Parcel lost by courier
Discussion
I sent a parcel last week via Yodel and Parcel2Go. I do this about once a week and apart from the odd day's delay in delivery every now and again, all is good.
However, the wheels have come off this time and it looks like Yodel have lost it. Tracking shows it being sent from my local Yodel depot to their Wednesbury hub on the day it was collected from me, and then nothing. So it has either been misrouted (should have gone to their Perth depot next for final delivery) or stolen.
As I booked it through P2G I can't deal directly with Yodel, and this is the kicker - I didn't take out any extra insurance when I booked it. This is because P2G charge a fortune for it (5% of the declared value) and I've never had any problems in the past (must have sent more than 100 of these over the last couple of years). P2G offer the grand total of £0 insurance as standard and are only willing to refund the £9 I paid Yodel to lose my stuff.
Value of the contents was just over £300 which I'm not too happy at writing off, though I've probably saved more than this by not taking out their insurance on the previous shipments.
Anyway, my question is, even if I don't choose to buy their insurance, surely P2G/Yodel owe me some sort of duty of care with the basic contract and can't just effectively say "tough" if they lose my parcel? Should I be expected to pay extra to cover myself in case of their failings?
I don't think I'll get any joy out of P2G unless I make a small claim against them. I've read a few other horror stories on various consumer sites where other customers have done this and they always seem to back down and pay up when the court papers arrive.
TL;DR - idiot sends parcel with no insurance. Parcel is lost, does idiot still have a claim against shipper on the basic contract?
However, the wheels have come off this time and it looks like Yodel have lost it. Tracking shows it being sent from my local Yodel depot to their Wednesbury hub on the day it was collected from me, and then nothing. So it has either been misrouted (should have gone to their Perth depot next for final delivery) or stolen.
As I booked it through P2G I can't deal directly with Yodel, and this is the kicker - I didn't take out any extra insurance when I booked it. This is because P2G charge a fortune for it (5% of the declared value) and I've never had any problems in the past (must have sent more than 100 of these over the last couple of years). P2G offer the grand total of £0 insurance as standard and are only willing to refund the £9 I paid Yodel to lose my stuff.
Value of the contents was just over £300 which I'm not too happy at writing off, though I've probably saved more than this by not taking out their insurance on the previous shipments.
Anyway, my question is, even if I don't choose to buy their insurance, surely P2G/Yodel owe me some sort of duty of care with the basic contract and can't just effectively say "tough" if they lose my parcel? Should I be expected to pay extra to cover myself in case of their failings?
I don't think I'll get any joy out of P2G unless I make a small claim against them. I've read a few other horror stories on various consumer sites where other customers have done this and they always seem to back down and pay up when the court papers arrive.
TL;DR - idiot sends parcel with no insurance. Parcel is lost, does idiot still have a claim against shipper on the basic contract?
it a nutshell, no. Yodel etc, I'd personally avoid. I use Interlink and have done for the last 9 years. send on average 15-20 items per day. never lost a parcel.
the thrills of using 3rd party collection / booking companies. you cant deal or speak direct to the people there.
best put it down to experience. you never know, it may turn up but don't bank on it. the amount of complaints and missing items I hear about Yodel is crazy.
the thrills of using 3rd party collection / booking companies. you cant deal or speak direct to the people there.
best put it down to experience. you never know, it may turn up but don't bank on it. the amount of complaints and missing items I hear about Yodel is crazy.
Exact same experience here. Utterly useless shower of brain dead f
ktards!
Mine was an E30 M3 rear seat, that also disappeared after last scan at Wednesbury. How do you lose a cars rear seat?
Basically they said its lost and as far as they're concerned, that's an end of it.
Yodel are incompetent idiots who simply couldn't care less.
ktards!Mine was an E30 M3 rear seat, that also disappeared after last scan at Wednesbury. How do you lose a cars rear seat?
Basically they said its lost and as far as they're concerned, that's an end of it.
Yodel are incompetent idiots who simply couldn't care less.
I would say it's been stolen.
I am not sure on the legalities of their duty of care but if they state a blanket max-insurance claim without insurance (royal mail do this) then that's the contract you've agreed to.
