terms + conditions regarding late delivery

[gdluk]

I work for a garage door parts company and due to the royal mail strikes, we have numerous customers complaining about late delivery. Even our courier service have backlogs due to the increase in customers. We have notices on our website asking to understand that parcels may be delayed due to backlogs etc... However we have had customers threaten legal action. If we add into our terms and conditions that the advised delivery times are not guaranteed and we will not be liable for parcels delivered a few days out of the expected date, if customers select 'I agree.' do we still have to give them a full refund for their delivery?

 

[Newchodge]

I work for a garage door parts company and due to the royal mail strikes, we have numerous customers complaining about late delivery. Even our courier service have backlogs due to the increase in customers. We have notices on our website asking to understand that parcels may be delayed due to backlogs etc... However we have had customers threaten legal action. If we add into our terms and conditions that the advised delivery times are not guaranteed and we will not be liable for parcels delivered a few days out of the expected date, if customers select 'I agree.' do we still have to give them a full refund for their delivery?

What do your current T&Cs say about delivery?

 

[Frank the Insurance guy]

Are your customers consumers (eg. private individuals) or Commercial Businesses.

If consumers, they are protected by distance selling regulations anyway so they can decline and return any delivery within 14 days of receiving the goods - so you will have to give them a refund anyway.

If businesses, it will come down to your T&C's

 

[MBE2017]

I think you are looking at this the wrong way.

If your customers are getting that annoyed to be threatening legal action, regardless of whether they are private individuals or companies, why not just pay a little bit more for a better delivery service and increase your delivery costs accordingly?

Look at quality companies such as APC, UPS etc, who should be delivering to 99% or above all year round.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

There have been more than enough warnings and it is important that you seek one of the alternative suppliers

 

[Mr D]

I work for a garage door parts company and due to the royal mail strikes, we have numerous customers complaining about late delivery. Even our courier service have backlogs due to the increase in customers. We have notices on our website asking to understand that parcels may be delayed due to backlogs etc... However we have had customers threaten legal action. If we add into our terms and conditions that the advised delivery times are not guaranteed and we will not be liable for parcels delivered a few days out of the expected date, if customers select 'I agree.' do we still have to give them a full refund for their delivery?

Your courier service should not have much backlog. Pay for a better service / use a faster courier.
I'm fine using Evri for my consumer deliveries if needed, not ideal as have to drive to Tesco to drop off but workable.
However quick they are not.

APC I find quicker. UPS have happily used many times in the past, can get delivery to address in France in just 4 days. UK tends to be next day.

 

[DontAsk]

Just don't promise delivery on a particular date. Explain how they will be delivered and give them the tracking number to take up with the courier.

 

[AlanJ1]

Your courier service should not have much backlog. Pay for a better service / use a faster courier.

Yeah this isn't true.

DPD didn't collect from any small business over Black Friday as they were prioritizing the larger customers.
We had no collections from our stores for our e-commerce orders that the stock was in stores for, but our warehouse did and this is what we got told. My old work (who is literally the other end of the street from our warehouse) didn't get a collection but we did.

I know this is also the case from other couriers at the same time.

We turned off Royal Mail and sent everything via DPD during the strikes.

 

[Mr D]

Yeah this isn't true.

DPD didn't collect from any small business over Black Friday as they were prioritizing the larger customers.
We had no collections from our stores for our e-commerce orders that the stock was in stores for, but our warehouse did and this is what we got told. My old work (who is literally the other end of the street from our warehouse) didn't get a collection but we did.

I know this is also the case from other couriers at the same time.

We turned off Royal Mail and sent everything via DPD during the strikes.

Perhaps if used a better service?

 

[AlanJ1]

Perhaps if used a better service?

Used a better service for what?

There isn't really a better B2C service out there than DPD who can handle the volume (and be competitive on price).

As said other couriers had major problems over this period as well and wasn't just DPD.

 

[Mr D]

Used a better service for what?

There isn't really a better B2C service out there than DPD who can handle the volume (and be competitive on price).

As said other couriers had major problems over this period as well and wasn't just DPD.

Delivery. Please keep up.

Multiple competitors for DPD that can deliver to consumers. You want the price of DPD then you accept the service of DPD. For some businesses the price matters more than service - not sure that applies to the OP's problem though.

 

[antropy]

We're boycotting Royal Mail going forward on our Vape Shop.

Paul.