We use Tuffnells at work to dispatch small sheds and garden furniture. Judging from the feedback from customers they're pretty average, things go missing, arrive damaged and some drivers are rude and unhelpful. I guess at the end of the day they're all trying to provide a service while making a profit. There's probably not a lot of difference between any of them, it's down to the service you as a customer experience which forms your opinion. I do have a friend however who works for Yodel and he says they're rubbish!
I hope this hasn't added too much to the confusion,
Dave
------------- "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night
because rough men stand ready
to do violence on their behalf."
2017
April - New Forest(9)
May - Dorset (9)
August - Camping Le Pin Parasol, Vendee (18)
October - East Mersea (8)
and five nights in the one man tent!
All help is valid and its good to hear from a customers perspective, we are looking now and getting quotes, and thank you for DPD suggestions i will have a look at them tomorrow morning.
Can't help with delivery companies but would add a pet hate with internet sellers are those that insist on sighed for deliveries, especially low value, say under £50. They should at the very least offer customers to option of designating a place where a parcel can be left.
I think the main reason for companies and individual sellers using signed for on delivery is so many people saying they have not received the item.
Been there got the T shirt etc...
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
I live on Mull and therefore are caught out by ludicrous (and some really are!) delivery charges. Like many who live in these places, we all check delivery charges before ordering, especially after the serious investigation with CAS started two years ago. More recently, they have been surveying businesses in Scotland’s more remote or wrong post code areas regarding couriers – don’t know details, but it might be worth having a word with Citizens Advice Scotland to see if any couriers come out better than others.
Keeping to the camping thing, Camping world don’t charge any extra for goods delivered here and after contacting Taunton Leisure, they arranged for goods to come via RM at a cheaper cost. Referring to a recent thread on Corelle plates, world kitchen was going to charge a fortune for delivery (and didn’t reply to my email about other options – they are now on my “don’t touch them with a barge pole” list for lousy customer service) but I’ve had a wonderful resolution to my problem from another company saving me over £8 on delivery charges.
If you are doing regular deliveries to the locations mentioned and obviously dependent on size/weight, etc., If it’s under 2kg, use RM – particularly if you’re concerned about delivery. Ask any potential courier company how they deliver to remote areas. Do they simply deliver to a main distribution centre for Scotland, say Glasgow, and then use local couriers to do the last bit? (Just like RM do the last bit for all the postal firms – Ukmail is a disaster, BTW – and indeed, will do Parcelforce deliveries). Many local courier services used are reliable BUT the problem with big firms doing this, particularly with tracking, is that the big firm using tracking says the goods are delivered once it hands it over and if the goods don’t appear, they wash their hands of it. I’ve had that happen personally three times but fortunately the firms I’d bought the goods from were prepared to have a go on my behalf; on all three occasions, my order was languishing in the main courier’s warehouse waiting until they had enough goods to merit a delivery to my area! So check that out
Something else to bear in mind is that no-one expects next day delivery; nor, to be honest, do we expect most goods – excepting things of high value or goods to be installed such as cookers/washing m/cs – to be signed for. Most of my orders are simply left inside my unlocked front door or on the doorstep. I don’t even have a letterbox! Ferries break down; weather intervenes and it only takes a major accident to cause hours of delays – if not a couple of days. With weather and ferry issues it can be as long as a week and that’s okay so long as we’re able to know where our order is.
In my personal experience, avoid Citylink, Yodel, Fedex. I’ve not had experience with Hermes. DPD and Parcelforce are okay.
Sorry about long post and I’d like to say a thank you that you’re considering your customers.
------------- " When I die I don`t want my life to flash before me in an instant, I want it to be a 3 hour epic !"
Have never had a problem with Hermes but have been waiting two weeks for DPD to pick up a return for Amazon
Rang Amazon Customer services this week changed to City
Link- -they`ve both been up and down the street, DPD even parking outside the premises for a tea break !!!
Finally on Wednesday morning called into the local Asda
and asked if I could return it through them no problem
gave me a receipt and a tracking number, I then went into Kenilworth to do some shopping came back to Meridan
and then home to find an email to say the goods had arrived and my credit repayment would be returned by Friday. Which it was So from now on it will be Collect and send from local pickup drop off shops for me!!!
I purchased a tent yesterday online just before lunch time and it arrived this morning at 10.30am by Fedex, I live in Fife, Scotland.
I thought I would post about some good service for a change and then realised that it was the OP's company I had purchased it from
Oh! I am not connected to the company in any way just like to give praise where its due and I have used this company before.
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
To give all an update, after getting quotes from couriers we are still back at square 1, as no one can offer a sensible solution to supplying the other areas of the UK at the moment due to either cost or weight that we can send with companies.
For example parcel force will not take a box bigger than 30kg, so that the majority of family tents and most air beams.
City link were still more expensive than fed ex,
so we are back to square 1. However we will keep looking :)
Quote: Originally posted by charlichoo on 08/5/2014
I avoid buying from companies that use City Link, Yodel or Hermes.
I've had problems with Yodel and Hermes too.
Yodel are the pits. Expensive phone number to ring, no delivery slots and their drivers seem to be idiots. They try and deliver stuff to me when it should be delivered to the village my road is named after.
I don't know who Cross Camping use, but their driver went beyond the call of duty delivering my new Icarus. the only neighbour who was in was the one who hates me, and he practically told the driver to eff off, I'm told. After calling at half a dozen houses, he went round the corner, found them in and willing to help, and then walked back to put a clearly written card through the door apologising for the fact that he came when we were out!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Courier Choice
