I hate Parcel Force!

Posted on November 8th, 2005 at 10:59 am

Their website is still saying their expected delivery date of my parcel is yesterday, the 7th of November.

There is also no way to talk to a representative on the phone, it’s 100% automated.

Half an hour after sending them an eMail they reply by telling me about what part of their website I need to use to answer my query. Sorry, I didn’t see the “Can you please tell me where my f***ing parcel is!!” button.

Whenever I get a parcel delivered by CityLink I’m always amazed at their efficiency. So looks like I have to wait inside all day today too.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 8th, 2005 at 10:59 am and is filed under UK News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Trackback from your own site. Save to del.icio.us

178 comments so far.

julian bendall on the November 8th, 2005 at 12:05 pm said:

i ended up driving to Fuc*king to Crawley at midnight once to pick up a parcel they couldn’t manage to deliver, when i got to Crawley the guy said ‘”your going to kill me , it’s not here , i thought it was, can you come back tommorow” ..
Gavin Ayling on the November 8th, 2005 at 2:35 pm said:

And the depot in Crawley’s not even south Crawley! It wouldn’t be funny if I didn’t drive…
KingOfMyCastle on the November 8th, 2005 at 3:51 pm said:

This 24 Hour Parcel Force:
08-11-2005 00:51 Gatwick Depot Out for delivery
07-11-2005 01:33 Gatwick Depot Out for delivery
05-11-2005 05:23 Gatwick Depot Arrived at delivery depot
05-11-2005 00:48 National Hub Sorted in hub

Other page is still saying it will be delivered on the 7th. No sign so far today - another wasted day!!
KingOfMyCastle on the November 9th, 2005 at 11:56 am said:

Still no parcel. But its ‘Out for delivery’ again today! Will it be another wasted day indoors?

Parcel Force have not replied so I’ve eMailed Dabs.com, the suppliers telling them that due to Parcel Force I may not be using them again.

09-11-2005 00:54 Gatwick Depot Out for delivery
08-11-2005 23:14 Gatwick Depot Arrived at delivery depot
Gavin Ayling on the November 9th, 2005 at 12:49 pm said:

I’ve stopped using Dabs - they’re just a little worse at providing better prices and customer service - ebuyer and play get my business mostly now…
KingOfMyCastle on the November 9th, 2005 at 2:29 pm said:

Dabs used to be the business. I last used them over two years ago and they were brilliant. But I may not use them again.

Had a look at the item I’m waiting for - Plextor PX-716A - and its over a tenner more expensive at eBuyer so it couldn’t compete with price. But I’d pay the extra tenner if it turned up on time.
KingOfMyCastle on the November 9th, 2005 at 3:38 pm said:

It’s arrived!! I can finally leave the house, after I burn some new DVDs of course.

Just for the record it arrived at 14:35 - Wednesday 9th.
julian bendall on the November 9th, 2005 at 7:53 pm said:

i suggest having a good ole wazz over it!

j.
KingOfMyCastle on the November 9th, 2005 at 10:13 pm said:

Words of wisdom, as ever.
dancinfairy on the November 10th, 2005 at 6:21 pm said:

Hint for future parcelforce issues if you have any. The service we use is automated but voice activated. If you say nothing when asked then they put you through to a real person. The number I use is 08708 501150. I do this a lot at work and they have rightly earned the title Parcelfarce.
snedger on the November 22nd, 2005 at 10:51 am said:

Hello
Just googled here on “parcelforce gatwick depot”.
My parcel has been out for delivery 3 times, which is more than I get out, no knock on the door and no card. Getting worried, so phoned and the guy gave me the Romford depot number! A nice guy at Romford is trying to get me the Gatwick direct number, but he was going to call back in 2 minutes about half and hour ago.
The parcels been out 3 times, but according to the Parcelfarce person not once has the system been updated to say what happened. Main reason I’m worried is that he parcel is a rather fragile Opteron CPU and I do not want that bouncing around day after day in some delivery van.
You could do what Julian suggested, but I would recommend using cleaning fluids specifically designed for the purpose.
Citilink are good, but I live near Brighton and it’s a long way to go all the way to Crawley to pick up. At least in the end with Parcelfarce if they actually stick a card through your door, you can nominate a Post Office to go to pick up.
Cheers
snedger
leanne haynes on the November 28th, 2005 at 9:27 am said:

lost four parcels of laminate flooring. USELESS. Please do not use this company. Cant get through on phone on hold for at least an hour.
KingOfMyCastle on the November 28th, 2005 at 1:09 pm said:

Yeah, I’m boycotting any firm that uses them now. They still haven’t got back to me, weeks later.
Peter Orwell on the November 29th, 2005 at 1:58 pm said:

Parcelforce are TOTALLY USELESS!!! Its taken 9 days for me NOT TO RECEIVE MY PARCEL. Its a mystery how they can be this totally inept. Use anyone but ParcelForce!!! If you want to get through to the Managing Directors Office here is the number: 01908 687249

29-11-2005 00:09 Gatwick Depot Out for delivery
28-11-2005 05:06 Gatwick Depot Out for delivery
28-11-2005 01:53 Gatwick Depot Arrived at delivery depot
25-11-2005 09:01 Gatwick Depot Out for delivery
24-11-2005 23:24 Gatwick Depot Out for delivery
23-11-2005 02:27 Gatwick Depot Out for delivery
23-11-2005 00:08 Gatwick Depot Arrived at delivery depot
22-11-2005 18:55 Gatwick Depot Automatic redelivery
22-11-2005 18:55 Gatwick Depot Returned to depot
22-11-2005 00:59 Gatwick Depot Out for delivery
KingOfMyCastle on the November 29th, 2005 at 2:06 pm said:

Thanks for the info. Some people have been finding this page through Google and now they have the number to ring, cheers!

JK..
Richard Payne on the December 6th, 2005 at 5:19 pm said:

A Very useful Phone Number. Especially after spending 4 hours on hold trying to pay a duty charge on a parcel!.
Thanks
RP
R Qumbers on the December 11th, 2005 at 11:38 am said:

I was informed that I needed to pay VAT on a a parcel held for me at Gatwick by Parcel Force. I called their number (shown on the card 0870 0844 525 ) - the first time 6/12/2005 for 30 minutes - No response , apart from an annoying repeating message telling me there would be someone with me shortly. Again on the 7/12/2005 - I called for 40 minutes - same result. I then called customer services who assured me that someone would call me back - No response. I called again on 8/12/2005 and 9/12/2005 for 35 and 45 minutes respectively —- and guess what - still no response apart from the same annoying pre-recorded message. Thanks to this site I have now called the manaing directors office - about time Wtachdog and other consumer groups are broght to bear on this bunch of cowboys.
Matt on the December 22nd, 2005 at 7:59 am said:

Parcel Force/Amazon have now officially ruined xmas. Parcel Force is shite and I love the fact that you are the first hit on any serach for them, I found their number using your blog, not through any of the offical links which aim to obscure any real information getting out. I will boycott Amazon and Parcel force from now on and just use my local…what is it called again…yes thats it shop!

One silver lining in all this is that I found your blog, as a brighton-based self confessed geek, how could I fail to like it?
KingOfMyCastle on the December 22nd, 2005 at 9:51 am said:

Hi Matt, hope you stay around for an occasional look at the site!

And just to repeat. If you want to contact the Gatwick depot of Parcel Force then use this number: 08708 501150
KingOfMyCastle on the December 22nd, 2005 at 9:53 am said:

Oh and the Managing Director is on: 01908 687249 (thanks Peter).
Simon Turner on the December 29th, 2005 at 5:11 pm said:

I guess if you are reading this you have already experienced the apalling ParcelForce service. If you haven’t but are thinking of using them, save yourself a lot of time a use another company, any other company.
The first time I had the misfortune to be sent a parcel by this bunch of total incompetants it disappeerad for over two weeks (was supposed to be max 2 day delivery). I spent hours trying to track it down and eventually gave up and persuaded the sender to claim on insurance. Just after we claimed it turned up… very battered. I estimate it cost me over £250 in my time, not to mention the cost of waiting on hold on ParcelForce’s national call rate numbers.

This time I have been sent a parcel form Australia. The parcel again disappeared. Delivery was supposed to be within 7 to 10 working days. 20 working days later it had not turned up. Australia Post Office just said keep waiting (maybe they know all about the useless ParcelForce?). On the 21st day I received a letter from ParcelForce stating that the parcel had been held at Parcelforce’s Gatwick depot and that I had to pay about £50 VAT and a handling charge of £8 to be able to receive it.l The letter supplied a phone number enabling me to pay the charge over the phone. When rung a recorded mesasage stated that the service was no longer available and immediately cut me off. Trying ParcelForce’s main number left me on hold for over an hour… until I gave up. As I was going to be driving past Gatwick in a couple od days time I decided to drop in on the depot and collect it. Unfortunately the letter gave the Gatwick depot postal address but ommitted the postcode (sic!), so I went to the web site and got the postcode. I also printed out the map and directions to the Gatwick office from the PF site. Unfortunately the directions were unintelligable as they said stuff like “Turn right onto the”, neatly omitting the name or number of the road, in all cases! Brilliant (but by now I was beginning to expect this level of ineptitude)! I used their postcode in Multimap instead and printed out the resulting map.
Unfortunately the ParcelForce web site has the wrong post code for the Gatwick depot and I ended up at a Best Western Hotel instead. However, the Hotel had a good, detailed map of the Gatwick/Crawley area and with help I located the road the depot was on and set off… to find it closed! I had been suspicious that it might be closed (so close after Christmas) but the hopeless PF web site did not list the Christmas period opening hours for the Gatwick depot so I had taken pot luck.
I gave up and went to back home. Next day I managed to get through to the main ParcelForce number (after a mere twenty five minutes) and they gave me the number of the Gatwick depot. I have now been on hold for over an hour and three quarters at a National Rate number charge.

PARCELFORCE ARE ENTIRELY INCOMPETANT. I WOULD NOT TRUST THEM TO TIE MY SHOELACES. USE THEM AT YOUR OWN PERIL.
Simon Turner on the December 29th, 2005 at 5:24 pm said:

Just in case anyone wants to ring the Gatwick depot to experience the very great pleasure of being held on hold for huge periods (now 2 hours 10 minutes) the number is: 08700 844525.

BTW. If you ring ythe “Managing Directors” number above (01908 687249) you just get through to a bunch of trained monkeys…
andy hudson on the December 30th, 2005 at 4:32 pm said:

I have a parcel waiting at the gatwick depot from the US and I need to pay a customs charge (I knew I would anyhow). Tried ringing 08700 844525 but after 20 mins and googling this site I’ve hung up.

