Interparcel & Hermes Disaster

Shugwood

I'LL NEVER ATTEMPT TO USE INTERPARCEL OR HERMES AGAIN!
On Wednesday 7th May I booked, or thought I'd booked, Hermes to collect a parcel. I booked online via Interparcel. They told me it would be collected between 0800 and 2100 on Friday 9th - a pretty wide and inconvenient time slot. But they didn't collect. Phoned Hermes on the Saturday. They didn't want to know - "speak to Interparcel". Interparcel are closed at weekends. Got through to Interparcel on Monday 12th -"oh sorry, we'll rebook it for Tuesday 13th and find out what went wrong". No feedback from Interparcel, however, and the parcel was not collected on the Tuesday either. So here I am, a week later, still with my parcel. I'm trying to keep an eBay buyer pacified so I decide to pay for a 24 hour service with Parcel Force.

Apart from a refund of my original payment and a verbal apology, there is no chance of a goodwill "let us compensate you for the extra cost". Neither organisation takes any responsibility. Hermes don't collect if they don't feel like it and they don't even tell Interparcel they haven't collected. It's left to the customer to tell Interparcel. What a cosy set-up. They are not concerned with customer service, just profit. Not enough profit in your parcel? then we they don't bother to collect it and we won't even tell anyone. BEWARE

ballisticbrian

In all the years I've been using Hermes, I've only had one item go missing (over xmas) and one item damaged, which is quite good considering the number sent. I must admit, I have never tried booking a collection as I drop the parcel off at the shop, which is cheaper and if you know what time their collection is, you can get the item into the system same day normally.


Just to add, I'm not sure why you would go through an intermediary "Interparcel" anyway?

mrcol1000

Agree with the above. My Hermes is so cheap direct that going through Interparcel is just asking for trouble. It also depends on your local courier. We have a good working relationship with ours and normally comes at the same time every day. We have had problems with couriers not turning up when he has been away though. We have also had this problem with City Link. Both turned up the next day though.

mgdavid

I use Hermes a fair bit, through P2G. They've never lost anything, never damaged anything (but I take care to pack properly). I use both shop-drop for small items and home pickup for large or heavy items. The local collection agent is really good, knows exactly where I leave stuff and just gets on with it as I'm invariably on calls when working from home. Horses for courses I guess...

Obviously_the_best

Using a broker with couriers you can book direct with is asking for trouble.

mgdavid

Obviously_the_best wrote: »

Using a broker with couriers you can book direct with is asking for trouble.

Disagree as I've worked this way for years with no trouble. It enables me to see at a glance the choice of price vs. delivery service for each item, and book it on the spot. As well as Hermes I do use CityLink, UPS and sometimes DHL depending on wt, dims and destination.

Deru

Obviously_the_best wrote: »

Using a broker with couriers you can book direct with is asking for trouble.

It's cheaper with Citylink but with myHermes, seems a bit pointless unless they make it cheaper? My Hermese is already pretty cheap.

I also drop off so don't know about their collection service.


My Hermes use 'lifestyle' delivery couriers. Any Tom, !!!!!! and Harry can work as contractors. Not sure if you got a bad one (assuming collection works the same as deliveries).

BTW, Citylink have been pretty good for me with collection if you're switching.

knightstyle

Like the above I use the drop off option with Hermes, have a look and see if there is a drop off near you, quick and easy with no time wasted waiting for pick up.

Kernow666

300 parcels in last couple of years one breakage ( my fault badly packed ) no losses

i think i will avoid in future in sympathy of the OP's suggestion

fishybusiness

Apart from a refund of my original payment and a verbal apology, there is no chance of a goodwill "let us compensate you for the extra cost". Neither organisation takes any responsibility.

I don't see why you would expect compensation from a failed pick up. Would you also expect compensation for a failed delivery?

Sometimes couriers don't pick up, and it is just one of life's grumbles.

Swap to a different courier, although for their troubles, Hermes are very competitive.

deal_deal

hello,
new to this, need to post parcel to spain, who to use as keep hearing horror stories , parcel is 4k, 64cm long not wide , confused !!
if anyone can help please let me know , and can i send elecrical items ? as some sites say no???