[Closed] Yodel - more courier bellendery

TL DR: delivery service are inept.

Owned by the chaps who own the Daily Mail. Of course it's a disaster.

I still cant believe that having been slated on here for ages and most likely numerous other forums and directly to cust services that Yodel have still not tried to up there game.

When you think of companies in direct competition like DPD and UK mail who provide in transit texts and the ability to track your package/driver that they think they can still get away with such shoddy service.

I'm fortunate that the Husband and wife team who deliver locally for Yodel only live around the corner so no issues(touch wood)as yet.

Seems about par for the course for Yodel if I'm honest. I've lost count of the number of "stop dumping goods in the street" conversations I've had with them.

executive.complaints@vx.yodel.co.uk if you want to give them some grief.

Hermes delivered my lads new coat today and the card confirmed that they had indeed, safely deposited it in the wheelie bin, just on top of the best part of two weeks of festering Rubbish.

Nice.

executive.complaints@vx.yodel.co.uk if you want to give them some grief.

For your reading pleasure, here's an example email I sent them.

Disappointingly, but not entirely unsurprisingly, I'm finding myself writing to you again in the vain hope that I can persuade you to prevent your "delivery" drivers from abandoning my packages somewhere in public and hoping for the best. A copy of our previous discussion should be attached to this email, assuming Google's webmail service is better at delivering things than Yodel, which wouldn't be difficult.

As you may recall, you assured me previously that "the courier has been advised of the acceptable and unacceptable method of delivery and what the Yodel standards are." I've had sufficient dealings with your company to believe that you and I both know exactly what Yodel's standards are, and we are simply at a disagreement as to their degree of acceptability.

On [date] we received a delivery via Yodel, your ref [reference]. As your driver managed to turn up during the half hour I'd had to go out that day, the package was once again dumped outside my house, exposed to both the elements and the local scrotes. In one way this was actually an improvement on the previous incident in that he / she had actually managed to put a card through the letterbox this time, however any hopes of redemption was cruelly dashed by whoever decided that "fragile" and "please kick the shit out of me" were synonyms. I've attached a picture for your records, no doubt to add to your collection from other customers who were also foolish enough to draw attention to which packages were the best to play football with.

I'm starting to feel as though we're at an impasse here. I expect what will happen next is you're going to reply with a cut-and-paste apology and empty assurances that it won't happen again, though of course you won't be at liberty to tell me what you're going to do about it (presumably because "sod all" isn't likely to placate many people). And round and round we go. So it would seem that I'm not going to be forced to check every time we place an order, asking the retailers which courier they're planning to use, and then if the answer is "Yodel" to take our business elsewhere. And of course, to be sure to tell them exactly what I'm doing and why. Because ultimately there's little point in ordering something if it's going to be a lottery as to whether it ever arrives safely.

Their response to this was they'd sacked the driver (thanks for the guilt trip) and the replacement had been "personally spoken to". Didn't make a fig of difference.

Next email,

Further to our previous conversations in the email herewith, once again I've come home from work to find a large (and expensive) cardboard parcel abandoned on my garden path outside in a blizzard. Despite your previous apologies and assurances, it would appear that your new-and-improved courier has developed amnesia. Still, you managed to only punch the one hole in the box this time though, so this at least is an improvement on your previous form.

I'm out of patience, and sick and tired of having to have this conversation. My saying "it's not good enough" is an exercise in litotes. In future I shall be checking with companies before placing orders to enquire as to which courier they use, and if they reply "Yodel" then I shall be taking my business elsewhere and telling them exactly why I'm not placing orders with them.

I've CC:ed the sender, [Sender], into this email conversation so that they're aware of the consistent quality of service they're paying you for (and understand why I shan't be ordering from them again).

Shower.

They do seem to have a few problems with staff

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/yodel-fraud-man-jailed-32-10716498

I'm sure from a previous yodel rant on here someone mentioned they take a photo of where they deliver

Worth asking?
Though not your job to chase

I ordered a keyboard & mouse + a portable HDD from eBuyer to be delivered by Yodel they were dispatched together but in 2 separate boxes.
up till the 1st of December they went back and forward together to my work which is a 24/7 operation with a manned security goods station.
They delivered the keyboard/mouse box but then too the other box away!!

The final ignominy was the click and collect which they asked me to do, only for the system to tell me it had been delivered?

2 weeks later they returned it to eBuyer saying there was no one at the premises.

