The Parcel Delivery Problem

Posted on January 31, 2013 by tarahamilton

Over the Christmas period, hundreds of thousands of people who did their Christmas shopping online were left disappointed and frustrated as deliveries failed to turn up, were left at the wrong address and left in unsecured locations. Another problem customers faced, were being told by couriers that the address supplied didn’t exist. During December around 225,000 parcels failed to arrive on time.

225,000 Parcels failed to be delivered on time in December 2013

225,000 Parcels failed to be delivered on time in December 2013

Researcher Which? Found that in 2012, 60% of people shopping online had problems with their deliveries. The problem is that many customers don’t know their rights when dealing with courier firms and home deliveries.

Knowing your delivery rights

Your right to cancel - You can cancel your online order any time from the moment you order it to 7 working days after receiving it.

Your right to return - If an online shop doesn’t state who pays to send returned goes back, then it must pay. If an item is faulty, give the retailer a chance to collect it or ask for the postage back.

Contacting the retailer - An online shop has to provide a geographical address and an email address. If you have any problems you must deal with the retailer, not the courier and they must reimburse you for any problems.

One way to avoid parcels being left in unsecured locations such as wheelie bins and plant pots, is to get a parcel delivery box. These boxes are designed to accept parcels for you when you aren’t home. Asgard has a range of secure parcel delivery boxes, which keep your items safe and dry until you return. Asgard Parcel delivery boxes  are a must have item for those who do a lot of regular online shopping.

Never miss a delivery again

Never miss a delivery again

These delivery boxes are made from strong weatherproof steel and are fitted with a secure locking mechanism for parcel security. Find out more about these parcel boxes on the Asgard website.

Statistics provided by The independent 

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Thinking about ordering your Christmas presents online? (part two)

Posted on November 13, 2012 by tarahamilton

See part one here

It’s not just late deliveries that are a problem, or even parcels not turning up at all. Another problem faced by the online consumer, is items being delivered and left in unsecured locations for the recipient. If you have ever missed a parcel before, you may have received a notification telling you that it is at your local depot for collection or to call the courier to rearrange your home delivery. This can cause some annoyance, but it is a much better fate than some parcels have faced. Others have been less fortunate with this experience, returning home to find that their parcels have been left in the bin by the courier and unfortunately for the customer its rubbish collection day. Or their items have been left on doorsteps for passers-by to see and a quick fingered thief has stolen it.  In the UK 1.5 million parcels are stolen from doorsteps every year and around 280,000 letters a week go missing, meaning that these misfortunes and the lack of care taken by the courier/postman are a regular occurrence.

The potential loss of ordered items, late deliveries or the items being stolen is a risk worth considering when purchasing Christmas presents online, especially if these items are of high value and there is no way to ensure their security. These cons may outweigh the pros of shopping online.  If you decide to go ahead and shop online, always give yourself plenty of time for delivery, check the delivery options, pick one which best suits your needs and be sure to check your rights if your parcel fails to turn up or gets lost.

Statistics provided by econsultancy.com and the dailymail

 

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Make visits to the Post Office depot a thing of the past

Posted on November 2, 2012 by tarahamilton

Christmas is coming and many of you will be shopping online for presents this year. Online shopping can be convenient and hassle free, as you don’t have to leave the house, there are no parking fees and there are no crowds.  You can stay cosy and warm in your home shopping whenever is convenient for you. The best thing about doing your Christmas shopping online has to be that your items arrive straight to your door. Well when you are home they do, but what about if you miss the postman? How much of an inconvenience does online shopping become?  Sitting nice and cosy in your home can turn into a long trip to the nearest depot to collect your items, a journey you wouldn’t have to do if you had only gone to the shops in the first place.

Worry about missing your delivery?

Unfortunately when it comes to missing a parcel delivery at your home, the effects of this have been much worse for some.  The BBC received hundreds of emails regarding parcel delivery problems. Some of the tales sound too bad to be true, unfortunately they are.

 “My partner was expecting a lovely dress she had ordered online. The postman thought it would be alright to put the parcel in the recycling bin. He left a scribbled note on a junk mail envelope and off he went. By the time we got home and found the note, the bin men had collected the recycling bin. My partner tried to get compensation for the next two months.”

