ParcelForce - The Most Useless Company in the UK?

[andrewbarker]

This is a rant about ParcelForce and also a warning to anyone buying boat parts in the EU that aren’t delivered by a reputable courier service.

I ordered a new water pump from Holland which was duly sent by the Dutch postal service into the loving hands of ParcelForce via, of course, HMRC who want their take. ParcelForce won’t release the item from their depot until the duties are paid. So, how is one expected to do that? By waiting for a letter (a letter for chrissake) which gives you the reference number to quote. Clearly it’s far too difficult for ParcelForce to include the reference number on its tracking page, or locate any item by its tracking number or, heaven forbid, communicate using this newfangled thing called email.

So here I am 10 days after the parcel enter their depot still waiting for a letter to arrive.

So, if you want any boat part from the EU insist on courier delivery and avoid this utterly dreadful company like the plague.

PS. This isn’t a Brexit thread!
PPS Hopefully I won’t have to reply to them by letter, which now costs £1.25 to send, compared with the equivalent of 32p when I was a lad.

I bought a water pump from the States this year via FedEx. Delivered within 4 days and they paid the duty up front so all I had to do was to pay them.
Bought some binoculars online carriage via ParcelForce overnight. Took 10 days to deliver. They kept giving plainly untrue reasons - I had "requested delivery to another address", I had "refused delivery" etc until I made an official complaint. I think their staff are out of control and some of them only deliver when they can be bothered.

 

[fredrussell]

You can boycott whoever you like, but the computer scandal is down to the Post Office/Post Office Counters - i.e. the retail shops. This thread is about Parcel Force and by extension Royal Mail - the delivery services. Already explained above, these are separate businesses.

Not at the time of the Horizon Scandal they weren’t. From Wikipedia:

“In 2007, the government gave a £1.7 billion subsidy to Royal Mail Group so that it could turn a profit by 2011. This was to be used to invest across the whole network of Royal Mail, Post Office Limited, and Parcelforce.”

Forever tainted by association!

 

[jwilson]

Just sent something Parcelforce 48 hour tracked service on 27th Sept. Arrived 4th October - 7 days. At least it dd arrive.

 

[Temujin]

Yes, no joy.

Then maybe blame the supplier. I bought some motorcycle parts recently from Franc, could track it all the way and could see when it was held for customs duties. I contacted PF, drove to my local depot paid the money and picked up my part.