Does anyone have a direct number for the Gatwick Depot yet?
andy hudson on the December 30th, 2005 at 4:38 pm said:

Ok, just rung 01908687249 and spoke to Pat (woman) who answerded “Managing Directors Office”. She said the only number she had for the Gatwick Depot is 08700844525 but sent a message (prob an email) with all my details (tracking number, outstanding payment price, my name/contact number and said they should call me to make the payment.

watch this space…

Andy
Andy Hudson on the December 31st, 2005 at 11:39 am said:

Ok, Just tried ringing them again this morning (Sat 31st Dec 2005) and again, no answer after 30 minutes.

I’ve logged a complaint on parcelforce’s site and this is what I put: -

———-

I had a parcel arrive from the USA in the last few days and a custom’s charge is required on it. It is at the moment store at Parcelforce Gatwick depot. I’ve received a letter asking me to pay the customs charge which is absolutely fine. My gripe is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to get through to the Gatwick Depot on 08700844525. I know people (I’ll explain shortly) who have been on the phone for hours and not getting anywhere.

Thanks to Google I rang this number - 01908687249 which is the Managing Directors office of ParcelForce and spoke to a woman called Pat. She said the only number she had for Gatwick was 08700844525. I find this hard to believe and there must be a local number you can call them on. She then offered (and I appreciate this) to pass on my details in a message - which I assume is an email - to the Gatwick Depot with all my details and Reference for my parcel (which is EC**********GB)

I suggest you look at this site - http://www.kingofmycastle.com/?p=130

You will see that you have a major problem with your Gatwick depot and there are some very unhappy people spending hours on a phone with a woman saying your call will be answered shortly when in fact it won’t.

You I’m sure know what it is like being stuck on a phone to somewhere having to wait on hold, we’ve all done it. So I’m sure you can understand how people feel. All we want to do is get our parcel and I’ll re-iterate again, I’m more than happy to pay the customs charge. Its the fact I can’t get through to anyone to pay it.

I expect a quick reply to this and hope you can assist me and others in retrieving their goods.

Kind Regards

Andrew Hudson
(My Parcel Ref: EC**********GB)

———- Fingers crossed once more.
KingOfMyCastle on the December 31st, 2005 at 2:12 pm said:

Don’t be surprised if all you get is an automated reply that asks you to fill out a compensation form.

Keep us updated on what happens.
andy hudson on the January 3rd, 2006 at 10:08 am said:

I will… but if an automated reply is all I get then Pat is going to have hell to deal with…
MAC on the January 16th, 2006 at 5:36 pm said:

My goodness, and there was I thinking it was just me!

Delivery 1. I was carded on January 5th indicating it’ll be delivered on the 6th. I wait in all day, eventually get through on the phone to the Gatwick office around 4pm to someone promising me it will be delivered by 7pm.
Guess what?
It was delivered the following day, 7th. A guy on the phone from Gatwick told me there was a mix up.

Delivery 2. I was carded Thursday 12th Jan. NO CONSIGNMENT written on the card. “Tomorrow” was crossed out and the driver wrote “Monday” (today). I have spent just under 3 hours on the phone trying different ways to get through. Sometimes they tell you to call back later after 8 mins, and twice they said it after 45 mins. Today.

I called 01908687249 and spoke to a nice lady who said she’d try and call the manager at Gatwick.

I honestly can’t believe how hopeless this Gatwick depot are.
Andy on the January 17th, 2006 at 1:58 pm said:

I got my parcel in the end by sending a cheque to the depot for the customs charge, then they re-delivered and someone happened to be in…

Never at one point did I get through to the Gatwick Depot on the phone nor did they (or have they) replied to my complaint I sent them.

..but someone must be there as they received my cheque! (oh the irony…)

Keep hassling Pat on that number (01908687249) That is all we have to go on!

andy
BrightonSunshine on the February 22nd, 2006 at 4:16 pm said:

And just wait till your telephone bill arrives .. 08700 844525 cost me a total of £9.46 - one of those calls was over an hour just trying to get through.
Eventually got someone (nice guy) on 0870 850 1150 who sorted it out.
Good luck.
Alistair Bruce on the March 10th, 2006 at 2:48 pm said:

My camera from Amazon was due for delivery on March 8th. Track & Trace stated it was ‘Out for Delivery’. This morning this had changed to ‘delivered’ - on 6th March - signed for by Winston who I learn is their driver. Still no camera. What to do?
Kevin King on the March 17th, 2006 at 3:36 pm said:

Hi Alistair, I understand that drivers are not allowed to sign for any item to be delivered. So do what the others are doing and call the managers office soon, because i think at this rate that will soon change his number into a national rate poxy 0870 number!!!.

Good Luck guys!
Mike Brampton on the March 27th, 2006 at 11:55 am said:

Ah how refreshing to know its not just me…same problems but thanks to this I now know I’m not alone and know who to contact…not that it appears to be making any difference and the parcel that should have been with me 4 days ago still hasn’t arrived, neither have the promised 24 hr answer to enquiry emails sent 24, 48, 72 and 96hrs ago!

I’m gonna call Pat she seems friendly from the info above
Mike Brampton on the March 27th, 2006 at 12:04 pm said:

I have just spoken to a delicious sounding lady called Carolin at the managing Directors office.
Well she sounds lovely, but the message is that my parcel seems to have disappeared!! it should have been delivered 4 days ago, but it hasn’t even been attempted, and …wait for it….hasn’t been tracked back into the depot either!
I can only guess that a dissolusioned Parcel Force delivery man (probably one of only 3 that “work” at Gatwick) has gone AWOL with his van and all the parcels, why he’s probably driving round somewhere like Doncaster right now, attempting deliveries to addresses that don’t exist.
Anyway, Carolin has advised me not to wait in today, she is 99.9% certain that there won’t be an attemped delivery today. heres hoping.
KingOfMyCastle on the March 27th, 2006 at 12:56 pm said:

I can see you returning home and finding a “We tried to deliver your parcel” card.

Good luck!
wendy Smith on the May 12th, 2006 at 7:28 am said:

I have paid for next day delivery, still waiting five days later for a item, all phone numbers provided are NOT manned. All direct you to their website that doesn’t help or answer any queries. How does one get their parcels? Customer service is also crap, no one answers, so automated that you are cut off.
gene on the July 11th, 2006 at 12:02 pm said:

same problem,,surely this is ilegal ? i mean they do not deliver,they are not contactable and there are many complaints. Does anyone know a phone number that will work so you can actualy talk to someone ?
Parkinson's Disease Society on the October 31st, 2006 at 2:41 pm said:

We use them all the time. They ignored a request and lost 7 parcels.
Luke on the January 17th, 2007 at 4:46 pm said:

They have my parcel expected delivery 2 days ago and still not here. Last message is sorted at national hub 3 days ago.

SCUMMMMMMMM
David on the May 16th, 2007 at 12:21 pm said:

My parcel seems to be stuck at the National hub in Coventry.. I won’t bore you with details but thought the following telephone number would be useful 02476 213106. That is supposedly the number for the “hub”.
james on the May 24th, 2007 at 8:34 am said:

parcelfarce! phoned the number you gave me - thanks alot for that. guy said ” we dont get customers ringing us, how did you get this number ” and told me to ring the automated number.
Peter on the June 11th, 2007 at 9:51 am said:

also try

02476213361
Phil on the June 15th, 2007 at 12:39 pm said:

Parcel force are hopeless. My item was scanned out of the depot but never scanned back in or delivered, the only logical reasons i can think is its been stolen (was an xbox 360).

Was never informed the item was lost, so much hassle over getting one thing delivered.

AVOID PARCEL FORCE!!!
naomi on the June 28th, 2007 at 9:31 am said:

i need a phone number to talk to a superior at parcel force can any one help??
Brian on the June 30th, 2007 at 7:29 am said:

I Don’t buy from anyone that uses PARCEL FORCE.
daisy on the July 4th, 2007 at 1:17 pm said:

Waiting for parcel to be delivered by Parcelforce, ems china have tracked all the way to London Parcelforce. But guess what Parcel force deny all knowledge even though website says parcel accepted ( but that means they only knew it was coming!!!!)All knowledge of parcel disappeared at 00.12 28 June 2007. After 1 hour of automated telephone frustration got to speak to a rude teenager with attitude, then spoke to her manager who informed me she doesn’t speak Chinese, I don’t recall asking her this, but asking her if she could help me, she then promptly put the phone down on me. Thanks for your help then!
Oh and don’t forget there was a strike on Friday so that will be their excuse for delays for the next 3 months
Umar Stone on the August 5th, 2007 at 6:53 am said:

I have been waiting for an item bought on ebay from the UK (I live in Australia) it ended up with the COVENTRY Parcel Force on the 26th february 2007, then was processed for despatch on the 6th march 2007.
Neither returned to the sender, or leaving the UK, it has never been seen again. I can only track this information from my country’s mail site, but the UK PF lost all information.
The product/item was worth several hundred dollars (even more to me) and I am sincerly distraught that this would, well, has happened.
Pammy on the August 8th, 2007 at 8:45 pm said:

aaarrrgghhh!!!!
I also hate parcel force, they are incompetent ar**holes!!!
I ordered a package on Monday 6th and paid extra for next day before 10.30am delivery (Tuesday 7th - yesterday) and still no parcel to be seen. Their website earlier said there was no tracking info but at least now they have updated it to “Parcel at National Hub”…well that’s that parcel lost in the black hole that calls itself Parcelforce …and their phone customer services is automated rubbish!
ben on the August 9th, 2007 at 9:38 pm said:

Reading this doesn’t bode well - I’ve got an order coming with parcel force, or parcel farce as it seems to be known, and I’m now worried that it won’t arrive!. Are they that bad? I don’t really use them.
Rik on the September 5th, 2007 at 3:04 pm said:

The Customer Services Manager of the International Hub on 02476 213 361 was helpful and arranged for my missing parcel to be re-delivered.

I wouldn’t recommend PF, but he was very human and helpful.
Ashley Cook on the September 25th, 2007 at 11:05 am said:

I ordered a laptop online, and was sent an email couple of days later informing me that it had been dispatched and would be wih me within two workig days. Five days later it has not been delivered, however since my mother is the manager of the local post office she was able to obtain the right number - 0870 084425 option 5, although despite her poition, we found that even the number she was given wasn’t guarunteed to work all the time. Anyway, we were informed that Parcel Farce had tried to deliver the parcel twice even though we had been in both days waiting for delivery, and no note was left either. They then said that they had left it with the next door neighbour, whose name they gave as Squires. Our next door neighbours are not named Squires (I checked the 2007 electoral role and there is no-one with this surname in our entire road), and when I checked with them they said they had not taken in the package. I certainly trust them more than a delivery driver. The current position is that a man named Alan at the Gatwick depot is rying to get in touch with the driver.

