Delays HWDC - I can see I'm not alone...

[YellowPinkie]

I currently have two parcels stuck at HWDC. For nearly a month.

Royal Mail state that neither have entered their system so I assume they are stuck in customs.

The trouble is, I'm now powerless. The tracking has been perfect all the way across the globe, but as soon as it gets to the UK nothing. Royal Mail seem quite proud of the fact that the packages won't be scanned until delivery - what's the point in that? What if they are lost/stolen/hidden behind a filing cabinet? RM's advice for delayed or lost international mail is one of "it's not our problem, tough."

By the way, the sender's aren't interested.

How can I make HMRC accountable for their incompetence? Is there an unpublished phone line? I want HMRC/HWDC/RM to know they're doing a terrible job.

If these do make it through the system it is most likely that they'll be delivered to my office that will be shut down for Christmas so will probably be returned to sender.

This is an outrage, and I'm sooooo angry. If I did my job this badly I'd get the sack.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

If I did my job this badly I'd get the sack.

OK blame the workers not the system or the people in positions of power or responsibility who can make a change, that's your right but remember the government keep cutting back staff in every department, they aren't giving pay rises above 1%, they privatised RM who are now cutting back on the biggest overhead, staff.

I personally think Customs workers (and ordinary posties) are doing a brilliant job under difficult and trying conditions while effectively getting a pay cut every year.

Perhaps they are reaching the breaking point in Customs, where there isn't enough staff, dedicated or not, to keep up with the workload, a common complaint with Royal Mail posties incidentally.

How can I make HMRC accountable for their incompetence?

Well it is a Government Department, and you have a local MP......

shut down for Christmas so will probably be returned to sender.

Shut down for 18 days I thought 4 days off in a row was a long break . It won't be returned to sender until 18 calendar days have passed from the first delivery attempt.

Royal Mail seem quite proud of the fact that the packages won't be scanned until delivery - what's the point in that?

It's called reciprocal agreements, if the Postal firm sending it into the UK don't want to pay for us to scan them, then they aren't. The same is also true for RM international items. When senders purchase international postage full scanning, delivery only scanning or ordinary non scanned mail should all be offered.

RM's advice for delayed or lost international mail is one of "it's not our problem, tough."

Technically correct, the sender has a contract with their postal firm, who sub-contract delivery in the UK to whoever they chose. Unfortunately, in Law, you as a receiver have no contract with Royal Mail, only with the sender. Its up to them to sort out the problem, it's not fair, it's probably not sensible, but it is the law.

[feduppostie]

Incidentally just because it has come from abroad and is at HWDC please don't assume Royal Mail will carry this - I also had a parcel from abroad that did not show on RM systems - for good reason as it turned out Parcelforce were delivering it - it may be worth popping your tracking number in there and seeing if it shows anything

[YellowPinkie]

TrueBlueTerrier - Interesting that you take my statement about someone not doing their job, you assume I'm having a go at the workers on the shop floor...somewhere there's a management team that clearly don't give a hoot.

You make interesting points, but this has been going on for years, regardless of the time of year. I have written to my MP, but still there's no accountability and it's not really his responsibility. A phoneline with someone at the end who could actually look at the problem would be helpful and put the likes of me at some kind of ease, even if it's to tell me there is a 6 week backlog, my package is not lost, it will be processed and here's a £5 record token as compensation... For all I know, these parcels could be pushed into a big hole in the ground, after all what's going to happen? Nothing, no consequences for lack of performance. I give HMRC enough of my money, it's about time they did their bit.

I've just read an article dating back to when the place was first opened, it's fully automated, parcels are scanned automatically blah blah blah, so I don't buy into the fact that it won't be scanned because it's not paid for by the overseas operator - you either have a system or you don't... It's telling that it can be scanned at every step of it's delivery route until it gets to "the most advanced mail handling facility in the world".

My office shuts down for 14 days, so whilst not quite 18 days, I am relying on the postie leaving a card that actually gets to me, or of course the risk of the package being left against the door.

Anyway, I'm ranting because I need my stuff.

Incidentally just because it has come from abroad and is at HWDC please don't assume Royal Mail will carry this - I also had a parcel from abroad that did not show on RM systems - for good reason as it turned out Parcelforce were delivering it - it may be worth popping your tracking number in there and seeing if it shows anything

Good point, how will I find out if it's Parcelfarce, UPS, Yodel (are they still going?) or whoever?

Thanks for all your suggestions, and giving me somewhere to vent...

[Snaggletooth]

I have written to my MP, but still there's no accountability and it's not really his responsibility.

I would be very interested to read what you MP said. Though it clearly isn't his personal responsibility (unless he is the minister who covers HMRC), MPs should be your port of call for any area of central government that is failing. Is there any chance of you pasting the response into here? Suitably anonymised, of course.

Just for future reference, if you had bought from an EU-based website and used a UK credit card then you would be in a much stronger position, because you could claim back the value of the goods via a chargeback if you found yourself in the same situation.

[feduppostie]

Incidentally just because it has come from abroad and is at HWDC please don't assume Royal Mail will carry this - I also had a parcel from abroad that did not show on RM systems - for good reason as it turned out Parcelforce were delivering it - it may be worth popping your tracking number in there and seeing if it shows anything

Good point, how will I find out if it's Parcelfarce, UPS, Yodel (are they still going?) or whoever?

Thanks for all your suggestions, and giving me somewhere to vent...[/quote]

If you go to the parcelforce website and enter the tracking number there it should show you if it is coming from them

[PostPLan]

I currently have two parcels stuck at HWDC. For nearly a month.

Royal Mail state that neither have entered their system so I assume they are stuck in customs.

I too have a small packet that arrived in the UK on the 29th Oct at HWDC and as far as I'm aware it's still there, somewhere, today. This is the first time a delay(assuming they do arrive before I die of old age) like this has happened to me and it's very annoying.

There has to be a better way to deal with this and avoid huge delivery delays.