Stop using DHL, ibasso!

[K_19]

Well, I've yet to receive their supposedly wonderful T4, which I wouldn't know yet due to total idiocy of their shipper, DHL courier. Credit in advance to ibasso for shipping out the product as soon as they can (ordered last Friday), but I've just experienced today total unprofessionalism on part of DHL.

Okay, here's how it went... yesterday, I came back from work and realized that the guy from DHL had stopped by, and since nobody was home they left their yellow notice card with them on the door... which I of course promptly signed and put back on the door so that they would just drop it off the next day. So today I came back home from hard day's work, fully expecting the T4 package at my door... but what do you know, the form was still on the door and there was no package. Concerned, I immediately checked the status of my order from their web page, which said that the package was supposedly in transit with the courier. Just to make sure everything was alright, I called the DHL customer service here in Canada to check the status of the order... here's where it gets interesting...

So I called back the first time around 5:40 pm, and I told the lady who was on the phone about my situation, and she told me that "The delivery schedule is up to 6pm so you should get it for sure by then". So I said okay... let's wait it out, a bit skeptical. Unsurprisingly, nothing had come to my door by 6pm and I went to make another phone call, where a different rep picked up. She told me that sometimes the delivery men get really behind on the the shipping and you can expect it as late as 7pm sometimes. She said "It'll be at your door by 7, I guarantee it, and if he doesn't we will track him down for you". So I patiently decided to give it another chance... waited another hour and STILL nothing, so I went over to their web site and checked the status of the order again...

and guess what the status said... it said "Not Home" at around 5:45pm, which if you read the above paragraph again was exactly during the time I was on the very first phone call, AT MY HOUSE AND ACTUALLY IN FRONT OF THE DOOR!! And no, there was no forms on the door or anything like that. Absolutely furious, I called them back and told them about my situation, and asked immediately to track this friggin incompetant courier down to be disciplined, to which she answers "No we can't do that, the couriers are now off duty". Fed up, I asked if I can pick up the package, to which she replied "No, the warehouse is closed, would you like to schedule a pick up in the next 48 hours?". WTF???????? I told the rep that the second person I talked to today told me that the package would be here by 7pm for sure or they'll trace him down... to which she responds that she could put a trace on the driver, but I would have to wait until tomorrow or the day after. I was very angry by this point, and asked the person if I could speak to the manager or the higher up, which she refused to do. She kept saying that they'll put a trace on him and I would have the package for sure tomorrow... well, based on what they have done to me so far, I don't know if I can trust their word anymore.

This is not really about me not getting the T4 today... I can honestly wait another week since, you know... it's just an amp. But I'm just completely disgusted with the unprofessionalism on behalf of DHL Canada, whether its the courier (who I suspect was probably behind schedule and decided to skip over me, pretending that I wasnt at the door and hoping that I wouldn't complain) or the reps (for misleading me to believe that it was eventually going to get here today and not initially putting a trace on, and pretty much not helping me at all). How can they have the balls and integrity to call themselves a professional courier service with this kind of stuff? I'm not sure if ibasso has had complaints of other shipping problems related to DHL, but IMO they're doing their customers disservice with by going with such unreliable service... this kind of stuff would be pretty much unheard of from established companies like UPS or Fedex, who may charge higher prices but actually have the performance and reliability to back it up. I do hear that they have cheaper rates, but this kind of service would make me think twice about dealing with ibasso again, much less DHL themselves.

Sorry if I sounded incoherent there, but I'm pretty angry right now... just had to vent.

If this kind of thing happens again tomorrow you can bet that I will be going to their head office tomorrow and wrecking havoc. And if I happen to be at home when (or should I say if...) the delivery guy comes to my door tomorrow I can assure you he will hear a earful.

[Cankin]

Not sure about Fedex, but I'm sure you'll get the same or even worse service from UPS. Once their delivery guys "determine" that there are not enough time for them, they'll make up whatever reason(not at home, not enough fund from receiver for C.O.D, no such address...etc) even without leaving a delivery notice card. You won't know until someone from UPS call you and tell you to pick up your package from them since 3 attempts have been made.

