Home Delivery Network FAIL.

[vrykyl]

So, I ordered a new set of nice, but expensive, panasonic home telephones from amazon to replace some bt ones that gave up for ghost.... selected the free 3-5 day delivery option and sat back and waited for them to arrive.

Amazon send them by home delivery network...ok not my fave company, but ok no big deal - I know I'll be at work when they come, but the neighbours are retired and take stuff in for me, or I can call up and rearrange delivery.


So.....I get home today, and sure enough there's a card through my door....but when I read it, to my horror it says under the cards "left in secure location = "

IN BIN


..... the reason my bin was outside the house, was, unsuprisingly, because it's collection day... and when I looked lo-and-behold there's nothing in there.

Seriously, what the hell?

Even if they put it in there after the rubbish was collected (iv no way of knowing), and some pikey has seen them and been and knicked it - - since when was a bin on the street a secure location? They could have left it with neighbours (who took in 2 other packages for me today), or away again....


Needless to say I rang amazon and went ape at them (or rather at them about HDL, as their CS department told me to call amazon)... apparently hdl will interview the driver, and IF home delivery network confirm the package was left in the bin amazon will give a full refund or ship a replacement....
Notice the if... the card they left apparently isnt good enough, so I am geared up for a MAJOR fight with home delivery network if they try and back the driver.

[Yosh]

Notice the if... the card they left apparently isnt good enough, so I am geared up for a MAJOR fight with home delivery network if they try and back the driver.

I doubt it.

You will get a refund/replacement. Amazon just wants the courier to fax over the paperwork clearing showing the "item" has been left in "the bin". I will bet Amazon will sort your refund/replacement, but they do have to make sure your not just making this up.

[PeterStoba]

Thing is - if it says left in bin, and its not there, why would he say it was, if it wasn't?

That would just get him into shlt anyway

[jim]

Seems to happen all the time... I reckon it's just cheaper for the delivery firms to take the hit on refunding Amazon or whoever every now and again than to attempt redelivery or have a depot full of packages.

If someone sees him putting a parcel in a bin, then it's a fantastic opportunity to nick something really - it's not as if it will be investigated by anybody.

[SHare]

HDL are always leaving stuff in our bins, it seems to be their drivers party piece if your not in. Luckily its never been collection day but the first time they done it I didn't check for 5 days as the card was trapped in the middle section of the letter box.

[gman1981]

FAIL - are they ever win?

In my opionion I don't know of a time a delivery has been 100% sucessful from them. Why amazon use them I don't know.

[Singh400]

I would defintely get onto Amazon and lodge a complaint. Thankfully our local HDNL person is very good.

[PeterStoba]

I have never had problems with home delivery network though

[KidChameleon]

When I ordered my Canon 400D from Amazon in December 2007 it was delivered by HDNL. The only reason I knew it had been delivered is because a City Link driver was delivering a package for the neighbours to us because they weren't in. The HDNL package had just been left on the doorstep. Good job I live in a decent area.

I suppose most couriers will have some problems, but that was my experience with HDNL.

[Infinite]

Go on there website, can you find a number to phone? Thought not......

[Salazaar]

We used HDN when I worked for a mail order company, we knew they were a bunch of monkeys but they were so much cheaper than anyone else.

[Yosh]

When I ordered my Canon 400D from Amazon in December 2007 it was delivered by HDNL. The only reason I knew it had been delivered is because a City Link driver was delivering a package for the neighbours to us because they weren't in. The HDNL package had just been left on the doorstep. Good job I live in a decent area.

I suppose most couriers will have some problems, but that was my experience with HDNL.

You know the funny this is, after looking at some of the job advertisements recently i'm sure it said something along the lines of "you will be expected to make delivery / re-delivery days, evenings, weekends" so its more than likely the HDN courier is not fulfilling his job role when visiting once and leaving the item "in the bin" or "on the doorstep".

[vrykyl]

Quick update - HDNL told amazon that they had interviewed the driver, and that he had apparently not put the package in the bin, but behind it (so why write "in bin" on the card??) - amazon to their credit told HDNL that as I clearly hadnt had it and that out on the street (in or behind the bin or not) was not an acceptable place to leave things, that they would be liable for paying for my replacement....which conicdentaly amazon have shiped for free via next day so that HDNL dont go anywhere near it!



So a result at least - shame iv been without my new phones for a week tho.

[adam1701]

sounds like initial city link!

[scaryjim]

Nah, HDN are far worse than Citylink. The worst City Link will do is leave your precious parcel with an unknown neighbour and trust them to sign their proper name and hand the parcel over to you. I had no end of trouble with HDN recently. What I don't get is that they don't provide their drivers with any way to contact either the depot or the customer when they're out, so they can't ring and say "we're going to be with you in ten minutes", which is what most other delivery firms do...

[mamboboy]

They are a terrible company. I bought a TV a couple of months back and paid extra for next day delivery to get it on the Friday (cuz I hate waiting all weekend!).
So I checked the tracking at mid-day (after being home all day) and it said 'Delivery attempt failed - card left at door'...nobody knocked, rang OR left a card.
Monday came, AGAIN the tracking said the same thing. Tuesday came, same again. This was after being on the phone to them every day, and they kept assuring me it'll be there 'tomorrow'.

Turns out they put the wrong delivery address on it and they were attempting to deliver it 50 miles away. Amazingly though it was in good condition when it arrived...I had fears it'd be all bashed, especially seeing as I had a monitor turn up from them a few years back with a big slash down the screen.