Don't you just hate it when...

[Thalestris24]

Waiting all morning for delivery of shiny new scope and you see the UPS driver attempt to deliver to a property down the road - grrr! Then you have to wait in another half a day - grrr! Fingers crossed they bother to read the label this time and the package does actually arrive tomorrow morning as promised...

Louise

[Jimtheslim]

count your lucky stars (probably easier when you get your scope) that it's not being delivered by Fedex

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, Jimtheslim said:

count your lucky stars (probably easier when you get your scope) that it's not being delivered by Fedex

I've had FedEx deliveries before with no problem! However, I do prefer the carriers that email me on the day with a 1 hour slot and also phone me 20 mins before delivery. It's a shame they don't all do that as it makes life so much easier!

[Knighty2112]

Can't remembered who delivered my Astro item (or what it was even!), but a few months back I was waiting for delivery of said thingy. The tracking from the delivery company gave live track. I was delivery number 90 something, but when I followed the live tracking during the day when they were at about delivery number 40 something, they were just one street down from me. Still had to wait for 50 more deliveries before they got to me! Sheesh! 

[JOC]

The worst I had was taking delivery of a mobile phone.  The delivery company had one of the fancy tracking devices and as I watched online the dot stopped outside the bungalows 400 yards away across the fields, then it went back in the opposite direction!  The email pinged and the message said that delivery had been attempted, and a collection note had been left at the house - the house in the provided picture below - which...........wasn't my house!  That took some solving, but I got the package in the finish. 

[mikeDnight]

I ordered a Takahashi FS128 in 2003 and it was sent next day delivery. Initial City Link was the currier and I waited excitedly all day Thursday for my scope. It didnt arrive! 

The following day was Good Friday and it still didn't arrive! Easter Saturday and it didnt arrive! Sunday and Monday there was still no sign of my scope. I was indescribably irritated by this as I'd paid for next day delivery, and am a stickler for timekeeping and promises. (Part of my OCD I think!) The scope arrived on Tuesday afternoon with no apology from the driver who had had it in his van since the previous Wednesday. His excuse was that "there was a football match on TV on Thursday, so i took the day off!" Murder did come to mind but my hands were fully occupied holding on to my enormous Tak box. 

My anger abated as I surgically opened the three cardboard containers and for the first time set eyes on my very own 5" Takahashi Fluorite apochromat. At first i thought True Technology had sent me the wrong scope, as it was so large it looked like a 6".

Mike ? 

 

[SilverAstro]

1 hour ago, Thalestris24 said:

 I do prefer the carriers that email me on the day with a 1 hour slot and also phone me 20 mins before delivery.

Ohhh which ones do that ? That would be good for knowing when to put the extra direction signs out (If I put them out too far in advance some low-life will nick them ! )

[Thalestris24]

59 minutes ago, SilverAstro said:

Ohhh which ones do that ? That would be good for knowing when to put the extra direction signs out (If I put them out too far in advance some low-life will nick them ! )

Can't remember now - it may have been dpd

[JOC]

I often need to put out extra direction signs too!  It still doesn't help, when they decide they are at the right house (which is the wrong house) and then feel you are out and drop the note through the wrong door!.  IIRC DPD might have been the ones involved LOL

[Mick J]

yes, we get that with dpd, Doug seems to pass around 11am - are they all called Doug ?

[Thalestris24]

Oh well, I don't feel so bad now after hearing others delivery woes! Fingers crossed tomorrow is a good day!

Louise

[LukeSkywatcher]

The only method of delivery ive ever had problems with, is my postman. Every time i order something online from Amazon the typical delivery method is by post (unless its something big or valuable). My postman has a habit of instead ringing the doorbell or attempting to put the delivery in letterbox........hides them in various places around my garden. So far ive had him hide deliveries in one of the bins (who would look in a bin?),under the door mat (mum nearly broke her neck tripping on it),under the wheel of the car (i mean come on....seriously).

Yesterday i saw him jump the wall (ive asked/told him time and again not to do this as he has broken many of the bricks on top). He had in his hand a small brown cardboard envelope (yes, an Amazon one). He was just about to stick it (once again) in the bin, when i opened the front door and shocked the hell out of him. I asked him why he never attempts to deliver packages, and hides them around the garden for me to hopefully/eventually find.

