A tale of two parcels Tuesday 20th of August 2019

Parcelforce tried to deliver a parcel:

• They tried one day, left a card saying they'd try again
• They tried again the next day, left a card saying I can either pick it up myself or arrange a redelivery
• On Sunday, I fill in an online form to have it delivered on Tuesday
• On Monday, I realise that if they come on Tuesday it'll be another non-delivery, so I fill in the form again for Wednesday
• On Tuesday, nothing happens
• On Wednesday my parcel is delivered. Happy days.

Hermes tried to deliver a parcel:

• I received a notification via email the parcel had been delivered. The notification stated it had been left in a "secure location"

Now you might assume that would be happy days too but that sequence of events is missing a few steps, so let us rewind

Hermes tried to deliver a parcel:

• They put a card through a door stating the parcel was in the outside bin
• I received a notification via email the parcel had been delivered. The notification stated it had been left in a "secure location"
• I couldn't find the parcel when I got home. Not in my bin cupboard nor in the outside bins (not that I was expecting to find a parcel in a bloody bin at this point)
• I raised an issue with Hermes stating my parcel was missing (fun fact, contacting Hermes directly as a recipient seems impossible. Even their online form states to contact the sender)
• Next day, I discovered that if I checked the online tracking on Hermes directly by using my postcode along with the parcel number it includes an extra piece of information... a photograph. A tiny, low resolution, very bad quality, utterly crap photograph. But a photograph nonetheless
• On squinting at said photograph it's very apparent that this isn't my bin. The rubbish in the bin doesn't match the type of recycling rubbish I put into my own bin, and there's a tiny sliver of the outside ground visible and that doesn't match either
• I have the pleasant job of knocking on neighbour’s doors and asking if I might rut in their bins. No joy (and not pleasant either).
• Later that day, I decide to check the request I made. I haven't had any email notifications saying it had been updated or any other contact from Hermes, but hey, when in Rome. There's a note attached to the request - it doesn't feel like it addressed to me referring to me as it does in the third person, but it does state that a third party phoned up querying why there's a parcel in their bin which doesn't have their name or address on it. The note includes the full address of the third party - wrong name, right house number, wrong street, wrong postcode
• Next day, I visit said location, politely introduce myself and collect my parcel. Curiously, the third party noted that they had difficulty in contacting Hermes about the mistake too

This was a couple of weeks ago and Hermes has not responded to my support request, with the exception of that initial note which didn't even appear to be directed at me personally.

Although I'm sure people have their own stories in which Parcelforce are the bad guys, in this case I know who I'd trust with my business. Seriously, who dumps a parcel in a bin of all places?

This post was first published Tuesday 20th of August 2019 and was last modified Tuesday 20th of August 2019 at 17:52:44.