Hermes Strikes Again Wednesday 1st of July 2020

I'm starting to feel like this is becoming the "Tales of Hermes" blog, but here we go again, another delivery, another Hermes screw up.

In my effort to avoid using Amazon where possible, I've switched to using other retailers. I had ordered a bunch of stuff from Wilko, including a small pile of their really useful modular storage boxes, and some wire netting to try and protect a flower bed that Fat Pigeons keep stomping all over.

This was my first time ordering from Wilko's online, normally I visit my local store but obviously not at the moment. Rather regretfully Wilko seems to use Hermes so I deeply sighed when I got an email from Hermes on the 6th June stating they had my parcel. However, on June the 12th the local courier dropped off a box. A big box, but a very, very light box. On checking this box it contained about 10% of my order, but this was correct according to the delivery note.

On checking Wilko's parcel tracking (which could do with some work, displays times, but not dates, displays their reference number but not the couriers so you can't access the courier tracking) a second parcel had appeared but appeared to be stuck - the last note was Hermes had taken receipt at one of their hubs on the 10th.

On the 15th (the maximum date the order should have been delivered by) I dropped an email to Wilko. Unfortunately they didn't respond and so on the 23rd I send an email to Hermes. Rather surprisingly they responded quite quickly and replied... but with this unhelpful statement

I can see your parcel hasn’t moved within our network since 10/06/2020. Your retailer likes to ensure their customers have the most efficient resolution when there is a delay in your parcel’s movement so I would advise that you make contact with them and they will be able to help you get this resolved.

So Hermes has my parcel, has apparently lost it, but won't do anything about it. I followed up with them and got the same nonsense answer from a different agent.

I'd already been trying to contact Wilko but hadn't received any response via email. I've tried to avoid using the phone recently as call waiting times are lengthy but there wasn't much choice this time. After spending an hour and on half on hold, I spoke to someone at Wilko and they quickly made a new order containing most of the missing items. Regretfully, some of the items (including the wire netting which was actually the whole point of the order in the first place, most of the other items were to make it large enough to justify the postage costs) were now out of stock. So while I can't fault Wilko (apart from never answering support emails), I still don't have what I ordered.

Getting back to Hermes, after the second reply I asked for details of their complaints procedure given this is the 3rd time they have screwed up a delivery, albeit the first time they have actually lost my goods.

I don’t have the options available to take this any further for you as each retailer has their own policies for delayed parcels. I would encourage you to keep in touch with them directly for this to be resolved.

Stop trying to act like you have no responsibility. You repeatedly have screwed up a simple delivery, I wish to complain. Provide the details.

I asked again and while they still didn't provide details, they at least said they would pass the complaint on

Please note that I have forwarded this issue to the complaints's department and they will get back to you till the end of the next day via e-mail.

Not quite what I wanted as this only covers incident 3, but it was a start I thought.

Of course, it is now July and they were supposed to get back to me on the 26th. So apparently Hermes doesn't even follow their own processes, in addition to losing peoples items, refusing to accept responsbility and evading questions.

I know it's a pointless waste of my time to complain, it isn't like they are going to take any notice but I am so sick of their crap service and so I shall persist.

Incidentally, Hermes delivered the replacement quickly and effeciently, but no other delivery service I use makes these sort of errors. Royal Mail has probably delivered dozens of parcels to me in the same time frame without incident, and other delivery companies have made numerous deliveries too. It is just Hermes that seem to be consistent in doing a poor job.

Edit: Hermes got back to me today with the same nonsense about contacting the retailer, once again absolving themselves of blame. And clearly they didn't pass my details onto complaints after all.

This post was first published Wednesday 1st of July 2020 and was last modified Wednesday 1st of July 2020 at 15:40:56.