Eurocarparts Good, HDNL BAD!!!

[Radar]

Hi guys,

I'm a regular forum lurker, I don't often post. However after my recent experience with Eurocarparts and their delivery agency; Home Delivery Network Limited, I have been moved to post.

Firstly, let me say that I have always received excellent service and the parts are of high quality from Eurocarparts, my beef is not with them.

I have ordered 2 brake pad wear sensors from Eurocarparts for my Merc. They have despatched them using HDNL, this is my first experience with them (HDNL) and it is all bad. I placed the order on Monday 17 May. On Thursday May 20 I had a card to say that a delivery had been attempted however seeing as a signature is required (I don't know why, it's only £7 worth of plastic and wire) they will try again the next day. As it happened my wife was working from home the next day, so not a problem at all. I was home before 6 so I thought I'd try the info line. I picked up and dialed without reading the small print (10p per minute!!!), it asked for my 8 digit reference number which is clearly printed upon the card. The robot did not recognise the first attempt or the second attempt at which point it adivised me that I would be forwarded to a 'customer care representative'... and the line went dead. I tried again, same result. I'm not calling those a-holes back again using their premium rate ripoff.

So I checked the internet portal, again that robot didn't recognise the number either. I figured that I'll gladly go to their depot and collect the item as I do often with TNT / DHL / Parcel Force / City Express (all of whom make it possible at times convenient to people who work), that wasn't an option via the only link that would recognise the number. So I ticked the box for redelivery on Friday.

Friday came and went with no parts or card.

So it's a small low value package, that will fit through my letter box. Why didn't they just stick it in there like a normal person?

If a signature is so necessary, just give it to one of my neighbours, most are retired and there's always some mums around too.

I spoke to ECP this morning at 9. They assured me the message would get through to the driver to 'just post it through the door or leave it with a neighbour'. Guess what, another bloody card tonight

I have no idea why it's even going via HDNL. 2 pad sensors will fit nicely in a small envelope, whack a stamp on it and the job's a good-un! I've only experience poor service from Royal Mail when they've gone on strike. On the plus side, no one would notice if HDNL went on strike. Their ability to perform would still be awful.

A little bit of internet searching reveals the Amazon, DABS and BT Customers all have similar and worse experiences from this company with their drivers being not only incompetant, but also completely lacking in initiative and in several cases downright rude and bizarrely even racist!!

So the message I wish to get out is don't order anything that is likely to be delivered by HDNL. If the supplier has an option, choose the one which is not HDNL and if there's no option, choose another supplier.

If enough of us make our voice heard, HDNL will be dumped and decent service will resume.

[Ziggy]

Currently waiting for yet another delivery attempt from Amazon via HDNL - they're ****ing useless.

[pac1982]

I'm waiting on a delivery today from ECP i even paid extra for next day delivery if it dont turn up today i'm gonna kick off big time!

I'm hoping that my delivery will come direct from my local ECP as they have several vans and all the bits i wanted were in stock at my local branch

I'll let you know what happens

[Z3I]

You all might end up blaming yourself.

Eurocarparts and the like keep their prices low enough to catch your custom, by using HDNL and similar organisations who charge them the least to deliver the goods you order, and so make as much profit as they can.
HDNL, in order to make money out of the low prices they have to charge to get Eurocarparts business, operate the slimmest service they can, with no frills like customer service at all. Their premium rate number may be the only source of profit at all.
Add to that they pay their staff the minimum wage, and source them as they come off the channel ferry, its no surprise you're waiting, they couldn't care less..
Add on that the drivers have a "performance" target to reach, ie, deliver their van-load by the end of their shift, or they work in their own time, its no surprise they won't be hunting down your neighbours, one ring and its a card through the door and off.

Post office, and original BMW parts counter might be dearer, but at least you can go down the local depot next day and collect, or collect next day from BMW.

[pac1982]

they pay their staff the minimum wage, and source them as they come off the channel ferry, its no surprise you're waiting, they couldn't care less..
Add on that the drivers have a "performance" target to reach, ie, deliver their van-load by the end of their shift, or they work in their own time, its no surprise they won't be hunting down your neighbours, one ring and its a card through the door and off.

Well i've not had a card in the letter box telling me i've been missed and i've been in since 10am and wil be here all day hoping it all turns up

Post office, and original BMW parts counter might be dearer, but at least you can go down the local depot next day and collect, or collect next day from BMW.

I would have got my bits from BMW but they couldn't say if it would be here before the bank holiday or not which is when i plan to carry out the work ECP had all the bits in stock

[Radar]

I think that ECP only use HDNL for the normal delivery stuff. For next day deliveries I think they use other carriers. I foolishly thought that seeing as I ordered on Monday and the sensors were in stock that there'd be no trouble getting them before last weekend.

How wrong was I.

