Back in September, I had a competition where a man called Steve won a Montane Prism courtesy of fastandlight. I posted it out and went an did other stuff in blissful ignorance and with misplaced confidence in my actions.
Then Steve and I had some exchanges of emails, “Where was…did you…what happened…sent on…tracking number…”. The Royal Mail website just said on their tracking box that the item was not yet delivered for a couple of weeks and then changed it’s mind and said it was being returned to sender. Well, it came back to me last week and I re-sent it by Special Delivery the next day and Steve got it the day after that.
So where the hell was it for a month? Did it even leave the Post Office? There was no card through Steve’s letterbox asking him to pick it up. There’s no answers forthcoming.
The girl behind the glass at the P.O. where I sent the parcel for the second time actually said that First or Second Class Recorded Delivery were pretty pointless as there’s no difference in the way it’s treated in the uncaring Royal Mail machinery. Special Delivery is handled differently becasue there’s a financial comeback if they screw it up. I knew all this, but to hear it so honestly expressed by someone in the organisation itself brought me both dismay at the apparent acceptance of the shortcomings of the company and joy at someone giving it to me straight within earshot of their boss.
I know your pain. I am still awaiting delivery of insulating, waterproof and breathable birthday goodies that were sent A MONTH ago. It is caught up in the Norwegian Posten service vortex between customs and the post office in Oslo. Apparently I have been assigned a specific ‘dude’ who is looking into my case as they admit that they ‘have had possession of your item for too long’. No shit Sherlock!
Ah yes, I know this from previous experience. The Norwegian post like to keep all your stuff and say nothing about it to sender or receipient.
Frustrating.
Wow, ‘Frank’ from Norge Posten called this morning. My parcel has been released from Customs, all taxes and fees have been waivered and I should have it in ‘a few days’. I don’t want to get my hopes up but it looks like minimal expected service will be resumed…
Alright! The joy of unwrapping shall be yours!
Don’t get me started on Royal Mail. I was forever filling in claims forms for lost packages. The only alternatives that exist that are cheap enough require you to be sending a 1000 things a day…
Couriers? The thing that amazes me is that there’s so many of them, and they must be making money.