It gets worse….

 “I received a card through the door saying the parcel I had been expecting was in my blue recycling bin in the back laneway. In complete horror I ran through the house, out of the back door, into the lane and opened the bin lid. Sure enough as I had expected the bin had been emptied that morning with all my recycling materials in it and also my parcel. I honestly couldn’t believe someone could be so stupid as to put it in a bin in the laneway. The reason it was in the laneway and not my garden was because it was emptying day. After an investigation by the courier and the supplier I received a full refund.”  Read the full article here

If anything like this has ever happened to you, you will understand how stressful it can be and it can easily ruin the online shopping experience.

If you have concerns about shopping online due to a bad past experience or are just generally worried about the safety of your parcels Asgard has a solution. Asgard Parcel Delivery Boxes are specifically designed to receive a parcel when you cannot and are rapidly becoming a must have item for online shoppers. These Parcel Delivery Boxes are available in 3 sizes and are simple and easy to use.

Never miss the postman again!

“As an ebay addict this is perfect for me. The box is big enough for all my mail order goods. No more queuing at the Post Office depot for me” – P.Roberts Shrewsbury.

The courier/delivery person follows the simple instructions printed on the Delivery Box, dropping the package into the large capacity box - then activates the lock to secure the content. Your items will be locked securely inside waiting for you upon your return.  The Parcel Delivery Boxes are made from strong weatherproof steel, which keep your deliveries safe and dry.

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Would you want your neighbour collecting your parcels?

Posted on October 9, 2012 by tarahamilton

A survey found that 3.5 million Brits have never seen the people that live next door. Are you one of those? Would you be happy for them to accept deliveries for you, when you aren’t home? The Royal Mail has recently rolled out its new service ‘delivery to neighbour’, all over the country. This service means that if you aren’t home to receive your parcel, the postmen are able to leave it with a neighbour if they are happy to accept it for you. This service has been provided to stop customers from having to go to their depots to collect missed post.  Sounds like a good idea? If you get on with your neighbours, or even happen to know who they are, this service could be a perfect solution for you. But for many, this is a nightmare!

Would you be happy to accept deliveries for your neighbours?

This new service could have a positive effect on communities, by encouraging people to get to know their neighbours. The ‘delivery to neighbour’ service could provide neighbours with a reason to get communicating.

With 3.5 million people not knowing who their neighbours are, going to their house to collect a parcel could be a very daunting prospect.  Even if you may have caught a glimpse of your neighbour, you just might be part of 25% that don’t know their neighbours names. That could be embarrassing.

Although only 3% of Brits feel threatened by their neighbours, the bad news is that 20% of you have had arguments with them.  Wanting to accept a parcel for them, would be the last thing you would want to do. It seems Royal Mail have taken into consideration that all neighbours don’t get along and have provided customers with the opportunity to opt out of this service, if they so wish. This can be done via telephone or on their website.

The perfect solution

But what happens to those of you who don’t want to take part in this service, but also don’t want to have to travel to the Royal Mail depot to collect your missed parcels? Asgard has a range of parcel delivery boxes available, designed to take the hassle out of accepting deliveries. A postman or courier is able to leave your parcel in the box securely, by following the instructions provided and your parcel will be waiting for you when you come home. To find out more about these parcel delivery boxes  visit the Asgard website.

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Royal mail ‘delivery to neighbour’ service

Posted on October 4, 2012 by tarahamilton

On the October 1st  the Royal Mail launched its new service ‘delivery to neighbour’, following in the footsteps of other parcel delivery providers, by leaving undelivered parcels with neighbours. Previously undeliverable items were returned to the nearest Royal Mail depot and customers were left a ‘sorry, you were out’ card. Royal Mail is hoping that his new service will help to improve the service that they currently provide to their customers.  This certainly is an improvement, as lengthy trips to the depot will be avoided. However this new service could uncover a whole new set of problems for their customers.

Happy for your neighbours to collect your parcels?

The problem

What happens if you are happy to collect deliveries for your neighbours, but they don’t want to do the same for you? Or you often have a lot of large parcels delivered to your home which could become a nuisance to your neighbours.

