DPD courier issues

[10032012]

Anyone have problems with DPD?

We were unable to deliver your parcel as there was no one present to sign for the delivery

It is now the fifth time a parcel was never delivered by DPD (on behalf of a supplier), however, it seems despite between 3-6 attempts usually on a daily basis (excluding weekends) all carrying the above message... they have never actually physically made it on site to attempt to deliver the parcel.

Perhaps they got lost or didn't have time... so why say no one could sign for it?

Just to confirm how I know it was never on site:-

• My office is at front of site (so I see everything coming it and out)
• It is a multi-occupancy business park with a Mon-Fri 8am-6pm (5pm on Friday) staffed reception

This delays a typical 1-3 working day assignment to 2-3 working weeks. DPD is used on choice of the supplier (neither of these 5 cases were of the same supplier) and unknown to us in advance.

I think its awful how they claim the parcel was either refused or failed to be delivered on our part when the truth is they probably didn't even make it the 50 miles from the depot to our town.

This is costing me time and money. Would it be reasonable to contact potential suppliers in advance by telephone asking if they use DPD (and if so, would they consider using another courier) ?

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

While it is not your problem and you did not get the service you paid for the driver can put what he wants in the scanner as the people you speak to are probably 200 miles away from the "reported incident" !!! and can only go by what the driver reports

There could be a cataloge of reasons why but probably a new or inexperienced driver you will never know !!!

As you have suffered at the hands of this company I think you should phone them and demand a pre 9 oclock tomorrow morning and try to be there if possible
The parcel networks are cheap and nothing is ever promised its always just likley that it will be delivered when agreed !!!

None of the parcel companies are any better than the other it just depends on the quality of the staff in that area or part of the country they all have similar problems . To be fair to them it is a big ask to get all these transaction right every day of the year and it is only really a small precentage that fail.
Should your consignment be very important you should consider other reliable (but more expensive) methods of transport

 

[mconridge]

DPD now GPS Track their Drivers so ask your supplier to ask DPD to provide the GPS data when the driver marked the delivery as not possible.

DPD/Interlink are in my opinion the best around, but as with all couriers sometimes there are issues, mostly down to one or two individuals.

 

[roydmoorian]

Anyone have problems with DPD?

It is now the fifth time a parcel was never delivered by DPD (on behalf of a supplier),

After the first unsuccessful delivery attempt I would have asked my supplier for the consignment number and ask him to confirm EXACTLY what details were used for the delivery address including your telephone number.

After a failed delivery attempt you should have every expectation of a priority delivery for the very next working day.

In my experience the scenario described is typical of a mis-addressed consignment with no telephone contact details.

If all contact details are present and correct then I would have to agree that on this occasion DPD are s***e.

The time and cost spent NOT delivering this parcel will now exceed by a considerable margin a successful 1st time delivery and all the time the parcel remains undelivered it is at risk of damage.

 

[Rasta Pickles]

Whilst not suggesting this is the case here, couriers are under increasing pressure to deliver an unrealistic number of parcels in a typical day.

Far simpler if you're running behind schedule to simply use the excuse given to the OP.

Best one for me was when they allegedly attempted delivery and I was told by the girl on the phone that my front door was black with gold numbers.

Erm, yes sweetie, that's what Google Maps has told your outfit, I had my front door replaced eighteen months ago and it's white.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

We use DPD for a few thousand packages each month and after trying the rest found them to be very good

They give a one hour slot for delivery which they send to the customer by either email or SMS text

As said before they do GPS track their drivers and never compain when we are forced to check on a delivery, most cases are the customer was not in and trying it on

the dpd site gives full tracking history at each step of the way

 

[10032012]

Just to confirm that the address is correct and contains my mobile number.

In this particular instance I don't have tracking details, it was copied and pasted in an email (without reference code) when I requested it. They didn't give me the tracking code from the start and I was unable to communicate with the supplier so at first I initially thought the supplier had not dispatched it (ironically enough my last contact was the day after they claimed it was dispatched) - it was this complaint which got them to look into it.

It seems those who are in large cities or towns which have its own depot are less hard done by. It could be the driver... but their customer service is terrible. The copy-and-paste and selective responses on TrustPilot for negative reviews is far and few between... however, they are quick to respond and seem to respond to all positive feedback. It doesn't look good that the negatives are being ignored.

DPD are strange when they issue one hour time slots... previous deliveries (ones where my mobile was given) have all promised a time and its the same old... cant be delivered. I have no idea why they do this silly approach rather than the AM/PM/before 9am/before 1pm time slot and old fashioned 20-30 mins courtesy call before delivery.

 

[pen2670]

Personally I think DPD have grown very quickly and have a few staffing issues.

Our regular driver is very good, sticks to the 1hr delivery slot, has occasionally rung my mobile when not there and seems to take times very seriously (bonus related?).

But, boxes are regularly bashed in their "hub" whilst being sorted. Signed for more as "damaged" than not.

We aren't in a city and are at least an hour from their depot.

So think it's likely that you have a rogue, or over stretched, delivery person, not that this helps you at all.

V frustrating, hope it's sorted soon.

 

[roydmoorian]

Personally I think DPD have grown very quickly and have a few staffing issues.

DPD, was founded in 1977, 2 million parcels are shipped every day and DPD is majority owned by GeoPost, a subsidiary of the French postal company La Poste. DPD is one of Europe's leading B2B parcel delivery services.

The UK carrier Parceline was acquired by La Poste in 2001. It was rebranded as DPD in March 2008. The Irish Parcel service Interlink was rebranded as DPD in 2008.


35 years of steady growth - if they have a 99% 1st time success it would mean 20,000 consignments per day with problems

 

[Chris Ashdown]

By the way Interlink is not the same as DPD although they work close together

 

[IanDade]

We also use DPD for a few thousand parcels a month, all 24 hour delivery and we have very few issues. With any delivery company you are going to get some, but DPD customer service is excellent and if they fail to deliver on time, they will generally upgrade the delivery or refund the costs.

We tend to find that the ones they cannot deliver are usually down to an incorrect postcode or incomplete address that the customer has provided. It is very rare that DPD have the correct address and fail to deliver when they say they will.

They are by no means perfect but having used a number of carriers over the past 10 years they are consistantly the best and their customer service both on the phone and online is excellent

 

[internetspaceships]

We used to use DPD. We also ship a few thousand parcels each month. They had a problem with a depot in a certain area that caused us major headaches.

We went back to APC as a result.

 

[Rasta Pickles]

They had a problem with a depot in a certain area that caused us major headaches.

In fairness, that happens even with Royal Mail.

A few years back I had an item that never appeared. I phoned the company who told me the Royal Mail had attempted delivery but I wasn't home so the item was being held at my local sorting office.

No P739 card here so alarm bells are already ringing.

The very helpful girl gave me the tracking number (this was long before everything was internet-based, my order was placed over the phone, these days you get the tracking id emailed to you) and I was able to print the webpage.

Off to the sorting office I go and the guy denied any knowledge of the package until I produced the paperwork........then he told me it was a temporary Polish guy they'd employed on my route and he'd have to speak to him after his shift.

So I go back later and he tells me the Polish guy is denying everything, the website's wrong and I'm a racist (I kid you not).

So I phone the national complaints line (bear in mind this is a national complaints line and how many sorting offices the Royal Mail have).......when the guy asks me what sorting office is involved and I tell him he says "ah, xxxxxxx, yeah we've got a bit of a problem there".

FWIW, I went in there the other day to pick up an item and the guy I dealt with back then is still there so Royal Mail clearly aren't overly bothered about weeding out corruption.