I am going to try to find out the number to bypass the manaaging directors call screeners, and I shall then inform him that I will report the incident to the Police, and also sue Parcel Force if the package is not found. Oh, I’m a lawyer by the way.
Ashley Cook on the September 25th, 2007 at 11:23 am said:

After a call back from Alan, who admittedly has tried to be helpful, apparantly the delivery driver got confused and delivered the parcel to the wrong road! Apparantly he will be going to try to retrieve the package and then deliver it again, but not for a number or hours as he is doing other deliveries first. I think I should at least be made the priority in this situation, let alone being given a sincere apology for wasting my time.
KingOfMyCastle on the September 25th, 2007 at 12:55 pm said:

Good luck, Pal!
UNKNOWN on the September 28th, 2007 at 2:42 pm said:

THERE MUST BE SOMEONE WORKING FOR PARCEL FORCE IN BIRMINGHAM TO HELP A MEMBER OF MY FRIEND GIVING THEM OUR PARCELS THEN THE MEMBER OF FREIND SAYS WELL LOOK YOUVE GOT A PARCEL COMING BECUASE I HAVE JUST WENT IN AND CHECKED WHICH SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ALL PEOPLE WORKING WITH PARCEL FORCE SHOULD NOT HELP OTHERS EVEN IF THEY ARE THERE MATES S
Michael Hachar on the September 28th, 2007 at 9:28 pm said:

So I had my desktop computer (hand built by me), yes it had sentimental value, shipped to the UK from the US. This is the rubbish I see when I try parcelfarce’s attempt to track a parcel service.
Date Time Location Tracking Event

05-09-2007 11:38 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
05-09-2007 11:38 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
05-09-2007 11:19 International Hub Arrived in destination country
31-08-2007 10:03 CAPE FOREIGN CENTER JERSEY CITY NJ 099 Left origin country
27-08-2007 16:55 Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA Collected from customer

I received a letter from customs on 13-9 asking me to describe the value and detail of the contents of package (so they know if it is valuable enough to “disappear”). Yah, it is now 28-9 and i haven’t heard a word. I call customs and they claim to have released the package on 19-09 free of charges. Release to whom I ask?? Does this mean I am to suffer terribly in parcel hell?? Anyone ever had this happen and still get their parcel?
Michael Hachar on the October 2nd, 2007 at 5:44 pm said:

So here’s an update I called customs and asked where my package was, a day later it seems as though they have found my package and expect it to be delivered tommorow morning :). Hopefully it gets here.

The number to customs is 02476212860

Date Time Location Tracking Event

02-10-2007 14:49 International Hub En route to delivery depot
02-10-2007 13:24 International Hub
05-09-2007 11:38 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
05-09-2007 11:38 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES

If you have a package stuck in customs (waiting for VAT) in the UK call customs to ask for an update on the status. They hardly answer the phone after noon so get to them early in the morning. Usually it is a busy signal, try back an hour later or so and you should get a hold of them. Hope this helps.
Isabel on the October 9th, 2007 at 1:59 pm said:

I have also waited for practically 2 weeks to have an amazon delivery by parcelfarce - I ended up giving up, getting a refund from amazon and buying the item elsewhere. Not only did they not deliver when I arranged for them to deliver on a certain day (so I took a day off work pointlessly), but when I asked them to deliver it to a local post office, I waited an hour in a queue to find out it wasn’t there, and only a week later did I find out Post Offices only accept certain size parcels, and this one was too big - but did they bother to phone and tell me that ? No they just let me wait in a queue. When I complained a guy blatantly lied to me saying somebody had tried to deliver when I was at home. I just think they’re all sat around with our parcels taking the piss
Mic on the October 9th, 2007 at 3:26 pm said:

…yes, yes i thought i would save money by shopping on net but didn’t experience anything like parceFarce before. my parcel was apparently delivered and signed for according to track and trace but i haven’t had any parcels come to MY house so where is it? the screen says they have a signature but are not able to actually produce it. they don’t return calls and the manager is always unable to come to the phone or is out. phoning is a complete waste of time. they are full of **it!! i can’t take anymore and i want my money back!!
Mic on the October 9th, 2007 at 3:31 pm said:

Comet/Laskys on web use Parcelforce so don’t bother. get back to basics and go up the high street, will cost more but it’s less aggro! They deserve the Watchdog treatment.
Paul Cullington on the October 9th, 2007 at 5:34 pm said:

I’m waiting on an Apple Iphone I bought from an Ebay seller to be released by Customs. My current status from the Parcelfarce website is:

03-10-2007 20:01 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
03-10-2007 20:01 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
03-10-2007 19:54 International Hub Arrived in destination country
03-10-2007 09:54 Heathrow Airport Arrived at destination country
02-10-2007 13:31 Delivery Agent - NEW YORK -PTT Left origin country
01-10-2007 18:53 Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA Collected from customer

Its now the 9th and I’ve just complained to PF. The lady at the Customer Service centre has informed me she’s raised a trace on my item and someone should come back to me within 24hrs to give me an update as to the status of my parcel.

I rang the number given by another poster of UK Customs only to listen to a long answer machine message explaining they will not speak to customers searching for their parcels.

I’ll wait for my phone call back tomorrow and report back.
Paul Cullington on the October 9th, 2007 at 5:36 pm said:

Maybe the creator of this blog should contact Nicky Campbell at the BBC directly and make him aware of this page. The level of poor customer service recieved by so many customers is appalling.
KingOfMyCastle on the October 10th, 2007 at 3:58 pm said:

What I was considering doing is creating a list of stores that send their mail by Parcel Force. That way people can vote with their wallets - the only way to get things done these days it seems.

I haven’t used Dabs since my experience and my parcel was only in the Parcel Force delivery black hole for three days.
chris Pietrzak on the October 23rd, 2007 at 12:36 am said:

Oh I must be so niave, there was I on Tuesday taking my 11.kilo parcel worth nearly £400 to the local post office, Castle Vale Bham actually and I paid the money for 48hour delivery and asked if for a tracking number and signiture on delivery and Im given a receipt on parecel force stationary. Thinking that on Friday according to there guarantee the recipiant would get it. I typed in the tracking number on the pc, absolutely nothing, start to worry abit.Saturday morning I goes down to Castle Vale P.O and says oi what did you do with my parcel!. Well they say we dont deal with parcel force direct, we gave it to Royal mail(news to me)
I waited till monday and rang the depot they said it would have went to, No we havent got it,said the person on the phone then he promptly gave me a number when dialled said it doesnt exist. In the mean time still trying in vain to check tracking. I rang another parcel force depot they said its the post offices fault for giving it to a Royal mail man. Now all three are blaming each other and noone knows where the ell this parcel is. I feel so streesed and angry that I trusted all that advertising. Has anyone tried and succeeded in getting compo? I did not pay £11 for insurance as I never dreamt this hassle would happen. I think the staff just have a field day nicking the stuff, what other reason is there!
The Parcel Force Disappreciation Society on the November 1st, 2007 at 12:09 pm said:

Package left Los Angeles on a Thursday and was in the country by Saturday thanks to USPS. It then took nearly 2 weeks for Parcel Farce to send to the wrong depot before getting it to the right one and suggesting i drove an 1 and half to pick it up, and then pay them ‘extra admin charges’on top of customs fees, for the privilege whilst i was there! I pointed out they were suppose to be doing the transporting not me at which point they grudging agreed to send it my local post office (wouldn’t trust them not to just chuck it on my door step in broad daylight at this point)and pay over the phone. Got to the Post Office and found another charge waiting for me to transport from depot to P.O having paid ‘fees’ at 2 different points already…….NEVER EVER USE THIS COMPANY UNLESS YOUR A RETARD OR MILLIONNAIRE……

American service and efficiency - 1
British service and efficiency - 0
Kevin Byrne on the November 7th, 2007 at 6:11 pm said:

Trying to get information about my package was like pulling f–king teeth. I cannot get over their inability to post a package which even when I rang and told them where to post the said package to. No that was too simple. They for reasons best known to themselves sent the f–king package back to the USA - GREAT!!! PARCELFORCE you are as much use a tits on a fish.
amanda cobain on the November 14th, 2007 at 12:57 pm said:

i sent a parcel out on 7 th novenber on 48 hour servicec 8 days later and 7 phone calls all they say is it is stuck at coventry hub ,why ??? they cant tell me that, the lady waiting for it is not happy understandabley ,i asked for a number for coventry but they say they dont have a phone number bullshit !!! ,they say it is on the way but every day i ring them they say it is still at the hub ,is anyone had the same proble and how long has it took to sort out ,,i always send by them and have never had a problem amanda
antony james turrell on the November 23rd, 2007 at 8:35 pm said:

Parcelforce ain’t worth a lick off your shit. They don’t know how to deliver a parcel on time. They cannot also deliver a parcel without breaking it. I hate Parcel force and if I met the man in charge I would smack him in the mouth. For all the worry and cost they have caused my customers and myself. Fuck Parcelforce
mr parcelforce on the November 25th, 2007 at 8:15 am said:

I’m a big guy Mr Turrell, so careful with the harsh words on a screen eh. This is me http://www.bitc.org.uk/images/hi_res/4515_Allan_Leighton_0606.jpg now lets see you cutie…
Jayne on the November 27th, 2007 at 11:49 am said:

Parcel Force - phoned them the women who picked up said you can go down to depot so went down to depot after askin her on the phone “will it be there if I go down within the next half hour” of couse I was told it will be - and of course its not there! that was yesterday when it should have been delivered, so I told them at the depot can you send it out again and now Im waiting for the thing AGAIN!! Thats a great company!!
Jayne on the November 27th, 2007 at 12:16 pm said:

I agree with Paul - go to watchdog so other people are aware just how bad they are! I also im waiting on something a got on ebay. These are my details :

27-11-2007 07:53 Glasgow Central Depot Out for delivery
27-11-2007 02:13 Glasgow Central Depot Arrived at delivery depot
26-11-2007 10:27 Glasgow Central Depot Undeliverable - insufficient / incorrect address
26-11-2007 07:49 Glasgow Central Depot Out for delivery
26-11-2007 06:57 Glasgow Central Depot Arrived at delivery depot
24-11-2007 02:01 National Hub Scanned at Hub
23-11-2007 21:27 International Hub En route to delivery depot
23-11-2007 21:24 International Hub Arrived in destination country
19-11-2007 23:16 Delivery Agent - BEIJING - PTT Left origin country
19-11-2007 19:11 Delivery Agent - CHINA Collected from customer

PS Ive no idea why the address was wrong
naisioxerloro on the November 28th, 2007 at 4:28 pm said:

Hi.
Good design, who make it?
Jo on the December 9th, 2007 at 10:48 am said:

Hi, I posted a parcel. By Parcelforce. 27th November. No trace. I paid for insurance to £150,tracking and 3-5 days delivery to china. No sign of it since. Spoke to customer services who said prob picked up by royal mail instead of parcelforce, checked with p.o to see if collected, it was. But no sign of it since. I hope it still gets there. What do you think?
Alan Slater on the December 14th, 2007 at 3:54 pm said:

Here’s a handy link:

http://www.saynoto0870.com

Hit “Search to find alternate number” in the top, and plug Parcelfart’s (*childish giggle*) number, 0870 8501150, in.