23/11/15 00:00 Your parcel will be with us soon (Yodel)
24/11/15 13:11 Your parcel is at our sort centre (Hatfield terminal)
25/11/15 02:07 Your parcel has arrived at your local depot (Warrington depot)
25/11/15 08:15 Your parcel is with one of our drivers for delivery (Warrington depot)
25/11/15 19:47 We tried to deliver but the premises were closed. (Warrington depot)
26/11/15 08:31 Your parcel is with one of our drivers for delivery (Warrington depot)
26/11/15 22:04 Sorry we missed you. We've left you a calling card (Warrington depot)
27/11/15 08:23 Your parcel is with one of our drivers for delivery (Warrington depot)
27/11/15 18:18 We tried to deliver but the premises were closed. (Warrington depot)
28/11/15 11:45 Sorry we couldn't deliver to you today. Check back here for updates (Warrington depot)
30/11/15 08:54 Your parcel is with one of our drivers for delivery (Warrington depot)
30/11/15 22:26 Sorry we missed you. We've left you a calling card (Warrington depot)
01/12/15 08:37 Your parcel is with one of our drivers for delivery (Warrington depot)
01/12/15 13:56 Your parcel has been delivered (Warrington depot)
03/12/15 11:14 Please arrange to collect your parcel from our depot by using the Collect feature above (Warrington depot)
04/12/15 14:55 You want to collect? See you soon! (Warrington depot)
07/12/15 07:55 Please arrange to collect your parcel from our depot by using the Collect feature above (Warrington depot)
Your parcel(s) cannot currently be collected from our service centre. Your parcel has been delivered.

Outstanding Cougar, 10 points.

And n complete contrast DPD will be delivering my new phone tomorrow. Dave, the DPD driver who covers my area, will be with me at some point, not sure when, but I'll have a text message about 2 hours before the "hour" delivery slot. I'll even be able to track his movements online on a little map with moving van icon.

How hard can it be?

Outstanding Cougar, 10 points.

I do quite a reasonable shitogram, if I do say so myself. (-:

I've always found them very good. DPD are Kings though.

Yodel have been great with me several times, last time the driver insisted on carry package to the hall. Bit disappointed really, above sounds much more fun.

Some 3rd party home delivery service despatched a foul mouth breathing witch who, with a lit fag and plumbers crack on display, walked past the front door (equipped with fully functioning with doorbell), came through a bolted side gate and kicked the shit out of the outside door of a double locked porch, then had the temerity to complain "You took your **** time" when I, somewhat confused and taken aback, answered. Sarcasm was lost on her and the company when we complained. Unreal.

DPD rule.

DPD very good Royal Mail take note! 🙂

I'm very lucky. I know my Yodel, DPD and posties names and they all go out of their way for us. Even the Hermes driver with mrs j's next orders does a decent job. I've probably just jinxed it all though...

Ordered some stuff online which is coming from Spain, but was told delivery would be 24 to 48 hours. Order placed Wednesday eve, sent out promptly Thursday morning. According to the tracking it arrived in Belgium yesterday morning and hasn't moved since, so I currently don't hold GLS Group in much higher regard than Yodel.

Having dealt with UPS on a professional bases it sounds like Yodel are bad but not by much!

DPD are great, dropped me a text and email to say it will be with me tommorrow. Determined I wont be in so one click later and it will be dropped off at a local shop instead for me to pick it up when I can.

In the past I have opened the front door to find a yodel delivery driver sheltering in the rain by using my brand new lego technic box as an umbrella!

DPD are one of the better ones, although they did have me waiting in all day for a paid-for & guaranteed Saturday delivery that failed to show up.

I forgive them when I read the tales of woe involving Yodel though, takes me back to my experience of trying to get a Virgin Media router off them...eventually found out they had delivered to a similar sounding street about a mile or so away.

Who needs post codes eh?

Trust me, complaint emails like Cougars are NOT helpful!

It is a human reading it at the other end.

Again, much love for DPD.

Local Yokel is okay but he's a bit of a twunt (like driving along pavements with hedge gap openings at houses). Can't complain about service.

Usual postie is good but had a parcel (full of expensive underwear) left outside my door under a bit of wood last week so wasn't too chuffed, not like the neighbours weren't in.

although they did have me waiting in all day for a paid-for & guaranteed Saturday delivery that failed to show up.

That reminds me, another order I placed had the same thing happen, menat to email the seller to let them know and they could claim back.

Trust me, complaint emails like Cougars are NOT helpful!

It is a human reading it at the other end.

It's a human who is representing the company.

I fully appreciate that it's not that person's fault directly - I've worked in an around customer services and technical support for well over 20 years and am well aware that honey works better than vinegar - which is why I don't and would never go on a personal attack. Nonetheless it's their job to pass on the complaint to the people who [i]are [/i]directly responsible, and email makes that easy for them.