Maybe consider insurance and charging the 3rd party (selling stuff?) as an option.
As in, it's up to the other customer whether they pay for insurance or not.
If not, their loss.
http://www.moneywise.co.uk/scams-rip-offs/consumer... may have some useful tips in the comments section.
I am not sure on the legalities of their duty of care but if they state a blanket max-insurance claim without insurance (royal mail do this) then that's the contract you've agreed to.
Maybe consider insurance and charging the 3rd party (selling stuff?) as an option.
As in, it's up to the other customer whether they pay for insurance or not.
If not, their loss.
http://www.moneywise.co.uk/scams-rip-offs/consumer... may have some useful tips in the comments section.
Silverage said:
As I booked it through P2G I can't deal directly with Yodel, and this is the kicker - I didn't take out any extra insurance when I booked it. This is because P2G charge a fortune for it (5% of the declared value) and I've never had any problems in the past (must have sent more than 100 of these over the last couple of years). P2G offer the grand total of £0 insurance as standard and are only willing to refund the £9 I paid Yodel to lose my stuff.
Value of the contents was just over £300
So you're sending 50 items a year worth £300 each. That's £15K. You could buy your own annual Goods In Transit cover for a couple of hundred quid to cover that. You can't expect a carrier to pay you £300 for a lost item when they're only charging £9 to move it. Value of the contents was just over £300
I'd call a specialist broker, like P Lole & Co in Bucks. Cover yourself for any future problems.
The answer is in your own message:
Were our items one-off/custom/antiques, then full insurance might be better.
* I also send hundreds of packages. All items are off-the-shelf, so I can just send another if one is lost/damaged. So as part of my P&P charge I add in a percentage of the shipment's value (1% ISTR). This way, all of the shipments that are delivered pay for the losses on shipments that aren't.
Silverage said:
P2G charge a fortune for it (5% of the declared value) and I've never had any problems in the past (must have sent more than 100 of these over the last couple of years) ...
I've probably saved more than this by not taking out their insurance on the previous shipments.
You are (in effect) self-insuring. It's the best strategy for people like you and me* because that 5% P2G insurance gouge implies that 1 in 20 packages goes AWOL. Of course, it's a far lower percentage than that, so this is where they are making considerable profits. I've probably saved more than this by not taking out their insurance on the previous shipments.
Were our items one-off/custom/antiques, then full insurance might be better.
* I also send hundreds of packages. All items are off-the-shelf, so I can just send another if one is lost/damaged. So as part of my P&P charge I add in a percentage of the shipment's value (1% ISTR). This way, all of the shipments that are delivered pay for the losses on shipments that aren't.
Escapegoat said:
You are (in effect) self-insuring. It's the best strategy for people like you and me* because that 5% P2G insurance gouge implies that 1 in 20 packages goes AWOL. Of course, it's a far lower percentage than that, so this is where they are making considerable profits.
Exactly, and on their vast turnover they are probably buying an insurance to cover it at 0.5%. That's why you're better off buying your own annual cover if you are a regular shipper. REALIST123 said:
My experience of yodel is poor. Also IME they tend to drop the package at the door, ring the bell and ps off. If they've done that with your package it could be anywhere but might be worth checking with your neighbours?
Why would he check with his neighbours for a parcel that he has sent to someone else? s off. If they've done that with your package it could be anywhere but might be worth checking with your neighbours?
Matt_N said:
REALIST123 said:
My experience of yodel is poor. Also IME they tend to drop the package at the door, ring the bell and ps off. If they've done that with your package it could be anywhere but might be worth checking with your neighbours?
Why would he check with his neighbours for a parcel that he has sent to someone else? s off. If they've done that with your package it could be anywhere but might be worth checking with your neighbours?Silverage said:
All fair comments, guys. Wise after the event here. It was actually a shipment to an Amazon distribution centre, so there should have been no question of leaving it with a neighbour or any shenanigans like that. Not that it even seems to have got as far as being out for delivery.
The beauty of self-insuring is that, once you let go of the emotional annoyance of careless couriers, it's much more time efficient than insurance.Just ship a replacement, let the customer know and get on with your day. Very little extra work compared to the sheer hassle and frustrations required in submitting an insurance claim.