Royal Mails solution

Customers are able to opt out of the ‘delivery to neighbour’ scheme by placing a sticker in their window, supplied by Royal mail, for the postman to see. This is a solution for those of us who don’t like or know our neighbours. It also informs the postman that you are not willing to accept deliveries on your neighbour’s behalf. Although this doesn’t provide a solution for customers not having to make long journeys to the royal mail depots to collect undeliverable mail. Read more about this Royal Mail service.

Parcel delivery boxes

At Asgard a solution for this problem is on offer, in the form of parcel delivery boxes. These boxes allow for large parcels to be left at your home, without the need for you or a neighbour to be home. With internet shopping bigger than ever, the Asgard parcel delivery boxes means you’ll never miss a delivery again.  These parcel delivery boxes are incredibly secure and easy to use, they also stop your packages from getting damaged by the rain!

Never miss a delivery again

How do the work?

When the postman/ courier make a delivery, they simply lift the lid of the parcel box, place the parcel inside and close and lock the lid. Your parcels will be left securely inside until you return home.  The box can be secured to the ground for added security and come in three sizes, dependant on your needs.  See more information on the parcel delivery boxes on the Asgard website.

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Choosing the right Parcel Delivery Box for your home.

Posted on August 13, 2012 by nazishs

If you have decided to buy Parcel Delivery Box for your home, you may be wondering what size is best for you.  This depends on a number of different factors, such as the space available outside your home to install the unit as well as the average size of the parcels you receive during the week.

iStock_000001755367XSmall - package

You’ve got Mail! But are you at home to receive it?

Asgard have a range of sizes in the secure Parcel Delivery Box range – the Large, Medium and Mini to suit all requirements and usage.  Refer to the table below to compare the dimensions of each of Parcel Delivery Box units.

Parcel Delivery Box Range – Dimensions

Box Height Width Depth Weight Door Aperture Base Size
Large Delivery Box 2ft 2″  (660mm) 2ft 2″  (660mm) 1ft 9″  (570mm) 37kg (5.11stone) W535mm x D445mm W600mm x D500mm
Medium Delivery Box 1ft 7″  (621mm) 1ft 5″  (561mm) 1ft 1″  (336mm) 17.5kg (2.7stone) W500mm x D348mm W550mm x D400mm
Mini Delivery Box 1ft 7″  (522mm) 1ft 5″  (450mm) 1ft 1″  (436mm) 10.5kg (1.7stone) W400mm x D248mm W450mm x D300mm

 Brian Regan from The Delivery Magazine, a publication specialising in the parcel Courier services and distribution stated that “Many retailers have a tendency to use a larger parcel box than the item itself in order to protect the product from being damaged during transport.  However, this means that a parcel box needs to be a sufficient size in order to accept these larger containers.”

Secure Parcel Delivery Drop Box

Secure Parcel Delivery Drop Box from Asgard

If you have regular home deliveries from shopping online, have more then one user in a household, or require a box for trade/business use, then we advise you to choose the Large or Medium Parcel Delivery Box. However, if you require a mail box for either smaller packages, such as A4 letters and smaller parcels that wont fit through your letterbox, then the Mini Parcel Delivery Box will be more suited for your home.

For more information on any of these parcel boxes, please visit the product pages on the Asgard website http://www.asgardsss.co.uk.

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What to do if your parcel does not arrive

Posted on August 2, 2012 by tracey42

The Asgard Parcel Delivery box has been designed to accept mail and parcels when you are not around, so they don’t go back to the depot and get lost or get left by the front door at the mercy of the elements.

We have scoured the internet and found some independent advice for those of you who don’t have an Asgard Parcel Delivery Box and find their parcel did not get delivered, was returned to the depot and then lost!

 Extract  from hellmail.co.uk

 Royal Mail Obligations

“Firstly, there is no 100% guarantee that any mail you send will arrive intact and on time, nor in fact does Royal Mail guarantee this. Assuming otherwise will not help your case. Mail sent outside the UK has the potential for all kinds of delays, much of which is outside the control of Royal Mail so lets look at Inland Mail.

