Just as there are poor couriers there are many excellent couriers out there. It's a pity we often only find time to write comments when they are gripes and moans.
I'm a courier, I always knock on a door before leaving a parcel and if no one is in I will always try several neighbours and ... Read review
Advantages: Local delivery agents in your area at your beck and call Disadvantages: They do get paid peanuts and aren't treated well by Parcelnet
...£4.95 for delivery. A parcelnet courier is probably paid around 50p for that delivery - no matter how many attempts they have to make. So you tell me who's making the profits because the couriers aren't. They are often working mums trying to make ends meet.
A delivery round can't be predicted from day to day and so the closest I can give to a time of a delivery is probably 2 hours each way, though this could change if I end up with ... ...(I have a few like that) and it means going back and forth from the depot as they won't fit in my car.
If a parcel does go missing, I can assure you that couriers are investigated. I had several go missing in one go from one house when I left them in the porch cupboard as requested by the customer. Since then, I've had my field manager come down on me like a ton of bricks making me feel like I'm at school again, nitpicking over paperwork. ... more
Just as there are poor couriers there are many excellent couriers out there. It's a pity we often only find time to write comments when they are gripes and moans.
I'm a courier, I always knock on a door before leaving a parcel and if no one is in I will always try several neighbours and leave a calling card with my phone number on. So far I have been using my home phone number, but I have to say I'm getting a bit fed up of phone calls when I'm eating my tea, watching corrie - or even in bed (yes some of us couriers are at the depot starting work at 7am). I have even had complaints from the odd customer that I'm never in during the day - yes I deliver parcels, haven't you noticed?!! And there is an answerphone...
I have seen posts complaining that customers have been given a card with a mobile phone number scrawled on it. What do you want, a royal seal of approval too? Call the number for heaven's sake....I always answer my phone (unless out or in bed) and I'm always polite.
Another post complains that the courier knows their address and phone number. Shock horror! Do you want your parcel or not? Have a post box number if you're that paranoid....The same poster makes allegations that the courier must be looking in the parcels...Well some customers expect us to know what's in the parcel - I've lost track of how many times i'm asked "What is it?"...er i don't know, I just deliver them, I don't peek first...I don't have time and I am not really into thermal underwear!!
I may be paid peanuts but I'm no monkey. Maybe some couriers are just a little more disillusioned than i am. Try delivering 50 parcels - it takes me 4 hours to do it and at the end of that I've probably "earned" £25-£30 (not including deductions for petrol, wear and tear, and tyres - 2 of which I've had replaced in the last 2 months alone due to nails). That's a lot less than the minimum wage and we get no sick/holiday pay etc as we're all technically self-employed (when it suits parcelnet).
So, by all means complain, but as usual it's the desire to get something for nothing here that is the root of the problem here.
QVC charge something like £4.95 for delivery. A parcelnet courier is probably paid around 50p for that delivery - no matter how many attempts they have to make. So you tell me who's making the profits because the couriers aren't. They are often working mums trying to make ends meet.
A delivery round can't be predicted from day to day and so the closest I can give to a time of a delivery is probably 2 hours each way, though this could change if I end up with one customer ordering 11 large items on the same day (I have a few like that) and it means going back and forth from the depot as they won't fit in my car.
If a parcel does go missing, I can assure you that couriers are investigated. I had several go missing in one go from one house when I left them in the porch cupboard as requested by the customer. Since then, I've had my field manager come down on me like a ton of bricks making me feel like I'm at school again, nitpicking over paperwork. To me, leaving something over a locked gate (so long as it's waterproof and not breakable) is preferable to leaving in a porch - but I'm not supposed to do this as I can't write "over gate" on my delivery record sheet. So either i have to be more creative on the sheet (no i don't forge sigs), or I end up taking the parcel away. We don't get paid for taking parcels away and redelivering - and the number of times I have done this, and asked customers to call me to rearrange and then they don't bother...but just happen to be in when I call around on Saturday.
So before you complain, try looking realistically at what the courier is expected to do (for 50p and that rate hasn't changed in 10 years so I'm told).
Speaking of which, it's Bank Holiday weekend, Sunday, Lunchtime, my dinner is on and I've just been called to ask when I can collect a parcel! Yes I answered the phone and no I was not rude ;o)
It's not always the courier at fault, customers can be a pain too! My main gripe though would be people who don't have house numbers where they can be seen - especially on busy roads and I'm carrying hanging garments and allsorts back and forth trying to find a house number in an area where houses are huge and drives are long....
so go and check your house number now!! And don't even get me started on house names with no number.....!!!
