Lifetime award for lack of customer service...

Salty John

Salty John

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www.saltyjohn.co.uk
...goes to Parcelforce Worldwide. I don't normally do consumer complaint type posts but this qualifies as boaty and I told the MD of Parcelforce, Vanessa Leeson, that unless they found my Mainsail soon I'd post this bizarre tale here.
Last weekend I was sailing on Lake Windermere in delightful conditions, using a decrepit main I found. Here's a picture of Lake Windermere, to maintain interest:
Ferry2500x379.jpg

This sail made me look like I was heavily reefed in 10 knots, so my sailing cred has been irreparably damaged. Several months ago I had a main made in Florida and it was sent to me by USPS. USPS tracked the parcel to the Parcelforce hub at Coventry. When the sail didn't arrive a few weeks later I called Parcelforce who told me they had no record of the parcel. Unwilling to accept this I phoned their Preston Depot and, lo and behold, there was my sail awaiting payment of charges. They couldn't send the usual card requesting payment because the parcel didn't exist having avoided scanning in Coventry. No problem, I delightedly paid the charges and was told the sail would be with me the next day. Not.
I called to ask where it was and they told me it was in Coventry again, awaiting return to the US sender. My minimum wage pal had failed to defeat the system. I wrote to Vanessa Leeson, the MD of Parcelforce, and one of her inner sactum has just called to say the parcel doesn't exist.
So, I said I would make good my threat to publicise this cock-up, hence this posting. Use Parcelforce at your peril. They deliver gazillions of parcels with some staggeringly high success rate, I'm sure, but when it goes wrong it really goes wrong. So, Parcelforce sucks, don't use them.
 
Sorry to hear about the farce, makes a good argument for using local (or national) companies instead of "cheaper" foreign ones. Still doesn't make your predicament any more bearable.
 
Sad to say but I came to the same conclusion several years ago after repeated failures. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I hope you get the sail eventually.
 
The CEOs of public companies HAVE to keep a record of complaints made directly to them, often for regulatory reasons, but also for public relations. If your payment has gone through, then there are issues of financial probity, as well as poor service.

There's a direct Parcel Force complaints site
http://www.parcelforce.com/portal/pw/content2?catId=2500046&mediaId=19900226
which I assume you have logged the details on.

There's an independent group Postwatch
http://www.postwatch.co.uk/
for these complaints too.

ParcelFarce service is normally very good, but when it goes wrong, boy does it send you scuttling to the nearest commercial provider !

Let us know how you get on please /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
That would be my reaction too....

Given that they have accepted a payment from you, they have acknowledged the presence of the parcel.... otherwise it would be fraudulent....

And given the presence of the parcel, they are liable for any costs associated with getting it to you, even if that be via the US from their UK depot....

You might like to point that out to them....

And my experience is that this is best done via the regulator rather than the company itself..... most heavily regulated companies are very very nervous of upsetting the regulating authority....

Shameful situation though.......
 
My own experiences rate Parcel force...second to Royal Mail special delivery/airsure for over seas...after which come TNT and DHL. This is the result of over 5 years of local and overseas mail order. But when it does go wrong theres nothing worse.

I've found local depot numbers for parcel force are very useful in actualy finding out what is happening. You can find most on www.saynoto0870.co.uk
Type parcelforce in company search and you get a list of local numbers.
 
They managed to loose a bright red box with some parts in it for me a couple of years back, bought off a fellow forumite who very decently destryed the cheque when P/F admitted it was all lost somewhere.


akes you wonder what happens to it all. Surely some spod didn't want a load of Volvo consumables in my case or a sail in te case above.
 
I expect that the old maxim that given the choice between wilful malice and incompetence, it's usually incompetence that operates.

