Parcel2Go 'underpayment request' emails - I smell scam?

[skodaphile]

I recently used Parcel2Go to arrange the collection of three parcels of printed paper from a business, to be delivered to me at my business address. I paid £17 inc VAT by card.

I have now received three separate emails, each requesting further payment due to the weights supplied being allegedly inaccurate? They are looking for an additional £31 inc VAT!!! The emails allege that the overall consignment weight is a total of 43.5KG. This is an absolute lie - it was advised by the sender as 16KG, (5, 5 and 6KG). In fact, the emails suggested one parcel was booked as 10KG - a weight that I definitely didn’t specify in the first instance!

Having googled the issue, it would appear this is a common occurrence:

http://real-deal-blog.com/2015/12/18/parcel2go-and...

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/parcel2gocom/bolton-...

https://www.reviews.co.uk/company-reviews/store/pa...

Trouble is, I am relying on weights specified by the sender, and they have no proof. (Although they have absolutely no reason to lie - it was me paying for collection) P2G have the bloody parcels now, so they appear to have got me by the S&C's...

I have emailed this morning two addresses found online - there is none available on P2G's website, and no telephone number either. I await their response.

Where do I stand legally? Fraud team? There are allegations of unauthorised card payments being taken by P2G - surely that's illegal?

Thanks.

[Monkeylegend]

Tell them to deliver at your business address where you will weigh all 3 parcels in the presence of their delivery guy and will pay up if necessary.

[NGee]

Parcel2Go are not couriers. They are merely middle men that use lots of different courier companies. So Parcel2Go will definitely not still have your parcel (although the actual courier firm used might).
If the bill from Parcel2Go is genuine it will be because the courier company has billed them for the alleged extra weight and will not deliver it until they get paid correctly.
Your best bet is to contact the courier company concerned directly and ask them what's going on.

[skodaphile]

NGee said:

Parcel2Go are not couriers. They are merely middle men that use lots of different courier companies. So Parcel2Go will definitely not still have your parcel (although the actual courier firm used might).
If the bill from Parcel2Go is genuine it will be because the courier company has billed them for the alleged extra weight and will not deliver it until they get paid correctly.
Your best bet is to contact the courier company concerned directly and ask them what's going on.

Yep, I understand that, but I paid P2G, and the emails are from them, so my contract is with them. Hence they are my 1st point of call.

[Alucidnation]

Have you called them?

[NGee]

skodaphile said:

NGee said:

Parcel2Go are not couriers. They are merely middle men that use lots of different courier companies. So Parcel2Go will definitely not still have your parcel (although the actual courier firm used might).
If the bill from Parcel2Go is genuine it will be because the courier company has billed them for the alleged extra weight and will not deliver it until they get paid correctly.
Your best bet is to contact the courier company concerned directly and ask them what's going on.

Yep, I understand that, but I paid P2G, and the emails are from them, so my contract is with them. Hence they are my 1st point of call.

OK fair enough, they might be your first point of call but it will be the courier company which instigated the extra cost (and might still have your parcel). Parcel2Go won't have weighed the parcel, the courier company [might] have done, so you can still ask them what it's all about and find out what's gone wrong.
Where does the tracking number say the parcel is now?

Edited by NGee on Monday 23 January 12:03

[skodaphile]

Alucidnation said:

Have you called them?

On what number? No number available on their website...

NGee said:

skodaphile said:

NGee said:

Parcel2Go are not couriers. They are merely middle men that use lots of different courier companies. So Parcel2Go will definitely not still have your parcel (although the actual courier firm used might).
If the bill from Parcel2Go is genuine it will be because the courier company has billed them for the alleged extra weight and will not deliver it until they get paid correctly.
Your best bet is to contact the courier company concerned directly and ask them what's going on.

Yep, I understand that, but I paid P2G, and the emails are from them, so my contract is with them. Hence they are my 1st point of call.

OK fair enough, they might be your first point of call but it will be the courier company which instigated the extra cost (and might still have your parcel). Parcel2Go won't have weighed the parcel, the courier company [might] have done, so you can still ask them what it's all about and find out what's gone wrong.
Where does the tracking number say the parcel is now?

Edited by NGee on Monday 23 January 12:03

Out for delivery Must admit I'm surprised - the email seemed to infer they were holding it to ransom.

The courier company is Hermes. Looking at comments online, they will only tell me to contact P2G...

[NGee]

skodaphile said:

Out for delivery Must admit I'm surprised - the email seemed to infer they were holding it to ransom.

The courier company is Hermes. Looking at comments online, they will only tell me to contact P2G...

