Tuesday, December 19, 2006

DHL Sucks

Typically when I order loot from Amazon I get it within two or three days, either via UPS or USPS, and that's true when I use the free shipping option as well.

I've been waiting for some books from them for a week, and decided to track the package. Amazon sent it via DHL.

Until Seth posted about it I was unaware Amazon had signed those losers as a carrier. He apparently struck a nerve with an earlier DHL post, given the epic comments thread. Somebody should email that page to DHL's CEO--and Amazon's.

UPDATE: According to tracking my package was put on the DHL truck for delivery today about five miles from my house at 7am. At noon it was returned to the DHL facility for some unknown reason.

17 comments:

Heather said...

Oh my god -- DHL is horrifying. Apparently, if someone in Canada chooses expedited shipping to the U.S., Canada Post hands the package over to DHL when it crosses the border. Some kid paid $48 Canadian to get his CDs to me in time for a swap I hosted, and DHL left a delivery slip on my doorknob when I was at work. I called them the next day, also from work. They told me that a signature was required, in person, or I had to come to Dundalk to pick it up. Of course, the upshot is that their business hours are M-F from 9-4, when both Chris and I are at work. The dispatcher finally agreed that the guy could come at 4:30 when Chris would be home... and then someone else called me back and said that was impossible because the driver got off work at 3:30. After many days of this crap, Chris made it home by 3:00 on a Friday and they delivered it. But I will never use them on purpose.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't that suck? Not sure exactly what the specifics are, yesterday got a couple books via UPS, so DHL isn't the exclusive carrier, yet. Perhaps if enough people bitch? In my extensive email kvetch sessions with Amazon customer-bots, they mentioned passing along my complaints to the shipping department. FWIW.

I'm mostly pissed because I've been an Amazon customer for almost 10 years, and now I don't want the hassle of tracking down my package every time I order.

Geoff said...

According to Amazon's tracking, my package arrived at Hunt Valley, MD this morning. We'll see if the driver can find my house, and if they require me to pick it up.

If the latter, I'll ask them to return it to Amazon. If delivery is paid for, the package should be DELIVERED. If one has to fetch it, then some form of restitution should be offered.

Anonymous said...

At the moment (that is, December 2006), I'm advocating that we all stop using Amazon and switch to other online stores.

The reason?

I've done a little research, and I discovered that Amazon is a major contributor to the GOP. The GOP, of course, has brought the world such wonderful things as the Iraq mess, the Afghan mess, the corruption mess, the Corporate mess, the Alaska Drilling push mess, and so on.

Meanwhile, many, many companies conduct business in a more ethical fashion, do NOT contribute (as much) to the GOP, and still manage to have their products delivered in short order.

At the moment (see above), I'm pretty happy with Barnes & Noble.

Geoff said...

I can't recommend B&N, regardless of where their political contributions go. When I've needed obscure music or books they've taken 2-4 weeks to get stuff to me. Until the DHL situation I've never had a customer service problem with Amazon, who heavily discount stuff (typically the sorts of books I buy are 15% higher on B&N) and who have given me lots of free stuff over the years, including a 3% return on my Amazon credit card, vs. 2% for B&N.

Of course, donating money to gay-baiting, hate-mongering, war-profiteering, Bible-thumping sleazy hypocritcal double-dealers is most distasteful to my sensibilities. B&N also contributes to the Republicans, but provides slightly more money to the slightly more palatable Democrats.

I used to order $30 or $40k in books per annum at the Liberry and B&N was always my last choice, but if they get what you want or need to you in a timely manner, I wouldn't dissuade you from using them. I shop their Towson location because it's the only remaining pedestrian's option, alas. They have a too-thin selection of foreign language books, art books, religion and philosophy, but reasonably deep literature and history sections.

Before I switched to B&N online I'd switch to Alibris, ABE, or Powell's. I've already put up a Powell's box, if you're shopping today, heh-heh.

Anonymous said...

I've never been very happy with B&N either. Powells is fairly good, but shipping is not as quick or cheap. But, if Amazon uses DHL, I can't take the added aggregation.

Don't how know accurate the Amazon "Donates to Republicans" meme is anymore. In 2006 the percentage was 53% to Democrats, 47% to Republicans
Opensecret

Geoff said...

Good to know. I did find out that B&N has contributed as much as 98% of their donations to Dems, but don't recall what year that was for, and I'm too lazy in the pre-coffee haze to check again.

Anonymous said...

Let me tell you first off that I understand how you feel about DHL. I live out here in Detroit and run my own business from my home. It’s a good living but I’ve blown a lot of money using DHL. My assistant recommended them to me a couple of years ago and there has been nothing good to come of that recommendation.

