City Link

PLEASE READ - Beyond Appalling

I am due to go on holiday to the States this year on the 22nd to spend Christmas with my wife and her family. We have just got married, so I ordered a canvas print of our favourite wedding photo to give to her. I had no idea that Tesco used Citylink, and if I had known this I would have gone elsewhere for the canvas as I have had a LOT of problems with them in the past.

I was at work when they tried delivering yesterday, so was left a "sorry we missed you" card. As I was at work today I wanted to arrange for them to leave the package with a neighbour. So I left a note on my door stating "City Link: PLEASE call me at work on ****. This is very important. Thank You." When I got to work, I then called City Link and was on hold for 45mins before finally getting through to someone. This person told me that he would ask the driver to leave it with a neighbour, and even took down their house number and the numbers of a few other houses he could leave it with.

When I got home today, another "sorry we missed you" card was waiting for me on which the driver had scrawled "no credit on my phone to call - sorry". On the back of the card there is a tick next to "2nd missed delivery" and instructions saying that I now need to collect it from the depot in the next 5 working days or it will be returned to sender. The depot is 20 miles away, I can't drive and I'm going to the States in two days' time.

I have had several almost identicle experiences with City Link in the past, but this time it looks like their unbelievable incompetence has ruined a surprise Christmas gift for my wife. I cannot put into words how much I hate this company.