the addressee on the tracking website regardless of who actually signed for it.

Once the driver had finished his shift he happened to be being interviewed right then. The lady on the phone told me the driver said he left it with a neighbour. I left the lady on hold and checked with my elderly neighbour one side and my other neighbour who has two very young children. Nothing.

We had more or less given up for the day when the lady from 3 doors away knocked saying that she had our hutch. Phew! BUT, she said the driver said he couldn't find our house (there are only 20 houses on our street, ours is less than 50 yards from theirs!)) and he put the card through their neighbours house!

I did the decent thing and phoned Yodel back to tell them the problem was solved but despite this they continued to call us over the next few days.

The business we purchased the hut from were very generous and refunded us 40% of the price which was ample compensation to cover the inconvenience and expensive 08... numbers which I could not find a landline alternative for online.

The seller (not ebay btw) was brilliant throughout and supplied a very high quality rabbit hutch we are thoroughly pleased with to replace our old one. But this company's reputation was at stake through no fault of their own.

We live in the countryside and I work at a school so the argument about getting things delivered to work or to take time off to be in when delivered is a non-argument. As is the option of going to shops that are few and far between. We have plenty of safe areas near our front door and our neighbours are wonderful.