I stayed in all day today expecting a delivery via a big courier, when then last delivery time had pasted I rang them to see what was going on. They informed that the van had been stolen earlier that day, and then told me to contact the supplying company with a crime number they gave me for the items to be sent out again.
My question is will the suppliers automatically send out a replacement, surely they will claim that it's the couriers fault and I'll have to contact them, I foresee a possible lengthy problem.
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>>> surely they will claim that it's the couriers fault
They may claim this but any half decent supplier would send replacements as soon as the situation is confirmed to them.
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Thanks, I've never had this happen to me before, although the guy from the couriers didn't sound at all surprised.
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The richard head couriers often leave the engine running as they deliver at your door, and almost never lock the van.
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In a business to consumer transaction (not sure if applicable here) then title and risk remain with the seller until the buyer acknowledges receipt.
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>> The richard head couriers often leave the engine running as they deliver at your door,
>> and almost never lock the van.
>>
EVERYONE who does multi drop deliveries does that, postmen included.
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>> EVERYONE who does multi drop deliveries does that, postmen included.
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>>>>>. my mate doesnt as he owns his own van and buys his own insurance
so ner ner
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I guess the problem is you will soon wear out the starter motor and possibly flatten the battery if you didn't leave the engine running. No excuse for not lokcing the door though.
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I worked for four years on a run that involved fifty stops a day. We used to take the keys at every stop. Never had a starter motor problem.
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I assume they were not Lada vans then :)
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more likely to wear the key and ignition lock out than the starter
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>> >> The richard head couriers often leave the engine running as they deliver at your
>> door,
>> >> and almost never lock the van.
>> >>
>> EVERYONE who does multi drop deliveries does that, postmen included.
>>
Well strangely enough here in rural North Devon they DON'T, the couriers that is, so your Richards in the big city must have their heads up their backsides.
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Didn't Ford use to do a heavier alternator and starter motor for this purpose?
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An acquaintance of mine runs a small fleet of multi-drop vans for a company.
They always had Transits, but bought the Toyota equivalent.
The ignition lock on nearly all the Toyotas fell apart, several times.
Back to Ford, then.
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Multidropping on a small crowded packed little island like ours must be the most brutal wear and tear routine for any vehicle in the world.
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London minicabbing in the seventies, when you could really beat the traffic and get away with it. Now that was brutal.
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Strangely enough, when walking down a cul de sac avenue to work earlier this week, a delivery van was parked up at a neighbours. engine running, door ajar, driver round back of house. Being a fun sort of chap, I was sorely tempted to drive his Sprinter two houses down the road.
For decades, when delivering in my own van after work, I always hads a Saturday lad along to ride shotgun after a nasty experience in week one. Maybe I should be pleased to be living in what is obviously considered by the driver to be a salubrious area. Old habits die hard. I thought it very foolish and worthy of the sack.
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I don't think many appreciate the pressure these drivers are under, many of them will have around 80 drops and possibly 30 collections afterwards, add in numerous radio or phone calls from allocators bullying them into doing even more, and asking in belligerent tone where they've been all day.
Many of these calls will be at indutrials sites with jobsworths security at the gate to get through...and then a worse performance to get back out, that's if you can find anyone in the premises remotely interested in anything work related.
I'd like to see any here do it for a week.
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Saw somebody I used to know before and he looked emberassed to see me, on the phone outside his Sprinter with courier written on it he was shouting "tell the customers its not going to cost them ***** **** ***** anything" he was clearly wound up and stressed. No wonder he wanted to go into the adult website business with me a couple of years back - an offer I declined!
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>>>I'd like to see any here do it for a week.
I fancied doing it self employed GB when I started looking for something to do a few weeks back... even had a nice Berlingo HDi lined up. Once I found out about the number of drops needed per day and the low pay rates compared to costs I gave it a wide berth.
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>> Once I found out about the number of drops needed per day
A few years ago an agency placed me with Home Express, driving a little Sherpa van with a sliding driver's door. The goods were all ordered from home shopping catalogues, and my patch was a fairly compact estate to the west of Luton, bordered by the motorway. An average day was 120 drops, with a peak of over 200 drops reached a few days into the month. The van never travelled more than 200 yards in one go.
It took three hours to route the blasted thing up every morning.
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>>my patch was a fairly compact estate to the west of Luton, bordered by the motorway.
I think I know it. Lots of stairs if the lifts aren't working?
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I'd like to see any van driver get to, and fix, 10 cashpoints a day across an area that includes all the inner and outer west london areas in 7 hours racking up 60 heavy london miles and parking.
Its a job, it aint easy, and anyone who leaves his van engine running and gets his van nicked deserves to lose his.
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A neighbour has no letter box, but one of those tin continental boxes on the wall.
A courier found her to be out and left her goods in a wheely bin with a note in the mailbox.
Unfortunately, she'd already collected the mail from the box....the bin men came and went Neighbour found the note the following morning.
The suppliers sent new goods out immediately.
I wonder if the unfortuate, but stupid, driver had to pay !
Ted
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A few years ago, when I bought my present bike, I fancied a go at a bit of courier work.
Not particularly for the money, but as an excuse to get out and ride more.
I rang a local van/bike company and the manager said he could use me that afternoon, they were desperate for riders. He said he could only use me if I was insured, fair enough.
I rang a couple of firms doing courier insurance in Bike magazine and the cheapest quote I got was £1500...killed it stone dead.
I didn't want to do multi-drop and had agreed with the manager that I could do middle distance work as and when I wanted..Lakes, North Wales, Yorkshire Dales, etc....all within 100 miles or so.
Shame it couldn't happen...I had all the right qualifications for him !
Ted
Last edited by: Ted on Sat 19 Feb 11 at 00:16
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When I started for a multi-drop firm, I was told that spot checks were carried out by their security dept., where they would surreptitiously "tail" a driver through the day and either swipe a package from the back of the van or drive the van off, if they were able to. If a driver fell victim to either "test" he was guilty of gross misconduct and immediately dismissed.
The van keys were on a 2ft chain with a dog clip on the end, so I clipped them onto a belt loop on my trousers, forcing me to take them with me everywhere.
In answer to the OP, yes some replacement goods should be sent out without delay. The suppliers / couriers will sort out the mess later on. A right PITA but not unprecedented, so procedures are in place.
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>>will the suppliers automatically send out a replacement
They will if you tell them. It's fine if a replacement is available, far more frustrating when an item is unique. Like the piece of china I bought on ebay the other day which the vendor wrapped in a bit of newspaper and was surprised when it arrived in pieces. I got my money back but I'd rather have had the item.
As for starter motors, a BMW 3 series I was driving the other day shuts the engine off every time you are stopped for 10 seconds with the clutch up and out of gear. Presumably the starter motor doesn't mind too much. Anyway, a new starter motor is £200 every few years; a stolen van is far more expensive.
Last edited by: Mapmaker on Mon 21 Feb 11 at 11:06
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Items stolen from courier, what next? - Fenlander
