City-Link, I just don't understand

superscaper

Waiting for a parcel addressed to my mum. Friday, nothing, check online and it says delivery point closed (carded) at 9:03 AM. We were both in so don't know how we missed it and there definitely was no card. So arrange for redelivery Monday (yesterday).

Here's where it gets weird. I'm waiting for the parcel (my mum was told it was likely to be the same time as attempted delivery on Friday) and at 9:08 AM (yes I was making careful note of the times) I saw a City Link pull up outside our house (street is a cul-de-sac so no through traffic, you either some down our street specifically or mistakenly). I went to the front door expecting the guy to get out but instead he reversed back and drove out of the street.

At about 9:15 AM I phoned City-Link to check whether that was the van that was meant to deliver the parcel. They couldn't confirm anything and agreed it was a huge coincidence if not and asked to ring back at 1-2 PM if there was still nothing. At 10:18 AM my mum phoned asking if the parcel arrived and I explained what happened and so I then kept an eye out in case there was a second van. (This time is important you'll read why in a second.).

At 2 PM I phoned up and they said they still hadn't got anything on their system about it either being delivered or failed delivery. I asked and they said yes to it being real time update on their system as soon as failed delivery is scanned by the driver. They said it could still be delivered up to 5:30 PM.

At 5:20 PM the online tracker said that delivery point was closed (carded) at 10:33 AM (only 10-15 minutes after being on phone to mum and saying I'd continue to look out for it). Obviously there was no card never mind not hearing the door or van pull up at that time. So I phoned up again and got through to the local delivery depot who said there are 2 City Link companies working in the area the only difference being they used Ford Transits and the other depot used Mercedes. I wasn't sure but looking online I'm sure that first van was a Ford Transit and it would have been my first guess anyway.

They said they'd definitely deliver today and make sure the driver phoned 5 minutes ahead. But come this morning it turns out it isn't being delivered as they're waiting for confirmation from retailer to be charged extra for making a third delivery. When on the phone they basically said that the behaviour of the van I saw doesn't make sense and how do I explain it. I said I can't but it isn't my place to explain the behaviour of their drivers. They said that driver is adamant he tried to deliver both yesterday and Friday and they've got the right door colour written down. Well as I said to them if that first van was him then obviously he would know the colour of the door as he was here, he just didn't get out. I can only think the driver assumed there was noone here because there were no cars on the drive yesterday (and it was raining heavily) and everything since then has been an attempt to cover that assumption.

To sum up the timeline:
Friday
9:03 AM Claimed attempted delivery and carded (two of us were here and no card)
Mon
9:08 AM City Link van stopped outside and left in under a minute
9:15 AM Phoned City Link to mention van
10:18 AM Mum called to ask about it
10:33 AM Claimed attempted delivery and carded (I was in and didn't hear a thing and definitely no card)
2 PM Phoned City Link and told no report of failed delivery and still out
5:20 PM Report of failed delivery and phoned City Link again

Sorry it's so long, but from every angle I look at it even if 1st van was coincidence and I somehow was distracted at time of delivery there's still the fact of no cards put through which surely there would be if they went to the effort of coming to the door. So as far as I can see no matter what there couldn't have been an attempted delivery yesterday.

Hapless_2

Typical of citylink. They did this with a live tree I was expecting in December. Then after delivery was cancelled they tried to deliver it twice!

a11waysindebt

Hi Mate,

I would get in touch with the people you ordered the item off and explain what has happened.

superscaper

Hapless wrote: »

Typical of citylink. They did this with a live tree I was expecting in December. Then after delivery was cancelled they tried to deliver it twice!

Well when I phoned up today to ask why it wasn't coming up as being loaded onto van and they said they're charging the retailer for 2 failed deliveries. I said but there haven't been any attempted deliveries, but they've apparently agreed to deliver again tomorrow whether they have the confirmation or not and the manager of the local depot will waive the charges for the time being. How kind. :rolleyes:

I said to them that I need bloody 24 hr CCTV just to prove anything and all they could say was "yes". I was being sarcastic! All they need is the colour of your door yet I'd already said a van pulled up outside. At least I have on record that I phoned them at 9:15 well BEFORE they claim to have attempted delivery. If it's not coincidence and I'm lying then I'd have had to concoct the story and tell them before they attempted delivery. What's the point in that?

superscaper

a11waysindebt wrote: »

Hi Mate,

I would get in touch with the people you ordered the item off and explain what has happened.

