I have used TNT for a long time as it’s the quickest way to send parcels to Japan, to my in-laws and its only slightly more expensive than sending packages via the post.

However! Whilst on Holiday in Spain, my wife spotted a nice, very distinctive dinner service, which she promptly bought. She then spent nearly 2 hours packaging the china with the help of the shop assistant.

We then arranged for TNT to send the package back to the UK as I have an account with them and they have provided good service in the past.

On arriving home we waited for roughly 2 weeks before the package arrived but when the parcels where delivered we weren’t in, so the driver asked my next-door neighbour if he would sign for it. Which he did!

This is where the problems started. When we actually got the stuff later in the day and opened the boxes, we where horrified to find that out of 110 pieces in the set, 64 of them where broken. Of the three boxes, everything in one was broken. This was even though all the boxes where labeled Fragile in English and Spanish (frágil) in big letters.

I contacted TNT to inform them of the breakages and they eventually, after 4 phone calls sent me a claim form.

Once the claim form was processed I was informed that the packages had been signed for albeit by my neighbor as received in good condition. (My neighbor did not know what was inside and therefore did not know the contents might be broken, he signed purely for the packages as a favour, firstly to the driver and secondly to myself).

I then wrote back to TNT and explained the above and they still refused to acknowledge my claim for broken goods.

This went back and forth between myself, and TNT for over 4 months before they actually admitted that they had broken the goods and sent me a cheque for the value of the broken goods.

I now have a deep distrust of any delivery I receive and check every package I have delivered, this is too avoid a repeat of this situation again. Although, this does seem to annoy the delivery drivers but I don’t really care about them.

I think the above applies to nearly all the delivery services and if you don’t want to have this sort of problem then you should follow these rules.

1. Always check any package delivered to yourself.
Check the box and if possible the contents. The driver will wait. If he won’t, tell him to take it back. Then he’ll have to deliver it again!

2. If it’s damaged reject it.
Mark broken on the delivery sheet. Or if you must accept it put “Received Damaged” with a description of the damage. Do not sig the goods as received in good condition.

3. Ask your neighbours not to receive packages for you.
Tell your neighbours, NOT to accept anything on your behalf, if it is damaged you’ll end up doing the above. Again the driver will have to try to re-deliver

4. Get GOOD Insurance.
If the item is expensive take out extra insurance (not with the courier though!), its not too expensive, this way the insurance company will sort out any claims against the courier saving you lots of time and hassle.

5. Any Doubt!
If in any doubt, about the quality of the items inside reject it. It’s better to wait a few extra days whilst your supplier sends new stuff, than wait 4 months whilst you argue with the courier about the quality of the goods delivered before you can get new goods.

Page created on: 17/07/2001 / Last Updated: 22/12/2006 21:15:52

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