Open letter to Axminster Despatch

[RogerS]

I placed an order with you on Thursday and did not opt for any sort of faster delivery and fully expected to take delivery on Monday.

After receiving my tracking number from you, I checked with TNT your carrier on early Friday morning and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was flagged out for delivery that day. I called TNT and they confirmed that this was indeed the case and that the packages were out for delivery. So on that basis I cancelled my plans for the weekend, re-arranged events for the Monday.

Midday Friday, I needed to go out for a short while and rang TNT for advice. They advised that I could leave a signed note out for the driver. They also added that most deliveries were done by lunchtime. False information Number 1.

Arrived back home an hour later. Nothing delivered.

4pm rang TNT to ask for an update as it was not too late to re-reschedule my plans. Told the goods would definitely be with me. Delivery could take place any time up to 6pm.

6pm came and went. No delivery. 6.30pm rang TNT to be told that sometimes the drivers went over the 6pm time.

7pm left home leaving note for driver. Arrived back at 8.30pm and checked TNT website. PLEASE CALL it said.

So I called, to be told the message was CHECK ADDRESS. I asked what that meant and was told that 'the driver couldn't find you' and that he had left a card. Que? I asked how he could leave a card if he couldn't find us. Silence. Is that False Information Number 2?

The address TNT gave me was the correct address but they could do nothing more until I called back Saturday and they could speak to the depot and that if it was due to driver time or similar that the depot would most likely send the goods out on Saturday. False Information Number 3.

Now we live in a rural area and appreciate that finding houses can be difficult. I should point out that DHL, ParcelForce, Business Post and even the man with the ubiqitous white van have no difficulty in finding us. This is because we have come up with a very novel idea. You see there is just the one road goes through the village and on our gate post in letters four inches high we have put the name of our property on a rather natty sign. Clever, eh? So for 'can't find you' read 'It's friday evening and it's a long way over there, I simply can't be bothered'.

Saturday morning called TNT to be told this time 'driver out of hours'. So what is it to be TNT? 'Can't find you' or 'out of hours' or 'it's Friday night and I can't be bothered'?

I cannot now re-arrange the weekend. I cannot now re-arrange Monday and so have now had to re-arrange Tuesday so that I can be in to take delivery.

So, please flag my account with you, that in future if I am to get goods delivered from you by carrier that under no circumstances are you to send them to me via TNT.

And now to try and retrieve something or other from the weekend.

Thank you


It's the messing around that I really object to and the fobbing off by TNT Customer Service. For all I know it was never even on the lorry.

 

[BigShot]

A nicely worded letter.
Don't you just love that?

It reminds me of the "you weren't in" notes left by posties.
I've heard a few stories of someone seeing such a note hit the doormat and opening the door to see the postie scurrying away. When asked for the parcel he admitted he'd left it at the office.

"You weren't in" becomes "I really couldn't be bothered carrying the package so you'll have to go to the post office to collect it".

Fun fun fun.

I don't suppose there was any way to go to the depot yourself and demand a refund of shipping fees was there? Just a thought.

 

[StevieB]

Not quite sure why this is Axminsters fault though. By all means complain to TNT, but if Axminster only use TNT as a carrier you are surely shooting yourself in the foot by asking for a different carrier?

Steve.

 

[Rob_H]

Axminster need to know if their courier is not 'delivering' as it were. Poor service from courier companies is my pet hate as I have had many a similar experience to that detailed here. If TNT aren't performing, and there are enough similar complaints, they should change couriers.

 

[Losos]

Not quite sure why this is Axminsters fault though. By all means complain to TNT, but if Axminster only use TNT as a carrier you are surely shooting yourself in the foot by asking for a different carrier?
Steve.

I have to politely disagree Steve - By writing to Axminster he addressing TNT's customer (And a pretty dam big one at that) therefore at the next 'meeting they have with TNT this can be mentioned and IMO TNT might take a bit of notice.

As an individual writing to TNT direct will do didley squat, the letter will get passed around and eventual get answered in some ambiguos way which doesn't admit any liability, doesn't say what the real problem was, and doesn't imply any sort of reprimand on the driver

'Cos in 2009 management can't have a go at any employee with out first going through all sorts PC goobledy gook procedures.

No much better to write to Axminster, at least they have some clout.

 

[John. B]

Exactly the same has happened to me.
same company, same courier, same excuse,
eventually I drove to the Basildon depot to pick it up myself. made a complaint,
neither did not even have the courtesy to reply. I shopped elsewhere for a long time after that.

John. B

 

[Imperial]

I was waiting for delivery from DHL on one occasion when I got a call from a stranger who found a parcel on the roadside and had opened the del note to see if he could find the tel number of the owner, me! I duly went and picked up said parcel from the guy and waited to see what would happen when DHL tried to deliver it! Sure enough the DHL lorry arrived the guy got out of his van, rummaged for a while and then wrote note, posted and drove away. It said sorry you were out call number etc. I called to say what had happened re note delivered while I was looking out the window at the guy in his van and went through the motions of when will I get my parcel deivered etc to see what would occur. The excuses and lies mounted until one of the directors called and I told him what really happened. End result, a free delivery for an item, as if I'd every use it! Have never used them, and will never accept delivery for anything sent using them, the worst excuses and lies I've ever been told by any company, rant over.......