I had four packages all but destroyed when I used DHL to send them to other companies. It was after that last one that I started looking for a reliable Michigan delivery service. I’ve since been using Diligent Delivery who ships to Southern and Mid-Michigan so I’m covered. Once in a while I use USPS when I have to go out of state with a package but I try to stick with Diligent when I can. Stay away from DHL!

Anonymous said...

The management at DHL could not run a lemonade stand if their lives depended on it.
After tracking a very important business package online and stating that it was out for for delivery, I decided to take the day off work solely so that I can be at home and sign for the delivery of this package. Without saying anything new, the package never made it. I called customer service and they said they didn't know why it was not delivered but that it would be delivered first thing the following day. The following day, the online tracking stated the same message "out for delivery", so I decided to take another day off from work for the same reason. At $400 a day being off from work, this package is costing me a heafty price tag. Again, package is still not delivered and had to call customer service 6 times to receive 6 different stories. Tomorrow will be day three, and if I don't get it by tomorrow, it's not worth the $1200 that it cost me to be away from work for that long. I AM DISGUSTED BY THE INCOMPITENCE OF DHL!!! NEVER WILL I DEAL WITH THEM AGAIN!!!

BLR said...

Sorry, but I made some different expierence with DHL

just read
http://www.blr-news.blogspot.com/

Maybe DHL Europe/UK Service is better than US.
The odd thing is that I made some really bad expierence with FedEx here in UK.
The driver of FedEx wouldnt deliver to door (altough it says door to door service), so since I lived in the 7th floor of the appartment building it takes me around 6-7 minutes to get down, but the guy would only wait exactely 5 minutes and then drive away (2 times just in front of my nose).
After the 5th attempt I gave up, and we changed the delivery address. (my husbands office, ground floor)
So after 1 week, we got it from FedEx.

Anonymous said...

DHL really does suck! Didn't deliver a envelope in 2 weeks. Then told they mishandled it and it will be here next week!!! For this we paid a premium expedited fee from Asia.

Anonymous said...

DHL is excellent at spreading their customer service model the world over...Dominican Republic - Santo Domingo - open from 9am - 5pm - this observation based upon eyewitnessed experience repeated more than 8 times: Office is open eight hours. Each person who comes in to mail a package enters without a filled in delivery slip. The DHL representative then interviews the customer to get the package mailed -on average 1/2 hour. There are 20 people in the waiting room at 9am. I suggested to the manager to refuse 16 - 20 since the office will be closed by the time they reach their concern!
Next....I asked DHL to send me some supplies. I lived exactly four blocks away. They were promised to be delivered in 1 - 2 days. A week later I visit the office, and they tell me: "The DHL representative couldn't find my address!" Four blocks away, and the address by the way was correct, including cross street, bulding name, etc....

How do you trust DHL to deliver a package across the world when they don't know where an address is within walking distance from their office?

If DHL can have consistency with customer service quality across the world, how reliable would DHL be if they tried to provide reliable delivery & customer service?

Anonymous said...

DHL I meet the founder many years ago at Norths now he sold out to the post office they could not deliver fish on good friday I have waited for a parcel for 2 weeks from Asia and still not here they need some new management as no one is at home at their office.
Signed FRUSTRATED and back to TNT

Anonymous said...

DHL est un transporteur de merde, incapable de trouver une adresse , tous les jours en livraison et tous les soirs destinataires absents, 3 fois de suite .

Abe said...

DHL worked great for me over seas but was not as efficient in the US. Fed ex is great and my www.neopostinc.com mailing equipment helps me out a bunch

Anonymous said...

DHL Canada Sucks!!!
I've got a delivery from England to my residence in Scarborough, Ontario. DHL Canada is making this delivery so hard that seems like they are trying to deliver this package to the moon. I am surprised to see their service in Canada. I have used DHL overseas many times. It was fine.

1st day they left a yellow note for failed delivery. I called and told them no one would be home around 3:30 pm. Please send it eighter before 3:00 pm or after
4:00pm. The delivery person kept coming exactly at 3:30 pm. After
4th attempt I called again and aske them to deliver to my office in Downtown Toronto. They took all the information and two days later they called and was asking what to do about the delivery. They already made two more attempt to deliver at the same time. The person who took my information either did not report the information or put in to wrong account, I don't know. Any way, I asked them to come to my office and call me from the lobby. The service agent (Eleni..that's what she said her name) said delivery person doesn't have a phone. I have asked them to deliver to the building security on the lobby. Hope the deliver this time.

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