HDNL - Signed, sealed, not delivered?

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We all know that traipsing the streets shopping can be stressful, frustrating and time-consuming, so shopping online or ordering via telephone might seem like a great alternative. But whilst it's true that ordering might take minutes, delivery, for some customers, can take a whole lot longer. In the case of Michelle Treacy, that delivery took nearly 30 hours. Her boyfriend ordered a laptop for her as a present from Tesco Direct. The Home Delivery Network was meant to bring it between 7am and 7pm on the first arranged delivery date. Michelle told Watchdog:

"To make sure we covered this, my partner took the time off work so that one of us would always be in to make sure we received it".

At 9.30pm the couple were still waiting, so Michelle called HDNL who said they'd tried to deliver, but had turned back because no one was in. But according to Michelle:

"Neither me or my partner heard the buzzer or saw a van outside. They claim they left a delivery note through the letterbox but when my partner checked there was nothing there".

Michelle asked them to try again two days later, but the same thing happened, HDNL claimed they called at the house but no-one was there. So Michelle arranged a third delivery, but by late morning the package hadn't left the depot. Michelle added:

"In the end it was so much hassle we ended up just cancelling the order and ordering to collect it from the store ourselves. It would have been so much easier if we had just done that in the first place".

We also caught up with Simon Hill, who bought a vacuum cleaner from Amazon. It was due to be delivered on the 20 September, so Simon booked time off to wait for it to be delivered. But it turned out to be a very long day. Simon told us:

"I phoned up at five to seven that evening. They told me that they couldn't find me because the house is out in the sticks, even though it's a main housing estate just off the city centre. They said there was no parking. Even though there's a main car park outside my front door."

Bob and Pam Healey told us about the disruption HDNL had caused them after ordering a chest of drawers from Littlewoods. The drawers didn't turn up the first day, a Tuesday so it was rearranged for Friday, but it didn't turn up then either. It finally arrived the following Tuesday. Bob told us:

"We had to make changes to our appointments, which were doctors, hospital and an important one, we run children's clubs and we had to even get someone to cover them for us. Which not only put us out, it put other people out as well".

But what about the uncertainty of not knowing when or where your goods might turn up? Wendy Hodgkinson ordered a bed from Homebase Online. HDNL delivered it, but not in the way she'd expected:

"I got home one evening, it was about half past nine at night, it was dark outside, my garden is completely open, and I saw a parcel, a rather battered parcel propped up on the wall in my garden. There was no card, nothing in the letterbox. I looked at the neighbours and thought they might come out and say 'oh they dropped this off for you' but none of the neighbours knew anything about it so it was just a box abandoned in my garden really. A rather battered box".

James Brown knows all about the waiting, the disruption and the uncertainty. Last month, his daughter Martha prepared to celebrate her third birthday. He and his wife ordered a toy pram from the Early Learning Centre and bought Martha a Christmas present at the same time. After missing the first delivery, James rebooked it for October 14th. This was the day before her birthday and James and his wife Gillian made sure they were both home so there was no chance of them missing the delivery.

A driver turned up but with only one parcel which was the Christmas present. With the clock ticking, HDNL told James not to worry, the missing pram would be delivered in time for Martha's birthday. James told us:

"However, we checked online and about half past one it showed that the parcel was still at the depot. So another phone call was made, and they again reassured us that it would definitely be coming. We actually offered to drive to Ipswich, which is about a 50 mile round journey from us, to collect the parcel. But they said no, no, no problem at all. I then phoned them again, at 8 o'clock to be told that no, the parcel wasn't coming. I was so angry, I was absolutely livid".

James then insisted that he collect it himself the following day from the depot which he had thought was a fool-proof plan:

"Just as we were about to leave to go off swimming in the morning they turned up to deliver it. If we'd left five minutes earlier, we would have ended up on a different side of the county to the parcel. So they very nearly spoiled her birthday".

Fortunately they didn't and it was a happy ending for Martha, and for the others, eventually. But with all that stress, all that worry, and all that waiting... Perhaps they'd have been better doing their shopping the old fashioned way?

The Home Delivery Network told Watchdog:

We provide a professional service and have extremely high levels of customer satisfaction. We deliver between 300,000 to 500,000 parcels a day on behalf of our clients and when dealing with such high volumes of deliveries there are inevitably problems that arise. Serious customer service issues are very rare and are very much the exception to the high levels of successful deliveries that are carried out throughout the UK on a daily basis.

Wherever issues are brought to our attention, we seek to resolve them with our clients and consumers. Nevertheless, we acknowledge that it can be frustrating when any difficulty is experienced with a delivery and we are committed to working with all of our partners to ensure issues are swiftly dealt with and that we continue to offer the best customer service possible.

Littlewoods told Watchdog:

Good customer service is a priority for Littlewoods and we would like to apologise to Mr Healey for the poor experience he had on this occasion. The service he received did not meet our usual high standards.

Each year HDNL collect and deliver over 27 million parcels on our behalf and the vast majority of our customers are pleased with the service they receive. Although instances of complaints are extremely rare and represent just 0.01% of parcels delivered, we treat each complaint seriously and use the feedback to continually improve our processes.

Amazon told Watchdog:

Around this time of the year, millions of Amazon packages are delivered to UK customers every week using a wide variety of carriers. We are always grateful for customer feedback regarding delivery of our products which helps us to improve and enhance our overall service for the benefit of all our customers.

The Early Learning Centre told Watchdog:

At this time of the year HDNL delivers nearly 40,000 parcels every week for the Early Learning Centre and in the majority of cases this runs very smoothly for our customers. Unfortunately in this instance there was a delay and inconvenience for a customer and we are very sorry about this. We apologised to Mr Brown as soon as we were aware of the situation and sent a small gift for his daughter as a gesture of our goodwill. Customer service is a high priority for us and we will continue to work closely with HDNL and continue to improve the service our customers expect and deserve from us.

