I have a KitchenAid Classic mixer on its way from Amazon.
Maybe.
The problem is that it was sent via Yodel, a courier service I’ve not previously heard of (though others have and are deeply unimpressed). It was despatched from Edinburgh on November 27 and still hasn’t arrived. This is the tracking info (read from bottom up):-
Arrived At Depot (WREXHAM SERVICE CENTRE) 2nd Dec 2011 14:05
Re-routed to another courier (WREXHAM SERVICE CENTRE) 30th Nov 2011 01:48
Arrived At Depot (WREXHAM SERVICE CENTRE) 29th Nov 2011 04:48
Departed Depot (WEDNESBURY HUB) 28th Nov 2011 09:29
Arrived At Depot (WEDNESBURY HUB) 28th Nov 2011 09:28
Parcel Picked Up (EDINBURGH SERVICE CENTRE) 27th Nov 2011 00:01
Parcel data received awaiting coll. (EDINBURGH SERVICE CENTRE) 27th Nov 2011 00:00
The only possible interpretation I can put on the last three entries is that Yodel passed it to another courier (making it impossible for me to track it further), who then, instead of delivering it to me, delivered the fucking thing back to Yodel at Wrexham. Note that it took 52h 47m to get from Edinburgh to Wrexham – did they do it by bike?
This is what Amazon’s website says of events at Wrexham:-
2 Dec 2011 02:05:00 PM Wrexham CLWYD GB Arrival Scan
30 Nov 2011 01:48:00 AM Wrexham CLWYD GB Problem resolved and shipment is in transit
29 Nov 2011 04:48:00 AM Wrexham CLWYD GB Arrival Scan
The problem, whatever it was, was resolved 4 days ago, on the 30th – so where, if anywhere, has it been, and why isn’t it here? The anticipated delivery date was Thursday. I was out in the afternoon, but there was someone here to take delivery. It didn’t come. And even if, somehow, it was missed, there was no “we came – you were out” card left. I was here all day yesterday, too, and it also failed to arrive, clearly because some bugger took it back to Yodel! Seriously, how can anyone fuck up so incomprehensibly?
As regular readers might know, I shop almost exclusively online, have done for years, and never have I had a cock-up like this. I’ve had problems with firms who despite me inputting my correct address rely, for label printing at despatch, on Royal Mail’s database (which is wrong and omits a vital part of my address, resulting in my deliveries going to a pub about half a mile away!). But then, I have never experienced Yodel before, either – never even heard of the useless buggers if it comes to that.
Interestingly, Amazon has a list of couriers they use, with contact info, and Yodel isn’t listed. That could be because the list isn’t up to date, but I’m hoping that it means Yodel are about to be binned (probably the former, sadly – see below).
I’m just glad I opted for free delivery as, if I’d paid for this shitty, incompetent and, above all, slow, service, I’d be even more pissed off than I already am!
I’ve emailed Yodel, asking them WTF is going on, and demanding an explanation. I copied it to Amazon, too, who responded, quite clearly without having read it and, without exerting themselves in the slightest, promised a reply in 48 hours. With the weekend intervening, that may well grow to 4 days! Nothing from Yodel at the time of publishing this.
Finally, for those of you who have had the good fortune not to experience Yodel’s crappiness – and even if you have, this’ll confirm your opinion – type Problems with Yodel couriers into Google – there are a lot of deeply unhappy people out there.
It does appear that Yodel couriers are deeply, irredeemably, shit!
Note: Yodel, it appears, is a combined operation comprising both Home Delivery Network and DHL Domestic. I have a lot of experience of both these companies, and they have been perfectly fine, so why the combined operation should be so unutterably crap I really have no idea, but they need to get their act together pretty bloody quickly.
Dear God. I have a recent couple of orders online (besides groceries), so far, so good. Disregarding my usual paranoia, I now feel the need for concern about who delivers what. Had a large package delivered recently, and honest to Christ, the outer box was barely holding itself together. Contents. well packed and safe. But not if THEY FELL OUT OF THE BOX! Makes ya wonder.
Yodel were the useless morons who delivered my 2nd halogen oven, and refused to take the broken one, despite being instructed by the seller to do so. The driver was cocky, scruffy and frankly in need of a new delivery vehicle from what I can remember it looking like. I knew they were part of DHL but didnt know Home Delivery Network were also part of it, I have NEVER had any issues with my Home Delivery courier. He is a regular van in our village and you can rely on him to always deliver at the same sort of time of day.
I had a parcel come from Amazon, delivered by Yodel after four days of them having it and saying they left a card and saying they came twice the same day. The two times they were supposed to have come i was in. My front door is right next to where i sit in my living room so i must be going deaf
Completely hackedoff by inabilty of Yodel to deliver toouraddress.The house is other half of a semi at right anglesto main road, so apparently does not exist,. Yodel will not take our number and forbids courier asking at PO 2 mins away. Everone else delivers successfully