OT: bad experience with parcel2go - be warned!

[Nospam]

I've just tried to leave a negative review on the parcel2go website but interestingly it won't accept it; when I look further there only seem to be positive reviews listed (have I missed something?)

This is what I was going to write: "Dreadful customer service First they didn't collect so I wasted a day (this has happened before). They collected two days after the original date (after I had re-booked). They have now lost the parcel, which was insured for £200, but are trying to wriggle-out of the insurance claim. I have lost count of the time I have wasted so far and do not yet have a resolution. (I left a negative review the last time they failed to collect a parcel and someone offered me money to remove the review - I declined)."

What a bl**dy shambles!

[John Rumm]

Is it parcel2go that's causing the problem or the actual courier?

(last time (18 months ago) I had a problem with something getting damaged in transit P2G were actually quite efficient at sorting it)

[Dave Liquorice]

I know what you are saying but the contract is with Parcel2Go so it's up to them to carry the responsibilty.

As for the inabilty to leave a negative, can you leave the same words but flagged "positive"? 100% positive over a several months to a year I'd find suspicious, raise it with your local Trading Standards?

[Brian Gaff]

Well it is called parcels to go, where they go and when they go is not in the name.

Brian

[Roland Perry]

In message , at

02:13:46 on Tue, 11 Dec 2012, John Rumm remarked:

The problem is, mud sticks, but my hiccup with Parcel2Go was probably Yodel's fault (for failing to turn up to collect). After two missed pickups P2G seemed happy to commission Citylink (who would normally be near the bottom of my list) instead at no extra cost.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Nospam explained :

Parcel2go are just an agent, who act as an intermediary to book deliveries with, they are not a courier company.

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 10:30:04 on Tue, 11 Dec 2012, Arfa Daily remarked:

They seem to use freelancers with their own transport.

[Jeremy Nicoll - news posts]

Is it actually possible to do this these days? I thought one had first to talk to Consumer Direct, and only if they think you have a case do they refer it to your local TS?

Also, is the approach the same all over the UK - or does it depend on how your local council works?

[Fredxx]

My local council had abdicated responsibility to the Citizens Advice Bureau. It may be run by seemingly good people but they have no powers of investigation.

[polygonum]

Is it actually illegal in any sense? Wrong, suspicious, misleading, but which law does it contravene?

Think we need a new website - shitecompaniesareus.co.uk. Report all instances of companies mischievously avoiding bad feedback - however achieved other than decent service. Allows people to have their palms crossed with silver by the company - then publish the bad feedback on this site - bets of both worlds. Report sites which remove bad feedback after a few minutes/hours/days/weeks but leave good stuff there forever.

[Onetap]

Good plan but wide open to abuse by competitors leaving malicious feedback.

[polygonum]

The reality of doing it has so many pitfalls - as you say.

Actually doing things the other way around would, in many ways make more sense. That is, companies can get their feedback mechanisms validated by an independent third party - then honestly proclaim the fact. Yes, there are plenty of openings for abuse there as well...

[Apellation Controlee]

As do myHermes.

[Jules Richardson]

parcel2go just references the second parcel, and says nothing about what happens to the first.

[Chris J Dixon]

Speaking of which, my partner placed an on-line order, paid extra for nominated day delivery for Monday - nothing appeared. The Hermes tracking just showed "09/12/12 order raised".

I was out today, and when I returned, though there was no card, I had a quick look, since it was still light, and found the parcel perched on the wheelie bin.

Hermes tracking now shows "11/12/12 11:30 Delivered to secure location". :-(

Chris

[Nightjar]

Also likely to give a distorted view from the fact that people are far more ready to complain about perceived* or actual bad service than they are to praise good service.

• Read some of the comments on tripadvisor.co.uk and it is obvious that many people have unreasonable expectations and complain when they don't get five star service in a two star hotel.

Colin Bignell

[Dave Liquorice]

Well I've talked direct with Trading Standards in the past but it was a few years ago. I wouldn't be surprised if another layer of officialdom has been placed in the path to provide employment for more civil servants. Having said that it might not be a bad idea to filter out the "complaints" from the terminally stupid, "I bought a china plate an dropped it on a concrete floor, it broke but the supplier is refusing to replace it".

There is a clue in the name "Advice"... I don't think the CAB have ever had any investigative powers. They are there to give advice to the public on what course(s) of action are available and how to go about those actions rather than actually do it. It is up to the person actually pursue things.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

The CAB offices actually do things, too. Phoning up relevant departments and quoting the official regs to them has an electrifying effect. Those people live and die by regulations, so when somebody at the CAB who knows them inside out plays them at their own game, it can get results.

[Mark]

I guess it depends on your CAB office. I found ours to be useless and, I hear, it's being closed due to the cutbacks.

TS don't deal direct with consumers here anymore[1], but it depends where you live. It's Consumer Direct[2] or nothing now.

[1] Which is a real shame because it usually took one call from TS to sort out a problem and now it needs endless letters and court action to achieve the same. [2] Typically "dumbed down" advice.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

Oh yes, it varied a lot. I was lucky enough to meet a few CAB folk who were like terriers. Otoh, some offices tended to be staffed by people who were terribly well-meaning but ineffective.