Buying online for Christmas

Latest on RMail I posted recorded delivery on 21st November it arrived today this afternoon 29th
If it's from a big business eg M&S, Amazon etc they prioritise these parcels and so do couriers. Sister used to be a hermes courier and nieces husband was a postman for 6 months between jobs so I know this happens.

I sat up in bed on Sunday morning and ordered presents for six good friends, my “Secret Santa” recipient, four out of six grandchildren, husbands of two friends, D2’s FIL, D3’s PIL, and a little “treat” for me, along with the shopping for my family lunch the Sunday before Christmas (to be delivered on the Friday)
All on line! Long live internet shopping 🎅 🛒 🎁 🎄

I am still trying to get
DHL to deliver a parcel which was due on the 18th.
I am just going around in ever decreasing circles I’m afraid, yesterday I contacted the company, which happens to be in Italy
Next port of call, PayPal.
I do get that things are bound to be difficult this time of year, but not being able to contact anyone, who can actually do anything is very frustrating.

Also, my daughter is expecting a phone delivery from DPD.
Three evenings we have been sat here waiting, three times they have emailed to say there is no one home.

I buy most things online - so much easier and most of what I buy is postage free.

I've done all my Christmas shopping online this year and so far deliveries have been good. Amazon Prime is especially good arriving on time or earlier. I now have to send two large parcels to family and will use either RM or Evri.

The only thing that niggles a bit with me is the price of stamps for cards. I'll send e-cards to some people but a lot of our older friends and family don't use technology, or don't understand it very well so we still have to send 'proper' cards. Oh well it's only once a year.

You do seem to be having problems where you are, sazz. It’s not our experience here - I am making a conscious effort to buy more things locally, but anything I do order online seems to arrive in a flash. Our local Evri courier’s great, and they seem to get most of the contracts. I don’t think it was him, though, that delivered my new hairdryer by dropping it through an open top window the other day - as it seems to be working fine, I won’t be putting in a complaint.

I paid extra for next day delivery when buying a lightweight swimming towel from Decathlon as I wanted to use it that week. I got the email saying when it was going to be delivered, then a second one saying there was a delay then finally one saying it would be the following day. I wasn’t happy due to the extra I had paid so when I had similar issues the next day, culminating with an email saying they had tried to deliver but I was not in! I was in the house and anyway, I’d told them where my safe place was.

Despite the small amount of money, I sent off an email to Decathlon customer services explaining the saga and was surprised to get a reply within ten minutes apologising and refusing all the postage, not just the extra I paid for next day. They also checked that my parcel was on the van for delivery that day and because it was on the evening delivery slot, they refunded the cost of the towel as well! I was totally shocked, at the speed of their response and the full refund.

I rarely complain but sometimes it’s worth it!

We live in a rural area with a house name, no number. I can only recall one or two deliveries from EBay or Amazon or any other supplier that went astray or were delayed seriously in the past three years since we moved here. Some couriers and drivers are better than others but it's an overhyped problem imo.

Recently, I have had a number of Royal Mail and Evri deliveries, all within three days of purchase.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

We've bought all 2022 Christmas gifts online for delivery. No going out to the shops. The deliveries have all been fast and timely.

And then another thread will appear bemoaning our desolate town centres with shuttered shop windows. Seems we are never happy! ‘Use them or lose them’ is my mantra. But then I’m fortunate as I only need to go down in the lift and I’m in a shoppers paradise. Some people need to scrape ice off their cars and park up, or get a bus. Others have mobility or health problems. I can see both sides of how to shop have their merits.
😁