topic Re: Couriers in Buying

Couriers

plutopup1 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 07:08:39 GMT

Haven't been on these boards for a while but a recent experience brings me here today. Wondering what experiences people have had as a buyer knowing through online 'tracking' tha an item is on board to be delivered that day only to be told later when chasing up up with the company to see where the package is that the courier attempted a delivery and left a card when neither were clearly true as the buyer in question, me, was home all day and no card was left.

Re: Couriers

lyndal1838 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 07:37:27 GMT

It happens.

Just arrange a redelivery for a time you will be home or if you cannot be home arrange for it to be Safe Dropped.

Or if it is easier for you to go to the courier depot to pick it up you can do that.

Re: Couriers

plutopup1 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 07:52:02 GMT

What happens Lyndal? The driver says they tried to deliver, that no one was at home and that they left a card??? When none of this was true and the item had been sent priority due to the seller having forgotten to send the item the week before and then sending it a week later priority because I have had to chase up where the item is?

Re: Couriers

digupatin — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 08:03:37 GMT

Not uncommon with some couriers. There's a number of threads about the practice on various forums.

They also sometimes just slip a card in your letterbox and drive off without even attempting a delivery. Saves them time I guess.

I actually caught 1 courier in the act, they didn't see me working in the garden. LOL

Re: Couriers

curmu-curmu — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 08:02:47 GMT

@plutopup1 wrote:
What happens Lyndal? The driver says they tried to deliver, that no one was at home and that they left a card??? When none of this was true and the item had been sent priority due to the seller having forgotten to send the item the week before and then sending it a week later priority because I have had to chase up where the item is?

Now that the seller has relinquished control over your package to a courier, it is out of his hands. You need to negotiate with the courier company, as it is now their responsibility. Your post seems to be blaming the seller for something out of his/her control - regardless of when they sent it.

Couriers are renowned for failing to deliver on schedule - or leave cards. I, like many, have been home all day, only to watch a courier card me, without even stepping off the footpath - and I've recieved final notices from AP - without ever recieving any prior notifications!

99% of the time both posties and couriers are reliable, but every now and then, a bad apple slips through.

Re: Couriers

plutopup1 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 08:30:57 GMT

I've been a buyer/seller on ebay for over 14 years so fully conversant with the way things work when a seller hands over a parcel for delivery to a courier service but that was not what I was getting at if you read what I wrote.

1) Courier said he attempted delivery saying no one was at home which was untrue! What got my goat was his saying he left a card WHICH HE DID NOT. I only found out what whas going on and the card number for an undeliverable item because I went online to see what was happening. I probably would not have been all that upset if somehow I had simply missed the courier even though I was at home the whole day but I did get pretty upset being told by the company that the driver said he left a card which was untrue. So my question was what have other's experience been with courier services who do this.

Now I have health issues and do not go out all that much depending on how I am feeling and that is why I buy on ebay and elsewhere and like to have things delivered to me, especially when I am paying for the damn service in the first place.

2) The second point which does directly relate to the seller and his incompetence was the item not being sent in the first place. A week after buying and paying for the item I phoned the company interstate (QLD to VIC) chasing up the item to be told after the phone ringaroung that the item was still sitting in the warehouse and would be sent that day. Would have been nice to receive an apology.

So you might start to understand my frustration when both the seller on their part stuffed up and the courier on their part lied about the delivery of a priority post item.

Re: Couriers

curmu-curmu — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 08:54:25 GMT

Regardless of how you feel about the seller's delay in posting/handing to the courier, it's irrelevant to the topic at hand. There may well have been extenuating circumstances - are you aware of everything that goes on in his life? Did he have health problems? Did he have family issues? Was there something else that caused the delay? Did the courier fail to pickup? It may well have been still in the warehouse, but that doesn't mean there was an intention to delay your item.

As a seller, I've been hospitalised myself a few times - causing lengthy delays in posting - and NONE of them were planned events!

Heart attacks can do that to you! I'm sorry, but my health is far more important to me than ensuring someone gets an item on time!

I can however, sympathise as the boards have plenty of threads about the failure of couriers to do their job. Watching TV one day whilst recovering from an operation, I noticed the courier pull up out the front, get out and card me, then drive off. The windows were open, there was a car in the driveway, but as it was around 3:30pm, I can only assume that the courier wanted to knock off early that day!

