Bob T Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 I have never had any problems with items sent by the postal service, but DHL is a shambles.A small package was sent via DHL from Birmingham to me in the Dordogne. It was with them on the 11th of July. I sit here on the 30th July and it has still not arrived!I have tracked it via their website and it has been sitting in Paris since the 15th. They are a clever company because they don't give you a number to phone so that you can chase it. I know that when it gets here I will get a call to say that they cannot find my house and I can collect it from Perigueux. How can anybody run a business like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Contact the people who sent it. They will have some clout with DHL as they are a business customer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audio Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Yes Bob T and I have found the delivery drivers to be a pretty miserable unhelpful bunch compared to say UPS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Its been my experience with all the delivery companies in France, in most cases it arrives promptly in France and then is promptly shown on the tracking data as lost, usually within a day, one, two or three weeks later when it finally does arrive, or you have to go collect it because they couldnt find you you will find the tracking history is re-established and your parcel will have done a tour of the depots, probably returning to your local one each time just to be sent out to yet another hub so as to avoid actually delivering it.I suspect that they may get paid a small amount each time they handle a parcel hence the ping pong.Actually I sympathise with the global companies that otherwise have good reputations and have no choice but to have a presence in France, these guys must tear their hair out with anger and frustration, and when they do finally decide or manage to pull out they end up getting kidnapped and imprisoned in their offices and end up paying the workforce to do nothing for up to 3 years whilst they get dragged through the redressment judiciare procedures, there are loads in that situation around me like Lee Cooper for instance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suej Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 By chance- or bad luck - I'm in the middle of same chaos with DHL.I'm waiting for a parcel form UK, I had no notification as to which day they would deliver and then despite the fact I had been in all day on Weds I found an'avis de passage ' in the letter box saying they had called at 12.10. Thursday I tried calling the 0820 number on the avis- at 9cts a minute- nothing but 'please hold' +music ofcourse. Tried their web-site which has a supposed facility to reschedule delivery but that wouldn't complete or confirm. I finally got through by phone yesterday to be told initially that they had no trace of my parcel and I must contact the sender as it was the sender's responsibility. I squawked on about their avis de passage and ref numbers and finally he traced the parcel, or at least its existence. He suggested I collect it from Nantes ! They are supposed to be delivering it Monday to a neighbour because we will be away.We'll see... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Don't know about DHL. But, as someone has said, UPS are superb.Year before last, I had no end of problems with Colissimo on more than one occasion. All this about your not being in, is a load of rubbish. They don't bother trying to deliver (especially if it's a heavy parcel) and just send you a card to say they can't because you are out.The last time, the parcel was from M & S and I spent hours on the phone, talking to them and got passed (like the parcel that didn't arrive) from one department to another. I kept demanding to speak to someone with clout and authority and, after several weeks' delay, they sent out another parcel.Recently, my neighbour told me that M & S has stopped using Colissimo and I like to think that I might have had a hand in that change![8-|]Now I have read that it's the same in the UK with the Royal Mail (or whatever it's called nowadays). I read an article saying that a significant proportion of parcels do not get delivered but that the would-be recipients just get a card to say they were out and would they collect from their post office.However, in the research, they found 6% of eager-eyed folk who waited up for the post person and challenged them as they were delivering the card!How I'd have loved to have caught the parcel person red-handed in that way...Just keep on at the sender, emphasise that your contract is with them and not with the delivery company and therefore it should not be your job to chase them, phone expensive numbers, collect from their depot, whatever. You have paid for goods to be delivered to YOUR house and that's where you expect the goods to arrive. Remind them that breach of contract is a serious matter and, whilst you're at it, tell them that their reputation is suffering at the hands of the delivery company.For good measure, I sent M & S, a link to this very Forum where lots of people were coming to my support and recounting their own experiences. In the end, I hinted that if they didn't sort it out quickly, I might be tempted to ask for compensation. Needless to say, I got my replacement parcel which was more valuable than the original and was begged to accept it without need to pay for the overspend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob T Posted July 30, 2011 Author Share Posted July 30, 2011 I cannot chase the sender as he is one of the companies who send me free electronic stuff for