Parcels marked "Not Called For"

[oldhasbeen]

We've had a couple of customers who have chased their orders as not being delivered. We've advised them of the procedure to follow (check with family members, neighbours, local PO/sorting office etc as sometimes cards are not left when they should be or get chucked out with the junk mail, allow 15 days etc).

This procedure is clearly explained in our T&C's/FAQs etc and we also set the procedure out in our reply email to the customer.

However, in both instances we've had the parcels returned here marked "not called for" and covered in Royal Mail stickers which would indicate that they've not bothered to check with their local PO, despite saying they had (oh I'm so cynical!).

How do others handle this situation? Is it legal to levy a handling/reshipping fee for either resending the parcel out or deducting it from any refund? So far we've just taken it up the jaxi and just resent the goods out at our own expense but it don't half cheese you off.

[jont]

We use APC who will charge for a returned parcel that has not been claimed when carded - we are charged a hefty amount for the return.

We clearly state in our T&C that any parcels returned due to incorrect address details or non contacting carded deliveries will be charged to the customer. There is also a note advising buyers to ensure someone is available to take delivery. On the customer receipt email I alos advise people they should have goods within 5 working days of order unless we advise otherwise.

We have only had this happened a handful of times in 2005. Whilst the buyers are pretty miffed they have stood the charges for return and re-delivery or a credit less the cost of returns.

On one ocassion a customer proved that APC could not have carded them which we took up with APC and they agreed to waive the return and re-delivery at no extra cost.

[Mike Hughes]

Unless you actually a have a card and the reference number then the customer is at the mercy of Royal Mail's Goodwill. The last time I contacted them around christmas to see if there was a delivery waiting for me they cast a sideways glance at the book full of waiting deliveries and said something along the lines of "Normally we'd try and find it for you but around Christmas there's no chance".

I wouldn't blame the customer here and would resend it free of charge.

Mike

[oldhasbeen]

Hmm - I guess if we were using a courier then the onus would be on them to prove they did indeed leave a card (especially since they want to charge extra).

But as we're using RM then it's a bit more foggy - I know they're not perfect and cards aren't always left, but then again our spread of "not called for" parcels is pretty even over the year.

Christmas is our quieter time of year so it's not like we have a sudden rush of parcels being returned around this period which would account for RM not checking properly if called (hence my being a bit cynical!).

Ho Hum - I guess we'll continue to take it up the jaxi (although we don't repackage apart from wrapping it back up in brown paper with new labels so when the customer takes that off they can see that we're not telling porkies in that it was returned as not called for!).

I suppose one small bonus is that at least we tend to get more parcels returned than those which are totally lost - as it's pointless making claims for the very few that do get lost, then it's more cost effective to resend the ones that are returned since RM don't charge for returning them.

Makes you wonder how small businesses who constantly offer free p&p ever manage to make any profit at all!

[fleetwood]

Sometimes its worth calling the sorting office yourself when a customer sends you a "I've not received my order email".
We add a line to our "order sent" emails along the lines of "if you've not received it within 7 days, enquire at your sorting office and ask your neighbour", and repeat this when responsing to "I've not received it email".
If the customer says they have checked the above, we then phone the sorting office ourselves, and surprise surprise, often the parcel is sitting there.
Its extremely frustrating when you bust a gut to turn orders around fast, and the customer can't even be bothered to chase their own parcel, despite not being at home to receive it.
We charge a remailing charge for any parcels returned to us as "uncalled for", although this still dosen't cover the double cost when using a courier or Parcelforce, who charge for every journey back and forth (RM don't charge for the return to you).
Martin