If it is genuinely out for delivery then your initial suspicion that the email was a scam could well be right, hope it turns up soon.

[Slidingpillar]

From https://www.parcel2go.com/help-centre/answer/190

Q. What do you mean by volumetric weight?

A. Parcel weights are calculated on a volumetric basis based on both weight and dimensions so the volumetric weight of your parcel may be greater than the actual weight itself.

Different couriers use slightly different calculations to determine a parcel volume so please use the calculator below...

And that I suspect is the reason. I've heard of others being caught by this. Shabby way to do business in my opinion.

[AGK]

I think it's Parcel2Go, I normally use Interparcel but decided to use Parcel2Go for a change.

I had the same bother the other week but managed to get it waived as they couldn't tell me what I had actually done wrong to incur the extra cost.

I send the same stuff regularly so knew my measurements and packaging wasn't an issue.


Have you tried the live chat? Link at the bottom of the page https://www.parcel2go.com/help-centre/answer/49

[Jonno02]

Slidingpillar said:

From https://www.parcel2go.com/help-centre/answer/190

Q. What do you mean by volumetric weight?

A. Parcel weights are calculated on a volumetric basis based on both weight and dimensions so the volumetric weight of your parcel may be greater than the actual weight itself.

Different couriers use slightly different calculations to determine a parcel volume so please use the calculator below...

And that I suspect is the reason. I've heard of others being caught by this. Shabby way to do business in my opinion.

Unfortunately that doesn't make sense for the customer, but it does for the courier. An item might weigh 1kg but take up 2 meters squared in their van.

[Red Devil]

I doubt it in this case. Volumetric weight is most often used where something very light is sent in a large container.
Unlikely where the consignment is printed paper. Indeed I would expect the opposite.
Paper is a dense wood based product which has very little dead volume (i.e. air) enclosed within the packaging.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

Use their live chat - They've been very helpful on the couple of occasions I've had issues.

[Nickyboy]

It will get delivered, the packages would have been a larger volumetric weight than the shipper stated, Hermes will automatically adjust the billing to Parcel2Go for the relevant size of the packages, this won't be anything like the costs that P2G are asking from you, likely only a couple of quid per package but all the agents like P2G, Interparcel etc charge massive surcharges on over weight/sized packages, mainly to stop people paying for a small/light package but sending a heavier/larger one.

[POORCARDEALER]

Ive had this with them, had to pay up, never used them since

[Gareth79]

If it's parcels of printed paper then surely it won't be volumetric surcharges? A box of A4 paper is about 12kg.

[GCH]

myhermes

The sooner people stop using them, the sooner they will disappear.

[Adrian E]

there's a similar outfit with 'hero' at the end of their name who are keen to send invoices after the fact - the actual courier isn't interested in dealing direct with the customer (i.e. you) as you're not 'their' customer - the agent is. They get paid, as they simply raise the invoice at the end of the month and unless the agent successfully appeals it, they end up having to pay it.

I've fallen foul of this on a volumetric shipment (bike box with car parts in it) and after much to-ing and fro-ing over their crap invoice paperwork, that actually states I've paid for a higher volumetric weight than I'm now being charged for, which they argue is 'a mistake' and doesn't mean I don't owe them the money for a tiny difference in dimensions according to the courier outfit (we're talking 1-2cm equating to an extra 8 cubic centimetres!) they claim I owe them circa £50 in addition to the £40 I paid them.

I did finally relent and send them the photographic evidence I had of the package (I'd withheld it as thought they were taking the piss) but they've now ignored that and gone straight to threatening legal action. Haven't heard anything since and that was just after Christmas....they did at one point suggest I mock up some fake pictures they could use, after the fact!

[Big Boost]

I have recently been hit by the same, although only for a fiver... It was for some little pump I sold on ebay.

I used the live help and the guy wasn't too bad, he sent me the underpayment request from my hermes and it stated that my parcel was declared at 10cmx10cmx10cm... I definitely did not declare this size. The trouble is that they only ask you to input size if it over 1m in length, which my parcel was definitely not. He went on to say that there is a chance that hermes have used volumetric weight and that the declared size is a standard declaration unless stated otherwise.

WHY IS THIS MY PROBLEM??? I would have gladly inputted the size of my parcel if I knew it was going to avoid a delay. But it was not required when ordering. I believe that I shouldn't have to pay!

Tempted to not use them again after this and just use the courier direct to cut out this dodgy middle man.

[S6PNJ]

I've also been hit but as a sender - haven't paid and my recipient still got his parcel - oh and Top Lurking by the way! 1 post in 100 months - keep it up!