Customer Refusing to Pick Up Parcel from Neighbour

[emmaa]

I'm not sure if this is the right area for this question!

I run an online clothing store. We sent a fairly high value order to a customer on 21st January. The chose 24 hour courier delivery by Fedex.

10 days after the order was dispatched the customer contacted us to say that her order had not been delivered. She also advised that she had checked with her immediate neighbours but neither had her order.

We checked with Fedex who advised that it had been delivered to a different neighbour and a card had been left advising our customer of this.

We contacted the customer and told her that her parcel had been delivered to number 9 and that she should pick it up from them.

She has now refused to 'cross the street' to get the parcel as she 'doesn't know them very well' and has asked us to send her order again.

We have asked her if she could please take a friend with her if she is worried about it, but her argument seems to be that she just doesn't want to.

At the time of ordering our delivery terms and conditions stated 'If you are not in to accept delivery of your parcel the delivery driver will leave your parcel in a 'safe place'. A card will be left informing you of this.'

I need to understand what our rights are here. Can the customer demand to be sent another order when her parcel is across the street and we know where it is?

Thanks,

Emma

 

[yorkshirejames]

You have failed to supply goods that the consumer paid for (customer is entitled to a refund). That is the legal point.

Please remember that not everyone is assertive (like most business people are). I bet that this customer is genuinely scared of having to go to a strangers' house. For all we know, your customer is a female who has previously been a victim of some horrible crime, and the neighbour could well be male. Or the customer could be disabled, and it would therefore be very hard to cross the road (especially if it is a 70mph dual carriageway).

I suggest you get on to the delivery company, tell them that they have delivered to the wrong house, and they either need to retrieve the package or pay you compensation.

 

[SillyJokes]

I would definately get the courier company to uplift it. Explain the length of time this will take to your customer and maybe they will find someone who will get the parcel.

I have had a customer whose parcel was sent next door dispite a note stipulating NOT to go there. She lived in mortal terror of her neighbours and I did feel so sorry for her. I think we got it uplifted and brought round. She was elderly and the parcel was not a lot of money.

 

[emmaa]

Thanks for the feedback.

We had already contacted Fedex and asked them to pick it up. Interestingly we spoke to the customer about it and their reason for not going was that they didn't think they should have to; no other reason was given. She certainly didn't have any problems being assertive on the telephone!

As it happens we had sold out of the dress she had ordered in her size, so couldn't ship it again and when we mentioned that we didn't have another dress to send her but that she would have to wait for it to be returned to us and re-shipped, she went and picked it up straight away!

 

[sarah844]

So she waas being an awkward cow after all (excuse my french!)

 

[lesliedocherty]

ive had customers like that, just plain old ars**oles,

 

[emmaa]

Sadly yes! We suspected that might be the case as you can usually tell from the tone but we try to give the benefit of the doubt! It's by no means the worst example we've had either! Still it all worked out well in the end!

 

[sarah844]

so now when that happens again, and they give that response, you can tell them theyre out of stock and will have to wait whilst you recover and reship and see if that works each time!

 

[papverpoppies]

I wonder why the neighbour could not have dropped it off (I would have) what a strange neighbour hood.

Do people not communicate anymore..

Poppy

 

[cmcp]

It was your F up, not hers.

James is right, you should be delivering it to her and no one else.

 

[emmaa]

I'm not and never have disputed that! But thanks for pointing it out!

Personally I often have things delivered and left with a neighbour and have never had any problems. Incidentally we do not choose that option either when we book our courier deliveries, in order to avoid exactly these sorts of problems.

 

[lesliedocherty]

It was your F up, not hers.

James is right, you should be delivering it to her and no one else.

what tosh, it wasn't her F up, any normal person would be cool with it, and the fact that this is a very rare occurrence shows the customer as a ****

 

[KM-Tiger]

It was your F up, not hers.

James is right, you should be delivering it to her and no one else.

Perhaps that's right in bandit country, but large parts of the UK are still civilised.

Many times I've been grateful to a neighbour for taking in a parcel and that's meant I've got my delivery on the day. And vice versa.

 

[papverpoppies]

Perhaps that's right in bandit country, but large parts of the UK are still civilised.

Many times I've been grateful to a neighbour for taking in a parcel and that's meant I've got my delivery on the day. And vice versa.

Exactly, that is what we do in the village, also saves the drivers having another 50 mile round trip as well - if they are not heading out this way for other deliveries.

Poppy

 

[cmcp]

I've collected things for and from neighbours before, and I'm very grateful to them for it. As a retailer would I have the right to assume every customer has the same privilege? No chance.

(Not directed straight at you emmaa).