Probably worth mentioning also, that email was the culmination of a string of problems and complaints.

If I got an email like that yould get the bare minimum.

Yodel are so shit in my area, I, after 2 days of non delivery tell the company I ordered from I haven't received anything. They immediately send something out again and in about a weeks time I check down the far end if the garden and find 2 off whatever I've ordered.

So for me all hail yodel! Makes me lots of money on ebay

Owned by the chaps who own the Daily Mail. Of course it's a disaster.

If I got an email like that yould get the bare minimum.

Who do you work for again? They must be a shower of poop.

"Someone's not happy; let's treat them worse"

Great model for repeat business.

"ScottChegg - Member
If I got an email like that yould get the bare minimum.
Who do you work for again? They must be a shower of poop.
"Someone's not happy; let's treat them worse"
Great model for repeat business."

+1000. Please tell us who you work for so I can make sure I don't ever put business your way.

[i]"Someone's not happy; let's [s]treat them worse[/s] put a bad review of their business online"[/i]

surely...

Note on the Yodel van windscreen?

Please tell us who you work for so I can make sure I don't ever put business your way

Maybe it's the Tax Office.

Now that would explain a lot

Everyone expects delivery to be free these days, or very close to it. Then are very surprised when their likely self-employed (and paid pence per parcel) driver can't be bothered to wait around or try your neighbours or do anything more than the minimum effort.

Don't complain to the courier, you're not their customer. Complain to the company sending you the stuff.

Complain to the company sending you the stuff

Or use companies who use a decent courier, it's always worth asking who the courier is if you know that Yodel/Hermes/whoever are particularly bad in your neck of the woods.

Everyone expects delivery to be free these days... Complain to the company sending you the stuff.

Tried that with Charles Tyrwhitt. I asked them if I could pay extra to use a more reliable courier and they said they couldn't do that.

If I got an email like that yould get the bare minimum.

Besides which, I'm not Yodel's customer. The 'bare minimum' you'd be providing wouldn't be to me, it would be to the seller. And if you'd deliberately provide the 'bare minimum' service to a multinational corporation because of a stroppy email from one of [i]their [/i]customers, well, being generous I don't believe that's very good business sense.

And as BBSB says, the 'bare minimum' would be an improvement on leaving a large expensive order in a cardboard box on my doorstep in full public view in a snowstorm.

I got sent a food hamper from family at christmas, I live in Swansea, where it rains constantly. To save my hamper from the rain he put an old filled bin bag on top of it that hadn't been taken away as its christmas. Came back to a very wet slightly smelly hamper. There were some sheets of plywood much bigger than the hamper that it could have been tucked under, but these were obviously much less desirable than a bin.

DPD are great, dropped me a text and email to say it will be with me tommorrow. Determined I wont be in so one click later and it will be dropped off at a local shop instead for me to pick it up when I can.

I ordered some stuff from Merlin (after [i]that[/i] thread) on the 20th of Dec. It hadn't arrived by the new year so I phoned last week and told them. They decided it must have been lost in the post and to make up for the inconvenience they'd send it by DPD next day instead of Royal Mail.

They despatched it on Friday morning. It must have been a business-day only service as it didn't arrive on Saturday. On Monday I got a text telling me they would attempt delivery between 11 and 12. Not much use to me as I was at work. I used the link to tell them to try a neighbour. I got another text, and email, at 12 telling they had tried and failed to deliver the package. I could pay £10 to specify the same time slot the next day, pay £5 to specify a 5 hour time slot the next day, have it sent to a local shop, ask them to try a neighbour or just let them try again tomorrow.

I clicked the shop pickup option. "Sorry, no results found".

So I said to send it to a neighbour.

Get home and the card is in the door with the "We tried a neighbour" box left blank.

Next day, another text saying they'll attempt to deliver between 11 and 12.

Oddly enough, I work Tuesdays as well as Mondays, so I won't be there again.

Another "we couldn't deliver your parcel" text. Another card with no suggestion that they actually tried a neighbour. We're in a terrace so my front door is all of 3 feet away from the neighbour's front door.

I could go to the depot to collect it, but it's an 80 mile round trip, crossing two cities at rush hour. For £10 of tubeless goo and chamois cream.

Meanwhile, a second order I placed at Merlin on the same day I called them was sent by RM. It was posted through the letterbox on Monday. If it hadn't have fit I could just have gone to the sorting office a couple of miles away and picked it up after work.

I've not heard from DPD today so I don't know if they've given up.