Homebase told Watchdog:

Homebase always strives to ensure its customers receive the best service possible. As a result, we were disappointed to hear of Ms Hodgkinson's initial delivery problems. We are pleased to confirm that following the successful redelivery of the product components, Ms Hodgkinson has accepted a gesture of goodwill on behalf of Homebase for the inconvenience caused. Homebase is working with Home Delivery Network to ensure they continue to provide satisfactory service for the allocation of Homebase home delivery orders they manage on our behalf.

Tesco told Watchdog:

Tesco customers rightly expect the very best service. We deliver to millions of happy customers every week so we were very sorry to hear about Ms Treacy's experience and inconvenience. We sent the laptop out just a few hours after she ordered it so we are investigating with YODEL why it wasn't delivered.

Watchdog Viewers' Responses:

My partner ordered some maternity clothes for me to be delievered by home delivery network, they never turned up. I called their premium rate number 9 times only to get told each time it was delivered! The parcel never turned up and when i went to the company we got the clothes from they agreed to give me my money back. After my baby was born 3 months later the parcel turned up. Too late :(

Gemma, West Yorkshire

Home delivery network are really bad. Waiting for a delivery and saw the van pull up, waited for a knock nothing, heard the letterbox go ran out to the front door, saw a delivery card on the floor. They hadn't even knocked opened the door and found an embarrassed delivery driver stuck for words!

Matt Brennan

I waited in all day for an expected delivery and at 5pm the online tracking said delivery had been attempted and a card left but nobody had been. I emailed HDNL but got no reply and the item was delivered the next day, the driver said he hadn't been on our run the previous day.

Anonymous viewer

Hi,The day after your programme went out i had the exact same problem as many others.Despite being in all day i found a sorry you were out card in my porch .They must have tiptoed up to the letterbox as i was in the front room next to the front door and we have a dog and a doorbell.Also i then went online to try and arrange another delivery time and there system doesn't recognise my ref.no.and postcode combination. Completely useless.
John

I felt I had to write and let you know I had watched your report about Home Delivery Network last week. I must hasten to add, I have never had problems with them at all; in fact the driver who does my deliveries from HDNL even comes round after working hours if a package needs signing for. This I think goes way above his call of duty and is greatly appreciated by me as I work 8-5 daily. When my neighbour is in at the time he does his delivery, he will leave it with her and pop a note in my door to say he has done so. But, like I said, if the package needs signed for, he comes back in the evening to deliver.
I know some people do not always want to read good news but I felt it very important that I commend them on their excellent service.

Yvette Cleugh, Carlisle, Cumbria

Thank god somebody has spoke up about this. My Nan has waited in many-a time to find out that they did NOT set foot in our front garden. They don't bother delivering half the packages, and the rest are usually badly damaged. Sort it out Home delivery!

Mike Watts

Ordered 3 items from 2 differnt places, never had a problem with them. All 3 items arrived on the specified day. No complaints here!!

Tracey Basford

I've been using using HDNL for both business and personal use for over a year now and they have always collected promptly and delivered as promised and on time.

Mike Ellis

...Have claimed to have left a package in a porch I don't have, have twice put boxes
in my cardboard recycling bin on the day it is kerbside for collection, have claimed I was out when I was not more times than I can count, claimed to have left items in a locked garage, have dropped a package very clearly marked Fragile through a small, high side window onto a concrete floor, smashing it...and have NEVER replied to my queries or complaints! I no longer order from companies that use them.

Anonymous viewer

After seeing the story on the programme I have also had this has happened at least twice even though I have complained many times. My Parcels have often been left out in our front garden in full view of the main road and footpath, once left pout in pouring rain and causing package to disintegrate, but the problem was never solved so I have tried to avoid companies that use this courier.

A Aldridge

i have been trying to get a parcel delivered by HDNL since 15th Oct!!! They have tried to make a delivery twice when i told them i would not be in!!! I have made over 20 phone calls to them and at 10p per min i have been put on hold for a least 10 mins!
they have admitted to me that they have lost my parcel twice and i am no nearer to recieving it!! i am at my wits end with them! They have told me themselves that this situation is not good enough, but i still have no parcel!

Katie terry

We just bought a washer for my son and family who are just moving into a new home, we were given a delivery slot of 7.30 am to 10.30 am, once I explained that there was nobody living in the house at the moment and that they have a 10 month old son so couldn't just go and wait for them to turn up I was given a phone number to call and arrange a time, I have to say the lady was very helpful, and explained that due to computers working out the the delivery route there was no give and take but they took a phone number and arranged to call 1 hour before they would be there, washer arrived fine so unlike the people on the program we were very pleased with the service.

Anonymous viewer

We have a fantastic HDNL delivery driver here in Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire. He delivers at roughly the same time every time and is always friendly and helpful. He will always try to leave parcels in a safe place or at a neighbour's house. excellent service and I wouldn't hesitate to use them!

Mrs Holt, Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire

Every time I've shopped online and they've sent the items through HDNL there has been a problem. I've had a range of excuses from them saying there was no room to park, nobody was in (I make sure I'm in on the day they are meant to order). I've had them cancel the delivery day. I've had an email to say i need to go collect my item from the depo to take the missed delivery card with me when no card had been posted through the letter box.

I've had so many problems I have since stopped shopping online with stores that use HDNL. It's not worth the hassle.

Angharad C.

Watchdog viewers' responses were received between the 18/11/10 and 25/11/10.