Not only does this mean you aren’t paying through the nose, but it also lists loads and loads of handy numbers like numbers for loads of their local offices.

By calling the first one, 0191 5127003, I got through to a real person who seemed to answer my problem (I hope…) with only 10 minutes of bad Coldplay midi hold music. No menus or anything!
loopy.loui on the December 18th, 2007 at 5:02 pm said:

Are you sitting down??? If not you might just fall over!!
Parcelforce tried to deliver a package to myself yesterday, I wasn’t in, the driver didn’t even leave a card to say that they had tried.
So after spending much of the day in awaiting my package and scanning the internet for a phone no so I could fone them about my parcel, I found this site with the wounderful link to saynoto0870. I found the no to the coventry depot. I phoned then, was given the “oh i will phone you back” and i have to say, true to his word Dave Wilson at the branch phoned me back. I have arranged for my parcel to be deliverd to my local post office, so fingers crossed!!! However I do agree with the rest of this site Parcelforce really dont seem to have a clue to how their business is being ran!
Damo on the December 20th, 2007 at 12:01 pm said:

I used parcelforce for the first time there as it was the chosen courier for a pc i was having delivered.

I got the shipping notification and tracking number from the seller yesterday afternoon and have been tracking it ever since.

20-12-2007 11:38 Glasgow Central Depot Parcel delivered
20-12-2007 07:40 Glasgow Central Depot Out for delivery
20-12-2007 05:22 Glasgow Central Depot Arrived at delivery depot
20-12-2007 00:14 NORTHERN HUB Handed to delivery agent
19-12-2007 20:17 NORTHERN HUB Sorted in hub
19-12-2007 17:55 Liverpool South Depot On route to hub
19-12-2007 16:22 Liverpool South Depot Collected from customer

It arrived 11:38 on 20th Dec. The expected delivery date was the 21st, but from the tracking I could clearly see it would be with me earlier. Smooth, seamless delivery with good, accurate tracking updates and item arrived in great condition. What can I say? Maybe i just got lucky.
Mark Sear on the December 20th, 2007 at 3:19 pm said:

ParcelFarce seem to have no idea that there are customers involved in the delivery process and do not seem to understand that we actually book couriers so that things get collected and delivered in a timely manner. We had a failed pick up last week, someone did not pass the delivery details to the driver and an important job was therfroe late, I have now filled in complaints on their web-site (the ones where you get a response in about 2 days - yeah right) three times. All I want to know is what happened so I know why, and whether to keep using them. Quick as a flash, no response. Try to speak with someone and yo ugo through a a tortuous “press 2 for x press 3 for y” system with annoying music, and the amount of time on the phone(if we are paying for it) is a bigger scandal than anything the BBC or ITV managed.
They really are poor.
Row on the January 15th, 2008 at 3:44 am said:

I have to add to this discussion. I have had numerous, numerous problems with Parcelforce - because I live in apartments, they dont bother buzzing in, they drop it off at a local post office to me….any one of 5. Which means, if I track my parcels and see that they have bee n signed for by a stranger, its because it has been signed for by some post office staff. I had a heart attack the first time this happened, but soon figured out I’d have to drive round my local PO’s to locate it…

“do you have my parcel?”

“Do you have my parcel?”

Anyway, today they have exceeded themselves by sending my parcel to another town:

14-01-2008 23:41 National Hub Sorted in hub
14-01-2008 15:40 Liverpool South Depot On route to hub
14-01-2008 09:57 Liverpool South Depot Rerouted to correct depot
14-01-2008 09:33 Liverpool South Depot Parcel missorted
14-01-2008 03:33 Liverpool South Depot Arrived at delivery depot
13-01-2008 23:22 International Hub En route to delivery depot
13-01-2008 23:17 International Hub Arrived in destination country
13-01-2008 00:09 Delivery Agent - Tokyo Left origin country
12-01-2008 13:26 Delivery Agent - JAPAN Collected from customer

What?! You “Missorted” my parcel. Great. Not to mention I am pretty close to liverpool (in Manchester) but the parcel has had to go back to Coventry to be sorted. Plus my items are delicate (that reminds me, they ruined my last package, shattered eyeshadow everywhere).

This is supposed to be due tomorrow, 15th Jan, if it arrives it will be a miracle!
Ell on the January 15th, 2008 at 8:25 pm said:

I ordered a laptop of play, and after 3 weeks off fuss and bother, it finally got dispatched today, i went on the Parcel Force site to use the delivery code thing to track it.

It said, out on delievery, i though, thats a bit strange, it got dispatched lunchtime today, and Play ship from Jersey, then it said delivered a couple hours later, and I haven’t got anything.. So does this mean play gave me the wrong code, or parcel force have either delivered my parcel to someone else who’ll deliver it to me, or to some complete stranger who gets a free laptop
JohnF on the January 17th, 2008 at 10:53 am said:

My last 4 deliveries from Parcelforce have gone wrong - supposed to be delivered by Milton Keynes, the driver never even attempts delivery - instead he POSTS me a collection card from the local post office to say he has left it there.

I originally got a nice letter from someone called Vicki Thomas who said “I have reported the whole matter to the manager of the Milton Keynes depot and have requested that this matter is investigated and any training issues dealt with accordingly”

Yeah right !

At the bottom of her letter was her email address - guess what - sh doesn’t respond to emails. The only number on the letter is the usual 08708 501150 - and we all know how useless that is.
robert on the January 29th, 2008 at 6:17 pm said:

well was ment to have a parcel here today by close of business 17:30

yet at 16:28 today it only left london and now the tracking says it was picked up from the sender at 16:27 which is wierd as it left medaway at 17:06 yesterday

Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event
29-01-2008 16:28 London Central Depot On route to hub
29-01-2008 16:27 London Central Depot Collected from customer
29-01-2008 02:46 London Central Depot Arrived at delivery depot
28-01-2008 17:06 Medway Depot On route to hub
will on the January 31st, 2008 at 5:09 pm said:

i was just searching for the parcel force website and saw this. i have just been sent an item from japan and i am awaiting for it to come through customs which for some reason is taking longer than the parcels 6000 mile journey to england. i have used parcel force many times and every time i have had a problem. One package that springs to mind took 18 months to arrive at my door and when it did it looked as if some one had run it over and then used it as a toilet, the item was £500 worth of magura gustav mountian bike disc brakes, i was not helped by customer services at all and they were very rude.

They are shit!

the staff just dont have any manners and they all shout at you for some reason, as though you have done something wrong.

SUCK MY FAT ONE PARCEL FARCE!
Mandy on the February 2nd, 2008 at 5:12 pm said:

How can a parcel that leaves the US on the 24th Jan’ 2008 arrive in the UK on the 1st Feb’ ??????
Coventry is only 86 miles away, 90 minutes drive, from where I am so why have I got to wait 3 days to receive my parcel.
Expected delivery date 05/02/08
(Assuming thats when I’ll get it !!!!!!)
Parcelforce are crap yes, but what are the alternatives when buying from the US ?
Bob on the February 4th, 2008 at 12:09 pm said:

Omg, omg!!! I wish I came across this site before I decided to be a cheap skate

I ordered a surround sound system from Pixmania and It had 2 options of delivery:
UPS for €66
or Parcelforce for €16

Well you guessed it I chose parcelforce and this has been my status on the tracking ever since:

Status: In progress

Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event

01-02-2008 20:13 National Hub Sorted in hub
30-01-2008 18:42 WDM Online

God help me how am I even supposed to contact them from Ireland
Mandy on the February 4th, 2008 at 3:28 pm said:

Well,
when I tracked my parcel late night on Sunday 3rd, it said that my parcel was ’sorted in hub’ in Coventry.
Estimated day of delivery, 05/02/2008
I thought , great, a bit of a lie in today.
No!, my parcel arrived at 7.45am today, Monday 4th.
I think I know why they do this now.
If you miss them, they will redeliver to another address for the sum of £5.50 I think it is.
All these £5.50s add up !!!!!
I wondered why they kept coming really really early and knocking so very quietly.
My sister had the same experience with them.
What a bunch of £&*%$£*
Mandy on the February 4th, 2008 at 3:32 pm said:

Oh yes,
customs,
I spoke to a woman at parcelforce who told me that,
(and I quote),
“they’ll just pick out parcel’s willy nilly and bung a customs charge on them.”
I was lucky ‘this time’
My parcel was valued at $250 and it came straight to me ?.
There’s definately something amiss at this place !
Rohil on the February 5th, 2008 at 5:39 pm said:

Date Time Location Tracking Event
03-02-2008 17:05 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
03-02-2008 17:05 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
03-02-2008 16:58 International Hub Arrived in destination country
30-01-2008 11:50 Delivery Agent - Left origin country
LOS ANGELES AMU

Now What do i do? I have been checking other sites and forums, and don’t have a definate answer on what to do when i have ‘AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING’ Do i simply call my Local Depot and pay over the phone? Or What? I am confused in what to do.

Thanks
big tony on the February 6th, 2008 at 10:00 pm said:

i am waiting for a parcel from japan what a fucking joke it took three days to travel from japan to england and 6 days sitting in a fucking customs depot bunch of pricks!!!!!! now i have to wait for a letter with a reference number on it just to pay my fees.

Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event

06-02-2008 19:29 National Hub Sorted in hub
06-02-2008 15:42 International Hub En route to delivery depot
06-02-2008 15:22 International Hub RELEASED WITH CHARGES
01-02-2008 19:10 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
01-02-2008 19:10 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
01-02-2008 18:19 International Hub Arrived in destination country
01-02-2008 01:40 Heathrow Airport Arrived at destination country
30-01-2008 15:30 HAKATA Left origin country
29-01-2008 18:09 Delivery Agent - JAPAN Collected from customer
Gaz on the February 12th, 2008 at 12:41 pm said:

What is with parcels getting ‘missorted’? I presume my ‘guaranteed next day delivery’ parcel won’t be arriving today now

12-02-2008 06:44 Rotherham East Depot Rerouted to correct depot
12-02-2008 06:39 Rotherham East Depot Parcel missorted
12-02-2008 06:03 Rotherham East Depot Arrived at delivery depot
12-02-2008 01:16 National Hub Sorted in hub
11-02-2008 18:10 Edinburgh West Depot On route to hub
Kliskey on the February 13th, 2008 at 12:25 pm said:

Can anyone tell me the general opening/ closing times of the Depots?
As Ive ordered 3 parcels from the States. One was damaged upon arrival, another has been lost during the delivery process from Gatwick to my house. And I would rather not risk the third

Although I will Ive filing for full reimbursement, Ive kinda lost about a grand worth of stuff….. PF is a real pain in my back side. Someone should set up a petition on the gov website for a serious overhaul of the company!
will on the February 17th, 2008 at 2:36 am said:

hello again i finally received my parcel form japan that i spoke about previously. it left on the 25th of jan and the only reason i found out where it was is because i spent £40 on the phone tracking it down. i collected the package myself on the 15th of feb and i had to pay £113.24 to take it away. i collected the parcel as i belive that parcelforce are not capable of delivering my package another 6 miles. fuck them all. however i got my pay back by putting a fucking huge dent in one of their vans.
well deserved.

parcel force suck dont use them
they are shit
Parcelforce empyoy on the March 4th, 2008 at 11:09 pm said:

The managment suck

The Union is trying to sort the managment mess out

and as a driver when I turn up and say that the Goverment want £x for their parcel which is a charge that is nothing to do with us I get all sorts or abouse. and recently had my house repossed becouse some “person” I was delivering to put me in hopital for a week so no pay

And you think you have it bad

Fuck You at least we try , the mangment dont.

on the phone press 5 like it tells you to speak to a person
Ian Doherty on the March 12th, 2008 at 12:42 am said:

hey..
anybody help me out with whats going on with my parcel..i have never seen this before:

Status: Held

Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event
10-03-2008 21:39 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
10-03-2008 21:39 International Hub Arrived in destination country
10-03-2008 07:19 Heathrow Airport Arrived at destination country
05-03-2008 22:40 Delivery Agent - GUANGZHOU - PTT Left origin country
05-03-2008 21:15 Delivery Agent - CHINA Collected from customer

it says held..that worries me.advise please
Andrew on the March 12th, 2008 at 12:45 am said:

I live in Australia and am having a parcel sent from the uk by guess who “parcel Force”. its 4 days late . Phoned parcel force in the uk and they told me it has arrived in aus but is held up in customs . Thats if it has even left the UK . Who delivers their parcels in Australia . Does any one know the number for customs here . Looks like this is just the start of it . This is the second time ive been stung .
Lindsay Cowie on the March 13th, 2008 at 11:50 am said:

I found this site while looking for Parcelforce contact numbers. Although reading everyone else’s troubles is morbidly interesting, I’m trying to sort out my own (hour on phone, delivery due yesterday, waited in all day, numpty tells me it’s still in Coventry, usual crap).

During my hour on the phone with various attempts at pressing option numbers I managed to speak to two humans. Here’s how I did it:

Phoned 08708 501150, #3 (other), #2 (speak tracking number). After 2 aborted attempts at digitally recognising my Scottish accent a human lady picked up the phone. She told me my parcel should be delivered today. She gave me the number of the Aberdeen office and put me through.

Aberdeen office number is 08700 844589. It sounds like another automated irritant but press #5 to speak to a local human chappie. He tells me my parcel is still in Coventry. I tell him how fuckin’ useless his company is and put the phone down.

Hope these numbers help someone else in my position. Please add your own local numbers to this site and collectively we’ll be a wee bit less stressed.
rootsgirluk on the March 18th, 2008 at 9:55 pm said:

A hint who worked for me when I tried desperately to get hold of a human behind the 0870 number: when the automated service starts to list the options #1, #2,… press #0! I got hold of someone somwhere and managed to get hold of the 0870 number (again) for the local Depot in Leeds…
rootsgirluk on the March 19th, 2008 at 10:06 pm said:

Parcelforce Leeds Depot contact number 08700 844 577 (#5 for a human)
Parcelforce empolyee on the March 20th, 2008 at 11:44 am said:

Firstly Customs is a goverment run Department and has nothing to do with Parcelforce If they deem a Parcel to be chargeable they can hold it for however long they want
Also be aware they have more power than the Police
Parcelforce processes approx 200,000 Parcel per day an if 20 of thoses Parcels fail or get damaged thats 0.01% which is pretty good
not right but not bad
yukisami on the March 27th, 2008 at 12:16 pm said:

if it says:

Status: Held
Date Time Location Tracking Event
26-03-2008 21:30 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES

is it 99% probability that there will be customs charge on the parcel??? the parcel is worth 300 pounds…

because in the recent one year i haven’t been charged for customs dutys for parcel sent with ems with value up to £70…

Why now, when my parcel is worth so much????

please help
Tommo on the March 29th, 2008 at 7:24 pm said:

I’m a little pissed off at PF - I Bought an ipod touch from play.com on Wednesday 26th …

Was Posted Thursday 27th with Parcel force 24hour guaranteed .

friday 28th, Took day off work, no parcel .

Today, waited in all morning, then decided to phone them, eventually after about 50 phone numbers, i got hold of someone saying , and i quote…

” OH, sorry, we only delivery on WORKING days Monday to friday. Bye”

So Yea, nice 24 hour guarantee parcel force …

I think il pay the extra 10 quid and buy localy from now on ….
stuart macgregor on the March 30th, 2008 at 9:09 pm said:

hi, i’ve had a similar problem. i bought an item off ebay from a seller who has a very high feedback score in the thousands. the item was sent from china and this is what it said…

Parcel number: EC637995077GB
Status: Held

Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event
27-03-2008 23:12 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
27-03-2008 22:35 International Hub Arrived in destination country
27-03-2008 15:00 Heathrow Airport Arrived at destination country
26-03-2008 21:44 Delivery Agent - HONG KONG - PTT Left origin country
26-03-2008 13:57 Delivery Agent - HONG KONG Collected from customer

now in this one it says the item is awaiting customs charges, and not awaiting customs charging. in some of the above posts it says charges and charging exactly after each other, does anyone know what these mean and if it is significant that they are different.
stuart macgregor on the March 30th, 2008 at 9:16 pm said:

sorry i missed something out, the price i paid was £87 and the seller claimed he spent only £22 on postage instead of the £30 he quoted so the value that should be on the customs form should be around £80.

i had a parcel from America a few months ago and customs took it and even though it was labeled as being under £36 and a gift, i believe it was about £24 which is well below the limit they still took it. it was a bungie.net t-shirt and so was not a danger to the country. still they took it and they opened its protective packaging and broke the limited edition hanger for it and would not pay for braking it.

back to my previous post if you know what it means it would be a big help, thanks
Wai on the April 1st, 2008 at 4:12 pm said:

I’ve had a package gone missing in ‘Awaiting Charging’ limbo for over a month before as well. Took a call to head-office to sort out.

Ordered another item from abroad and it seems like a repeat is on the way.

Register complaints at: Http://www.postwatch.co.uk
Jamie on the April 1st, 2008 at 10:39 pm said:

I paid extra for express delivery (delivery within 3 days). Over a week later and still no delivery! All I get when I track it is this:

28-03-2008 20:01 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
28-03-2008 20:01 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
28-03-2008 19:51 International Hub Arrived in destination country
28-03-2008 11:56 Heathrow Airport Arrived at destination country
27-03-2008 02:23 Delivery Agent - MELBOURNE - PTT Left origin country
26-03-2008 16:50 Delivery Agent - AUSTRALIA Collected from customer

Does this customs charge mean that I have to pay a charge? Fucking hope not!
Vicky on the April 2nd, 2008 at 5:46 am said:

I also paid extra for express delivery from Aus. When I tried to track my parcel the pf site told me that it had arrived in destination country at 21.14 28th March however was being held at International Hub Coventry due to address problems that were being investigated. Having spent approx 4 hours on the phone to various PF depts yesterday, I’ve now been told that the address has ‘probably’ fallen off parcel and now it ‘might’ be on a flight back to Aus. However, it ‘might’ be still in Coventry. Feel like screaming!!!
Jamie on the April 2nd, 2008 at 9:08 am said:

Just spoken to PF, was on hold for 15 minutes waiting to speak to somebody. She gave me the number for customs… 02476 212 800. Gonna try them in a minute, fingers crossed I get a result.
Jamie on the April 2nd, 2008 at 12:21 pm said:

Called the customs number four times and it just rings and rings. Waste of time.
Vicky on the April 2nd, 2008 at 6:07 pm said:

I also spoke to pf who put me onto customs who also knew nothing of my parcel and directed me back to parcel force. I’ve just sent them yet another email. Have you tried speaking to Phil in customer services of pf. He’s about as helpful as you’re going to get and you can reach him on 02476 213811. Leave a message if no answer and he does call you back. Just to make matters worse I am now no longer able to see where my parcel is coz it’s saying my tracking number isn’t recognised!!
Mike at Parcelforce on the April 4th, 2008 at 4:36 pm said:

If you are daft enough to order parcels knowing you won’t be home to recieve them is your fault you dozy lot, when you order something have it sent to your work or make sure you there to recieve it. whinging lot
Mandy on the April 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm said:

Mike , I was helping my disabled husband to dress one morning at 7.30am.
We came downstairs to find a card from PF pushed through the letter box, (unable to deliver), the time stated 7.50am.
We were both up and awake and heard ‘NO ONE’ knocking.
This has happened to other people I know.
They have actually been in their homes and have received, (unable to deliver) cards through their letter boxes.
Mandy on the April 12th, 2008 at 2:45 pm said:

Another point I’d like to make is that most of us try to make sure we are available to receive our parcels but how the heck can we do that when the ‘Parcelforce Tracking Service’ never seem’s to be working !!!
When it ‘IS’ working, and there is an ‘expected delivery day’, Parcelforce ‘WILL NOT’ guarantee that the parcel will actualy arrive on that day.
You covering your back’s all the way so don’t patronise us by calling us whingers.
Mark on the April 29th, 2008 at 8:46 pm said:

Just to say we sent a parcel to Australia via ParcelForce Global Priority and can’t praise the service enough. Felt it was only right to add some praise when it’s due, as you don’t often find happy customers posting on such sites. The parcel was posted late Thursday evening and arrived in Australia Monday. The ParcelForce tracking site was excellent for keeping up to date with the parcels progress at every stage. Full marks all round.
James - West Mids on the April 29th, 2008 at 10:25 pm said:

Since April we’ve had our very own Parcelforce telephone based account manager based in the Birmingham Mail Centre who deals with all issues regarding our account (e.g. failed collections/deliveries) and things have improved considerably. I believe Parcelforce have had a restructure and now you have a dedicated person looking after you if you have an account with them, which is brill! Credit where credits due!
demetra on the May 9th, 2008 at 10:08 am said:

07-05-2008 21:54 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
07-05-2008 21:54 International Hub Arrived in destination country
07-05-2008 09:20 Heathrow Airport Arrived at destination country
06-05-2008 14:33 Delivery Agent - LARNACA - PTT Left origin country
06-05-2008 14:20 Delivery Agent - LARNACA - PTT Arrived at Outward OE

and i have paid a 2 day delivery!
the customs are busy and several people give different explanations.

that is sooooo good.
i wonder why i paid 30 pounds for…
suzie on the May 22nd, 2008 at 8:32 am said:

i would like to know what is happening to my parcel ??I posted a parcel from South Africa to London on the 15th of May .It arraived tha the destination country on the 16th and the tracking details still says “Arraived in destination country,Accepted”Today is the 22 May still no parcel or any other tracking details on their website!!Someone pls help !!!1
sean on the May 23rd, 2008 at 3:03 pm said:

oh my there such hassle with there custom charges and crap
Ian on the May 25th, 2008 at 11:09 pm said:

The custom charges are not determined by Parcelforce, they are set by HM Revenue and Customs. Lets not blame Parcelforce for things out of their control
daz2147 on the June 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 pm said:

ello there im currently waiting for an item i bought from the US there end they used usps its now in the hands of parcel force in our local depot looking at the tracking info.
they have not replied to email this is all ive had reading that will i have to pay these charges mentioned before i can get the item?thanks daz
daz2147 on the June 3rd, 2008 at 9:56 pm said:

meant to add

Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event

03-06-2008 12:25 Leicester Central Depot Awaiting payment of charges
02-06-2008 22:27 Leicester Central Depot Arrived at delivery depot
02-06-2008 18:58 National Hub Sorted in hub
02-06-2008 09:11 International Hub En route to delivery depot
02-06-2008 08:44 International Hub RELEASED WITH CHARGES
29-05-2008 09:02 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
29-05-2008 09:02 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
29-05-2008 08:26 International Hub Arrived in destination country
24-05-2008 23:02 CAPE ISC LOS ANGELES CA (USPS) Left origin country
22-05-2008 14:41 Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA Collected from customer
daz2147 on the June 3rd, 2008 at 10:16 pm said:

some interesting reading…

(2) Anything to which this subsection applies shall have the same immunity from—
(a) examination, or seizure or detention, under a relevant power conferred by virtue of this Act or any other enactment,
(b) seizure under distress or in execution,
(c) in Scotland, any diligence, and
(d) retention by virtue of a lien,

Subsection 2d above states that it is against the law to hold you packet by virtue of lien, this means holding it to ransom for payment of a fee, This is the important bit, Parcelforce will not deliver your parcel without payment of the HM C&E VAT and their Clearance fee. They are breaking the law, they must deliver your parcel without delay and invoice you for the fees.

This is covered in section 105 of the act. They can charge a fee but it can only be obtained by civil action, this means if you don’t pay either of the fees - VAT or the clearance fee, Parcelforce can only take you to small claims court.

Note: Parcelforce have paid the HM C&E VAT on your behalf, you no longer owe VAT to HM C&E and as such, you are not breaking the law by refusing to pay Parcelforce which is just a PLC with fat cats at the top.

My anger at the clearance fee started three weeks ago August 2007. I telephoned everywhere and initially got nowhere, so I read the Postal Services Act. I refused to pay for my parcel and spoke to Lynn Gawthorpe at Parcelforce HQ 01908 687000. I quoted the relevant sections of the act and I was allowed to pick up my parcel without any payment.

I have now made a complaint to the Police, if you speak to them at Morriston Police Station, Swansea 01792 456999 (ask for Morriston) you will add weight to the criminal prosecution of the Directors of Parcelforce.

I have also made a complaint through the Postal Commission (regulators of the act) and you can add to this by speaking to Sean O’Hara on 020 75932100 or emailing him on sean.ohara@psc.gov.uk with your information and parcel details.

DO NOT PAY FOR YOUR PARCEL UNTIL DELIVERED

IF YOU WANT TO DISPUTE THE CLEARNCE FEE, IT IS WITHIN YOUR RIGHTS NOT TO PAY

————————————————
Ash on the June 6th, 2008 at 10:57 pm said:

I’m currently waiting on a parcelfarce delivery to Gloucester.
It’s taken ages once it reached UK soil.

Status: In progress

Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event

06-06-2008 21:33 National Hub Sorted in hub
06-06-2008 11:39 International Hub En route to delivery depot
06-06-2008 10:05 International Hub RELEASED WITH CHARGES
02-06-2008 09:03 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
02-06-2008 09:03 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
02-06-2008 08:52 International Hub Arrived in destination country
27-05-2008 21:23 CAPE FOREIGN CENTER JERSEY CITY NJ 099 Left origin country
24-05-2008 11:37 Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA

I went onto HMRC and looked at the current customs rates which are 17.5% VAT and after using their currency conversion I converted the price in $ to the price in £ and the customs charge should be £33 (plus this apparent £8 PF fee).
If it is any larger than that they can fuck off if they think i’m paying it and I will contact customs and contest the amount.

If I do end up calling the depot they take it too and they tell me they’ve tried to deliver it to me but recieved no answer then i’m going to laugh and then go mental. Why? Because my house has CCTV and it records all day, every day.
So if they try to peddle that shite about failed delivery attempt i’ll send them the tapes showing their blatent lies.
I’m also going to record all correspondences with them.

Useless company.
Next time i’m using UPS.
Parcel FUCKTARDS on the June 9th, 2008 at 12:17 pm said:

I waited 54 days for parcelfucktards to sort out for someone to come and inspect damage to a very expensive piece ofequipment that wa OLd/Rare and in mint condition..a really raere find and what do parcelfucktards do??? put a 2″hole in the end of it..then the throw out the claim saying that the packaging was to blame?? it was in its original boy with loads of bubble and polystyrene corners..I could really kill those guys who throw the parcels around..they need to be hung!!!!!!!!
Parcel FUCKTARDS on the June 9th, 2008 at 12:20 pm said:

ANGER…VENTED! (sorry about the typing errors..it happens when I am in a really murderous mood!!)

GOODLUCK EVERYONE WHO IS WAITING FOR A PARCEL….BOYCOTT..NEVER USE THIS COMPANY!!! NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH ANY OTHER COMPANY APART FROM PFORCE AND ANC.
Daniela on the June 13th, 2008 at 9:19 am said:

I’m another one surprised with the custom charges, didn’t know they existed, and they’re so high! I bought item for $80 from ebay shop, pay $45 for shipping thought it’s not that bad, but £22 for custom charges, and £12 for saturday delivery because i cannot wait anymore (it was b’day present), that’s definately not worth it…
Ian on the June 17th, 2008 at 9:10 pm said:

Custom charges are determined by HMRC and not Parcelforce.
Stephen Standring on the June 21st, 2008 at 2:57 pm said:

I bought a 37″ lcd tv off ebay, worth a lot of money, still in its original box, which the seller posted to me threw parcelfarce. It was collected from the sellers home, made its way to the nearest depot then dissapeared. Both me and the sender spent hour after hour on the phones to parcelfarce every day for around 2weeks trying to trace the parcel. We were passed from depot to depot, given tales of broken scanning equiptment before finally a manager rang the sender to tell him “we have done an extensive search for your parcel and its GONE, I would put a claim in if I were you cos its proberbly been stolen”. HOW CAN A MEMBER OF PARCELFORCE STAFF STEAL A 5FT X 2FT PARCEL CONTAINING A TV UNNOTICED UNCHALLENGED AND GO UNPUNISHED. THE COMPANY IS A DISGRACE. IN 2006 14000000 PARCELS WERE LOST OR STOLEN BY PARCELFORCE IN 1 YEAR. SAYS IT ALL! NEVER USE THIS COMPANY! DON’T DO BUSSINESS WITH ANYONE THAT DOES!
Rowena on the July 1st, 2008 at 11:30 pm said:

Parcelforce are indeed a farce. I get a LOT of post, and I mean at least 5 parcels a week. The best are Citylink (not faultless though), Interlink and UPS is amazing. UPS guarantee delivery by 6 and they stick by their word.

The worst by FAR are parcelforce and Amtrak. Even home delivery network are better than Parcelforce!

The thing is, when something is sent by EMS, which is a safe, trackable service, people have no CHOICE - Parcelforce will naturally receive the parcel for you. In other words, they will always have guaranteed business, hence they can hire the 17 year old snot nosed lads that sit like planks whilst you stand rain sodden, clutching a tracking number (because you KNOW they rarely leave a calling card - because they don’t turn up!) because it doesn’t matter if their staff are rude, unhelpful and unknowledgable - they will have custom anyway.

I could go on and on about the times the Parcelforce person delivered to some random person near my street. Or when they kept dropping of my parcels at the local depot, claiming I had not been in all day (I work from home)…until that is, I noticed on the tracking that the parcel was out for delivery at 7.00am and had been dropped off at the local post office (not specified so I had to drive round to several local offices to check), at 7.14am. In other words, driver dropped a ton of parcels off at the office and probably spend the rest of the supping Mcdonalds coffee. Because he sure as hell didn’t even ATTEMPT to deliver to me.

And they always always ignore your complaints. I have never had an apology from them.

Anyway I noticed some disgruntled employees etc. posting on here which is fair enough, but personally I want to say that:

1) I have no issue at all paying Tax and customs on my items. However, in cases where I have been charged on a parcel worth £18.50 (I kid you not), the total cost has come to a £9, minimum. That’s YOUR fees for doing next to nothing. That I disagree with.

2) I have never been NOT in when waiting for a parcel. Drivers know they can use that as an excuse and no one can disprove them.

That’s all. I wish I could choose to not use Parcelforce, but EMS parcels do automatically get passed on to them, and people don’t always have access to alternative services.
ed on the July 30th, 2008 at 2:24 am said:

expected an international parcel to be delivered, didnt know about the additional costs, which are clearly profiteering ‘parcelforce clearance fee’ its a ring and they are charging £13.50 for letting a matchbox sit on a shelf. i tried to pay online, for delivery, the website said the transaction failed, but lo and behold i checked my account today and its gone through. of course the delivery hasnt taken place on the day they estimated.
i gotta bad feeling about this.
RM Stevens on the August 1st, 2008 at 5:06 am said:

Bahhhhhh now I’m worried as hell.. I ordered about AU$400 worth of fencing equipment from Leon Paul UK and have been tracking it though parcelforce. Ordered monday, it landed in Melbourne yesterday and now the website says:

‘Held, awaiting senders instructions.’

