Royal Mail....?

Maggiemaybe ? ?

I’ve nothing but praise for our local delivery people, whether Royal Mail, Hermes or DPD, who are out there every day putting themselves at risk, yet manage to keep smiling. We get parcels on average three times a week and I’m sending more than usual as well, and have had only three issues since last March, all easily sorted. Considering the huge increase in deliveries in the system (I read that there are up to 60% more since the pandemic started), staff shortages due to illness and isolating, and recent bad weather, I’d expect a few delays, and that’s what we’ve had, a few. I guess I must be either extraordinarily lucky in where I live or easily pleased, but I’ve no complaints.

I like DPD. They sent me a text today saying it will be delivered between 9.50 and 10.50. It arrived at 9.35.
Royal Mail always say delivery before 9pm. Then they say they knocked/rang the bell but go no answer, so we have to go online and wait 48 hours before redelivery.
Hermes-sometimes good, sometimes not, but their local area tracking works.

I haven’t had it happen to me elegran but I m constantly reading people on fb saying do you know any named xxxx as I have had their parcel left on my doorstep etc etc

BlueBelle Or d) if a parcel has been unexpectedly left with you which is neither for you nor from you, but you want to report to them that you have it, so that it can be returned to where it should be. It seems that they are happy with you just keeping it - that doesn't do much to encourage honesty..

i was surprised when i posted a large parcel with sweets in for my dad, posted friday morning in glasgow and it arrived saturday morning in coventry, during this time there is a lot of sorting offices trying to run with less staff, i hope your gift arrives soon and a belated happy birthday x

I think Hermes depends on your area driver some are much better than others BUT the appalling part is the lack of being able to contact anyone other than a robot iF you do have a problem
FB comes up with problems with Hermes more than any other company that I ve read bug that’s only in my opinion
I m not totally blaming the drivers as I know they all get treated pretty poorly but the companies should have some means of contact if a) a parcel doesn’t get delivered or b) you get a text saying it has been delivered when it definitely hasn’t or c) you get a card saying you aren’t in when you’re sitting next to the window waiting

I had exactly the same problem with Hermes a few months ago they were absolutely terrible if you weren’t in they would put a card to the door but with no phone number and no way to contact them in fact I even rang Amazon and told them not to use Hermes to deliver my parcels as I would not accept them. However my son and his girlfriend have had parcels from Hermes and the last three or four months we seem to have got a very nice chap and he is very good

It is absolutely impossible to contact Hermes if a parcel has been delivered to you that it not for you.

A parcel was left at my door and the doorbell rang. By the time I got there the driver was leaving the front gate, but turned back to photograph me picking it up, then drove off.

The name and the postcode turned out to be wrong, but the house number and street were mine. So I tried to contact Hermes to tell them I had it and would they please pick it up. There was no phone number, no email address, just a button to press "contact us" That took me to a form which asked me for details that I didn't have because I wasn't the customer. There was a box for "other" which looked promising, but even that demanded the same non-existent details!

Luckily the sender had queried the non-delivery, and discovered that it had been delivered to me. They lived near enough to come round and ask whether I still had it, so there was a happy ending - but why don't they want to be contacted? What have they to hide?

Some friends in UK sent us a card on 2nd Jan. We received it on 27th. I sent a card to UK on 22nd Jan and it arrived on 25th Jan. I think there has been a lot of staff sickness with Royal Mail in some areas.

We got a Xmas card on 26th January!

I've no opinion re Royal Mail, but I'm definitely not best pleased with Hermes.
They have 'lost' my order of a Dyson vacuum cleaner. Communication with them has been appalling - practically non existent.
Fortunately the sender (QVC) has been excellent and are sending me a replacement.
Fingers crossed that Hermes will do the business this time...

DPD have just sent me a pic of an M&S gift left outside for a friend’s 70th birthday near Melton Mowbray. The box is clearly marked ‘glass’ so fingers crossed!

Oh dear. Just read Bluebells comment. My experience is so different with Hermes. Can't praise them highly enough,.
Now DPD - never look forward to a delivery through them. They've damaged so many things we've ordered. I always moan when told a company only use DPD.

Shinamae Don't give up. Collections from Post Offices do vary. Depends what time of day she dropped it off. It may not have been collected till Saturday. Sunday is not a working so the parcel could only have been travelling 4 days. Hope it does arrive.

Witzend. I think this varies across the country with Hermes and their delivery couriers but we've found them excellent for a few years now.

We had problems with Royal Mail last month. Grandson's birthday. Card arrived on time. I ordered one present and that never arrived. I now have a refund from the company. Another present took 8 working days, arriving after his birthday. Both were by Royal Mail.

Another grandson's birthday next week, I've used Hermes to send something I've made him. I use them a lot to send things. Dropped it off Saturday morning - arrived yesterday. I return goods via Hermes where possible, as the dropped off shop is so close. Never have to queue.

My family in NZ only get two deliveries a week too nana8
I m not having too much trouble with RM so far but I think this weather will have added to the problems so I m sure it will arrive albeit late shinamae
Don’t talk to me about Hermes they are the scourge of the devil mostly because they constantly lie and say things have been delivered when they haven’t or say they tried to deliver and you weren’t in when you know you haven’t left your chair
The other couriers seem better than Hermes

Hermes are just useless. Had a problem with two parcels I was returning, will not bore you with details but one was delivered three weeks ago and they paid my claim for the other one last week. Yesterday they rang to apologise for not paying out for the first parcel. Was very tempted to tell them to get on with paying it, but common sense got the better and I told them they had delivered it, took a bit of convincing. Will not be using them again, the stress was not worth it - how can they lose a 15kg enormous parcel?

Must be lucky, since I’ve had no problems with Royal Mail. I’ve used their Click and Drop service quite a bit lately - so convenient, especially if the package is small enough to go in an ordinary letterbox, rather than the parcel box in town or dropping it off at the PO.

OTOH I’ve been finding Hermes terribly slow - one supplier I’ve used a lot lately uses them exclusively and I can’t say I’m impressed.

Must be something world wide. It can take up to 3 weeks for the next suburb here. They only deliver twice a week now. Bring back the pony express I say, it was quicker ! Another thing is that they search every single parcel coming in from overseas now- via Sydney which is hundreds of miles away for a start. They repack it neatly but that must take forever.

My DD sent my card through an online card firm. Living in France they sent it though Guernsey and it arrived 10 days later. Problems somewhere, don’t give up, better late than never. It is the first time this has happen.

I have noticed a lot of sites that offered next day delivery have changed it to a week, staff shortages and weather have delayed considerably.

I'm on a moneysavingexpert forum, people buying/selling are having difficult waiting for post too, there are delays. Hope it comes soon.

And I still haven’t got it!!