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Parcel delivery - why is it such a problem?
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Posted July 6, 2012 at 7:57PM
I am expecting a package from Amazon - they are replacing a faulty Kindle, and they played their part by despatching it the day after I spoke to them. The usual efficient Amazon service working as it should, until.....
The courier called at my house, and I was out. My wife was out, so a card was left - 'we'll deliver again tomorrow'.
The next day, I was out, but my wife stayed in for the delivery, except for fifteen minutes when she had to dash to the pharmacy. While she was there, the courier called. Another card, saying 'your package is being returned to Amazon'. A hurried email from me, asking for another delivery, resulted in a promise to redeliver on Saturday, and this time one of us will be there at all times.
I can't fault the courier (Thank you, Citysprint) or Amazon - we're the culprits, my wife and I, but we're not alone; apparently 12% of all home deliveries fail first time, costing the Courier industry (and indirectly all of us who use it) an estimated £1billion.
It's a growing problem and I was wondering - should those of us who regularly have packages delivered have a special 'package box' bolted to the outside of our houses, along the lines of the old bank night-safes?
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Posted July 6, 2012 at 8:05PM
Depends very much on area and individuals I think.
Virtually every courier leaves parcels in the porch, even if we are in, but DHL, who no longer deliver here, never would.
I cannot see such a free and easy system working in London or the nether reaches of Glasgow through (nothing personal, HB).
When I was working I always had stuff delivered to work, but again, not an option available to all.
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Posted July 6, 2012 at 8:09PM
Not got a neighbour you can have the package delivered to instead.If so just change the delivery address.
If you do get a lot of deliveries a package box sounds ideal as long as whoever delivers it closes it properly after the delivery.
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Posted July 6, 2012 at 8:14PM
I can often collect from a local depot if a package has not been left with a neighbour.
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Posted July 6, 2012 at 8:18PM
This was covered in the news today and it does seem to be a shocking waste of resources. When I ordered Win 7 I was promised delivery on release day yet after staying in all day and following it on a tracker it was returned to base as the rounds man had seemingly run out of time about a mile from my home.
Needless to say I told them where to put it and ordered on line next day from Curry's and picked it up 30 minutes later.
The FE's idea might not be to far away as I can soon see the day when door deliveries of normal mail ceases and a secure box at the end of your driveway or apartment building will be where your mail goes. My apartment in Bangkok works like this successfully but it also has a security man who sits not too far away from it.
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Posted July 6, 2012 at 8:44PM
i dont understand why they dont take a mobile number if the customer has one to send a text giving a estimate of when the item will be delivered a couple of years ago purchsed a washing machine from the co op and the courier firm sent a text the day before to confirm delivery and then one in the morning to give a time surely if all firms used this sort of service the savings would be massive
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Posted July 6, 2012 at 8:50PM
I suppose I'm lucky, as I get anything that won't fit through my letterbox delivered to work, where the goods in department bring it straight to my desk.
A friend of mine used to work for a consultancy firm, everyone worked 18 hour days, so they had a huge walk in fridge freezer so staff could have their Ocado deliveries sent to the office...
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Posted July 6, 2012 at 8:59PM
I had a recent similar non-delivery with a Citylink parcel delivery from an Ebay purchase.
They put a card through the door with details of how to rearrange the delivery online, but the driver couldn't be bothered to write the required consignment number on the card for me to do that. So I was on the phone for nearly 40 minutes waiting for an agent as I couldn't use the auto re-booking system without the consignment number.
When I eventually got an agent they didn't want to give me the number incase I was an imposter, but after another 15 minutes and several holds while they consulted a supervisor several times, they decided I must be genuine as I knew where the parcel originated from.
By then it was after 6 on a Friday night but I could collect it in person at the depot before 8 or else it would be Monday pm. So off I went the 18 miles to collect it.
Now if it was the Post Office it would have been much nearer to the local non-delivery collection office, or they would have asked if the neighbour would take it in for me.
I also regularly take in TNT deliveries for next door when they're out, I can't see the problem in doing that unless the area is a drug dealers paradise.
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Posted July 6, 2012 at 9:02PM
alan14 If I was working 18 hour days, I wouldn't be eating anything that wasn't put in front of me ready to eat!
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Posted July 6, 2012 at 9:32PM
These boxes already exist but have a door rather than a lid. A google search turns them up.
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Posted July 6, 2012 at 9:42PM
also with lids and they sell them on Amazon so you could get it delivered by ..... Ah.. possible snag there...
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