…

What the hell does that even mean? Why do they need instructions from the sender?! I work around the docks and I’m betting my gear is less than 2kilometers away form me and I have no idea what’s going on D:.
RM Stevens on the August 1st, 2008 at 6:56 am said:

update- apparently it’s at my local post office, but my sister says she never heard anyone show up and no card was left… for anyone else in Australia, typing your tracking number into

http://ice.auspost.com.au/ once it arrives in Australia gives you the real tracking time… parcel forces website is 24/48 hours BEHIND the Australia Post one! o_O.. bloody hell…
meandmyprincess on the August 2nd, 2008 at 3:40 pm said:

I Have a parcel comming from china and am not really sure whats happening with it grrr. EMS website says:

Timing Site Status
　 2008-07-22 18:19:00 SHANGHAI Posting
　 2008-07-22 19:20:00 SHANGHAI Despatch from Sorting Center
　 2008-07-22 20:55:42 SHANGHAI Arrival at Sorting Center
　 2008-07-22 22:38:50 SHANGHAI Despatch from Sorting Center
　 2008-07-31 23:07:00 UNITED KINGDOM COVENTRY PF Arrival at Sorting Center
　 2008-07-31 23:07:00 UNITED KINGDOM COVENTRY PF Handed over to Customs
　 2008-07-31 23:07:00 UNITED KINGDOM P78553 Attempted delivery
　 2008-07-31 23:16:00 UNITED KINGDOM COVENTRY PF Handed over to Customs

and it was showing on the parcel force website yesterday morning but since yesterday afternoon its been saying this:

We are currently unable to confirm that status of your parcel. Please check the number and try again. Please note that items sent over 4 months ago cannot be tracked online. If you are tracking a parcel sent from outside of the UK, we may not have received it yet. Please try again or use the help button below.

has anyone else had this problem my parcel just seems to have gone!

I spoke to the yeserday morning because when i tracked it it said something about not being able to read the deklivery address so i phoned to confirm my adress and was told it was going through the last process of customs and i should exspect it in the next couple of days but now there is no reord of my parcel on thier website .
ashley on the August 12th, 2008 at 1:15 pm said:

Parcelforce can be tricky, but I think the hub nearest me which is Welwyn Garden City just happens to be quite good. I just phoned up Parcelforce using this number: 01915127003 and got through IMEDITALEY no wait time ata ll and spoke to a really nice lady who gave me the info I needed. Hopefully she gave me the correct info, but she was nice, kept saying sorry about the problems and that my parcel should be out in a couple of days.

Try the number I gave and hopefully you’ll all get your parcels too
Ronan on the September 3rd, 2008 at 4:27 pm said:

I jsut bought a Playstation 3 online, which Parcle Force attempted to deliver yesterday. Yesterday afternoon I filled in an online request for them to leave it for collection at my local Post Office. Instead today they return to my block of flats and tell me that one “Clare” signed for it. When I objected to this on the phone to them, they said that it was company policy to leave parcels with a neighbour (presumably even though such request had ever been made) - which is patently ridiculous. I am now left in the position of trying to locate this “Clare” who has my PS3. It seems that their attitude is “well, we’ll just hand it over to the first person we see. No need to worry about the name on the address label”.
Brendan on the September 4th, 2008 at 9:16 am said:

Im waiting for a parcel but so far its not been “TOO” long so wont mention any negativity, but looking at other peoples tracking details they have posted here…

Why, Infact How, is it possible to get a parcel from USA/Australia/China to the UK customs place quicker than it is for them to actually deliver it from there?!?!?! Just shows the incompetance of UK postal services.

(ps ive had a parcel “attempted delivery” before although no card was ;eft and no one came to my door as i’d stayed home that day… yet wehen I called and got throuhg to someone they said someone had knocked on the door, then she said “is it a brown door?” nice 50:50 chance there… liars
TAHA on the September 8th, 2008 at 2:33 pm said:

Ive ordered an item via ebay from chicago.

it left chicago on 4th september and now its the 8th, and yet it still hasnt arrived in england.

DID MY PACKAGE GET SHOT DOWN??!! :((((((((((((((

04-09-2008 03:08 Delivery Agent - CHICAGO Left origin country
03-09-2008 11:19 Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA
KIERAN on the September 8th, 2008 at 6:04 pm said:

yeahi,ve been waiting since last week to get a parcel from china just got this update Parcel number: EB*********CN
Status: Accepted

Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event
08-09-2008 14:43 Heathrow Airport Arrived at destination country
04-09-2008 00:27 Delivery Agent - SHANGHAI - PTT Left origin country
03-09-2008 17:33 Delivery Agent - CHINA Collected from custome.Well at least i know its in the u.k. i hardly order from abroad so i,ll keep you all updated as to when i actuall get my parcel.
KIERAN on the September 10th, 2008 at 2:40 pm said:

Got another update,looks like it getting there slowly but surley,fingers crossed.Parcel number: EC*********GB
Status: In progress

Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event
10-09-2008 15:19 International Hub En route to delivery depot
08-09-2008 22:04 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
08-09-2008 22:04 International Hub Arrived in destination country
08-09-2008 14:43 Heathrow Airport Arrived at destination country
04-09-2008 00:27 Delivery Agent - SHANGHAI - PTT Left origin country
03-09-2008 17:33 Delivery Agent - CHINA Collected from customer
RazorSnakes on the October 7th, 2008 at 5:46 am said:

Well….I have used Prcelforce once, for anXbox 360, which arrived 2 days EARLY!! Shocker!!

I am now waiting for an RC Nitro car from Ireland…Asked the seller who he’s using,he says: “I’m using Parcelforce” -Bangs head against a brick wall- Are they really this bad?
shingi murinyu on the October 21st, 2008 at 6:02 pm said:

these parcel force guys take a real piss. Someone please advise, my parcel left zimbabwe on 08/10/08 together with some of my friends parcels but for some reason my parcel and one other friends didnt arrive. Igave the parcel force guys the tracking numbers for all the parcels initially and they said the parcels were in zimbabwe when in actual fact sometimes they update their system when you get your parcel in hand. One of the guys went to a point of calling the zimbabwe base to tell them never to give out their phone numbers to customers to make enquiries. WHAT SHIT NONSENSE IS THIS….
Sophie on the October 29th, 2008 at 6:23 am said:

Well i ordered something from china and atm at says…
Parcel number: EC********GB
Status: In progress

Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event

28-10-2008 19:23 National Hub Sorted in hub
28-10-2008 13:44 International Hub Arrived at outward Office of Exchange
26-10-2008 11:09 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
26-10-2008 11:09 International Hub Arrived in destination country
25-10-2008 12:16 Heathrow Airport Arrived at destination country
21-10-2008 20:39 Delivery Agent - SHANGHAI - PTT Left origin country
21-10-2008 14:29 Delivery Agent - CHINA Collected from customer

Fingers Crossed I Need my parcel in 2 days!!!

Also Brendan about them guessing the colour of your door the probably searched your house in google maps!!
Em on the November 23rd, 2008 at 2:42 pm said:

I had an expensive item delivered to me recently from the northern US. On receipt (after paying VAT, the idiotic admin charge and an extra charge for weekend delivery - more fool me), I received the package to find it had been opened. While all the packaging was intact, there was no item ! Someone had very carefully replaced the item’s rest cushion in its box, so it looks like a deliberate theft by a staff member.

I have had delivery issues with this firm before - usually compounded by outright lies from depot staff - but this one is just incredible. Only the sender can file a claim form, so my only recourse is to file a complaint.
David on the December 3rd, 2008 at 5:06 pm said:

Re today I package made it all the way from New York without a hitch.

Yet today a clearly marked parcel was miss delivered to another address in my street and kindly given to me later. Perhaps he could not read???
Well don parcel force!
Norman on the December 6th, 2008 at 5:35 pm said:

Yeah im waiting for my parcel to be delivered and for 12 hours on their site it’s said “out on delivery”. If CityLink is as good as you say it is im gonna use them more often. I’ve spent 3 days waiting in, wasting my time downstairs and now that theyve put on their site “out on delivery” i dont know when its gonna get here.

Do you know what time they stop delivering btw???
Nick on the December 10th, 2008 at 11:20 am said:

Parcel shipped from Thailand - in the teeth of airport blockades and the country now being listed as one of the most dangerous and unstable in the world. No problem.

Arrives at Heathrow on the 4th of December and then takes a leisurely three days to reach the International Hub. It has now spent another three days in the black hole that is Awaiting Customs Charges.

If previous messages are anything to go by it won’t arrive till after Xmas.

Parcelfarce indeed.
Theresa on the December 13th, 2008 at 4:21 pm said:

Pure panic mode here feel like bursting into tears I have ordered items from china for my neices and nephews christmas. Both left on different days and from different airports shanghai and beijing but nothing on parcel force website! Except left origin country I am panicking I know there are still 12 days till christmas but two items I had bought for myself were on time and no problems. I have phoned 02476213361 and left an abrupt message stating that these items should be in the uk by now, yet they have not updated or tracked these items and that they are presents. I have gave them the dates and times and the area they were flown from and the tracking numbers. I am even more worried now reading all of the messages above :@s
Theresa on the December 13th, 2008 at 4:23 pm said:

oh one parcel was posted at 5:43am on the 10th of dec the other 19:37pm on the 11th dec both Chinese time
Theresa on the December 13th, 2008 at 4:31 pm said:

after reading post 35 and 36 I’m hoping for more update on monday seen as they dont wok weekends anyone know how far they post up ti xmas is it xmas eve?
Heidi on the December 14th, 2008 at 9:48 am said:

Theresa I wouldn’t hold out too much hope of receiving the parcels anytime this year. I’ve been waiting for my parcel from China which was posted from Shanghai on the 4th. It arrived @ Heathrow on 7th & was taken to the international hub @ Coventry where according to the tracking website it’s been through customs & sent onto the Outward Office of Exchange. It’s been sitting there 5 days now. I have made several calls & sent quite a few emails but no one I’ve spoken to in customer services even knows what the outward office of exchange is!!!!

I have been told by 2 different members of staff that the parcel is still awaiting clearance from customs & 3 other people that it’s been through customs with no charges. I’ve even been told by my local depot that its been sent to recovery, whatever that is!

To say Im p***ed off is an understatement & I will be back on the phone first thing tomorrow(not that it will do me any good!!!!)

