Courier lost parcel - kind of

tangotonyb

I sent a parcel worth £30 via Parcel2Go using Hermes. I didn't insure it.

The item was marked as delivered. Then 5 days later the customer complains he hasn't received it. I check the tracking - it shows delivery to a safe location at 10:42pm!! The customer says no card received, and no parcel found on property.

All I've had back from the courier (final answer) is that tracking shows as delivered, so investigation closed.

Now in the T&C's of P2G they have the following:
4.1 We will make one attempt to deliver a Consignment during normal working hours. If we cannot obtain a delivery receipt at the Delivery Point you agree that we shall be authorised to attempt to:
(a) deliver the Consignment to, or obtain a delivery receipt from, an alternative address close to the Delivery Point; or
(b) deliver the Consignment to a safe location at the Delivery Point
and (if successful) we agree that we will leave at the Delivery Point details of the address or safe location to which we have delivered the Consignment.

For starters - 10:42pm cannot be "normal working hours" - secondly no card was delivered to the address.

P2G are taking the line because it wasn't insured they're not going to compensate.
But surely this isn't simply a "lost item", this is a total and deliberate breach of contract by their service provider.

I read another case where someone took them to court over this - should I do the same? Anyone got any thoughts?

Castle

Have you asked for the "sat-nav" records to confirm where their delivery van/car was at 10.42pm.

tangotonyb

Well I have to go via Parcel2Go - I get the impression that nobody actually cares about this assuming that because it's uninsured they have nothing to lose (guessing).

Parcel2Go have sent me 2 pieces of info from the courier the timeline is as follows:
1) Wed 25th July claim opened
2) Friday 27th I contact them to learn the courier has responded saying they needed to investigate further.
3) Monday 30th - I again contact them, this time to learn that the courier states delivery successful - END OF STORY.

I asked for evidence - they said there is nothing on the system.

I've emailed the claims team directly to demand more information, but I suspect unless I can bring legal action to bear, that they won't be forthcoming.

agrinnall

Did your customer provide you with a safe location where parcels can be left which you then provided to the courier? If so, did the courier take a photo of the parcel at that safe location?

tangotonyb

Item was sold via eBay - leaving parcels in a "safe location" is part of Parcel2Go's T&C's, but they say "no photo on system" - whether that means no photo taken, or they have simply not obtained the photo from Hermes I cannot say. I have asked repeatedly for a photo, and they have not or will not supply it.

All of the information I have, is in these messages - the customer stating not received (item or card), the rather odd tracking, and the "end of the line" response from Parcel2Go after minimal investigation.

mattyprice4004

eBay will close the case in your favour if the tracking shows delivery.

You need to insure your parcels if you want to be paid out - that’s the idea behind it.
There are so, so many warnings about not being covered for loss or damage on the P2G website - it’s rubbish, but if you actively choose not to be covered, you only have yourself to blame for cheaping out when selecting a delivery method.

FYI I send a lot with them and choose to self insure - if something goes missing I cover the loss myself with the money saved from not insuring. The small amount that do go missing are more than covered by the saving - I guess you were just unlucky

tangotonyb

Hi matty - the point is that in this case, the item wasn't lost en-route.

According to the tracking which Hermes are insisting is accurate, they did not even come close to fulfiling the contract. I've had items go missing before and like you, I've coughed up - self insurance is the way to go.

This is rather different.

Castle

tangotonyb wrote: »

Hi matty - the point is that in this case, the item wasn't lost en-route.

According to the tracking which Hermes are insisting is accurate, they did not even come close to fulfiling the contract. I've had items go missing before and like you, I've coughed up - self insurance is the way to go.

This is rather different.

According to Hermes's T&C's, (section 7.8), the tracking facility doesn't form part of the contract and they provide no warranty as to its accuracy:
https://www.myhermes.co.uk/terms-and-conditions.html

tangotonyb

My contract wasn't with Hermes.

Regardless, the accuracy or not of the tracking is not in question here. Hermes have already indicated that they are content it is accurate.

tangotonyb

The similarity of this case is what prompted me to post here.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3252890/courier-company-lost-our-parcel-due-to-their-negligence

sheramber

Our Hermes courier normally leaves parcels in the shed of we are not in. They do not leave a postcard.

We either find out from the tracking or we find it next time we go in the shed either to look for a missing parcel or by accident when looking for something else in the shed.

One day I noticed a parcel down behind a plant pot at the front door- well hidden from view.

When we checked the CCTV it had been delivered four days earlier. Although it had rained fortunately no rain had reached the parcel.