...my own ongoing experience with parcelnet and any opinions expressed in this review are solely my own and not those of Ciao, TOPSHOP or any representatives thereof---
Last Thursday I made an order on TOPSHOP.com. It was standard delivery (3-5 working days) and I was informed that the courier would be parcelnet, which really meant nothing to me at the time. I was given a tracking number and was looking forward to recieving my new dress.
It is now ... ...my tracking information on the parcelnet website my package had been delivered to a 'secure location' on Feb 28th (the previous Saturday).
'Secure location' meant nothing to me. What location? And why? None of my neighbours had come forward with a package for me, and there had been no leaflet left in the porch telling me that they had been unable to deliver. Besides, we were all at home on that Saturday. There was no way we would not have heard ...
Seventhsheaven 05.03.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Parcelnet
Advantages: delivery on any day, efficient and friendly staff, free colletion, their own wedsite Disadvantages: can't tell you when you will receive
I have been using parcelnet for over a year now and they are one of the best courier services I have ever used. So what makes them better than any other?
Well in the past I have used Intial City Link, White Arrow, Parcel Force and Business Express and these are not as good, usually because they don't deliver your goods on time, the staff are quite rude and turn up looking miserable, they don't deliver everyday and they sometimes say they have carded ... ...not well groomed.
With Parcelnet there is no charge and they always do turn up to collect the parcel. Only once have I had someone not turn up within a year. All it was was a simple call to advise them and re arrange it.
I mainly use them for mail order of clothes and shoes but have also used them for other items like delivering my pc for me or my new hi fi. Because I don't drive it is easier to get someone else to do the hard work for you. I had ...
coolchanty 31.05.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Parcelnet
Advantages: Get the parcel whether you are in or not Disadvantages: You may not get the parcel or it may not be in tip top condition
...what sounded like a deranged parcelnet courier retorting to previous reviews . Well we have all had that feeling of frustration with our work so I hope I don't add to the aforementioned couriers stress level and push him over the edge .
My only dealings with parcelnet are in receiving an occasional parcel from a couple of different compmies .
What I wanted to say about parcelnet is good and bad . I live in a row of terraced houses , along a road ... ...parcels via parcelnet but , as I work during the day , I'm not always around . As hubby works some nights , certain days he is in bed , so obviously deliveries are never easy .
Now the good part is I always get my parcels from parcelnet no matter whether I am in or not . However the bad side is they either leave it in a large shrub in the garden or underneath it .
Up to now I have not had any problems but my criticisms are :-
Up to now nothing ...
grafter123 28.03.2007 (29.03.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Parcelnet
Advantages: Freedom, no pressure, smiling faces (mostly) Disadvantages: No pay rise for many years
...to write this as a parcelnet courier who always tries his best to make the customer feel special when they answer the door and its not always easy if you are delivering in the pouring rain and your paperwork is soaked through and you are supposed to get signatures. I cannot speak for every courier, as with any business you always get a few bad apples, but on the whole the job is very enjoyable as basically you are bringing customers gifts which they ... ...very busy. Overall, give you parcelnet courier a break if they are a bit down, it is not your fault, it could be that they are running late, or they've not been paid on time or they have been given 600 catalogues to deliver by 5p.m. so cut them a bit of slack ! Thanks ...
Elliesdad 02.11.2008 (28.10.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Parcelnet
Parcelnet or companies who deliver (or rather not deliver should I say) such sub-standard and poor services without any customer services or even a customer tel. line should not have the right to exist in 21st century. Its a crime to society for net shopping companies like Top Man to still use these cowboys to deliver their customer's goods (or shall we say not deliver). My daughter purchased a pair of jeans from Top Man. Several days later, I found ... ...find a phone no. for parcelnet to find out what is happening, but to my disappointment I found out that there is no phone number for these dodgy delivery service. After searching and searching, I came across some other reviewer's comments who persistently found a no. for them (01274625625). I've been calling this no. for the past 2 days without any luck. Nobody picks up the phone. We now have the inconvenience of going to top man with our complaint, ...
me4a 11.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Parcelnet
Speed of delivery
Reliability of company
Competitiveness of char...
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