I immediately called the company and voiced my concern - I recieved a formal apology from them, and the delivery took place first thing the next day.

I've also witnessed AP posties do exactly the same - I'm sure if you did it 20-30 times a round, you'd shave at least an hour off your times - allowing you to finish early on that day.

Re: Couriers

plutopup1 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 09:27:50 GMT

Geez Louise, you really are missing the point.

1) Re seller: Item was bought from a company selling on ebay, not an individual. When I finally traced the right person to speak to I was told THEY HAD FORGOTTEN TO POST THE ITEM, THAT THE ITEM WAS STILL SITTING IN THE WAREHOUSE AND HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DESPATCH AREA. The item was bought on April 15 and paid for the same day with Paypal and through an email I received via the ebay sytem was advised "Your item has been shipped" and "estimated delivery between Fri Apr 17 and Tue Apr 21". It was on the Tuesday after our mail delivery that I phoned the seller/company only to be told the item was still sitting in the warehouse. Now I was a tad upset but happy to know where the item was. Was told item would be sent that day (Tuesday) by priority and that later that day I would receive via email tracking details. This happened and late Tuesday I was able to see that the item had been picked up and was en route.

The next morning I checked to the online tracking system to see what was happening and saw that at 8.26am the item status had been updated to "onboard for delivery". So far all good and knowing this I then cancelled two appointments I had for the day so that I would be home to receive/sign for the item.

Every hour or so I checked the status and then around 1.15pm I saw a status update to "Unsuccessful Delivery". I also noticed a NHCL reference number (not home card left) so went out looking for the card - no such card had been left either in or on top of the letter box or anywhere near the front door which was open - the security screen door was locked and all morning I was sitting in the front room at my computer and can clearly see down our short driveway and see passing traffic.

About 11.45am I saw the company truck concerned drive by and jut put it down to his doing his run up one side of the street and expected he would be back down my side in due course. That never happened. After seeing the online statue update to "undeliverable" I phoned the company about 1.30pm , went through my issue and was told someone would get back to me. No one phoned back so I called back at 2.30pm and after a bit of a runaround and the customer service supervisor speaking to the driver they came back and said the driver had tried to deliver and had left a card. They then told me that I could go down to our local post office and pick up the item after 4.00pm and I asked since the PO is only five minutes away why can't the driver do the delivery then. Was told the driver refused to do so. In the end I had to go to the post office to pick up the item that was sent priority - not blaming the seller and never have, my issue is with the courier company and once agais this was the question I was raising at the outset. Have others had similar experiences and if so with which company.

BTW. Before a massive heart attack in 2007 I was working as a courier here where I live and in fact had a number of times did sub-contracting work for the company concerned and the company that bought them out in 2011so fully conversant with the procedures when it comes to an item not being delivered because no one is at home to sign for the parcel. In the above incident the driver concerned did not do as he says he did. I can also add that when I lived in Sydney I did courier work for Aust Post and know very well what you are talking about as I heard this happening just about everyday, some got caught, some didn't. I never thought it was worth the risk, earning 23.50 an hour in 2000 was too good money to risk on fiddling times.

Re: Couriers

davewil1964 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 09:44:30 GMT

I will have a stab at the point -

YOU ARE VENTING AND ARE NOT SEEKING A SOLUTION.

Pretty close, hey? Otherwise you would be asking the question of the courier, rather than the, anonymous, eBay community who cannot solve your issue.

Re: Couriers

plutopup1 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 09:54:11 GMT

Getting close davewill. Was really trying to find out if other BUYERS have had/are having issues with couriers these days, an issue that was a real concern a number of years ago when I was more active on these boards and as a seller. And if they have had issues with which company have they been having the problems.

All well and good to say once the seller hands over the parcel to the courier it is out of their control but as a buyer, you/we/I look at the total experience which usually is reflected in feedback and if there is a repeat issue mentioned with a particular seller over delivery matters potential buyers may start to think twice about buying from a certain seller even if the price is right if delivery is a regular issue.

