How far can you throw a parcel?

Soldato
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if the delivery isn’t attempted I’d imagine it’s more likely it’s still in the warehouse rather than the driver not attempting to deliver something that’s on their van

Then why say they attempted to deliver and no one was in rather than "we forgot to load your parcel"? It's pretty obvious it's so they can claim they met their obligations to the sender and so still get paid. I would guess that technically that would count as fraud (although obviously very minor).

It's not even possible to get in contact with them. Both the phone system and web "chat" just loop you through the parcel tracking functionality.
 
Man of Honour
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Lol... apparently tried to deliver again. Useless

Maybe they're repeatedly going to the wrong address and failing to deliver it there. If there's a flaw in the system being used (whether software or user error), it would plausibly result in the same mistake repeatedly.

Then why say they attempted to deliver and no one was in rather than "we forgot to load your parcel"? It's pretty obvious it's so they can claim they met their obligations to the sender and so still get paid. I would guess that technically that would count as fraud (although obviously very minor).

Or that.

It's not even possible to get in contact with them. Both the phone system and web "chat" just loop you through the parcel tracking functionality.

The modern norm. A flimsy pretence of customer service is much cheaper than customer service.
 
Soldato
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Tracking info shows the correct address. All other couriers can find the correct address... Either

The driver is an idiot and can't find it.
The driver wants to clock off early.
The driver has stolen my beer and my partner's makeup.
The depot haven't bothered to load it.
Someone at the depot has stolen my beer and my partner's makeup.

Anyway. It's just beer. I can get beer at the supermarket. Maybe cancelling my order will get the sender to consider the viability of continuing to use a delivery company whose only successful deliveries are lies and disappointment.

There's also the option on Hermes' web chat to report damage to a vehicle or property, so I might take some photos of some scratches on my car and report it to them, see if I can actually get someone to speak to me. Worst case scenario I get to waste a few minutes of their time while I rant at them on the phone :D
 
Associate
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I did some agency work for parcel carriers a long time ago as well and yes. One of the permanent staff, when he saw a fragile sticker would shout 'Fraggle!' and throw the parcel up in the air to land on the ground and laugh. All I could do as agency staff was frown at him and say 'what if there is glass in there?' He said 'well it's broken now!'. Sort of a funny incident but sad it it was your precious glassware in the box.
I used to work with a guy in my first full time job during my early 20s who eventually got sacked for time theft and property damage after him and another guy there were caught spending hours a day throwing stock at each other and smashing it with cricket bats. He was also a complete ******** and a bully

Was overjoyed to discover he went on to marry my ex-fiancee.
 
Associate
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I never use Hermes to send parcels even though they are cheaper. As bad as yodel with the claiming to have tried to deliver when they didn't. You would think with vehicle tracking the supervisor could check if the van did go to the address and not pay the driver for the fake delivery attempt. That would put a stop to it.
 
Soldato
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So, Hermes uses self-employed delivery drivers to make most of their end point deliveries. Those saying that the driver has never attempted delivery, I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but most of the time they do attempt.

Because they are self employed:

Have to provide own vehicle
Have to provide own insurance
Do not get paid holidays
Do not get sick pay
No pension etc.

If they want a holiday they have to find someone to do their round. If they can't find anyone then they are not allowed the time off. If they just take the time off they are let go.

I think a lot of the courier firms have a similar policy to the above, including the rainforest. There was a story on the BBC news website about a DPD driver who literally worked himself to death (He carried on despite the fact he was terminally ill) Being self-employed would probably mean a lot of the drivers don't get vetted like they would if were employed so the chaff remains along with the wheat.

Where I live things aren't too bad. I had a Hermes parcel delivered last week & it was intact. The driver would have had a hard time breaking it as there were 3 boxes of coffee beans & a tote bag inside. Having said that when I get a despatch confirmation & it says Hermes I think 'oh here we go' expecting it never to turn up, chucked over the back gate or flatter than a pancake. :rolleyes:

IIRC I've only had one parcel turn up damaged - I refused it straight away because I was at home when the courier turned up. Cant remember who said courier was though as it was a few years back.
 
Caporegime
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I think a lot of the courier firms have a similar policy to the above, including the rainforest. There was a story on the BBC news website about a DPD driver who literally worked himself to death (He carried on despite the fact he was terminally ill) Being self-employed would probably mean a lot of the drivers don't get vetted like they would if were employed so the chaff remains along with the wheat.

Where I live things aren't too bad. I had a Hermes parcel delivered last week & it was intact. The driver would have had a hard time breaking it as there were 3 boxes of coffee beans & a tote bag inside. Having said that when I get a despatch confirmation & it says Hermes I think 'oh here we go' expecting it never to turn up, chucked over the back gate or flatter than a pancake. :rolleyes:

IIRC I've only had one parcel turn up damaged - I refused it straight away because I was at home when the courier turned up. Cant remember who said courier was though as it was a few years back.


