Barkeep's Blog - Vollsanger: 26th February 2023 - DPD

Thought for the day :"My friend is dating a mermaid but I think their relationship is already on the rocks..."

and DPD saga continues...

And so here are my current emails....

One: sent 16th February - My birthday - what a nice present

From: execdesk.admin@dpdgroup.co.uk <execdesk.admin@dpdgroup.co.uk>
Sent: 16 February 2023 16:55
To: susie@pigsmayfly.co.uk
Subject: 155036862759555

From DPD after writing on Trust Pilot

Good Afternoon,

We are so sorry to hear about the experience you have had, this is an acknowledgement to let you know we have received your complaint and one of the team will be in touch as soon as possible with a resolution.

We endeavour to investigate and resolve all complaints within 5 - 7 working days. Can we ask that you please confirm the first line of your address and postcode?

If you have any further comments to share or evidence you would like us to review, you can provide this by replying to this email.

Thank you for your kind patience and understanding.

Warm Regards

Complaints Team

DPD Group UK

ref:_00D20MS7w._5004LSRzPr:ref

My response:

From: iain@pigsmayfly.co.uk <iain@pigsmayfly.co.uk>
Sent: 16 February 2023 23:19
To: execdesk.admin@dpdgroup.co.uk
Cc: Sue Sewell <susie@pigsmayfly.co.uk>; 'Appliances Direct' <emessage@appliancesdirect.co.uk>
Subject: RE: 155036862759555

Thank you for your response.

My complaint is two fold – firstly the fact that delivery has not been successful not once but twice, and that there is a flagrant lie regarding the acceptance of the item, and total lack of ability to get any information as to what is currently happening about the delivery as the sender will not refund or resend without DPD action …

Summary :
Item bought from Appliances Direct (£196) for urgent next day delivery (a de-humidifer for holiday home problem with guest arriving Friday – today for you!!)

REF : 1550 4524 233 175 1

Item received and with driver DANIEL with delivery slot of 1328hrs to 1428hrs
Nothing arrived – notice at 1525hrs that delivery was “missed”
In context there is only one house at the postcode

We have had previous delivery from all courier companies including DPD in the past
Gate at premises has clear sign – “Deliveries” and name of Premises on Gate …
Call to customer services – GPS states that attempted delivery was to 7 miles from my location

Image dpd01 - shows tracking

Image Dpd02 – location of attempted delivery – field 7 miles away

Image dpd03 – enlarged picture of delivery area…

As the item was apparently going back to the depot – Appliances Direct was contacted and the problem explained.

In fairness to that company – they said that the item could be recalled from DPD and they could send an additional unit
which was done …

REF:1550 3686 275 955 5

Image DPD04 – tracking order for replacement unit

Item is delivered to Swansea and is on van – driver Scott
Delivery slot is 1328-1428hrs
At 1420hrs I call the call centre as I know it will take me ten minutes to get through
At 1430hrs I am talking with your call center and stating that the item has not arrived and can they check location of the driver (As I am aware that your vans are on GPS location)
I am put on hold and told that they are checking with the depot – and after this they state that the driver is behind schedule but is on route and delivery is imminent .. I come off the phone
As I put the phone down the app shows that the item has been delivered !!! And more that it is received by “JOHN” 1434hrs
There is a photo of a front door which is not mine – and an envelope on the ground – not my package ..
This photo is no longer on any source that I can access and I would like it sent to me …

I contacted the call center immediately and strangely got through within five minutes – thus your driver should have been in the immediate area.

Your center operative tells me that they checked the location of the delivery and found it to be 6.3 miles from my location ( I had to push hard for this information)
Refused to give me the location of the delivery ( apparently against policy)
Refused / Failed to contact the driver to collect and replace
Refused to escalate to any form of supervisory staff member
Offered Management Call Back which I ask for as I wished to make a formal complaint (No call back has occurred)

I have therefore established that DPD accept that the delivery has not been made to my address
However – Appliances Direct who I believe have also raised issues will not refund – leaving me with substantial loss of income this weekend £350 booking fees as I have to cancel customers, until DPD complete an internal enquiry which will take 6 days !! Another week’s loss of income

I have been unable to get any information from your call center – you do not allow access to depot phone numbers
You have not given any return calls and I am losing the will to live waiting for answers at your call centers