Re: Couriers

plutopup1 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 10:01:45 GMT

And by the way davewil, did raise the issue with the courier company last week and today got an answer to their investigation and of course they are standing by what their driver said. Funny, when you go to a certain web page which reivews this company, this problem, the one I had, is not isolated but just the same wanted to know if other buyers (not sellers) have had issues when buying off ebay when it came to delivery.

Re: Couriers

lyndal1838 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 10:50:39 GMT

If your parcel was deliverd to the PO then the courier concerned is either AP themselves or StarTrack. Am I close?

As for which courier companies are the bane of our existence on ebay....try Hunters, Fastways, e-go....have a browse round the boards. There are plenty of threads of complaint about many companies.

If you worked for a company that delivered to the PO you should know that the undelivered parcels are all taken to the PO at the end of the run, not each individual parcel....there just is not the time.

Your issue is just called Human Error....as I said in my first answer...it happens.

Re: Couriers

plutopup1 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 12:09:47 GMT

You are correct about the company concerned being Star Track and you are right about undelivered parcels being taken to the local post office at the end of the run. Know this first hand having sub-contracted for Star Track, AaE and a previous iteration of Aust Post courier division called Messenger Post in the past and before Star Track Express was bought out by AP.

As to human error can accept that when the truth is being told, can not accept that when blatant lies are being told. What happened to me is not a rare event it would seem based on the folowing web site but was interested to know if BUYERS have been having problems with any courier companies as buyers on ebay. I haven't added my comment yet but will do in due course.

http://www.productreview.com.au/p/star-track-express.html

Re: Couriers

lyndal1838 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 13:13:44 GMT

@plutopup1 wrote:
You are correct about the company concerned being Star Track and you are right about undelivered parcels being taken to the local post office at the end of the run. Know this first hand having sub-contracted for Star Track, AaE and a previous iteration of Aust Post courier division called Messenger Post in the past and before Star Track Express was bought out by AP.

As to human error can accept that when the truth is being told, can not accept that when blatant lies are being told. What happened to me is not a rare event it would seem based on the folowing web site but was interested to know if BUYERS have been having problems with any courier companies as buyers on ebay. I haven't added my comment yet but will do in due course.

http://www.productreview.com.au/p/star-track-express.html

Yes, I know I am right....my OH, myself and my daughter have a combined total of 75+ years of experience in the courier industry.

I was a subbie for nearly 20 years before I retired, my OH is still a subbie with StarTrack after 20 odd years with several companies, then AaE and finally StarTrack and my daughter is the state manager of the courier division of a large international logistics company after starting in the industry as a 17year old on a motorscooter.

If you were still in the industry you would know that it has gone down hill over the last few yeas.....English is a second language to a lot of couriers these days and the company expecttions are high. Subbies are expected to deliver a bare minimum of 80 drops a day so yes, a lot of them cut corners if possible. If the run area is large then 80 drops is pretty hard to keep up, as well as pickups as they come in.

If you want to know my opinion as a buyer then my pick of the companies to avoid is Fastways.

I also avoid sellers who use couriers if humanly possible, although I have very little trouble once parcels get to my area.....I know most of the drivers who deliver here and we get on very well.

Re: Couriers

cherry*135 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 13:41:33 GMT

I had a parcel delivered today. They never knocked. I live well off the street though and it is quite safe to leave parcels at the front door (between the screen door and front door, if they don't require a signature).

One parcel that did need signature, they never knocked either (2 adults home at the time), that would have saved me five days trying to track it down if they had.

One parcel, recently, the driver (small local company contracted to a national company) 'thought' the parcel should go to a dance studio down the street as he knew a lady there that has the same first name as who the parcel was addressed to! Took a week to get that one back also.

I live about 40+ mins from any depots, so don't appreciate being told I can go pick it up from there (especially when I was home when they first tried to deliver it).

Re: Couriers

curmu-curmu — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 20:42:46 GMT

Yes - I agree that individual couriers are letting the industry down - I've had issues with Startrack, DHL, Hunters and others I can't recall atm. But...they are rare instances, and many drivers are above reproach. The subbies for AP in my area in particular are fantastic!

In well over14 years of buying, both on and off ebay, the issues could be counted on both hands...with a few fingers to spare.

