Parcelforce

Glasgow to Essex was fine but the last 1 mile, NO ONE KNOWS

AWFUL!
In Garelochhead (near Glasgow) I sent a package to Essex on express 24 service with guaranteed Saturday delivery. The Garelochhead post office were hesitant because they were not sure if they could contact the driver to pick up the parcel. This was problem #1. The whole process was ambiguous from the start. I was, however, charged £28.30 and told that it may arrive; that was the best answer they could give. It was a reasonably urgent package so I had to give it a go.

On Saturday morning it did NOT arrive at the destination. I was very annoyed indeed. I called up the depot in Essex and they said that it was successfully picked up from Garelochhead (which I was surprised about) and made it to Southend, Essex, 4 miles from its destination by 0600 AM on Saturday. However, the depot manager said she did not know why it was not put on the delivey van for the last few miles. I pushed her for a better answer but all I was told was that she did not know; BASICALLY AN AMBIGUOUS AND TOTALLY UNSATISFACTORY ANSWER.

I guess people are more inclined to post if the service was bad so this may not be a totally representative sample of customer experiences. However, my experience of their service, from start to finish, was UNPLEASANT and EXPENSIVE and now I am told that I must now go through a drawn out and unfair compensation process:

1. claim compensation within 30 days or its void
2. and then wait up to 8 weeks my claim to be processed
3. claims for my method of post are only 50% of the cost (why??)
4. an that if I get refunded I will be reimbursed by cheque!?!?!?!?

CRAP!