International delivery let down

[shaunkaren]

I would like to bring to members attention that we have had a bad experience with DHL and a recent parcel delivery, followed by a somewhat lack lustre customer service response. My parents sent out a parcel full of UK goodies/books for a course and it cost a small fortune to send, having previously had a good service from DHL we used them again.

 

Everything went really smoothly at the UK end and within 3 days the parcel had landed at Melbourne airport, my Dad was tracking the parcel so we eagerly awaited the knock on the door sometime soon. We gave allowances for the Easter/ANZAC public holiday and expected the parcel around Thursday/Friday last week. I was actually home all day Thursday and Friday and was disappointed that nothing arrived. I phoned my parents at the weekend to see where it was and the website stated that they had attempted delivery on the Thursday - noone knocked on the door (unless they knocked like a mouse because I was sitting in the front room at the 'alleged' delivery time), the courier used also did not leave a card.

 

I called the DHL depot in Melbourne only to be told that the parcel was at our local Post Office (as they use a third party courier aka Australia Post to deliver here). I complained that as I did not have the shipping details or a card stating an attempted deliver how was I to know where it was? I received a pathetic excuse back from them stating it was all the third parties fault, I will be pursueing this one further!! My Dad has complained at the UK area and received a message back that they have to use couriers in "remote" areas of the world - Melbourne suburbs???? Never thought we had moved to the Outback back according to DHL thats where we are apparently. Anyway my Dad will also be pursueing this one further!!

 

So if any of you lovely POM's out there know of a decent, reliable courier service that doesn't use Australia Post that would be great - I need a reliable source for my chocolate supplies in the future!!! Incidentally on the very same day we had a deliver from Amazon (via Australia Post) just dumped outside the door without so much as a knock!! Anyone else using DHL beware of the Australian end because they don't deliver. £77 for a parcel and we had to collect it from the Post Office - so not impressed!!!:arghh:

 

Cheers Karen

[Liz Steve R]

Hi Karen,

Aww shame about the hassle with your parcel :mad:

We had trouble with DHL too - and that was at the Aussie end! And it was our visa application forms!!!! Cost £35 to send our envelope. They arrived in Oz 3 days after leaving Plymouth, UK. The stupid courier attempted delivery to the visa offices in Sydney at 8am Friday morning . . . . . . . the offices don't open until 9am??!!!!

So I presume they left a card saying they had failed to deliver and took the application back to their warehouse. I could see all this happening from here in the UK and was hopping mad and also thinking that the visa offices were no way going to bother asking DHL to redeliver someones application forms. I rang and complained and to be honest the customer services here (on the phone) were brilliant - they arranged re-delivery for after 9am for the Monday and it was duly re-delivered as promised.

BUT it could have been on someones desk 3 days before that, if the numpty delivering had used their brain and thought 'oh! the office isn't open until 9am!'

Will look forward to seeing if anyone out there knows of a more reliable company at the Oz end, as we're coming out to WA in August and will need regular deliveries of 'cocoa based products' too :tongue:

Hope you got to enjoy your treats in the end.

Liz x