Bedrock

Posts Tagged ‘Spain and the saga of hopeless couriers’

Our little corner of heaven here in Spain is indeed a wonderful place – but not without it’s issues – the main one being USELESS COURIERS and in particular – DHL.

Until late 2015, presumably because of bureaucracy, our place here in Galera was not on the maps. This was never a problem for the local post lady who delivers most days with a smile,  but for some couriers it posed more of an issue. They would always want to get in touch (but only by a local Spanish number as they’re TIGHT) and convince locals to meet in town. It seems they don’t do things like “ask the post office” – that’s too easy.

And so it was that in July 2015 I was expecting a package from Europe for my trip to Boston. Well, it never turned up and today I received an email from the very apologetic sender.

I just received the shipment back to us. Without any explanation, all the shipping documents intact and unopened. I talked to our agent and they have no explanation to what has happened. My guess is that the Spanish forwarder just didn’t want the hassle of looking you up and just sent the package back after a while.
I don’t have to tell you that I won’t be using their service anymore

I should point out that the regular post office have no problem at all delivering goods on a daily basis from all over the world.

Meanwhile you may be aware from previous blogs of the absolute rip off organisation UPS – who, when charged with delivering a small package from China to Spain at reasonable cost of $25, then contacted the seller for another $19 and us for another $38 – which they called I believe a servicing charge –that’s after trying to deliver to the village (they eventually delivered direct to our home).

In order to improve matters I ensured that Google have a direct link to our address – I simply sent off the map with details – and a couple of weeks later, Google Maps was updated. WHEEEEEE.

But no, today, Dallas Semiconductors (USA) contacted me to say that DHL could not find our place and could I Please pick up the (free sample worth pennies) sample from Sevilla – which is well over three hours away from here. You can imagine that I declined the offer, instead sending them a simple link to Google Maps wherein lie directions from the main road. Perhaps DHL don’t have maps – you never know. Apparently the guy knew where number SIX was but not us – which is interesting because as far as I’m aware there IS no number 6 in our street.

Next, a pair of shoes from Amazon – similarly their courier wrote to say that courier MRW could not find the place – they too have a map and now they have a local phone number.

Update 29/08/2015 – the chips from Dallas turned up – the delivery driver, from a company I’ve never heard of before, indeed came trundling up our hill to deliver the goods – as it happens, just as we were leaving for our trip to Nerja – never the less, that’s one success story. The shoes of COURSE did not arrive as promised – this is now a familiar pattern with delivery companies here – but we did get MRW to agree to meet in the village – not to delivery the goods – but to have their driver follow us home so NEXT time there is even less excuse.

Update 12/09/2015 – Fedex have proven to be winners. When I ordered a package of floodlights, the same old story "address incorrect" so I wrote to Fedex Spain – not only did they come back to me quickly but corrected this and shortly thereafter the Fedex-authorised delivery van came trundling along to our house with a smile. Sadly I have another delivery due via UPS – I didn’t get to the supplier in time to ask them not to use UPS … not looking forward to this.

Update 18/09/2016 –I have now had several deliveries from Fedex and I recommend them to everyone – in the meantime we’ve made sure our address is on Google Maps..AND there is a very large 14 on our wall.  Simply punch the address in and it is there – accordingly even SEUR can now deliver to us. Success. Except… for DHL. Today a Chinese supplier informed me I have a parcel and to enjoy. The only problem is that I don’t have the parcel.  A quick check of the tracking number confirms that DHL delivered the parcel on FRIDAY (it is Monday) and managed to get an “illegible signature”.  So delivering to the wrong address and accepting an illegible signature seems to be ok for them! Well, it’s not ok for me. I have done my best since the last fiasco to encourage people NOT to use DHL but this one slipped through – no phone call, no message to say could not find address, nothing. Absolutely amazing.