His reply: "I dont like your dog,its nuts".

Fair enough. The dog does tend to go ballistic whenever someone comes to the door, but its not like she opens the door to greet them or even has access to the door if i open it. The letterbox is high up on the door and is one of those double type things, so its not even possible for the dog to grab his hand/fingers when he puts something through.

P.S.~DPD are brilliant. Outstanding service, to be honest. As are all the others ive taken deliveries from. DPD stand out though because Doug always rings you about half an hour before he arrives. A couple of yrs ago when i upgraded my digital tv package. The guy from DPD was under instruction from the digital provider  (not my instructions) to unhook the old DVR, hook the new one up and take away the old one for reconditioning or whatever. 

[Astro Imp]

My wife often buys bits and pieces on line and mostly they are delivered by DPD - brilliant tracked service.

[JOC]

It must depend on where you are - down here I groan inwardly every time I know DPD are involved.  The best group round my way are Hermes.

[nigelg]

Quote

I was told by a DPD driver that the delivery route planner they use is based on an American system where they can not turn across the traffic.

So after delivering to me, to deliver to the house across the road from me he would have to drive passed, turn left, turn left, turn left, drive across my road, turn left, turn left, turn left, back onto the opposite side of my road.

 

[Thalestris24]

Just to add insult to injury, when I phone UPS they said the driver was now out of the area and redelivery wouldn't be until tomorrow. Then I found they tried to redeliver late afternoon and left a card. Aaaaarrrrgh!!

Louise

[SilverAstro]

Argh ! We feel for you !!

Tell them to give it to Hermes, they delivered to me no bother, despite us being several private lanes off an unclassified road between two B roads - and me not having a house name currently on account of another wagon crashing into it some weeks ago and crumbling it totally (it was made of slate   )

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, SilverAstro said:

Argh ! We feel for you !!

Tell them to give it to Hermes, they delivered to me no bother, despite us being several private lanes off an unclassified road between two B roads - and me not having a house name currently on account of another wagon crashing into it some weeks ago and crumbling it totally (it was made of slate   )

Oh dear, sorry to hear that. Actually, I dislike Hermes as their drivers are self employed, are not contactable and you never have any idea when they might deliver. I could have my new toy safely tucked away if only ups had said they'd attempt redelivery yesterday. Instead, more stress!

Louise

[SilverAstro]

and we dont need stress, that is why we buy ourselves these toys  

I must have had an especially enterprising young self-employee then ! I was not expecting it till the following day ( else I would have put out my temp signs - mentioned earlier ), the only surprise being that it was placed on the front door step ( no mean distance itself from the front gate and driveway) where I could easily have tripped over it and done a mischief !LOL! but it would be a little churlish to complain of that

anyway, good luck for the morrow all fingers xxed  , , ,

 

[JOC]

Hi Louise I hope you get it today and that by the time you do they have been looking after it!! 

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, JOC said:

Hi Louise I hope you get it today and that by the time you do they have been looking after it!! 

I've requested it be delivered to a ups access point near me. Hopefully that will be today! I sure hope the package and contents are undamaged  They say it weighs 12kg so also hope I can manage to carry it home - preferably without dropping it! 

[JOC]

Hi Louise - that sounds like a good idea to me - if I can I often get delivery companies to use that option, esp. with important high value packages.   12Kg sounds as though it will just be portable, however, I'm glad my 8" dob and stand made it to my own back door though as together the two boxes weighed more than I was really prepared for!!  Enjoy the unpacking!

[Thalestris24]

Tut! UPS just phoned and said the access point/shop won't accept it as it's too big! This package is cursed! So now I'll have to wait in again... Aaaarrrgh!

Louise

[DaveS]

Oh that's ridiculous .

It's only a little 115mm 'frac, lord help them if a big dob turned up, then they'd know what a too big package is like.

As other's have said, my favourite courier company is DPD, it's the delivery option I spec when I order anything big from TS.

[Stu]

DPD are great. I once had one of them parked outside my house for five minutes because he was not allowed to attempt delivery until the allotted hour! Great service.

I won't knowingly shop with anyone who uses Yodel....