So I placed the order late at night.
capture of original email timestamp for receipt for order
I figured it would take at least a week regardless of what Marks & Sparks promised on their website.
marks & spencer's delivery pledge at the bottom left
Imagine my surprise when about thirteen hours later my order was in motion.
capture of original email timestamp confirming shipment
All I could think was wow. I might get the hankies before the end of the week and will be able to take them for a test drive at the Robert Burns dinner I am attending this weekend.
I was further encouraged when I received an email from DHL, the courier used by Marks & Spencer.
capture of original dhl email with timestamp
content of email from dhl
I eagerly watched it travel from the East Midlands in the UK, through to London Heathrow and then make landfall in Canada.
screen capture of package tracking from dhl website yesterday
Following the time-line, it shows DHL receiving shipping information from Marks & Spencer at about the same time they contacted me. It took a little under nine hours for it it to begin physical processing by DHL. Then it was on its way to Heathrow in under an hour-and-a-half. In under two-and-a-half hours it hits Heathrow. In under nine hours it is on a plane and heading to Canada. Here is where it all goes to crap.
I do not fully understand the 05:33 timestamp noting it cleared Customs. My best guess is that Marks & Spencer and/or DHL have a pre-approval process with the Canadian Border Services Agency and that the approval occurred before departure, but was entered into the data stream after the shipment departed the UK.
Anyway, it took just under twelve hours to leave the UK and get to the first official leg of the Canadian portion of its journey. So, I cannot determine if "Quebec Service Area" means the province or the city. Obviously top secret with DHL. Well, it seemed to have sat overnight in a warehouse for about ten-and-a-half hours, or maybe it was moving as it then states: "Arrived at Sort Facility EASTERN QUEBEC AREA". Whatever that means. If it was moving apparently it was moving away from me as I reside to the west of the province of Quebec. However, judging by the timestamps of when it gets to its Ottawa facility, which is less than an hours drive from my home, it appears the people who work for DHL suck at geography. It took a little under three hours when it " Arrived at Delivery Facility in OTTAWA SERVICE AREA".
It was then forwarded for delivery about an hour later. That was yesterday. All day, I eagerly anticipated the arrival of my bevy of hankies. Well boo-hoo. Never showed up. I went to bed with DHL tracking showing what you see above. How things change overnight.
screen capture of package tracking from dhl website today
As can be clearly seen, forwarded for delivery means the parcel is going for a little tour around town and is not actually out for delivery. Also, the arrival time at the Ottawa Facility changed from 11:45 on Wednesday 11 January to 01:51 Thursday 12 January, after being forwarded for delivery, a change of more than fourteen hours later. I hope I did not purchase very shy handkerchiefs. I figured, coming from the UK, they would be fairly gregarious.
Almost four-and-a-half hours later the parcel went out for delivery. Well, that makes sense as I doubt many people are eager get hankies brought to them in the middle of the night. Well, except for me of course. As I sit here typing this it is has been eight hours since this parcel has left the DHL Ottawa facility and still no parcel. I know, I know. They are not just going to rush it to me first, they have a route and rural areas can be a pain to deliver to. However, I am less than an hour away from their facility. I know, I have been there and to all the facilities in Ottawa of the big players in the courier business. This is not the first time I have been left waiting and wanting by these guys.
Back in 2003, I purchased some kukri knives from Nepalese Khukuri House Pvt. Ltd in Nepal. I communicated back and forth with them by email and finally selected my knives. These guys were great. Friendly, communicative, the whole schmear. After I did a money transfer through UPS, the only way to send payment back then, they couriered the knives with UPS within a couple of hours. I watched online as the parcel left Nepal through Hong Kong on its way to Canada. Believe it or not, it took less than twenty-four hours to reach the West Coast of Canada. The timing was obviously perfect. I though cool, I should get the package by the end of the week (it arrived in Canada over the weekend). Ha, ha, ha. More than three weeks later and calling various UPS phone numbers it got to Ottawa. Delivery was allegedly attempted three times. Well, love a duck. I had to go to their facility to pick it up. Back then it meant a drive across the city for me, in rush hour as it was the only time I had to get it. They threatened to return the parcel to sender if it was not pick up by, blah, blah, blah...
