Beedster

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1431710142' post='2774253'] Nice. I seem to be getting R*ck*nb*ck*er GAS, which may be a bit of a problem on this bloody forum. [/quote] Rics are very hot right now, and the new S-series models will define whether that remains the case

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1431609456' post='2773156'] This thread represents BC at its nitpicky worst. Embarrassing. [/quote] No it doesn't, you're just whinging, it was a quite balanced difference of opinion that has been largely resolved. It therefore represents what BC is about.

[quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1431600358' post='2772969'] I picked that up myself. As nothing to my old Road Ready 2x18 which weighed in at 107 kilos. [/quote] Mesa and 70s Precisions, a real man's rig

[quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1431599026' post='2772938'] I should say that Parcelforce have successfully delivered some of that! :-) [/quote] I'd like to have seen the face of the driver who got lumbered with the Diesel 2x15, especially if it's flightcased

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1431597819' post='2772913'] This thread is awful. Just bloody awful. IMHO and all that, seeing as everyone's so touchy now. [/quote] Agreed, check out post 128, specifically Steve's sig. This thread was worth it just to see that

Yep, if I were the OP I'd respond to the MD asking him to look at this thread and, given the 'evidence' (albeit verbal) that this is a widespread issue and often condoned at local level, ask him why he has not considered a more systemic response (this especially in consideration of the comment in his reply to the OP suggesting that it won;t happen to the OP again, suggesting perhaps that it will probably still continue to happen elsewhere)? Re some of the comments in response to Jazzneck, I do think that in an age of increasing economic hardship (not in real terms for most of us but certainly in relative terms for many), of easy and fast communication often lacking substance and not giving much time to think, and of zero hours contracts and all sorts of quite unethical practices used by many employers, all of us do have the responsibility to consider the broader implications of complaints we make against large organisations that might identify one or few employees of that organisation. Perhaps the OP could have achieved the same impact by telling his story publicly but in doing so not identifying the driver, perhaps he could have phoned the depot and spoken to the manager, perhaps he could have waited until the condition of the bass was ascertained before complaining at all? The OP can't be held accountable here, the accountability is all with PF's senior and middle management, the problem is that PF are always going to behave like most large businesses and protect the bottom line in any way they can.

And BTW I expect that somewhere in PFs T&Cs a driver signing for a package is NOT considered fraud.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1431586296' post='2772747'] I think this is a harsh judgement for someone doing a fairly menial job. Surely fraud is where someone has gained financially. The person who has gained is the OP who has got his goods, albeit in an unconventional manner. No one on this forum likes the idea of basses of all things being left unattended and at the mercy of the elements, but I think things need to be put into perspective, the bass was not damaged, not stolen and delivered on-time. All the bad things we talk about did not happen. Maybe the driver is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't and It's a pity this was not an opportunity for education and training. [/quote] +1, I know from speaking to my PF driver quite a lot that they get treated like crap by middle management and that senior management don't have a clue about anything but bottom lines. Classic senior management behaviour is to ignore any unethical or unprofessional behaviour by staff whilst it maintains profits until it lands on her/his desk with a paper trail that can't be avoided, at which point s/he overeacts to make a point, as may be the case here. I'll say it again, my PF driver is TOLD to leave as many items as possible and drivers doing this and signing for them is according to him widespread and accepted practice. He's certainly done it with my stuff loads of times.

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1431545311' post='2772523'] Thanks to Mr. Apple I'm now submitting my original post, edited for personal insults, for completeness of the thread. [b]Please read it as if posted at 5:32PM today.[/b] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Great stuff, so a guy is now out of a job.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Has anyone of you considered the fact that he might have a young family and he's their only breadwinner?[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Why the heck didn't you just [b]talk[/b] to someone (you can telephone and get connected directly to the depot manager - details on Parcelforce website), preferably the driver or his immediate supervisor as I have done in a similar situation.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]He would have probably got a rollicking and something to think about in the future.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I give up - w[/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]hy does everybody have to escalate every tiny problem in this world to the stratosphere and demand ACTION?[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Try and be reasonable for once.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]You got an undamaged bass delivered to your door probably by a guy who was trying to be helpful and he got sacked for his pains.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]And I'm not being ironic. [/font][/color] [/quote] It's fair point, and if he has fired this guy I'd personally like to ask the MD why this particular case has resulted in such action when it is quite clear that such habits are systemic and not acted upon, in fact tacitly encouraged, elsewhere in his company. I'm not sure where the real stress lies here. Had it been damaged I could understand it, but even the it would have been covered by both PF and ultimately Thomann. So no harm actually done and no expense to anyone and the guy loses his job because it lands at the MDs office?

I doubt they are allowed by law to tell you such info so it's probably a bull story to cover any PR crap, but if the guy has lost his job for doing what is standard practice for PF I hope he gets a good settlement, and for the OP's sake let's hope he doesn't join the postal service

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1431459996' post='2771643'] I used to work for Royal Mail, this was all brought about once Royal Mail lost the monopoly on delivering items under £1. It used to be run as a service, and that service was very good, however it is now run as a business, and businesses have to be profitable to compete. Ironically, Royal Mail thought the advent of the internet would spell the end of letter delivery as we know it. Massive propaganda was trotted out by senior management on declining Mail volumes, the need to cut costs etc. All very true, however what they completely underestimated was the massive growth in packet and parcel traffic that the rise of internet shopping brought. They never saw it coming. Back in the good old days of Mail Order, packets and parcels were minimal, and easily managed. It is only in the last few years, the nationwide revision in 2011-12 to be precise, that they have tried to adapt to this market. So back in the 'good old days', postman pat was trusted to use his initiative when delivering parcels, and whether to 'doorstep' them. Live out in the sticks and friendly with the neighbours? We'll deliver it to them. Live by the side of a main road in full view? Probably won't leave it on the doorstep. Plus he had the time in his working day to make an informed decision. But with the massive increase in parcel traffic completely mismanaged by Royal Mail, and the extra pressure on staff who were told their workloads were going down, 'doorstepping' began to increase. Complaints went up, naturally, and 'doorstepping' was outlawed, punishable by conduct procedures, from somewhere around 2005 iirc. After a few years, it was obvious customers started complaining more about us not delivering it to their trusted neighbours, or leaving it in a perfectly secure place. Customers were also taking advantage of the free redelivery service, which was so clearly not profitable, so initiatives were brought in to ensure we delivered first time, in an attempt to slicken up. The 'tracked' service coincided with this. This obviously stretches across to the wider Royal Mail group and Parcel Force, and hence why you have basses thrown over your garden fence. Regardless, the delivery driver must be an absolute tool, and will probably be sacked for this. I left Royal Mail in 2012, and it was clear there was massive conflict between running it as a business, and running it as a service. Until they sort out which one it is, it will continue to decline. [/quote] Good post by the way

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1431459996' post='2771643'] Regardless, the delivery driver must be an absolute tool, and will probably be sacked for this. [/quote] Decent bottle of red says he won't