First & Last order from Axminster, they can thank DPD.

[DennisCA]

Ordered some t-tracks in March from axminster, I figured they would ship it via royal mail or something and when the package arrived I could collect it from my local post office. But no they used a company called DPD who completely messed up the whole operation. They tried to delivery it when I was not at home, left a note with instructions for re-delivery. It was a byzantine process using a clunky web-interface but I managed and even got a confirmation mail for redelivery. I filled in a power of attorney to leave it at the door, which is perfectly safe where I live and that would avoid the problem of me not being home.

About 2 weeks later I haven't heard anything, looking at the tracking code again I see the package has moved again and is on it's way back to Britain. No re-delivery was even attempted! Incompetent morons! Had they just used the regular mail as I've ordered dozens of packages via over the years, I would have had it weeks ago. Now I have nothing but a bad temper.

DPD, not even once.

 

[Ed Bray]

I must say, I think DPD are one of the better couriers for deliveries to me within the UK. Both DPD/Interlink and UPS would be my first choices for delivery over any other of the couriers if I have a choice. Obviously this does not help you, and I do not know what there overseas operations are like.

In the UK, DPD give a 1 hour notice of delivery and also offer the options to leave with a neighbour/in a safe place and other options too.

 

[Paul200]

Aah - good old DPD. At least they tried to deliver when you were genuinely not in. My last dealings with this shower (3 months ago) involved three days waiting around for a promised delivery that I eventually cancelled on principle. They claimed to have tried to deliver our parcel on a time and date previously arranged and had left a note in our letterbox to that effect. Just happens that on that day I had been working at the front of the house within a spit of our letterbox, which was hanging on a gate at the end of a quarter mile long track. How I missed a van crunching up a gravel track when I was specifically looking out for it I don't know. Stealth delivery van?!

More lies followed, including an online argument on Facebook, which resulted in my cancelling our order with Amazon.

When I had my business, couriers were the bane of my life. Afraid I don't have a good word to say about any of them but DPD have a special place in my heart! My delivery driver summed them up perfectly - 'Delivery Permanently Delayed'.

 

[DennisCA]

It's the same with any private courier really, they always try to deliver when I am not in, and when I am not in they take it their own warehouse somewhere. It's why I really prefer to get my stuff delivered via the regular mail, I just goto my post office and get it. Never any problems!

And when I used to order from the US (don't anymore, shippings gotten too expensive, dollar too strong) I really hated it when my stuff arrived via fedex or similar. With the post it was a bigger than 50% of avoiding customs duties. Fedex fixed that by making it 100% sure and I had to through a complicated process over the phone. At least if the customs had caught the package, their web system is easy to use.

 

[Rhossydd]

I must say, I think DPD are one of the better couriers for deliveries to me within the UK.

+1 They've proved the most reliable couriers that ever deliver to us here.

Make sure you make Axminster aware of the issues. They may be able to use different couriers to Finland, if DPD provide a sub-standard service there.

 

[iNewbie]

I wish some others had a system like DPD's - Royal Mail take note!


I've had no issues and they've delivered a bunch of stuff, here. Its a blessing being able to see on screen where your parcel is and how long before it arrives.

 

[Roughcut]

I can only echo what others have said and say that DPD have always been very reliable when delivering items and the 1 hour delivery window time they give is excellent.
However I am in England so cannot comment on how they operate in other countries, but can understand the OP's frustration.

 

[artie]

I have had mostly good service from DPD, I buy so much **** I am on first name and hobby discussion terms with the drivers.

They can be a little slow, sometimes.

Last week I had to return an item under warranty, to Amazon. They arranged to have it picked up on a certain day.

In the evening I got an email from DPD, responding to my request to have the pick up postponed to the next day.

I never requested it.

They did pick it up promptly next day.

 

[AES]

@Dennis CA:

Sorry you've had problems with Axminster, my several experiences with them have always been excellent. As someone above has already suggested, please tell them (Axi) about the problems you've had. They MAY be able to do something about it if you give then another chance. But, as always, there are a couple of buts:

Living ouside UK, like you do, I have requested Axi (and others) to use Post rather than courier (as you say, with post you stand a chance of missing the Customs hassles, whereas couriers always charge you for Customs, even on items when no duty is payable here - Switzerland in my case. Robbing so-and-so s). The problem that Axi (and others) have is that in their infinite wisdom, the UK Post decided they will only handle packages up to a certain weight - I think it's 2 KGs, but others will no doubt confirm/correct that. So Axi and the rest have to use couriers on stuff above that limit.

The 2nd thing is that all couriers will tell all customers/potential customers that they can "do it all, world-wide". Nothing could be further from the truth, and in fact, some couriers are pretty good in some places (countries, areas), and useless in others.

In my professional life I have often been responsible for sending high-value top urgent aircraft spares of various sizes and weights to/from all sorts of weird and wonderful - and sometimes even pretty normal (!) places. That's why I know from personal, sad, experience that some couriers are great in some places but rubbish in others. Probably my worst example is getting one of the major couriers (one of those with their own substantial fleet of large wide body aircraft) to send me some urgently needed parts for one of their own aeroplanes which was grounded needing those parts. Complete cock up, and the parts originally ordered arrived after the subject aircraft had left, as I had fitted it with another set of parts which I had ordered elsewhere and had had delivered by one of "my" courier's major competitors!!! Courier service really does vary from place to place!