You know you can just call it Amazon right? The mods literally don't care, as long as it's not hardware related.
 
Soldato
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23,299
I once had a DPD driver which kept marking a parcel as "attempted delivery" at our work address when he didnt even come on site. We were watching him on the tracking page and he literally went round us 3 times before I phoned up to rant at them.
 
Associate
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*sniff sniff*

Yup, definitely cow excrement.

Waiting for Hermes to perform their 3rd "delivery attempt". Both Friday and Saturday we were apparently not in, despite being sat in the living room, with the blinds open in full view of the front door all through the delivery window, and for most of the rest of the day.

Apparently our parcels are supposed to be here today by 1pm. So I fully expect the tracking to update to "We tried to deliver your parcel today but you weren't in, returning to sender" any time now...

This isn't the first time with Hermes either :(

Yeah, to be fair I meant if they actually attempted delivery. If they come to your property they will do everything possible to attempt as it makes no sense not to - they have cost themselves petrol if they don't.

However, I have known of delivery drivers who see an address that is out of their way and they won't even attempt to do it. Someone the wife used to work with did a rural round and one address that used to have stuff delivered was about a 6 mile round trip from his next nearest drop so he never even attempted to go as the petrol would have cost more than he got for delivering it.

Hope that makes a little more sense.
 
Soldato
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Birmingham
Yeah, to be fair I meant if they actually attempted delivery. If they come to your property they will do everything possible to attempt as it makes no sense not to - they have cost themselves petrol if they don't.

However, I have known of delivery drivers who see an address that is out of their way and they won't even attempt to do it. Someone the wife used to work with did a rural round and one address that used to have stuff delivered was about a 6 mile round trip from his next nearest drop so he never even attempted to go as the petrol would have cost more than he got for delivering it.

Hope that makes a little more sense.

Do they not have GPS tracking so Hermes can check if the drivers have even bothered to try? Seems open to abuse if not, just deliver all the ones close together and "attempt" to deliver all the others.

Anyway, so far today's latest status is:

09:45 - Tue 24 Nov
Your parcel is at our local depot and on its way to you

Not even a delivery window, so I assume it will soon go to "stolen lost".

Just had a notification that something else I've ordered is coming via Hermes, so that'll be another one missing :(
 
Associate
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Do they not have GPS tracking so Hermes can check if the drivers have even bothered to try? Seems open to abuse if not, just deliver all the ones close together and "attempt" to deliver all the others.

Anyway, so far today's latest status is:

09:45 - Tue 24 Nov
Your parcel is at our local depot and on its way to you

Not even a delivery window, so I assume it will soon go to "stolen lost".

Just had a notification that something else I've ordered is coming via Hermes, so that'll be another one missing :(

No, they are self-employed. They own their own vehicles. They are rubbish, I am not defending them at all, but I will re-iterate, they ONLY get paid when they successfully deliver your parcel. If it is onboard and they mark it as attempted delivery they don't get paid. If they mark it as refused at the door, they don't get paid. Only when you sign and accept it, or it is left in a 'safe space' do the drivers get their 50p (or whatever it is now).
 
Soldato
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23,299
No, they are self-employed. They own their own vehicles. They are rubbish, I am not defending them at all, but I will re-iterate, they ONLY get paid when they successfully deliver your parcel. If it is onboard and they mark it as attempted delivery they don't get paid. If they mark it as refused at the door, they don't get paid. Only when you sign and accept it, or it is left in a 'safe space' do the drivers get their 50p (or whatever it is now).

That needs to be stopped tbh. It's why they race around like maniacs.
 
Associate
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That needs to be stopped tbh. It's why they race around like maniacs.

Wouldn't disagree, but there is a flip side. If they stop it and employee drivers properly, provide company vans etc, then customers delivery prices go up. And, as a society, we want things for free or as cheap as possible so people would complain. Not saying you or anyone else here, but in general.
 
Associate
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162
Wouldn't disagree, but there is a flip side. If they stop it and employee drivers properly, provide company vans etc, then customers delivery prices go up. And, as a society, we want things for free or as cheap as possible so people would complain. Not saying you or anyone else here, but in general.
I prefer to pay more for UPS or DPD who do it properly. Even APC are a bit better than Hermes. I have know APC drivers to do crappy things like not doing a delivery because it's out in the sticks or hiding a parcel under the bench for an unknown reason but most of them are OK. Still better than Hermes or Yodel. Did Yodel go out of business?
 
Soldato
Joined
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Birmingham
I prefer to pay more for UPS or DPD who do it properly. Even APC are a bit better than Hermes. I have know APC drivers to do crappy things like not doing a delivery because it's out in the sticks or hiding a parcel under the bench for an unknown reason but most of them are OK. Still better than Hermes or Yodel. Did Yodel go out of business?

This, always happy to pay a few £ extra for DPD where possible (both sending and receiving) because I know its far more likely going to get there when it's supposed to
 
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