evaluation, I get to keep it afterwards. I sent an email to DHL and got a phone call today to say it will be delivered on Monday.In the future I will ask all of my contacts to send stuff by mail as I have never had any problem with Colissimo. We once had a visitor who parked his estate car at the end of our long drive. We were expecting a parcel, but on this occasion the postie could not pass the car at the end of the drive, so she put the parcel in the boot of my friends car and left the boot open so that we found it when they left. That is what I call great service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 [quote user="sweet 17"]Recently, my neighbour told me that M & S has stopped using Colissimo and I like to think that I might have had a hand in that change![8-|][/quote]Mrs G had a coli delivered from M & S only last week. Three days from advised email despatch ex UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnie Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I ordered stuff from M&S last week and will let you know when it arrives (or if). Last time I had no end of trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 minnie, I believe the service has now greatly improved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnie Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Thanks Sweet. The order was made on Tuesday evening and on Friday I had an e-mail to say that it is on its way. I'll report back when it gets delivered. We live outside the village and just have a house name so that makes things more interesting. However, the house name is on the local map and works via satnav. We have no problem with some deliveries but others..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Yes, it does make a difference, minnie, as to who is delivering your parcel.We, too, just had the name of the house and the silly bu**ers were just not bothering to find out.Now, we have a number and a road but still it's not on anybody's sat nav. What annoys me is that they don't ring up and just ask! I mean that't not exactly difficult, is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 A THOUSAND, NAY, TEN THOUSAND APOLOGIES to everybody who has been misled by me!No, I don't mean Colissimo, I meant CHRONOPOST!Seriously, I am truly sorry; how the OLD memory plays tricks and I hope Colissimo doesn't sue me for libel, defamation, whatever.Thought I'd better put the record straight?[:$] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 [quote user="sweet 17"]A THOUSAND, NAY, TEN THOUSAND APOLOGIES to everybody who has been misled by me!No, I don't mean Colissimo, I meant CHRONOPOST!Seriously, I am truly sorry; how the OLD memory plays tricks and I hope Colissimo doesn't sue me for libel, defamation, whatever.Thought I'd better put the record straight?[:$][/quote]Nay nay and thrice nay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 What an innocent age that was, Norman.I'd forgotten how funny some of it was. And, also how, although you could anticipate what was coming, you still laughed. In fact, your anticipation of what would come next was part of the humour and the fun. No bad language, certainly no f words and the puns were so awful they were screamingly funny.And when he said the contest was Oportunatus Knockus, I nearly choked on the mouthful of water I was just drinking.....[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I was in town at the relais point to pick up this my first ever portable computer which has taken since Friday to get to me (not bad by French standards) when Chronopost left a card to say that they tried to deliver a parcel.It was collected Monday morning in the UK and had I been in would have got to me at 11.00 this morning, it just shows how fast things can/ought to be.They will try again tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnie Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 M&S parcel arrived today via the postman. That is good news if this is how they plan to make future deliveries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 I reckon its down to the work ethic of the delivery drivers that they contract, and with French labour laws they cant really get shot of one that is causing customers and them grief.the guy who came was a fellow immigrant and a real bosseur, you could tell just from his comportment, I am a long way from his depot yet he arrived within 3 minutes of his time the day before.I now have the confidence to order stuff for delivery to France and have just ordered some running shoes and swim trunks, wiggle.co.uk have free delivery to france at the moment with no minimum order value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Chance, do you really have to put temptation straight up in my face like that?Anyway, once I'd seen that sunglasses were £190, I quickly lost any temptation I might have felt.Admittedly, I probably can now no longer get into any of my biking shorts but I'll just have to wear the padded knickers under ordinary trousers......yuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 I recently threw away or recycled 99% of my wardrobe, many things had never been worn, I used to buy them close fitting hoping one day I would lose weight, whenever I came to use them I had already outgrown them [:(]Now that I have finally mastered losing weight it has come off too quickly and I never got a chance to even wear these clothes, there was a brand new unworn pair of padded cycle shorts, they gave me a good laugh when I tried them on in front of the mirror, and as for my baggy speedo's, definitely budgie smugglers [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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