Royal Mail aims to deliver 92.5% of Inland mail the day after it is posted although this figure is likely to be revised by the regulator and Royal Mail has on occasions fallen short of this in some areas. To put this in context, Royal Mail has paid out tens of millions of pounds in compensation for late mail. The enforced compensation scheme was introduced in 2003 and in 2008, the expectations of customers in terms of customer service were also beefed-up to reflect the abolition of Postwatch. However, you cannot make direct comparisons to statutory laws which apply to the ‘sale of goods’ which is why we have produced this guide! Royal Mail is required to comply with the Postal Services Act and this is very different from the usual consumer laws. There is no ‘contract’ between you and Royal Mail – understand this from the outset. You will not be able to jump any hoops or bypass Royal Mail’s rulebook other than where a dispute is unresolved and the matter is escalated. Even so, you could still find you get the same answer from someone further up the chain. Royal Mail’s compensatory scheme is extremely rigid. They rarely if ever bend the rules.

That said, there are certain obligations placed on Royal Mail including ‘Quality Of Service’ under the conditions of the licence that PostComm grants to Royal Mail

When Is Mail Late Or Lost?

Ok, no one here wants to get too bogged down with statistics so lets assume then that a good proportion of mail will arrive at its final inland destination the following day. If an item is more than four days late it is regarded as ‘late mail’, after 15 WORKING days it is regarded as ‘lost mail’ (If reported that is). As reader John Fisher pointed out to us, those 15 days can actually amount to 22 days if you include weekends, so factor this in when lodging a complaint.

Minimising ‘Lost Mail’ – The Sender

You can avoid this to some extent by considering the way you package items. Royal Mail will tell you that they still get badly addressed mail and have a whole unit in Ireland devoted to just this.

What you don’t need is a delay whilst a post worker works out where it is actually meant to be going. Postcodes are essential and in fact the Royal Mail only need a house number and a postcode to delivery correctly but the complete address helps your local Postie find the address.

Postal workers are frequently switched from one round (or walk) to another these days so a clear address is important. An item may go through the sorting offices with a postcode but its a bit much expecting your Postie to have to refer to charts just to find you. Put the name, the full address and postcode on the item in ink that won’t wash off in a mild shower or come adrift through not affixing the label correctly. Birthday cards (and people still send them with money, or gift vouchers inside) might be better sent inside a larger brown envelope for instance”.

The full article can be found at http://www.hellmail.co.uk/royal_mail_compensation.asp this should give any of you out there some guidance of your rights.

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Wheres my parcel? I’ve missed it…….. again!

Posted on June 17, 2012 by tarahamilton

With more and more people choosing to shop online, or not having the time to visit the local high street to do their shopping, regular home delivery is becoming a normality in a growing number of homes. Although it is convenient at the time of purchase, being home to receive a parcel delivery box can be rather tricky. Repeatedly missing the delivery of your parcel can quickly make the process an inconvenience. If your parcel box doesn’t get wet because its been left out in the rain, it gets taken to your neighbours the ones you avoid speaking to, or you have the hassle of collecting your parcel from the post office.

 If your really unlucky the delivery company may even leave your parcel box outside        for all to see and it gets stolen, all because you weren’t home for the delivery of your parcel. What happened to home delivery being a simple solution to a busy lifestyle? Instead it can create added stress to something you thought was going to be straightforward. Missing a home delivery can be particularly problematic if your parcel is urgent, that pair of shoes you ordered especially for tonight or the gift you purchased for your mothers birthday. Meaning you spend more money and time trawling the high street, for something similar to what you have already purchased and when your parcel is finally delivered to your home you won’t even need it. Online retailers have tried to help shoppers by offering home delivery with a time slot that is suitable for the customer, but this comes with a hefty price tag that can soon mount up if used on a regular basis. So what can you do to ensure your parcel is delivered to your home when you are there, or is waiting at home when you arrive?

Having a designated area for your parcels to be delivered to outside your home when you aren’t there, that is safe from the elements and thieves would put an end to anyone’s parcel delivery nightmare! Asgard secure storage have a range of home parcel delivery boxes, designed to do just that.

