mail order problem

[CotswoldEngraver]

Hi all.

We have recently sold a trophy on our website and was dispatched a week ago. Due to Christmas post rush it hasnt arrived yet. The customer has now been on the phone asking where it is!! I have explained to her that it is on its way and to be patient, after making no reference to when she wanted it for she has now decided she wants it for tomorrow and emailed earlier saying she wants a free replacement send by special delivery! Would you offer a replacement and if so how long would you leave it?

[Alan]

Did you inform your customer at time of purchase what method of dispatch you use?

if so she has no comeback as December post is slow.

she should take it up with the mail especially if you can supply her with proof of posting

[Hugh-Candoit (ENG)]

The contract for the goods was between the customer & retailer.

The contract for delivery was between the retailer & Post/carrier.

The customer does not have to chase this item with the carrier, it is the retailers responsibility to ensure delivery of paid for items.

Postage by any method other than Signed for upon receipt is open to abuse. Even signed for method is not infallable as they signed for a parcel not particular items that can mysteriously vanish.

[kastanza]

I send thousands of parcels out a year, the most basic method of post i use is RM 2nd class 'Signed For' for very low cost items. This is usually fine although the post stike action and during the increased festive trade there have been some delays.... For something like an important trophy you have to use Roal Mail Special Delivery...even 'signed for' isn't good enough. It's in both the customers and the sellers interest to have a fully accountable service. It may even be worth going with a courier...if you go http://via www.interparcel.com you should be able to make a significant saving as it pools contracts with all the major courier services.

 

Other than for good relations with your customer, if a date was not specified, then they can't really come calling the shots to such an extreme, at this time of year especially. They make a delivery time presumption based on what i wonder, tesco home shopping or a DFS Sofa?

[CotswoldEngraver]

well i had an email from her friday saying that i should have made her aware of the likelyhood that it would be delayed due to the christmas post, and i should have given her the option of having it special delivery and stood the extra cost myself (the cheek!) plus a few other digs she wanted to get in, then rounded off the email saying it had arrived that morning and how nice it was! no pleasing some is there!

 

I use interparcel already kas, they are good for the larger items i have had to dispatch but most goes royal mail.

[Gray]

A good idea might be to offer different delivery options and prices as most big internet sellers do. Having said that she should have known that Christmas is always a bad time anyway and she should have ordered earlier. I wouldn't loose sleep over it Andy. Oh Merry Christmas

[Hugh-Candoit (ENG)]

Nice conclusion ase2007 a lesson to be learned by all.

[ironplanet uk900]

we haven't had any problems with postage (royal mail) apart from the strike. But we find that internet customers are a nuisance sometimes, one e-mail after another