Appliances Direct advised me that they had spoken to the DPD and were advised that the driver was returning to collect the item on 14^th Feb and it would be delivered by 8pm
Later I was advised that the item was to be delivered to me on 15^th February

Call to Call center tells me that the original tracking number is the only one available and that the item would not have a new tracking number for me to see which suggests to me that it is not in your system – otherwise I would expect the tracking to show – Return to Depot – out for delivery etc

In addition – after the problems on the first occasion I downloaded your DPD APP as this would suggest that it could avoid the problems experienced on the previous day.
I have had previous issues with your database not correctly identifying my postcode – instead calling it by a previous name form years ago – “Bluebell Cottage” rather than the Existing “Ffynnon Wen”
However – as this item had been purchased by my wife with her e-mail details (susie@pigsmayfly.co.uk) I downloaded a new version on her mobile phone and completed all sections,.

I am not sure whether you can access the details on this app (please advise) but your call center operative said that the driver could access the details on the app so I presume you are able..
I completed all sections on the app – including uploading the picture of the front of the house ( apparently to assist the driver) and also details of my safe place and photo of access to this area.

As I had a lack of confidence in your driver’s capabilities or wish to deliver in this area I also added the local post office as an alternative area so that a delivery could be made if they failed to find us.. It is 4.5 miles away and I was willing to go and fetch it – it was that important to a small business like mine !!

Despite this app – the information – the mobile phone number and the home number on the parcel details and app, photographs and alternative drop off location – the item was “Apparently” received by “John” at a location no-one will advise me – I would happily go and collect it if your driver had indeed delivered!!

All in all this s very unsatisfactory…
Yesterday your call center advised me that the driver had been sent back to collect the item and that it would be delivered to me

Why is no-one taking any interest or keeping a customer in the loop

I hope this assists in your investigation into my complaint

Copy to Appliances Direct Order Query 45237813
Copy to Sue Sewell

Iain Sewell
(For Sue Sewell original purchaser -

No follow up by email

Phone call from investigations team say that they will be investigating and reply will be within 6 working days - nothing heard from them - Appliances Direct get the response and send out another unit!!

Today - they delivered to another address again ...

so I penned another letter including all the previous information

I am seriously at a loss!

Following my earlier complaint and comments a representative of your company followed up with a phone call and an assurance that an enquiry was under way which would take no more than 6 working days – this despite the GPS information clearly stating that the delivery was in a location 6.3 miles from my house.

This was not satisfactory to me as I was losing income every weekend that I am unable to dry out my Yurt for holiday customers requiring either the humidifier or refund so I could purchase elsewhere – however – as this appeared to be the only method of procedure I accepted this upon the assurance that I would be updated at the end of the enquiry.

After 6 working days I enquired via your call center and was informed that there was no way that I could be put through to your enquiries and investigation group.

I have still heard nothing from DPD though this all started on 13^th February.

On Thursday – Appliances Direct (the sender) said that they had been informed that the enquiry was complete – from the tracking information it was clear that the item had been delivered several miles from my location and that they were sending a replacement unit.

We have the DPD app installed – with photo of house, photo of safe place, indeed I have put a sign on the gate for deliveries (no-one else seems to have problems but I thought belts and braces)
We have phone numbers listed. The location of the postcode is confirmed on your app.

Friday there is no sign of your driver yet states that he “missed” us ….
How can this be? Your drivers are just abandoning parcels without speaking to the occupier so where is the form stating that they called? Where is the photo of the house?
We are informed that the delivery will next be Monday – and I complained again to Appliances Direct via email – which was answered with updated information that the delivery would be today (Sunday)

I added the safe place request upon the tracking – there is no opportunity to add the photo via desktop

On this occasion I managed to track your driver Ian on my desktop as delivery 57 and watched as he covered this area of West Wales.

When he was 20 minutes away with 7 deliveries I drove to the end of my lane to the main road so as to ensure that he could not miss the location though it is clearly the only house at the postcode.

As I waited in the layby the app stated that the parcel had been delivered and left in my chosen space – which is clearly not a rear porch with “Deliveries” written clearly on it.

Contact with your call center confirms that he was 6.6 miles away from my location and the driver was not answering his mobile phone and that the the parcel numbers would be emailed to a management team ( perhaps yourself?)

I called again and of course your call center closes at 3pm on a Sunday!!!

I enclose all the previous information and add some new photos for your information

DPD05 – Confirmation of “Safe Place” though I presumed it would be at my address!!! I was present