Good luck to all of you waiting for your parcels!!!!!
Theresa on the December 16th, 2008 at 10:54 am said:

Hey Heidi

I phoned yesterday as i had arrived at outward office of exchange. When I googled it I panicked! Customer service told me that it is just a term to say that it is ready and waiting to be sent to the national hub. My package is out for delivery today and my other parcel coming from shanghai reached heathrow airport yesterday and is now at the international hub awaiting customs charging. I was majorly worried due to nothing being updated guess with it being christmas. My beijing parcel which is out for delivery had different terms written on the tracking system. All items will be delivered withing the 5-8 days specified by ems.

Have you phoned the Customer Services Manager of the International Hub on 02476 213 361?

I left a message on saturday on the answering machine with my details phone number and my tracking numbers quite an abrupt message then all of a sudden on sunday there was the details. Maybe theymight be able to help?

Good luck to Heidi & all

Merry Crimbo x
Theresa on the December 16th, 2008 at 4:26 pm said:

Good news one parcel arrived :@D
Heidi on the December 16th, 2008 at 5:31 pm said:

So glad your parcel has arrived Theresa, you must be relieved!!!!

I’ve had another email back from customer services & they reckon my parcel is deffo being held by customs even though their tracking website says it’s at the outward office of exchange. They reckon the outward office of exchange IS part of customs & not parcelfarce (maybe they should tell all staff this as I have been told several times my parcels cleared customs). Think I’ll give customs a call tomorrow.
Lucy on the December 18th, 2008 at 11:10 am said:

Heidi, looks like ive had the same problem as you, my parcel left Beijing the 4th December, now it is at the outward office of exchange on the 10th Dec, however still havnt recieved my parcel… spent hours trying to track it down on the phone but just get sent back and forth to the same numbers, i did speak to a lady at east midland airport… no is: 0113 2852852 extention num: 2928/3276/3373… she was helpful and basically told me everything from china is being checked to see if it is fake!!hope it helps and good luck
Heidi on the December 18th, 2008 at 6:33 pm said:

Lucy

I called customs yesterday & they told me the same thing. Oh well, looks like I’m just gonna have to sit & wait patiently like a good little girl for the parcel to arrive.
Agata on the December 19th, 2008 at 1:40 pm said:

I cannot find the right words to describe how I feel at the moment.I have been waiting for my parcel from Poland since 10.12.08. The parcel arrived in the UK on 12.12.08 already and then got vanished AFTER PARCEL FORCE took over responsibility for delivering.there was nobody to talk to! how annoying was that!! nobody seems to care!I was totally frantic and I still am. I have my parcel with me now.COMPLETELY DAMAGED! when you pay for the service you expect something instead but this company you cannot trust!
Margaret Mackay on the December 21st, 2008 at 8:28 am said:

Who signed my name for a parcel from John Lewis Direct at o9.15 on 19 December. No one in this block of 8 flats has the parcel and even if it had been delivered to another flat the delivery wo/man always puts a card through the door indicating where the parcel was delivered to. I have spent hours with John Lewis, Edinburgh - who were very helpful although it was nothing to do with them (Direct belongs to another division), on telephone calls to John Lewis Direct and also on international calls to Italy where my son and daughter and law who ordered the goods (and paid an extra £6.00 to ensure Friday 19th delivery), now live. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE ROOTED WITH PARCEL FORCE, EDINBURGH - a disaster zone or just downright dishonest.
John Rowland on the December 22nd, 2008 at 5:17 pm said:

Fascinating stuff! Parcelforce Gatwick declared to the sending company that my parcel - which was a big pack of sofa cushions - had been delivered correctly last Friday and signed for by the lady who was expecting it.
In reality it was dumped in an unoccupied property further down the road and left in the garden behind a wall. Still wonder who the mystery lady was and why she should leave it out in winter weather knowing it was a pile of precious cushions. Could it have been the delivery driver from Gatwick I wonder? Good job a neighbour noticed the parcel on Monday.
And I still have not found a way through the automated system to find a real person to talk to. BEWARE OF PARCELFORCE.
J on the December 23rd, 2008 at 9:37 pm said:

hey ,
I work for parcel force so i know the s**t you are given period, thank god it just a christmas job i can safely say i wouldnt send anything through via PF, and to get throught to a real person click tracking and dont say anything the computer will just put you through, and if anyone was excepting a parcel from china i doubt you’ll get it
J on the December 23rd, 2008 at 10:28 pm said:

oh yeah another tip if u keep pressing * it will give up the machine and put you through hope this helps
Kansuke on the December 24th, 2008 at 11:32 am said:

I have a parcel from Japan that has been AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING since the 17-12-08.

Anyone know if they have a large backlog?
s on the December 27th, 2008 at 4:39 pm said:

Parcelforce are all tossers. dont use them
izzy on the December 27th, 2008 at 6:05 pm said:

my 1 is still in progress. maybe cos it was xmas n all it took long,
Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event
26-12-2008 21:19 National Hub Sorted in hub
26-12-2008 19:12 International Hub En route to delivery depot
26-12-2008 18:54 International Hub Arrived in destination country
22-12-2008 17:27 Delivery Agent - MIAMI Left origin country
19-12-2008 20:12 Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA Collected from customer

wanted it by xmas
hopefuli b ere by monday, wat u fink?
Kansuke on the December 27th, 2008 at 6:51 pm said:

My parcel is still AWAITING CHARGING from the 17/12/08.

Parcel force suck.
s on the December 27th, 2008 at 7:21 pm said:

izzy at least yours has moved since xmas, mine hasnt moved since 23rd.

23-12-2008 21:39 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
23-12-2008 21:39 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
23-12-2008 21:18 International Hub Arrived in destination country
23-12-2008 09:57 Heathrow Airport Arrived at destination country
22-12-2008 12:43 Delivery Agent - CHICAGO Left origin country

W@#kers
s on the December 27th, 2008 at 7:39 pm said:

these people at parcelforce are total muppets. How long before we see these idiots on the news moaning about losing jobs, when the sevice they provide is not even second rate. Lazy moaning bastards, provide a decent service and people will happily pay to use you. fucking simple.
Now have another fucking cup of tea and think about it, while we wait for our mail. tossers
j on the December 28th, 2008 at 11:24 am said:

i just quit my job there and i can tell you know i bet you dont get your parcel by monday customs (international hub) is taking like a week to put through the most simplist parcel, because of all the fake goods coming through china, if you bought anything like ghd’s, ugg boots wave goodbye they aint coming through, and for once this isnt parcel force customs is basically the goverment there stopping all mail pf or other wise
j on the December 28th, 2008 at 11:25 am said:

kansuke if you ring your local depot i can find out for you i think you get pay charges over phone with them and it be relised that day for delievery the next, you should have recieved a mess by now
s on the December 28th, 2008 at 11:40 am said:

j does anyone actually work at international hub at weekend?
Kansuke on the December 28th, 2008 at 11:45 am said:

All the immigrants that work at the hub have probably gone home for xmas. Paid for by all the parcels they managed to steal.
s on the December 28th, 2008 at 11:55 am said:

oh my god, looks like immigrants missed one and somebody has woken up there.
Been released with charges, right guys who do i call now?
Kansuke on the December 28th, 2008 at 6:31 pm said:

Your shipment entered customs 6 days after mine and mine is still stuck on 17-12-08 AWAITING CHARGING. Where is the logic in that ???

Useless tossers.
s on the December 29th, 2008 at 9:35 am said:

would you F#*king believe it. The bastards now have my parcel at local depot, and will not let me pay customs charges without a letter which i have to wait even longer for. These people will never again see any of my money
Kansuke on the December 29th, 2008 at 10:01 am said:

You don’t need to wait for the letter. Just go to the depot and demand your parcel. They have to give the parcel to you as its your property. If they refuse say you will call the police.
j on the December 29th, 2008 at 4:00 pm said:

s, no i dont think anyone does
Kansuke on the December 29th, 2008 at 5:36 pm said:

Well my parcel finally turned up at the depot today. Was held awaiting payment of charges. I never wait for the letter just drive down and collect it no problem.
s on the December 29th, 2008 at 7:58 pm said:

well got me parcel, drove down without letter, they kindly let me have parcel ‘this time only’ but next time will need letter.
So ‘this time only’ i didnt have to pull em out from behind the counter.
izzy on the December 30th, 2008 at 5:51 pm said:

just to update- got it yesterday.
on the express mail packaging (usps)it said EXTREMELY URGENT please rush to addressee. after that it was with parcelforce. theyre the ones that took the piss.
arcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event
29-12-2008 15:04 Romford Depot Parcel delivered
29-12-2008 06:23 Romford Depot Out for delivery
29-12-2008 05:21 Romford Depot Arrived at delivery depot
26-12-2008 21:19 National Hub Sorted in hub
26-12-2008 19:12 International Hub En route to delivery depot
26-12-2008 18:54 International Hub Arrived in destination country
22-12-2008 17:27 Delivery Agent - MIAMI Left origin country
19-12-2008 20:12 Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA Collected from customer

i had no problems at all with customs and i had a hugee package. furniture.
Matt on the January 2nd, 2009 at 4:34 pm said:

I run a mailorder company and switched to Parcelforce the beginning of 2008 due to the exceptional prices they were offering….now i can see why. I’ve never had so many complaints from customers having delayed deliveries, not having cards pushed through the door for non deliveries and goods delivered to the wrong address. My collection driver actually thinks it’s funny to tell me how he chucks parcels over garden walls if people aren’t available, and how many parcels he’s going to fail because he can’t be ‘bothered’.

Changing my carrier for 2009, fingers crossed they haven’t caused me any long term damage as we have always had an excellent reputation for service……..beware businesses looking for a carrier!
Graham on the January 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 am said:

Tried to pick up a parcel at Romford. I don’t have the required ID - I don’t drive, I haven’t a passport and utility bills are in my partners name. A bank statement wasn’t good enough as I was told “You could give any address for a bank account”. To rub salt in, they brought the parcel out, showed me it, took it back and told me to arrange for it to be delivered to my local branch. £5 charge and expect to see it in about a week.
Utter Wankers.
GORDI on the January 5th, 2009 at 12:08 pm said:

I’ve had 22 parcels come through in december, all from china. All but 2 so far have made it through no problem. The one i’m having biggest problem with has been sitting at Outward Office Of Exchange since 23rd. Parcelforce rekon that customs are indeed being more vigilant with fake goods coming through china but they must only be stopping/searching a small percentage of parcels still. Mostly an item only seems to stay at the Outward Office Of Exchange from 2mins to 30 mins. If its there longer than that chances are customs are investigating it and will sieze it if they can definetively prove it’s fake. The online parcel updating system for parcelforce has also been erratic of late. Has anyone else had items held at OUTWARD OFFICE OF EXCHANGE for a lenghty period. And if so what was the outcome- goods siezure?goods released?charges brought? etc Would be good to know.

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