 

[FogggyTown]

I agree that complaining to DHL will probably accomplish nothing for several reasons already mentioned. In addition, you (as the recipient) have no contract of carriage with DHL. They have no legal obligation to you because you aren't their client. You may get more mileage if you pick something quite expensive on Axminster's site and send their customer services an email stating that you are thinking of purchasing the item but want to know if they are still using DHL for deliveries. If they respond yes, tell them you'll find it elsewhere.

The one I can't understand is Amazon. DHL for deliveries and Citylink for returns!

 

[RogerS]

To close this off, happy to report that my goods arrived today. Discussions with the driver proved interesting but I won't bore you with the details.

Following my email to Axminster Customer Service, they did flag up my account to say not to use TNT in the future.

I also received a very detailed and fair reply from the TNT account manager who looks after the Axminster account. The one recommendation that she made and which I pass onto you guys is that if you are getting hassle from the carrier company then get straight onto Axminster as they have far more clout than you or me at that point in time.

She also gave me her personal contact details in case of problems in the future so I'm putting TNT back on the list :lol:

 

[billw]

The one I can't understand is Amazon. DHL for deliveries and Citylink for returns!

It's simply down to the tender offer by each company - much the same that HMRC will be using one bank if you pay by cheque and another if you pay by BACS now that the BoE has withdrawn from retail banking.

 

[OPJ]

That's strange. I don't think I've ever received an Axminster delivery via TNT... Was it a large package, ie. machine weighing less than 100kg? Maybe it's a regional thing?

I had a fairly small order of 'bits and pieces' arrive today with no problems, thanks to FedEx. Used to be ANC before them.

 

[Dave D]

The problem is TNT

I have a catalogue of disasters with TNT's inability to deliver. There have been 7 occasions when they have failed to deliver. In fact they have never made a successful delivery.
Despite repeated warnings that we live on a narrow lane they always send a pantechnicon the size of a battle ship and have never phoned to explain so that we can stop waiting for them.

Axminster however constantly amaze me with their service.
It is not unusual for small items to be ordered mid afternoon, acknowledged inmmediatly and delivered by Royal mail the following day.

 

[9fingers]

According to this report http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7907179.stm

TNT are the only firm that have expressed interest in the (potentially disaterous) proposal for part privatisation of the Royal Mail.


Bob

 

[grafter]

this is the single biggest problem when ordering online - if you get the stuff the next day early - great
if the couriers mess up (i find amazon home delievery service the worst) it taints the whole purchase and puts you off the company - so good on you for telling axminster - they need to know if the courier they use is useless.

 

[contadino]

I have quite a long list of things to get from Axminster, and being outside the UK I have the option to either get them delivered to a friend and picking them up from him or just visiting one of their shops. I've opted to make a small detour and pop into their High Wycombe branch. It's so much simpler.

Of course, the big proviso is that they have what I want in stock. However, the email exchanges I've had with them have me feeling quite optimistic about that. I may even try emailing the branch a week or so before I come over to see if they can put the bits aside for me.

 

[Yetty]

I've had this problem a lot living in semi rural area.
City Link the worst by far.
Royal Mail or Parcel Force the best.

So I always try to pick suppliers who use Royal Mail or Parcel Force.
Some suppliers have optional upgrades to Royal Mail or Parcel Force, and normally worth the small increase. A lot less stressful!

 

[cambournepete]

...Parcel Force the best...

First time I've ever heard someone recommend Porcel Farce...

 

[MickCheese]

I have quite a long list of things to get from Axminster, and being outside the UK I have the option to either get them delivered to a friend and picking them up from him or just visiting one of their shops. I've opted to make a small detour and pop into their High Wycombe branch. It's so much simpler.

High Wycombe is not a small detour if you live in Italy!

Mick

 

[CWatters]

Never arrange for a delivery on a friday! Haven't you heard of the Friday delivery trick?

It gets to around 4pm and the driver is obviously looking forward to the weekend, so instead of making the 1 hour round trip to your house he just heads back to the depot with your parcel. There he tells his boss you were out or that he couldn't find your house and he's off an hour early for the weekend.

Eventually you ring up wondering where your parcel is but the secretary is wise to the drivers tricks so doesn't bother to look up what the problem is, she just makes up any old excuse knowing the delivery driver will have no such problem delivering it on the monday.

 

[oddsocks]

...Parcel Force the best...

First time I've ever heard someone recommend Porcel Farce...

Pete - a vote from me as well...last week a delivery for me was addressed to no1 - parcelforce knew I was at 39 so checked. The others don't have that knowledge.

Dave