Online purchase, offline delivery
Last week’s article on difficulties with online shopping prompted a Killiney reader to get in touch. He said we didn’t mention another barrier to internet shopping - An Post.
“On at least three occasions this year, An Post have made no attempt to deliver items I’ve ordered online and merely dropped a card though the letter box asking that the item be collected from the sorting office during their working hours,” AJ Rous writes. He points out that the sellers are of course charged full postage, which they pass on to us. He’s tried to contact the customer service department, but his most recent correspondence remains unacknowledged.
Coincidentally, another reader - in Drumcondra - had a similar experience with “a delivery” recently. She intercepted her postman as he delivered one of the aforementioned cards alerting her to the presence of a parcel with her name on it in her local sorting office.
The card said the postman had tried to deliver a parcel but was unsuccessful as there was no one home. Clearly there was someone home, she pointed out, and asked why he did not have the parcel. He sheepishly explained that it was too heavy, so he had left it behind. When she went to collect the parcel she found it contained a couple of babygros and a sunhat, which were neither too bulky nor too heavy for even the weakest of postmen.
So, what’s happening to our postal service? If the correct postage is being paid and people are home to accept receipt, why is An Post not delivering on its side of the bargain? We tried to find out.
An Post, replied to our query with a statement in which it said it was “fully committed to delivering all domestic and international mail, provided it is correctly paid and properly addressed” and committed to have both incidents fully investigated. “We apologise to the people involved for the inconvenience they have experienced.”
I live in a new development on the northside of Dublin. I’m convinced that I’m only getting my post about 3 days out of 5 each week. It seems to me that An Post are holding mail for a couple of days to make it “worth their while” making the trip to my development to make deliveries. No wonder their ontime delivery numbers are so bad - they’re not even trying.
Comment by Ronan | May 28, 2007 at 10:16 amWell, i hate to go with the other side of the scale… But, i live in North Dublin, and twice [once for me, another for a present for a friend] i had a LARGE book delivered to me, The Complete Calvin & Hobbes. It’s a bulky, hardback, heavy and not a comfortable thing to carry.
Comment by David | May 31, 2007 at 2:20 pmBoth times, and trust me i felt guilty the second time after i discovered what it weighed, these were delivered to my house with no hassle.
I live bang in the centre of Dublin city centre and I’ve given up buying things off the internet for this reason. An Post only brings a card saying I can collect the item from their office, I was home every time they called and they made no effort to get in touch! I’ve no idea how to contact them about this.
Comment by Joseph | June 5, 2007 at 1:46 pmExactly like the previous comment, I live in Dublin city centre, in an apartment building, and now have everything delivered to work instead, as I seem to have a better chance of receiving it! An Post has NEVER tried to deliver a parcel to me, always leaving their collection card instead - and worse than that, twice (that I know of), they actually returned parcels to their original senders, with a sticker saying we no longer lived at this address!! In both instances, I hadn’t received any notification of attempted delivery. I complained but was informed that it was “impossible” that this would have happened!
Comment by Mary | June 5, 2007 at 3:16 pmThe same thing happened to me on numerous occasions. When I complained at the sorting office where I went to pick up the parcels, the supervisor acknowledged that this was not the first time and the the postman would be disciplined. They have no right opposing competition in the sector when their own service is so appalling.
Comment by Conor | June 9, 2007 at 10:35 amA good friend in U.S. got another friend in Germany to send me a present in Dublin.It never arrived. Many monthes later whilst visiting Las Vegas I was delighted to recieve the missing parcel. It was marked “Not known at this address” and forwarded to U.S. Well,I am the youngest of seven and have personally lived at that address for 48 years and the rest of my family for longer. The correct address was clearly visible on the parcel.
Comment by Dermo | June 12, 2007 at 8:47 pmI have on my desk this morning SEVEN pieces of mail, none of which are addressed to this estate, let alone this address. Every week we get at least one and often more letters for adresses miles from here, which do not resemble our address in any way. I have contacted An Post (writing and phoning) on numerous occasions about this and about leaving a “collection card” for packages when we’re at home. No change. They have gone from bad to worse in recent years.
Comment by Mike Forum | June 14, 2007 at 10:50 amMy experience with online shopping from US websites is somewhat different. Most deliveries are by DHL. DHL has, on EACH occasion, collected ALL charges and duties due (which is fine and proper). But the last time they delivered, I paid the courier by cheque (which was cashed) but shortly after, I received a note from a debt collection agency asking me for the €7 that was owing - even though it had already been paid immediately on delivery. I have asked the US sender to change the courier so the mail arrives by An Post which in my experience offers a far superior and more courteous service.
Comment by Peter G | November 12, 2007 at 10:41 pm