[Logistics]

I hope I don't have this problem. I ordered a couple of those iPod to 3.5mm adapters. The only thing that bugged me was that the adapters are $15 and I ordered two, yet my total charge when I got done on the site was $50. What the heck? Oh, well I need them, but how can you charge $15+ shipping for two little adapters when I just ordered a bunch of cables worth $51 from Parts Express and the shipping was about $11? Did iBasso include insurance or something?

Edit: Oh, my order is coming all the way from China. o_o No wonder the shipping was so high.

[.coco]

I dont think that is really the courier service, just the percent of ******** living in your area who are being employed by the courier.

[trickywombat]

DHeLL sucks. They tend to outsource the last mile to independent operators or even USPS. One time a DHL driver rang my doorbell and asked if I could receive a package for my neighbor because he was unable to deliver it the past 2 days. I signed for the package and then saw that the package was addressed to me. I'm not surprised DHL is shutting down their US operation.

[olblueyez]

DHL blows, fed-ex is in the middle and UPS is best at delivery dates but is rougher on packages because they use one truck for all types, air, envelopes, small boxes, big boxes, etc.

[XXII]

Originally Posted by Logistics

I hope I don't have this problem. I ordered a couple of those iPod to 3.5mm adapters. The only thing that bugged me was that the adapters are $15 and I ordered two, yet my total charge when I got done on the site was $50. What the heck? Oh, well I need them, but how can you charge $15+ shipping for two little adapters when I just ordered a bunch of cables worth $51 from Parts Express and the shipping was about $11? Did iBasso include insurance or something?

This happens every time I order something from the US so you should feel lucky

[ZephyrSapphire]

Same case happened to me with Fed-Ex last year when I ordered something. I shall never use Fed-Ex ever again unless that's the last option available.

[K_19]

Well, I'm still at work, but it seems like my T4 has finally made it to my home. A rep from DHL customer service also called me to confirm that it's out in shipment and was being tracked. Sad that it took major complaining and threatening from me to have things done properly, I bet if I hadn't they would have pulled this for few more days at their discretion... I read a lot of horror stories of them on the internet which is almost identical to what I went through or worse.

So yeah, if anyone here goes through the same thing as me, call them, give them a earful and they may actually give a damn.

[dazzer1975]

exactly same thing happened to me (im in the u.k.) the only two times I have ever dealt with dhl, both times the online status thing said attempted delivery householder not home. I had waited in both times for them, and both times there was no attempted delivery slip at the door.

I don't ever use dhl personally, and I would encourage all manufacturers to stay away from them also.

[PG21]

:/, DHL left a notice on my place and all I needed to do was sign it and they dropped the package the following business day.

[deltaydeltax]

I had trouble with DHL many years ago and never used them again. They've mostly gone out of business in the US and we can see why now.

[DouglasQuaid]

Here's how I stand on shippers.
DHL = budget trash. Horrible tracking, meaningless guarantees.
UPS = always accurate to the tracker. Packages are destroyed.
FedEx = packages always secure. Deliverymen don't bother even ringing your doorbell, just post a note and leave.

The best and most reliable method in my book is USPS. I've never had my package arrive mangled. Only once in my life has something gotten lost in the USPS and it was a birthday party invite when I was 9 years old. If Certified Mail is good enough for classified government documents, it's good enough for me.

[selkin]

contra: I know we live in the 21st century, but consider this: delivery guys does not walk around with hightech GPS gadgets in their hands, so only when the guy finished his shift at around 7 pm and went back to the delivery center, updated the status of your order..

Not that the guy will turn back, because he got a phonecall from the office, that a customer just got home and he needs his stuff. "Sure, I turn back right away. and just tell me if any other fella got home since I was at their door, I want to spend the rest of my day in the van I'm sitting since morning, cheers Becky"

I know it's sad but this is how it goes, you know? They're not robots. Humans, with lifes to live, just like us.

Still this is not an excuse for theft, neglecting, lying, or damaging packets.
And the telephonist could've been more honest too...

[Logistics]

Yay, I got my connectors, today. I had to do the "sign the back and we'll leave the item" thing. Thankfully, after I got home and was looking at the connectors, my package of cables from Parts Express also showed up. W00T!

p.s. Stop using DHL, iBasso!