no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

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Jay Gee
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no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by Jay Gee »

I order a frame from a well known on-line store in November. A few days later the courier e-mails saying it will be delivered next day. But next day I get an e-mail from the store saying the size I ordered is out of stock. If I want to wait they will send it when the new batch comes in. (The good news is that there will now be a choice of colours, so I can have red instead of black.) I assume the courier was booked before they realised the frame was out of stock, and think no more about it when no parcel is delivered.

New Year and the new frames are in stock, but the store thinks that I have already been sent one in November. To their credit, they phone me to check, I tell them no, I am still waiting, and they send me the frame. (I think its pink not red, not quite what I wanted, but that's another story). Since then, though, I have been getting calls from the store's accountants, polite enough but gently insinuating that I may have dishonestly obtained a second frame. I can understand their suspicion, as they have a delivery note from their courier company which seems to show that a parcel was delivered to me on 12 November. I know no delivery was made, my wife was in the house that day expecting it. We don't recognise the signature on the delivery note. I can't think of anywhere else it could have been delivered to.

It seems a very strange coincidence that the one time I've had to dispute whether or not goods were delivered, is the one time I was told they were out of stock and wouldn't be sent. I don't believe a delivery was made. But how to explain the courier's delivery note? Has anyone else experienced something like this?

I'm worried the store will try to make me send the frame back, or pay for it a second time. This will be the first bike I've built up from scratch, I was greatly looking forward to working on it this weekend, not so sure now.
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Vantage
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by Vantage »

I'm no expert, but can they prove the signature is indeed yours or your wifes? Or that you have the frame? If not, I'd ask them to chase up the courier.
Far be it for me to suggest that a courier can be dishonest but 'cough' or a 'computer mixup' at the shop or the couriers office.
Bill


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[XAP]Bob
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by [XAP]Bob »

You're being honest, so build in comfort that it will all out in the wash. An unrecognised signature isn't exactly conclusive.

Do you still have the "out of stock" email?
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gaz
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by gaz »

Earlier thread regarding similar issues. Turned out OK in the end.
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Psamathe
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by Psamathe »

Maybe ask which courier company and the delivery number and then go to their web site where you should be able to view/print the signature and see the name (couriers type in the name as well as getting a signature). If they can't produce those then there is no proof of delivery. If they produce those and the signature and name are not from your household you can tell them that whoever signed for it was not at your address so they should be pursuing either the person that signed for it or he courier company.

Ian
maxcherry
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by maxcherry »

I had a similar problem. They were adamant that the item was delivered and i had signed.
I did point out that.

1 I was in all day and no one turned up
2 That wasn't even close to my name (Max Power isn't that hard to spell)
3 I have CCTV that is time and date stamped, that they can view

They offered a next day delivery but I just wanted my money back instead.
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MikeF
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by MikeF »

Fairly recently I had a delivery of a parcel that was supposed to be signed for. The parcel was delivered and left at the house OK whilst I was out. It was showing as signed on the webpage. The only explanation I can think of is that the signature must have been that of the delivery driver! However I can't remember which courier firm that was.
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fluffybunnyuk
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by fluffybunnyuk »

The liability is with the courier company failing to deliver the original frame to the correct address. The store therefore needs to take up a claim with the couriers. If you signed for the 2nd frame then there is evidence to support the store in a claim for that failure and subsequent recoup of their losses for the frame,delivery costs, and case work on chasing the couriers.

I would avoid getting dragged into their argument. The responsibility lies with the store to claim vs the couriers. An offer of signature to the store by letter stating non-receipt is more than enough. Dont be worried, no liability lies with you.

On an aside its a well-known ploy by delivery drivers to scribble something intelligible, and dump the parcel someplace close to you, or to just give it to a house near you, and have them sign for it (thereby trying to exploit the law by quoting delivery to a neighbour,even if said neighbour is 1/2 mile away...).
Psamathe
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by Psamathe »

fluffybunnyuk wrote:...I would avoid getting dragged into their argument....

I would agree. Just ask them for proof that somebody from your house/flat signed for it. And when they can't don't get tangled-up with arguing with them. Just "not my responsibility". The more you discuss, the more they will come back to you.

If they can't present a name & signature then "Not my responsibility". If they present a name & signature (or a forged/phoney signature) not from your residence then "Not my responsibility.

Ian
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Redvee
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by Redvee »

Some courier companies use terminals that also have a camera for the drivers to take a picture of the door they attempted the delivery at, might help the OP.
Jay Gee
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by Jay Gee »

Thanks for the advice, sounds as though I don't have too much to worry about. I don't think my wife will see much of me today ....
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Cunobelin
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by Cunobelin »

I had similar with a delivery of a second hand bike, which did not arrive

Courier had a timed and dated signature from me stating that it had

So I phoned and I pointed out that I had been called into work, so could not have signed, but they still insisted

There was then a knock on the door from a neighbour

He had seen the bike abandoned leaning against the front door, and taken it in for safekeeping

The cheeky courier had simply leant the bike against the front door, forged the signature and left!
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by [XAP]Bob »

So surely the signature was clearly 'not yours'
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
pioneer
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by pioneer »

This sort of thing actually happens quite often. The drivers are on a time limit and some of them really don't care if they get a signature (real) or not. And if they know the name of the person who "should" do the signing, they'll just forge it. I work in a school and we can easily get a dozen courier firms a day dashing in and dropping off stuff. Once in the past when something went missing, they said they had a signature. So we got a copy faxed back to us and sure enough, it didn't resemble a signature of anybody here. Busted. Some of them are very good (UPS generally are fine), others are pretty rubbish. i.e., the one named after a Swiss mountain call.

If you or your wife didn't sign and that's evident by lack of reliable signature from the courier company, you are not at fault. Simple.
Psamathe
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Re: no delivery, but courier says it was signed for

Post by Psamathe »

pioneer wrote:Some of them are very good (UPS generally are fine), others are pretty rubbish. i.e., the one named after a Swiss mountain call.

I think many of the shortcomings of the couriers are not due to the drivers but rather the pressure put on the drivers by the company. do more, make more deliveries in less time, perpetual drive for ever higher profits and the more they get each driver to do in less time the lower their costs and the higher their profits.

So the drivers have to push and can't spend time doing things people would expect them to (like waiting for an answer at the door).

Ian
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