[Radar]

Hmmm, on phone to ECP now. Apparently the only courier they use is HDNL. Have cancelled order and demanded an immediate refund.

[Z3I]

Just one last comment on "popping it through" the letterbox.

Part of the contract that HDNL will have with ECP and others, is that they will be responsible for lost items, and that they will get a signature on delivery, otherwise they will be responsible for loss. HDNL will pass this risk to the delivery drivers, who will bear the cost of loss if you say you didn't receive it.

Thats why they won't be doing the logical thing and popping it into your letterbox.

Worth remembering on Ebay these days also, is that if you use pay-pal to pay, that if the seller doesn't send it to you recorded delivery, then he is responsible for loss if it gets lost.

All the above is in the favour of you, the customer, as you wouldn't be too chuffed if they said they popped it into your letterbox, but you didn't get it and it was your tough luck!

[pac1982]

Turned up just before 2pm.............

http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h25/p ... E30%20BMW/

[Radar]

All the above is in the favour of you, the customer, as you wouldn't be too chuffed if they said they popped it into your letterbox, but you didn't get it and it was your tough luck!

TBH, I know the risk. I understand the risk and I accept it. If I was having a priceless Ming Dynasty vase delivered, then I would choose an appropriate delivery method. However for £8 worth of brake pad sensors which are not expensive, large or delicate then a sturdy envelope and 2nd class postage is perfectly adequate.

I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that in over 10 years Royal Mail have only lost one item that has been sent to me(a Love Film DVD) and even that eventually turned up with a letter of apology from my sorting office.

The reason I buy online is because I don't have the means to get to a parts counter during normal working hours.

HDNL only make deliveries during working hours. I am a contractor. I don't work I don't get paid. I'm not waiting in for something which can be safely put through the letter box. Especially when I requested 'normal' postage where there is no mention of a signature being required. If it were clear that a signature is required then I'd have it delivered to my work place. In any case, I had made it clear that if there was no answer they were to leave it with a neighbour.

I am more than happy to go to depots / sorting offices to collect stuff when necessary, all that I have come across until now are either open slightly into the evening or for a couple of hours on a Saturday. HDNL depots are only open during Mon-Fri office hours. Which further compounds their complete and utter lack of usefulness.

Therefore they will never be able to deliver to me.

Yes, these guys have really wound me up. It is fair to say they have made me 'incandescent with rage' by not being able to perform something as eminently simple as delivering a packet.

Don't get frightened by the 'ebay rules'. Ebay create lots of 'rules' that are unenforceable. For example; a new one I've noticed is that when you list an item for sale with them, but reserve the right to end the auction early because it is for sale elsewhere, ebay now say you are not allowed to end the auction early for this reason, you are supposed to continue with the auction. I want to see them try and enforce that one...

[DanThe]

Sounds a bit like the citylink couriers, another load of w4nk they are, you cant collect your parcel from them unless you take photographic ID, even though they posted the card through your letterbox, you still need to have photographic ID that matches up to the name/address on the posted item

You know whats to blame for all this idiocy though dont you?
Claim culture..

Its big business now for scummers to buy relatively high priced items off eBay because they are not listed as recorded delivery post which means they can put a claim in through paypal and get their money back without even breaking a sweat, if the seller doesnt have tracking proof/signature for the item the buyer is entitled to their money back which paypal will snatch from the sellers account whether the item has been delivered or not.

This is why you cant have your parts without a signature

[BadDave]

Ahem

All ECP parcels need a signature and so do a lot of other online retailers these days.
No sig=no parcel unless the drivers willing to commit fraud by signing for it themselves.

Some,not all HDNL depots are now running computer route planning,and sequencing software which works out how many parcels each driver should be able to deliver per day,and in what order they are to be delivered
This new system is flawed and means the drivers end up taking up 1hr more to load the vans,due to the new system not being as good as it was made out to be.

In effect, this means that the drivers have less time to carry out the deliveries, therefore have less time to go round chasing neighbours for a signature.

If you receive a card through the letterbox, go online(avoiding the premium rate 0871 number) and quote the reference number at the top right of the card,and arrange for the package to be delivered at a convenient time. Depot's should hold them for 2weeks,waiting for you to contact them.
You can arrange for the items to be re-directed to an alternative address if you wish.You're unable to specify a specific timeframe though

[Radar]

If you receive a card through the letterbox, go online(avoiding the premium rate 0871 number) and quote the reference number at the top right of the card,and arrange for the package to be delivered at a convenient time. Depot's should hold them for 2weeks,waiting for you to contact them.
You can arrange for the items to be re-directed to an alternative address if you wish.You're unable to specify a specific timeframe though

Tried that. System would not recognise the number, when it finally did (after many attempts), it offered me the option of the next day. As it happened my wife was working from home the next day. She was there all day, never went out. The cocks said they attempted delivery, but there was no answer and tellingly, no card. Complete bunch of lying cnuts.