So my advice would be to try and check around locally for opinions on who is good in your particular area. Then ask Axi (or whoever) to use that company (give them a choice of two if you can).

For example, here in Switzerland:

FedEx - brilliant
DHL - good
DPD - OK-ish
TNT - useless
UPS - even worse than useless sometimes, sometimes excellent (you work it out, they don't seem to be able to!).

HTH

Krgds
AES

 

[AES]

@ Denis CA:

As a P.S. to my last post (above):

The people who sell the services of couriers will (of course) claim they can and will "do it all, anywhere", just as I said above.

As I also said above, my own experience suggests they're all pretty good in some (geographical) areas and pretty weak if not completely useless in others.

The biggest difficulty the buyer of courier services has is that they get good discounts for putting all their business with just one courier (or at the most two) and "we" (the "odd-ball" customers) therefore have to be quite firm when suggesting that supplier "A" doesn't use his usual courier but someone else.

AES

Edit for spell/clarity

 

[sploo]

I've long come to the conclusion that courier companies are like Internet Service Providers - ask ten different people and you'll get ten different horror stories of ten different companies.

Just to show the randomness based on the existing posts, I've found:

DPD - very good
UPS - very good
ParcelForce (better known as ParcelFarce) - pretty bad
DHL (DropIt HideIt LoseIt) - b*ll*ck jugglingly bad

And an honourable mention to the now defunct Initial City Link (usually known as Sh*tty Link), who were just about the biggest bunch of feckless mouth breathers I ever came across.

Basically, I suspect they all have a decent percentage of moronic wasters, and it's really just luck of draw for your parcel.

 

[AES]

Yup, there's a lot of truth in that sploo. To be fair, couriers also seem to have a (good?) percentage of sensible, committed workers, along with their "moronic wasters". Luck of the draw.

AES

 

[sploo]

Yup, there's a lot of truth in that sploo. To be fair, couriers also seem to have a (good?) percentage of sensible, committed workers, along with their "moronic wasters". Luck of the draw.

That's true, though I'm pretty certain the wasters ratio with Initial Sh*tty Link was close to 100%. They really were very very bad in my experience.

My favourite two moments of comedy from them was an ~80kg (CRT not LCD) 32" Sony Vega TV "delivered" onto my front lawn. But only after I helped the guy get it off the van as he didn't have a mate and had no idea what he was carrying.

A close second was the guy who delivered a box to my workplace that was the shape of a piece of Farfalle pasta... due to the presence of a tyre mark straight though the middle. He asked for it to be signed for with the straightest face I've ever seen (unlike the box). The guy should've been a pro poker player not a courier.

(Oh, needless to say; the graphics card in the box, erm... didn't work)

 

[RogerS]

No-one has yet mentioned the one courier company, compared to which all other companies are in a totally different league of competence and capability. A superior league of customer service, delivery and accurate information. In comparison to this company even City Link are a shining example of efficiency and service.

I am referring to Yodel. Their company slogan is "Striving to be the worst". Whenever I get an email telling me your tracking number is xxxxxxx and can be tracked at www.myyodel I lose the will to live.

 

[acewoodturner]

I thought that City Link were a brilliant courier company and they were only a mile away from my workshop. They were round our industrial estate every day , picking up and delivering parcels. Never had a problem with them in over 10 years of using them either. Just goes to show the different experiences of folk on the forum

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I haven't had a problem with Yodel. But then, I've never had a problem with MyHerpes.

 

[DennisCA]

Unfortunately axminster can only ship via DPD so I decided for a refund rather than a re-delivery. They tried to redeliver my package apparently, but when I wasn't home they didn't honor the instructions to leave it by the door, which I had given them the power of attorney to do via their own sites form. Sigh....

 

[RogerS]

The trouble is Dennis that these systems are only as good as the information that they pass between them. Even giving mobile numbers in case they have a problem finding our address doesn't always get through in a form that is accessible by the driver. Viz my latest Yodel debacle.

 

[sploo]

problem with MyHerpes.

I'd see a doctor about that :mrgreen:

 

[AES]

@Dennis CA:

I can empathise with your frustration with Axi/DPD. But as I said in my 2nd post on this thread, whilst I'm sure the person who told you Axi can only use DPD told the truth, it is of course Axi that is buying a service (in this case from a courier company), and they can use any company they like. Did you do a bit of research and find out which courier does do well in Finland?

As a company of 200 odd employees, I'm sure they have their "systems" in place, and for sure the bods in the Despatch Dept will just add your parcel to all the rest in the "Overseas" cart awaiting the daily collection by, in this case, DPD. Those people will almost certainly not be allowed (nor have the time) to call a separate courier, just to collect your particular order.

But if you go higher up the management chain and tell them that for your orders you'd like them to use "Courier X" instead of DPD, I have the feeling (based on my own dealings with Axi) that they'll try their best to accommodate your request - especially if you tell them (Axi upper management) why it is you don't want them to use DPD.

According to some members of this Forum Axi are not always all that cheap, but everyone seems to be universally impressed with their customer service.

HTH
Krgds
AES