M&S Credit Card / SMS couriers

raeble

So I've been getting mail for a few weeks from M&S telling me I'm going to be getting a new chip and pin credit card (didn't ask for one and mine isn't running out). Anyway today I come home to a very dodgy looking envelope - like a wage slip with perferations round the edge except this one says "Urgent Delivery - This is not a circular delivery attempted today" and on the other side some details have been written in pen - name, reference number etc.

I opened the envelope, it tells me to contact this number - 0870 950 1000 to re-arrange delivery or use the website http://www.specialmail.co.uk/
Now I'm looking at this delivery notification from Special Mail Services and am thinking it is the dogiest thing I'm seen in a long while. The website does not help matters - there are no contact details on there at all - if there are they are well hidden. There is a form for you to re-arrange delivery but I don't feel comfortable putting my details in there. So I google and try to find out more about this company, turns out they have got some very bad reviews - http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews-all-81566.html

Reading these reviews made me wonder whether it was my credit card, so I phone up M&S/HSBC's credit card customer service and got put through to the indian call centre - she discovered that my card had indeed been sent out by SMS. Reading those reviews it transpires that you can't go to their depot to go and collect the mail, you have to have it redelivered and it appears you have to be in from 8am to 6pm. Even if I got it re-delivered to my workplace I'm not hanging around for that length of time for the card to turn up. Some people in those reviews have stayed in especially and SMS have not delivered. Also I work at a Uni and according to one of the reviews there SMS won't deliver to buildings on a Uni campus because they get lost, so it has to go to the main reception. Main reception doesn't accept parcels, they have to go to the departments. Besides which, you have to have some form of ID to sign for the item.

I'm not happy that I've got to phone up this strange courier company using a national rate number to re-arrange delivery but as far as I can see no time will be convienent. The other thing is I don't actually need or want the new card. I didn't ask for it, so I don't see why I should have to go out of my way to get it. They can send it back to M&S/HSBC. I've a good mind to take out that Tesco's Credit Card, I'm only using the card for the balance transfer anyway.

The thing that really makes me laugh on the letter from SMS is - "If you require redelivery to be made fro the next working day, you will need to contact us by 4pm."

What was wrong with Royal Mail anyway? They sent out this card with this strange courier company on the 8th and it takes them until today to attempt to deliver it.

April2

My elderly mother is having the same problem and, without any prompting from me, has decided to do nothing and "wait to see what they do".

I wonder what'll happen (she has a Saga VISA card too so is not worried).

M&S's loss!