I sent an email this morning, my mum had already emailed them after Friday's no show and no card but I thought even though it's my mum's order, yesterday's events are best coming from me first hand on her behalf. Haven't had a response yet but at least we're explaining everything we can. It's hardly in our interest to NOT receive the parcel and cause all this hassle for ourselves. But as far as they're concerned it's our word against theirs. I can understand most of it being subjective, maybe the 1st van was coincidence and maybe somehow I didn't hear anything at 10:33 but what is indisputable is that there were no cards put through and for them to insist they were is what turns it from us being wrong to us being liars.

C_Ronaldo

Hope you get it sorted

superscaper

C_Ronaldo wrote: »

Hope you get it sorted

Just phoned them again to check on a new entry on the tracking history (apparently just a confirmation it's reentered system for delivery tomorrow). I took opportunity to ask about the cards, i.e. if they claim it's carded do they stand by a card was definitely put through. They said yes and only conceivable situation otherwise is that they've run out of cards (I pointed out it seems unlikely given how early it was in the day and that it happened twice). As far as I'm concerned, forgetting everything else, if they say it was carded and there was no card they must be going to wrong address (they then came back with door colour thing :mad: as if that proves anything).

So I've asked them to look into it and check whether driver claims he ran out of cards or says he definitely put one through. As it's the one thing that I can be 100% certain of that there was no card put through yesterday or Friday. They said they will look into it and put a note down (yeah right). But it comes down to three possibilities (if driver claims he did card it), I'm lying, he's lying or he's going to wrong address. Nothing else inbetween. If he's lying then at least it demonstrates that maybe everything else was a lie. Obviously I'm not lying (and my mum isn't either) but we can't prove that.

They've got the right address for us and confirmed numerous times and these days with sat nav (I should have asked if they have sat nav) and getting door colour right.... it only really leaves the driver lying as the only real possibility. Unless he claims he only wrote it was carded but ran out of cards but then isn't that a failing in procedure in itself?

superscaper

It's a pity there's no City Link rep on the boards to [STRIKE]rip to shreds[/STRIKE] discuss the matter with.

sarahlsmith22

Oh dear I do hope you get this sorted out. My only suggestion is keep complaining by email and phone to the company you purchased the items from, this happened to me once and they refunded me and then the delivery company delivered it (finally) the next day, so I got my item free!

RadoJo

I wonder why they are sticking by the driver instead of instigating some disciplinary procedures? I can understand the odd occasion where someone might ring up and complain that they were in all day, but actually popped out for five minutes, but to consistently be waiting for them, and actually see a van goes beyond all reason if you were making it up! Plus, you would have thought that after getting caught out once, the driver would have made an attempt to deliver the second time.

However, as they state that they can charge the issuing company more if they attempt delivery for a third time, I think that's where the issue lies - why bother trying to deliver when you can stay in your nice warm van, note the colour of someone's front door down, then drive off, not bother even coming back more than once (why would you - if all you need is the colour of the front door to 'prove' you tried) and then claim more money from the people paying you in the first place? It's more time efficient, more cost efficient, and the only person who loses out is the one who hasn't got an automated system which supposedly shows the chain of events - the customer!

superscaper

RadoJo wrote: »

However, as they state that they can charge the issuing company more if they attempt delivery for a third time, I think that's where the issue lies - why bother trying to deliver when you can stay in your nice warm van, note the colour of someone's front door down, then drive off, not bother even coming back more than once (why would you - if all you need is the colour of the front door to 'prove' you tried) and then claim more money from the people paying you in the first place? It's more time efficient, more cost efficient, and the only person who loses out is the one who hasn't got an automated system which supposedly shows the chain of events - the customer!

That's my thoughts on it as well. I want a statement though as to whether the driver says he definitely put a card through because that'll settle in my mind at least that this isn't all a series of coincidences and bad timing but an actual lying driver. Because I'm getting a sense now that it isn't even a case of that van I saw being a coincidence but they're implying I am making it up. "Well that doesn't make sense, why would the driver do that?" is what the CS person actually said to me today. Asking me about the motives of their driver. I wanted to respond with exactly what you put that he simply assumed noone was in and didn't want to get drenched but I don't think that'd get me anywhere as they already seem to be erring on the side of the driver. I don't know how many times they've said they've got the door colour recorded whenever I say they can't have attempted delivery as if that's all the cast iron proof they need.