City Link

[Gerry Attrick]

I have on two occasions had the situation where a courier (not CL) has left cards when I've actually been at home. On the second occasion, I actually saw him drive off having left the card in my postbox. When I rang to complain, the manager said the driver couldn't deliver due there being a dangerous dog in the garden. This was as much a surprise to me as the driver 'cos I don't have a dog!

The upshot was that I had to drive an 80 mile round trip to collect. Very green.

 

[Jaded]

City Link have posted non-existant cards through the letterbox when I've been at home. They have then not delivered the package when I had arranged it with them on their Premium Sex Line.

They then sent it back to the supplier.

Useless. It's a wonder that businesses that use them have any customers left at all.

 

[PatrickPending]

must say I stopped using wiggle a few years back due to their courier - at that time they used business link - absolutely terrible. Eventually extracted a refund from wiggle - not used them since....

 

[domd1979]

I find City Link immensely irritating. Usually one of my neighbours will take in parcels for me when I'm not in. Problem is that City Link refuse to let a neighbour sign for and take a parcel (or the person who delivers to my area certainly does).

Parceline on their cards state that you can send them a letter authorising them to leave any future parcels in a nominated place at your address, without needing to be signed for. Seems a good idea, so not sure why the other couriers don't offer it.

My postman's pretty good at leaving parcels/packets when I'm not in. Even signed for stuff...! I notice on the Royal Mail cards there is an option for the postman to tick saying he's left a parcel in your "designated safe place". I asked at the delivery office once how to designate a safe place and they didn't know!!

 

[bonj2]

My most recent experience with City Link was fairly positive. When I answered my doorbell (which rings my mobile phone), they understood my assertion that I wasn't in, which 99% of deliverers don't, and left a card. There was a number on the card which had a simple automated service, all I had to do was enter a consignment number from the card and press an option to collect. When I got there the following evening, they found it within about a minute, and it had a sticker on saying 'consignee has arranged to collect'.

Normally though I get things delivered to work.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

Normally though I get things delivered to work.

as do i, even on items that i can't carry home on the bike, as i can always come back later in the car and get them. i am fortunate to work for a company that has folk available 24/7 to sign for stuff, an it finds its way to my desk at earliest convenience.

 

[palinurus]

There was a number on the card which had a simple automated service, all I had to do was enter a consignment number from the card and press an option to collect.

That sounds better than how it was last time I had to call them.

I usually get stuff delivered to work too, Ms P was likely to be around when this order was expected so I didn't in this case.

 

[Chuffy]

I spent six months working for Sh*tty Link. A very nasty company to work for. Drivers are a cheap commodity and treated like the poorly paid, over worked, easily replaced trash that they are. The company is extremely security conscious and you DO NOT leave parcels in the shed, with a neighbour, in the porch etc etc. Not if you want a job anyhow. Also, you are not the customer. The sender is, and without them giving permission the driver isn't allowed to leave stuff anywhere other than the address on the package. And no, the driver isn't going to fake a signature on the POD just for your convenience even if you have put a note on your door asking him to...

Royal Mail are by far the best delivery company because the local knowledge of their staff is second to none. A driver for CL (or Business Post etc etc) will be covering a massive area and rarely delivering to a private address more than once. Wiggle used to use Business Post to deliver some of their stuff (according to certain arcane criteria like size, weight, phase of moon, number of marbles in the jar etc) and their depot was 30 miles away. And not open out of normal office hours. Nice.

Good tip about asking Wiggle to only use Royal Mail. I'll bear that in mind.

Out of hours couriers? Yep, there's a niche there but that's a pretty narrow delivery window, so you'd probably end up paying a fair bit extra for it.