Shipping nightmare
Mar 28th 2006, 9:34 pm
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Sydney ex Wales
Posts: 91
Shipping nightmare
Hi All,
Just thought I'd recount the nightmare we had with our removals company. I'm a bit wary of naming names, as our stuff is still in transit, but if anyone would like to know which office / company then PM me.
It all started a week before they were due to come in and pack everything up. My wife went into the office on the Friday to make the payment, and put the whole cost excluding insurance on our visa debit card.
On the following Tuesday afternoon, three days before they were due to come in and pack, I received a phone call to say that the card had been declined, and we would have to find another method of payment. I gave the guy who phoned the details of our switch card, as I thought that there may be a limit on the amount we could put onto our visa debit card.
The following morning, Wednesday, the guy from the shippers phoned back to say that the switch card had been declined. I called the bank who told me that it had not been declined, but that they were waiting for the shipping company to contact the merchant bank for an authorisation code due to the amount of money involved. I called the guy at the removals company who told me that it wasn't their problem, they did not get involved with calling banks, and we would have to find another method of payment. He was absolutely adamant that he would not call for authorisation, and that it was out problem, which had to be sorted out that day.
The only other method of payment that we had left was to arrange a cash withdrawal of 3500GBP from the bank. As we were internet banking customers, this meant that I had to ring the bank to arrange the withdrawal, go home during my lunchtime to pick up ID, go to the bank branch for the cash and then deliver it to the removals company.
On arrival at the removals company, the guy that I had been speaking to was at lunch, so one of his colleagues picked up our file. After a delay, whilst I sat in a meeting room, he asked me whether it would be possible to ring the bank to confirm whether payment had been made, as the invoice was stamped as paid. I called the bank from his office who confirmed that the full amount had been paid the previous Friday through our visa debit card
I paid the amount for the insurance in a cash as I happened to have a large amount in my pocket ( ) and then returned to the bank to redeposit the remaining cash.
God knows what state our stuff is going to turn up in, if their packing and removals services are anything like their admin services.
Just thought I'd recount the nightmare we had with our removals company. I'm a bit wary of naming names, as our stuff is still in transit, but if anyone would like to know which office / company then PM me.
It all started a week before they were due to come in and pack everything up. My wife went into the office on the Friday to make the payment, and put the whole cost excluding insurance on our visa debit card.
On the following Tuesday afternoon, three days before they were due to come in and pack, I received a phone call to say that the card had been declined, and we would have to find another method of payment. I gave the guy who phoned the details of our switch card, as I thought that there may be a limit on the amount we could put onto our visa debit card.
The following morning, Wednesday, the guy from the shippers phoned back to say that the switch card had been declined. I called the bank who told me that it had not been declined, but that they were waiting for the shipping company to contact the merchant bank for an authorisation code due to the amount of money involved. I called the guy at the removals company who told me that it wasn't their problem, they did not get involved with calling banks, and we would have to find another method of payment. He was absolutely adamant that he would not call for authorisation, and that it was out problem, which had to be sorted out that day.
The only other method of payment that we had left was to arrange a cash withdrawal of 3500GBP from the bank. As we were internet banking customers, this meant that I had to ring the bank to arrange the withdrawal, go home during my lunchtime to pick up ID, go to the bank branch for the cash and then deliver it to the removals company.
On arrival at the removals company, the guy that I had been speaking to was at lunch, so one of his colleagues picked up our file. After a delay, whilst I sat in a meeting room, he asked me whether it would be possible to ring the bank to confirm whether payment had been made, as the invoice was stamped as paid. I called the bank from his office who confirmed that the full amount had been paid the previous Friday through our visa debit card
I paid the amount for the insurance in a cash as I happened to have a large amount in my pocket (
) and then returned to the bank to redeposit the remaining cash.God knows what state our stuff is going to turn up in, if their packing and removals services are anything like their admin services.
Mar 28th 2006, 9:45 pm
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Yorkshire,now Brissie
Posts: 80
Re: Shipping nightmare
What a piss up! I think your stuff should be ok though as it will be different staff involved in shipping it all, surely?
PM me with the company please!
Sue
PM me with the company please!
Sue
Mar 28th 2006, 10:14 pm
#3
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Cairns FNQ, a bit of paradise on earth:-)
Posts: 1,104
Re: Shipping nightmare
Hi
Unfortunately, this seems typical both here and in the UK! Totally depends on who you are dealing with on the other end of the phone! Even worse when its face to face! For some unknown reason, although 'they' say it has been sorted - it hasn't! OR, it hasn't been sorted but it has!! Stupid! I can really understand your frustration
We have had fun again with 'change of address' - phoned all the necessary companies - promptly told by them that their 'records' had been updated - fine we thought - next thing all the paperwork for the next two months sent to the old address! Phoned them again only to be told they still had the OLD address on their system Happened with the last two house moves as well! Its a smaller prob than yours but still time consuming and very, very annoying Why do these sort of things happen? There is no 'lanquage' barrier, clear instructions given, verbal confirmation by them but still its not done - I just cant understand it to be honest! Ah I know what it is a computer error!!!!!!
Oh well, such is life - it could be worse
Unfortunately, this seems typical both here and in the UK! Totally depends on who you are dealing with on the other end of the phone! Even worse when its face to face! For some unknown reason, although 'they' say it has been sorted - it hasn't! OR, it hasn't been sorted but it has!! Stupid! I can really understand your frustration
We have had fun again with 'change of address' - phoned all the necessary companies - promptly told by them that their 'records' had been updated - fine we thought - next thing all the paperwork for the next two months sent to the old address! Phoned them again only to be told they still had the OLD address on their system
Happened with the last two house moves as well! Its a smaller prob than yours but still time consuming and very, very annoying Why do these sort of things happen? There is no 'lanquage' barrier, clear instructions given, verbal confirmation by them but still its not done - I just cant understand it to be honest! Ah I know what it is a computer error!!!!!!Oh well, such is life - it could be worse