 

[sarah844]

I bet if is was something she abolsutely needed she wouldnt have complained it was left with the neighbour and not simply returned. Knowing parcels can be delivered when you are out, just when did this sad mare think it was going to be delivered to her? If you choose to be out when deliveries arrive that you are expecting having chosen a 24hr option, then where would a normal person expect it to go, pray tell?

 

[thebigIAM]

I got shouted at for signing something for a neighbour. Apparently, by signing, I was saying the goods had been received in good condition, but they weren't. They were broken. Apparently I should have checked before signing.

 

[SillyJokes]

I got shouted at for signing something for a neighbour. Apparently, by signing, I was saying the goods had been received in good condition, but they weren't. They were broken. Apparently I should have checked before signing.

This is true, I always check boxes before signing and if damaged write something to that effect.

 

[Cobby]

As a force of habit we always sign for everything "unchecked". If their delivery note has "Items received in Good Condition" (or words to that effect) printed on it, I cross it out before signing 'unchecked'.

Sometimes the delivery driver will query it, but often I'm too busy to go through a delivery to check it.

You can also sometimes get into a stalemate with drivers who won't leave a parcel with you unless you sign it as "checked" but won't let you open it to check unless you've signed for it first.

 

I got shouted at for signing something for a neighbour. Apparently, by signing, I was saying the goods had been received in good condition, but they weren't. They were broken. Apparently I should have checked before signing.

Don't see that as a major problem as under distance selling regs you can return goods for almost any reason.

Earl

 

[yorkshirejames]

I got shouted at for signing something for a neighbour. Apparently, by signing, I was saying the goods had been received in good condition, but they weren't. They were broken. Apparently I should have checked before signing.

But if you'd opened the packet you would have breeched the postal regs....

A good piece of advice I got many years ago was to write "goods uninspected" at the side of your signature.

 

[APC RoadLink]

The delivery was effected correctly to the senders instruction. "Safe place" means at the delivery companies discretion, whether that be in a shed, garage or a neighbour etc. It is up to the sender to inform their customer as to the ways that the delivery could be completed (this was done) by the courier (as would my company). Being a competitor I would like to add that we would have been a little more helpful with a possible pick up and redelivery, but would require assurance that the consignee be available to sign for the parcel. Some courier/carriers would make a charge for this some would not (bearing in mind that we get a small fee to make the delivery)

Andy

APC Bournemouth depot

 

[FreelanceSoftwareDeveloper]

What annoys me is when they don't leave a card. I can think of 2 recent occurances, one of them was Fedex.

1. Item is left with neighbour, no card put through. Two days later elderly neighbour knocks on my door to tell me I have a delivery. They thought I must've been away since I hadn't called around for it.

2. I am wondering why I haven't received an item a few days after supposedly being despatched, was considering contacting the seller only for my other half to find it in the shed! I don't make a habit of going in the shed as it's only got a few of the kids toys in.

A good point made about signatures and damage. I had a dispute a while back where an item was damaged and you could see on the box it obviously happened during delivery. They said it was signed for and accepted. It was signed for though by one of the kids. Didn't pursue it as I had already disposed of the box due to size and they would have to inspect it etc. Not sure what their position is if they accept a childs signature.

 

[thebigIAM]

Good advice about writing goods uninspected, etc. but to me it highlights various concerns about what constitutes a 'safe place'.

I was in my own home, and was interrupted to say someone had tried to deliver to a nearby business and please would I sign for it? I was under the impression I was doing the courier and the intended recipient a favour but I was being naive.

I'm not at home very often, but each weekday that I am, I must get interrupted at least once an hour with exactly the same request. I also get items regularly left in a lean-to at my home, for the same business, which has nothing to do with me. I also occasionally get his customers knocking on my door asking if I know where this business owner is because they've arranged to meet him at such and such a time and they've driven more than an hour and he's not there.

For those who are sending goods out, who listen to the most puzzling of excuses as to why neighbours apparently won't talk to each other, I'd like say there's normally some background behind it.

 

[APC RoadLink]

With regards to signing for deliveries, you are only signing for the condition and number of packages, not for the contents. If the boxes are damaged or short delivered make sure that you sign for them to that effect. Note that like most carriers we usually use electronic devices these days my advice to all is that you make sure that the driver marks on the device the discepancy, or write on the device when you sign.

Andy

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

You know what I would do - send a big bouquet of flowers to both the customer and No 9. In the accompanying card to No 9 ask them to cross the road and give the said parcel to the customer.

Sometimes we can agree the rights and wrongs and sometimes we just need to get it sorted and move on with business.

Just my view.