For my sins I worked a summer as an oik in a TNT warehouse, before going to University, several decades ago. I doubt much has changed at the sharp end, and I doubt it is much different in other warehouses. We had a number of parcels that had taken up permanent residence either because the paperwork was lost, or the address didn't appear to exist, or it had been broken and the driver didn't want to explain to the customer (that was a 5' by 10' plate of glass iirc) ... you get the picture. As said above, if you can speak to the man on the ground and he can put his hands on it, you're in with a chance. If not, you're dealing with the admin department.
 
Trouble is when ordering from overseas, you have no control over who gets to deliver it to your door. If stuff is sent by USPS, then often Royal Mail (for letters/small packets) or ParcelForce (for parcels) deliver it to you. Or not. If stuff is sent by DHL/FedEx/etc then that company is supposed to deliver it to your door. Not always though - I've had many a random guy in a random van deliver my parcels over the years.
Remember the old saying; "It's no use you pointing at it sir, the computer says it's not here...."
 
"Remember the old saying; "It's no use you pointing at it sir, the computer says it's not here...." "

I think that nicely sums up the situation!
 
attempting to look on the bright side you are now able to go back to the firm in Florida and definitely confirm that the sail doesn't exist so could they please send another. Equally when you get your credit card bill you will be able to dispute the amount to parcel force as they have already confirmed that the sail and transaction do not exist.

None of the above actions should be altered in any way if the sail actually arrives as you have been definitely advised by Parcelforce that "it doesn't exist"..........

sry to hear your woes /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
Hi

Sorry to hear of your predicament - try looking on the companies house web site and get her home address - it might cost you a few quid but you can then complain to her personally at her "inconvenience" - I have heard this sometimes has the desired effect.

On the other hand, and I hope this will cheer you up slightly.

I was badgered by TNT to swing all our postage, UK and Worldwide over to them - which I was beginning to contemplate. However, we have couple of computers delivered to home from a well know company that used TNT and the delivery driver walked right over our flower beds - even when asked not to he continued to do so. The next day the TNT sales guy arrived to sign contracts, I had great pleasure in telling him and his company are banned from the premises - when asked why, and told, he went away ready to hang someone!
 
I'm having an equally frustrating time with a supplier - as opposed to a carrier. I ordered a stackpack and paid 50% deposit to a fairly well known sailmaker in Devon beginning of Dec 06. 4-6 weeks to delivery the letter said.

Early March this year begun to wonder so phoned up for an update - we'll get back to you the person said. Not. Emailed and response was, its here but we didn't fit it - let the old cover take the worst of the Winter. Sensible I replied, but like to have it for Easter please. Not. Phoned again, guys I want are out but will pass a message and get back to you. Not. Emailed again 10 days ago - shirty mail beginning to get angry. No response. second mail Sunday night - no response. Phoned yesterday for MD - he's not there but the guy who answered the phone said the will get it fitted this week - I wonder .....

Am I being impatient and unreasonable, or is this quite normal these days?

DD
 
We have just received a call from the MD's lacky to tell us she can't get further with the investigation because the only person who knows anything about the parcel is a guy called Sam at Preston, but he is ill and he has locked the papers in his desk! Unbelievable. You couldn't make this up.
Needless to say a second letter is winging it's way to Ms Leeson. The saga continues....
 
If this is a reasonably well know sailmaker operating from Ivybridge don't hold your breath. Went through a similar saga with our mainsail cover a couple of years ago.

Never was fitted satisfactorily.
 
A similar tale... this time at the hands of DHL.
I bought some bits from a German mail order company paying up as soon as I got an invoice. When the bits didn't arrive I called the company who did a trace.
DHL depot phoned me at work to double check the delivery address, ten miles from said depot.
The next day the German retailer phoned to say the parcel was on the way back to them!
I wonder how they'll foul it up the next time the box arrives at the depot.
 
stopped using parcel farce and TNT years ago. Grossly incompetent and amazingly rough handling of parcels. Most others are better! Used to watch the TNT man walking on all the parcels to get the one he wanted!
 
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