Waiting for Yodel....

I've seen a courier (though not Yodel) which showed my item getting gradually closer and then stopping for several hours before the status changed to "unable to deliver" (a wonderful catch-all excuse!). The item was then shown as being back at the local distribution centre, from which it went "out for delivery" the following day, when it was delivered at the new promised time. I wonder if the van broke down or the van driver was out of tachograph hours.

And now it's stopped again, and has disappeared from the screen. I hope he's not drinking my wine!

I have actually told a vendor that I have ceased using them, and found an alternative. Because they use Yodel.

On a Thursday I ordered three large (20kg) items to be delivered 'next day'. No delivery window, but I was in all day.

On Friday, I was working near the front door, and I have CCTV and the doorbell logs to my PC.

At about 4 p.m. I received a message to say that they couldn't deliver because no-one answered the door. I checked the footage and the log - nothing. I called their support line and they said that he couldn't get an answer, to which I replied that was rubbish. They checked the GPS and admitted that he'd been some distance away when he logged the 'no answer'. I should point out that the road name is unique within 50 miles, and the first part (i.e. not 'Avenue') is unique for the same amount. They promised to get it delivered Saturday.

On Monday a very surly driver heaved two battered parcels out of his van. I pointed out that one was missing; he grunted and walked back to the back of th van. I heard the doors slam, he got into the cab and drove off.

That parcel was never found, and the vendor eventually gave me a refund.

(the items were bags of material, so I just needed to re-order sooner - with a new company. I made it clear that they would get no more business due to their using Yodel.)

Well, that was interesting. At 9:02, I got a message saying that my package had been delivered. But it hadn't. I tried to install the Yodal 'app', to view a photo of the delivery, but it wouldn't install on my PC. But then, at 9:25, the van pulled up and my package was delivered. When I said that it was said to have been delivered some time ago, the driver said that he had to deliver all packages by 9pm. Hey, it's here, what the hell? Better late than never.

I prefer DPD. The delivery driver had to get my permission to deliver two minutes earlier than the time slot I had been given.

Royal Main 24 tracked today, 3 different email messages stating when my package would be delivered. First one a four hour slot ending midday, as midday approached the delivery slot changed to between 11:58am and

In the recent past I've similar multiple emails from RM for multiple delivery slots during one day but the package actually turning up late on the next day.

All the emails state "This is a delivery aim, not a guarantee. And we may deliver this item separately from your usual mail on the day specified."

Just down the road from here is a layby. I often see delivery vehicles parking there for quite long periods. One time I saw a van from the supermarket firm I use parked there. After a few minutes the phone rang and the bloke said would it be alright to delivery early. I said yes and he asked where the house was. I said, "You know that clump of bushes where just nipped in for a piss? Well I'm on the other side of the road 50 yards further on." Bill

I don't know where or when my deliveries will end up.

I've specified delivery of one small item to our local post office as I knew I'd be out yesterday. DPD have some issue so it might come today but they seem to think it is to be delivered to my home address. I won't mind as I'm in today but how does a confirmation to Post Office change to home?

Evri notified me that they were going to deliver a small item yesterday, then said it would be delayed. Their system cannot tell me when it will arrive even though they have it at the local depot.

Another item was timely delivered to a local store yesterday by Packlink, the only issue was that I'd made a mistake and thought the local store was en-route to where I was going yesterday whereas it was in fact in the opposite direction.

But even going to a store doesn't guarantee success, the local shop didn't have the beer I wanted in stock. :(

Parcel Farce on not getting an answer at the door will then deliver to a local post office (usually the nearest corner shop with post Office counter) and put a card through the door saying where they are going to drop off the package. Often the problem is the inability of the driver to actually write anything intelligible or him using his personal shorthand. I had one that said the package had been dropped off at WR. It was only on visiting the second small shop where on enquiring about my package that the shopkeeper suggested that WR was probably Waitrose supermarket 3 miles away.

Sometimes things work as they should.

I ordered a portable aircon unit at 1230 yesterday for delivery today. Had an email from DPD at 2038 saying they were expecting the parcel and would let me know when they have it and it's out for delivery. Got an email and text from them at 0709 this morning to say it would be delivered between 0802 and 0902. It arrived at 0805. I can't find any fault with that service!

It would be nice if it *always* happened that way. :-)

I found an ASDA delivery driver rather annoying. We were due a delivery at 17:00, but received a call at 12:45 asking could he come early, as we would be his last delivery. We told him we were out and would be until at least 16:00 (we were on our way to a pre-booked meal, in - late - celebration of our 20th anniversary, at the hotel where we had had our wedding reception). He turned up at our house at 14:30, but could not deliver as there was alcohol and our children are under 18 and the children phoned us. He tried again 20 minutes later. He then phoned us again.

Even the first phone call ruined our day, as we felt under pressure to get back, before we'd even got to the hotel!

I have no problem with asking to deliver early, but calling more than 4 hours early and then persisting when he knew we were out and had booked our delivery slot with that in mind, was just taking the piss.

I think that as online shopping increases, we will be seeing a fresh approach to delivery techniques.

And also more carriers who know where you live...

When that happened to me (DPD) a subsequent check of the CCTV told me that the van got within 20ft of the front door, the driver got out and went to the back of thee van for several minutes before returing to the cab and driving off. My interpretation was that the parcel had been left off the van by mistake.

Or was just too deeply buried in a collapsed pile of parcels to be quickly found.