It's not really DPD's fault (apart from not trying a neighbour) but I wish Merlin hadn't 'upgraded' the delivery!

so Yodel have just called.
Apparently they can't tell me where the parcel is because of the Data Protection Act. I pointed out that that was nonsense because the driver had already told me he didn't know the address, I assume he'd just picked a door that didn't have a name or number on it (unlike mine which has both), and the Data Protection Act doesn't prohibit disseminating information that is in the public domain (eg a name and a number written on door). Change of tack, it's not the Data Protection Act at all, it's Yodel's policy. so it's Yodel's policy to leave parcels on the wrong doorstep, not get a signature for goods which need signed for then not tell the recipient where the parcel has been left.
Awesome.
do they get issued with mp3 players that just repeat the instruction "breath in, breath out, breath in" in case they can't manage that on their own?

Just been reasonably impressed with Parcel Force for a change, they got my parcel from Spain at 2.30am today somewhere down south, and had it delivered to my door in Durham before lunch time. Forged "signature" on the proof of delivery mind, as noone was in, but luckily it was there when I got home.

Your Yodel driver is on his way...

Avoid them at all costs. DPD absolutely brilliant can't fault them, parcel force not perfect but head and shoulders above Yodel. Royal Mail never had a problem.

spooky_b329 - Member
Your Yodel driver is on his way...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKGnyh5jIWM

[url= http://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/watch-yodel-van-filmed-drifting-47327/ ]He's been sacked.[/url]

"He would be drifting around the roundabout for around an hour or so at a time.

[img] [/img]

Most of my local guys are great, the only thing that got in the way was they needed photo ID to leave my new phone and I was out of the office. Ended up being returned, phone call with phone company.
Ah yes the driver reported he couldn't find the office
Well he did as he was up there twice and left a card
No it says he couldn't find it
He was stood in there asking people where my desk was
No it says he couldn't find it.....

Many years ago when sending a very expensive gas analyser to the other office (normally somebody would drive it ourselves from Rugby to Newcastle) we packaged it up but it needed a second signature on pick up for the insurance amount. We had marked the box this way up on all sides etc. marked Extremely Fragile, I got the call to come down and sign for dispatch to find the box stood on it's end. A very long conversation asking said courier what he though the words all over the box meant....

DPD drove past my house 1/2 an hour before the delivery slot. No parcel an hour later so check the tracking. The driver couldn't find your house or gain access! You've got to be kidding! He was less than three feet from the sign on the gate with the house name on it. Unreal!!!

DPD are having some teething problems at the moment, their service has definitely suffered as a result of the massive changes they've made over the past yea. They do seem to realise and be trying to address it though and in spite of it we still reckon they're better than the other couriers we've used.

Found a load of rubbish a DPD driver had chucked in a river at Bancyfelin, I fished it out and he had cleaned the inside of the van, put it in a DPD envelope/bag thing and into the river it went. I was taking a sample for work and there it was.

Took it the depot in Swansea and asked the manager what he would do about it. Two days later he calls me and says he has sacked the driver 😯

Still not sure how I feel about that.

Not defending bellendery per se but I have done the odd days driving for multi drop courier firms and it is about the most soul destroying thing I have ever done.

I really do not know how anyone can stick at it more than a couple of days.

Vans badly loaded, expected to go out with unsafe loads, expected to deliver items that should be 2 man lifts (80kg king size bed base for eg), anywhere up to 120 drops, 14-15 hour days, phone calls from the depot every half hour asking where you're up to etc. I could go on.

Really, its a horrible horrible job. Sure that's no excuse for not doing the job properly but it would grind me down within a week to really not giving a flying **** about what I was delivering or to whom and I, as a rule, like to give a shit about what I do.

Trouble is with so much competition they send out drivers on their own when there should be 2 people in the van and they should have at least 1/3 more drivers covering the work load. I met a few drivers who had 2 digital tacho cards just so they could work the hours required. If VOSA caught you with 2 cards you'd be royally screwed - potentially license losing stuff that is but they had to do it to keep their jobs.

NB for the record it was not Yodel I worked for but I am pretty sure they're all much of a muchness when it comes to employment. I have a modicum more sympathy and tolerance now for the drivers themselves and a lot more hatred and anger at the management who are running the show.

Sounds like they're increasing the number of drops, once had a chat with a Yodel driver who couldn't believe I was expected to call on 120-150 customers per day in my job

They all are - common complaint back at the depot. People signing up expecting 70-90 drops then it creeps to 100 and now 100+.

Its frankly ridiculous. Wouldn't do it again even for a day...

It seems having stuff delivered when your not in is a form of self flagellation.

Must say working from home makes me the delivery guys favorite person! I never have trouble with my deliveries 🙂