Silverage said:
There's no insurance to claim on, on the face of it, though I bet P2G get something as standard when they actually make the booking with Yodel.
I bet P2G don't a penny. How could they claim? They cannot prove to Yodel/whoever what was in the package nor its value. You are the only one who knew that, not P2G. P2G will only get a credit for the unfulfilled delivery.I bet there is some standard loss/damage compensation if you have an account with Yodel. Parcel2Go do ask for proof of value of the parcel's contents even though they won't pay out. I bet they use that for a claim with Yodel.
Anyway, further developments. It now transpires that Yodel have decided that shipments such as mine to Amazon need to be booked in with Amazon (by Yodel) before they will deliver them. Amazon say this is not the case (I've checked with them) and Yodel don't seem to be able to make this non-required booking for some reason. Net result, parcel never leaves their hub.
At this stage I will be glad to just have my goods back, so I've asked them, via P2G, to return the parcel to sender. If they won't do that, then I think I will have them. The parcel would not have been lost or damaged, just effectively stolen by Yodel. Insurance is not offered against that so they'd have to pay up.
Anyway, further developments. It now transpires that Yodel have decided that shipments such as mine to Amazon need to be booked in with Amazon (by Yodel) before they will deliver them. Amazon say this is not the case (I've checked with them) and Yodel don't seem to be able to make this non-required booking for some reason. Net result, parcel never leaves their hub.
At this stage I will be glad to just have my goods back, so I've asked them, via P2G, to return the parcel to sender. If they won't do that, then I think I will have them. The parcel would not have been lost or damaged, just effectively stolen by Yodel. Insurance is not offered against that so they'd have to pay up.
Silverage said:
I bet there is some standard loss/damage compensation if you have an account with Yodel. Parcel2Go do ask for proof of value of the parcel's contents even though they won't pay out. I bet they use that for a claim with Yodel.
Anyway, further developments. It now transpires that Yodel have decided that shipments such as mine to Amazon need to be booked in with Amazon (by Yodel) before they will deliver them. Amazon say this is not the case (I've checked with them) and Yodel don't seem to be able to make this non-required booking for some reason. Net result, parcel never leaves their hub.
At this stage I will be glad to just have my goods back, so I've asked them, via P2G, to return the parcel to sender. If they won't do that, then I think I will have them. The parcel would not have been lost or damaged, just effectively stolen by Yodel. Insurance is not offered against that so they'd have to pay up.
I work in this industry and can vouch that most people opt for standard loss/damage terms which cover a pence-per-kilo liability. Normally around £1 per kilo.Anyway, further developments. It now transpires that Yodel have decided that shipments such as mine to Amazon need to be booked in with Amazon (by Yodel) before they will deliver them. Amazon say this is not the case (I've checked with them) and Yodel don't seem to be able to make this non-required booking for some reason. Net result, parcel never leaves their hub.
At this stage I will be glad to just have my goods back, so I've asked them, via P2G, to return the parcel to sender. If they won't do that, then I think I will have them. The parcel would not have been lost or damaged, just effectively stolen by Yodel. Insurance is not offered against that so they'd have to pay up.
P2G won't claim against Yodel if you don't claim against them - it's not worth the effort.
Amazon warehouses do require you to book in if you're delivering palletised items. Parcels are not required to be booked in so it depends if your item(s) have been classified as one way or the other. If they're wheels, it's a good chance they've been classified as palletised freight.
I would imagine the standard terms you have cover both loss and damage. 'Loss' can be termed as mis-routing or theft so if they don't return it to you, your lack of insurance cover will still sting you.
I get a lot of customers thinking they can claim for full value if the goods have allegedly been stolen, citing negligence. This is not the case.
Fair enough if they have been stolen, but isn't that for 3rd party theft, like stolen from a van or a break-in at a hub or distribution centre? Anyway, I'm hoping that in my case I'll be OK as Yodel aren't actually playing the stolen card (yet), just saying they can't deliver. Again, fair enough (sort of although I'd rather they didn't accept the order in the first place if they couldn't fulfill it) if that's the case, but they can't just them keep my stuff at their hub until it is stolen or vanishes down some other black hole.
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