 

These parcel delivery boxes take the stress out of home delivery,  “I collect stamps and often order online. After repeated issues with the post office and couriers leaving packages in the rain I decided a box would be the answer. So far 7 orders have been delivered and have remained dry and in perfect condition”. – section of online review

To see the full range or home delivery parcel boxes visit Asgard Secure Storage

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Are you planning on doing your Christmas Shopping online?

Posted on December 20, 2011 by nazishs

Shopping for presents is not nearly as much fun as receiving them but we all know it needs to be done!   But the rise of online shopping means you can now order everything you want from the comfort of your sofa rather than traipsing around crowded shopping centres in search of the perfect present for your nearest and dearest before Christmas.

Ordering Christmas presents online

Get your Christmas presents delivered to your door!

However, if you are hoping to save time by getting your shopping done online, you may find that you could waste time by waiting around for the Couriers for them to be delivered!

Many companies will deliver your packages through standard courier delivery services without giving a fixed date or time of delivery.  This means you may have to wait around all day for a simple delivery, and missing it can mean a waste of time and possible additional costs of redelivery.

An alternative delivery service

Instead of waiting around for deliveries, you could simply install a parcel delivery box, like the Mini Parcel Box from Asgard outside your home.

The Parcel Delivery Range from Asgard – Get your Christmas Shopping done without the hassle this year!

The Parcel Delivery Range from Asgard – Get your Christmas Shopping done without the hassle this year!

The range of Parcel Delivery Boxes from Asgard are designed to you with a simple and secure Parcel Box that will receive large packages and mail, eliminating
the need to wait in for deliveries.

The Mini Parcel Box from Asgard – Customer Feedback

“We are very, very pleased with our Asgard Parcel Delivery Box. It is extremely high quality and was very easy to put up. We have had no problem with deliveries since and it is fantastic knowing that your parcels are locked safely away once they’ve arrived. Your additional notices (for location of  parcel box and how to lock it once you’ve placed parcels in it) have worked a treat. I would recommend this unit to any homeowner – gone are the days of traipsing down to Royal Mail to collect parcels – thank goodness!”

Anne Brennan

For more information on the Parcel Boxes from Asgard – see full parcel delivery box range here.

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Getting your shopping delivered?

Posted on August 9, 2011 by nazishs

The Weekly Shop

For most of us, going grocery shopping in a busy supermarket at the weekend isn’t much fun – with all the queues, noise, stress and crammed carparks, you will understand why so many people choose to shop online.

Get your fruit and veg shopping in!
Get your fruit and veg shopping done!
Some people are just not able to get to a supermarket as much as they would like to for various reasons, like health or transportation issues, and other people are simply too busy to go out and do their grocery shopping. Whether it’s because of looking after kids, work commitments or a busy lifestyle, people just seem to have better things to do.
Online Shopping
Of course – for those of you who would rather get the shopping done in the comfort of their homes – there are now many supermarket retailers who offer a home shopping service for buying all your food and drink items conveniently. While it takes a bit of time to get to grips with shopping on the internet, the benefits are obvious.
Not only does it save on time and petrol driving to the shops, it means you don’t have to take the children along and give in to pester power! It’s easier to browse and selct the items you need and it’s delivered straight to your door. However, the different online supermarkets all offer various delivery services – for a breakdown of the delivery charges for the top 5 online supermarkets Asda, Ocado, Sainsburys and Tesco, refer to the table below, taken from the Online Grocery Store website.
Supermarket shopping

Get cheap grocery delivery!

Ordering your groceries online may be simple to do, but not if the delivery means waiting around for your order to arrive. If you are a regular online shopper, it might be worth investing in a large parcel delivery box, which you install outside your home and which can receive your parcels when you are not at home to take deliveries yourself.

Parcel Delivery Box for grocery shopping
A large parcel delivery box is perfect for your online grocery shopping.
By using a parcel drop box, like the one from Asgard – you could order your groceries without the need for staying at home when your expeting the delivery. This also means that you could opt for the weekday or morning slots which are usually much cheaper then the evening and weekend delivery slots – saving you money!

For more information on a range of Home delivery parcel boxes, view the Asgard Parcel Delivery Box range.

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