As for your 'non-argument' with the seller's delays - why mention at least twice in your posts that they posted your item late, if not to vent? It's still irrelevant to your thread. Their posting time just does not factor into the failure of the courier. And now that we know that the seller was a company, there are so many possible causes for delay, the least of which is human error. Have you never let anyone down in your entire life? As a seller yourself, you'd be well aware that 'estimated ' delivery times are just that. An estimate. Not a guarantee.

As a seller, I pride myself on providing a maximum 24-hr turnaround between sale and posting, but there's a saying - 'The best-laid plans of mice and men'...

Re: Couriers

plutopup1 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 21:42:36 GMT

Well curmu-curmu you obviously are perfect. I vented about the seller to put my feelings of frustration with the courier into context - being stuffed around by a seller who didn't do his job to be topped by a courier that lied. You, with 14 years experience buying and selling (not unlike me) may take this in your stride but I can tell you a newbie Ebayer would say to themselves this sucks and avoid ebay in the future.

Re: Couriers

curmu-curmu — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 22:34:12 GMT

@plutopup1 wrote:
Well curmu-curmu you obviously are perfect. I vented about the seller to put my feelings of frustration with the courier into context - being stuffed around by a seller who didn't do his job to be topped by a courier that lied. You, with 14 years experience buying and selling (not unlike me) may take this in your stride but I can tell you a newbie Ebayer would say to themselves this sucks and avoid ebay in the future.

No...I'm far from perfect. I'm human - and I do make mistakes. But I do try to keep them to a minimum, and when I get frustrated by someone else who doesn't do what I expected them to do, I don't get my knickers in a knot over it, but manage to get on with my life!

Worry and stress are bad for your, (and my) hearts - so I try to let problems roll off, rather than fester.

Whilst it's clear that the courier stuffed you around, it's also clear that you still harbor a grudge against the seller, for what could be a one-off issue - which may never happen again, but because it was your parcel...it's unforgivable!

They apologised, then sent it priority, but that still doesn't seem to be enough?

As for newbies taking umbrage at sellers who may or may not meet their high expectations? Well, we're probably better off without them. They'll only give us defects for impossible deadlines or unrealistic expectations. There's more than enough great buyers on ebay not to worry about problematic buyers!

And incidentally - if you want to see incompetence first-hand, try buying a new lounge suite from one of the big B&M stores!

Failing to carry advertised stock, constant upselling, blatant lies, overcharging on FREE deliveries, failure to honour warranties, the list goes on and on!

Re: Couriers

plutopup1 — Sun, 03 May 2015 00:15:36 GMT

curmu-curmu- if you look at my initial posts I never brought up any issue regarding the seller, this thread was started regarding an issue with a courier company. You were the one who first raised the word 'seller' and it was in response to this I posted a clarification to give context - that as a buyer I was contacting the seller to see where the package was.

I can understand sellers standing up and defending each other but this thread was not about the seller in this instance, could have started a separate thread on this topic ont he Seller discussion board if I wanted to go down that track.

Love your comment: As for newbies taking umbrage at sellers who may or may not meet their high expectations? Well, we're probably better off without them. They'll only give us defects for impossible deadlines or unrealistic expectations. There's more than enough great buyers on ebay not to worry about problematic buyers! Sort of speaks for itself re: you think of buyers who might have expectations of dealt with as a valued customer, receiving what they bought in the condition it was listed as in a timely manner.

The questions of B&M stores is also totally irrelevant to the question I was raising here so why bring it up in the first place?

This was always a post/thread about couriers, nothing more nothing less.

Re: Couriers

curmu-curmu — Sun, 03 May 2015 10:38:26 GMT

"if you look at my initial posts I never brought up any issue regarding the seller,"

Funny - I thought that you'd mentioned in at least two posts, including the first one, that you didn't like the fact that their postage was delayed...

Anyway, think what you will - it's certainly no skin off my nose!

And as a seller with over 15 years' experience, with 100% positive feedback, I'll leave it up to you to figure out if my service is beyond reproach or not.

And yes - there are newbie buyers out there who are numpties - and sellers really are better off without them, and the hassles and defects they cause us - whether intentional or not. There are more than enough great buyers out there, who realise that sellers are not automated machinery, and just sometimes, are human enough to stuff up once in a while! And in realising this fact of humanity, said great buyers are willing to cut us a little slack.