I picked it up and went home. I did not want to be opening a parcel full of knives in their parking lot. However, I was opening the package before I even closed my front door. The knives were beautiful. They were wrapped in hand made rice paper, which I still have. On closer inspection of the goods there was something extra in the package. I thought, oh no!, this guy cannot afford to send product without payment, but it would cost a stupid amount to send it back. Well, I unwrapped it and there was a hand made pin about the size of a silver dollar with a hand written note thanking me for my order and that this was a gift for me. Again, these guys were great. It took most of the sting out of how poorly UPS Canada had operated.
the pin
Another time I had ordered an unused Zippo lighter with custom engraving as part of a group buy. They were shipped by the USPS and got to the border in under two days. Then as I was watching the tracking online, weird stuff was happening. The timestamps were changing and its location was changing. I called the USPS, they said I should have it, but their tracking shows it was held up by Canada Post. I called Canada Post, no it was held up by Customs. I called Customs, no it is being held up by Canada Post. I called CanPost again. They asked what was in the package. I said exactly what it says on the Customs Declaration. Well, they did not have the package so could not check. I told them a lighter. They said it was most likely seized by Customs as you cannot ship lighters by post. I stated it was new, unused, and never been filled with fuel as is listed on the Customs Dec. I also stated that I had already confirmed that this was acceptable. Well, blah, blah, blah, they do not have it. I called Customs again, the same.
So, I called my Member of Parliament to complain about Canada Post and Customs. Well, would you know it? They have people that work for the MPs just to deal with Canada Post. Wow. Must be a bigger problem than I ever knew. So, I spoke to the MP's CanPost fixer. She was awesome. I did have to repeat everything I already did with Customs and the Post Office and re-explain about new, unused, never been filled with fuel lighters, but that was okay. Well, did she not track it down in about a day-and-a-half. It was with Industry Canada for some blooming reason. She even knew exactly who it was. She gave me their number and I called this joker.
He immediately gave me the run around. Telling me it could not be shipped, blah, blah, blah. I re-explained everything once again. Oh. Well. It was going to be released as soon as Customs and Canada Post approved it. I told him they already did and neither agencies knew where the lighter was. That is when he admitted he had the package. He told me it was a really nice lighter. I know, that is why I bought it. He said he would send it on its way. Well, two days later... I have no idea where it is. I call the fixer. The fixer calls around. Joker at Industry sent it to Customs; Customs finally figured out after a day that they needed to get it to Canada Post so it could be delivered. CanPost said the parcel was a mess and undeliverable. What?!?!?!??!?!?!?! If everybody had not put their grubby hands all over it, it would have been fine. So, the fixer told them to tape it up and get it out, period. Well, they did. So, after over two weeks it had been sent to me. The fixer called and told me I had to pick it up at one of those variety store depots. Why? Oh, probably the package is too big for the mailbox. A Zippo? Well then it is probably because the packaging is messed up. Oh yeah, I had to pick it up that day because it was out for delivery too long and would have to be returned to sender under the terms of the USPS shipping agreement. What?!?!?!??!?!?!?! I leave work early, go to the store, which is not the usual one I go to for parcels. Whatever. It takes him over fifteen minutes to find it. Finally. What? Duty charges? Canada Post handling fee? What?!?!?!??!?!?!?! Okay, how much? What?!?!?!??!?!?!?! Oh, you do not take debit or credit for Canada Post items. Oh, how convenient that you have a private cash machine that charges extra fees. So, I get my cash out and pay a fee for using the machine, a fee for using Interac, a fee to my bank for using cash machine that is not their own, and yet another fee to another bank that this private cash machine is managed by. When all was said and done, all these handling and duty and cash machine fees cost more than the original lighter. I "opened" it right there and then. Pretty easy as the lighter almost fell out of the package. It was very nice. I almost never use it. The whole ordeal left a bad taste in my mouth.
the lighter - it has seen better days
So, as I am finishing this up guess what? My doorbell rings, I am there in under ten seconds. I open the door and there is a parcel on my door step and a guy getting into an unmarked van. I see Marks & Spencer on the package. Screw the delivery guy and his obvious lack of manners.
time of arrival of parcel
So, it took more than eight hours to get it to me from when it went out today. What is more remarkable is that DHL UK had the parcel for only about twenty-four hours, including flight time across the Atlantic Ocean. While DHL Canada had it for more than forty whopping hours. Canada is a big country, but not that big.
So, I got an email, forty-five minutes later telling me the parcel was delivered.
final email from dhl confirming delivery, 45 minutes later
The best part is the tracking on their website. Apparently, it was delivered about five minutes before the guy rang the doorbell and that I signed for it. Even though he was almost in his van before I opened the door. There must be a rift in the space-time continuum as they often say on Star Trek.
delivered 5 minutes before my doorbell rang
proof of signature. ha, ha, ha!
Now, Marks & Spencer London has lived up to its promise for delivery and that is fantastic. However, as to the courier company. This poor service and deceit is a reflection about the quality of all courier and delivery companies in Canada, including the government owned Canada Post. it truly is sad. In this era of online and international shopping, one should not have to hope beyond hope of not getting jerked around, misled, or lied to.
This post took way longer than it should have. I will deal with the hankies later. I hope I like them. blbbl
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