Intermediaries, terms and conditions, WTF

[uk_lefty]

So for the second time in what could be a week, could be a year, who knows at the moment... I've sold a bass. Wahey! I've used an intermediary to book a courier service. Then it's all gone wrong... 

Before Christmas. I used Eurosender to get my bass and send it from St Albans to Bristol, they chose DPD for the job. A month, a lot of frustrated phone calls later, many changed arrangements, the bass arrived with the end customer looking like a cattle drive had ran over it. The receiver already had his refund and I had to pay to get it posted back to me. 

This week I've used Interparcel to collect a bass and get it to Glasgow. They use Tuffnells. Well, I sorted it before 9am Monday with collection booked for Tuesday. I'm still looking at the box now. 

Here's the rub. The intermediaries do nothing. Nothing except take your money. They don't inform you of an issue, such as "cannot collect today, sorry" unless you contract them after 6pm which is the latest a collection will be. They don't escalate issues. They can't or won't upgrade the service because I've lost 2 days already from waiting because the collection company "ran out of time" (2 days running, are you f'ing serious?!), and they never refund. 

They won't refund because "there is no money back guarantee". I've been told this even when I've not asked for a refund, I've asked for them to hurry the fudge up! "It's not guaranteed for the date" well, thus is where it all falls apart for me I'm afraid. I pay for a collection to be made on Tuesday almost 24hrs in advance. If it can't be done, fine, don't take my money and give me the option to do something else. But you can't take my money, refer to terms and conditions that are basically "best endeavours", and refuse to refund if the service entirely fails (Eurosender and DPD) or cannot be performed within 48hrs of when it was expected. Working in supply chain and with business to business contracts I find it amazing that they take this stance. The service is not guaranteed for any particular time, nor guaranteed to actually work. Yet my payment is guaranteed in advance with absolutely no recourse whatsoever, and no obligation on the intermediary or their sub contracted service provider to actually do anything?! 

 

I'm setting up a new business. Lefty's guitar couriers. You need to send a guitar? Fifty quid paid in advance, please. I'll collect it tomorrow and deliver next day. Only, there's no guarantee. I might not collect tomorrow, or this week, or this month, we will see. I might collect it and not deliver it. Anyhow its the third party courier I'm arranging, don't get angry with me. If you ask for a service update I might tell you "sorry, couldn't do it today. Maybe tomorrow?" but I'll make no promises, no guarantees and you'll be f'ing well grateful OK?! There's no guarantees, no upgrades, no refunds, no advanced notice of any change to my side of the bargain. If you have a problem speak to the courier I've arranged. They won't speak to you because you didn't make the booking. I might speak to them on your behalf, I might not, you don't know, you're excluded from that part of things. You read the terms and conditions, you know the deal. 

Pretty easy this lark. And somehow legal. 

Should I write to my local MP? (Actually he'd probably invest for a 50% stake) 

[la bam]

I agree.

Great when you dont need them and everything runs smoothly. Utterly useless when you need anything from them or try holding them to account for not doing what you paid them for.

The insurance is also a disgrace. As is the fact you pay them to do a job, and if they dont do it, then they keep your money anyway!

Imagine ANY other job where you can get away with that.

Also their t and c s also overwrite those of the individual couriers as you booked with the intermediary, not direct, so it's even worse.

I really dont know what they do. Every courier now has their own site and collection and drop off points. Theres no need for them. The only use is a comparison site.

Edited March 25, 2021 by la bam