Couriers
It may seem inherently unwise to ship an aquarium from Germany to the UK, but look at it this way: Its already got from China to the distributor, and on to the vendor in one piece. Why wouldn't it survive the final journey?
I want one of these: The Dennerle 60L nano cube. Pretty isn't it? Those rounded corners. Its just the right size for where I want to put it as well, and you wouldn't want anything smaller: too hard to look after.
Dennerle only sell the 60L version in Germany for whatever reason. Even with shipping they are reasonably priced, so I decided to order one anyway.
I got an email telling me the Aquarium had been dispatched, but wasn't given a tracking number. I asked for the tracking number, and then asked again, explaining it was urgent, and finally got it. On the day the courier said they would delivery it: 'Out for dispatch', I waited at home to receive it.
At lunchtime, I checked the tracking site to see a report of 'returned to depot, incomplete address'. I was already a bit worried. I did some research, and found the GLS don't deliver to the UK themselves, they use Parcel Force. The next day, I found that GLS had added the Parcel Force tracking code to their log, so from now on, I talk to Parcel force. It transpires that my 5 character post code has somehow become a 4 character postcode, loosing the 3rd character. I correct the address, but can't work from home again, so I just wait to get a card. I know I'm not very likely to get the Aquarium intact now, but don't want to pay Parcel Force to redirect. They might arrive early in the morning, and everything will be peachy.
Anyway, equipped with my correct address, Parcel Force duly fail to find my flat on Wednesday. Now, I order stuff from Screwfix quite a bit. Its really convenient: Order Friday afternoon, and it arrives Saturday morning, and only costs a fiver. They reach me every time. And that's Parcel Force. Its obviously some other Parcel force that knows where I live. Finally on Friday, that Parcel Force, which knows where I live, delivers the Aquarium to my neighbour, and leaves me a card.
Unfortunately, its smashed to pieces. Its probably slid around the back of an empty van on the way back to the depot one too many times.
I get in touch with the vendor, and to their great credit, they immediately agree to send me another one. It'll be delayed - they are out of stock. At this point I make some packing suggestions - put it in a plywood box, I'll pay the extra.
A couple of weeks later, I get a DHL domestic card through my letter box. I go to the URL on it, and redirect the parcel to my work. I've no idea what it is - I assume its a small item I've ordered on E-Bay. The delivery is booked for Wednesday. By Friday, I'm wondering where to hell it is so I ring the number. The machine says its out for delivery, but when I leave at 6pm it hasn't arrived. In the afternoon, I rang again, and waited for an operator. Then things got a bit demented. They said, despite the machine giving me an answer, that they couldn't find the parcel. I was redirected to DHL express. They couldn't find it either, so they told me to ring another number for DHL Europe. I rang them, and they suggested express again. Everyone asked me which type of DHL card it was, as if there was a different kind of card, with different instructions, for each. I also drop the vendor an email, asking if there's been any progress on my aquarium.
When I ring DHL on Saturday morning, the machine says my parcel has been delivered at 6.18pm, and one of my colleagues has signed for it. On Monday morning its there, and several colleagues says they were there when it was delivered, none too gently, being rolled over several times as its brought in the door. This is after the courier is told its an aquarium. Apparently he thought that was a joke. Anyway, this isn't the problem, because you can see the walls of the box are crumpled: the parcel has been sitting under something very heavy for a week, and the aquarium has quite simply been crushed. It probably didn't help that it was packed with the front facing down: its failed at the curved corners.
I'm pretty sure the aquarium would have arrived intact this time, if only the vendor had followed my instructions. The box was very well padded, but that was no defence against being crushed. They really didn't help by not notifying me of the shipment, either. The vendor is declining to return my emails, and never did answer the phone. They probably think lightning doesn't strike twice.
I'll think I'll get my local glazier to make one the right size now. No rounded corners for me. I wonder if I'll get my money back. I feel I've wasted enough effort already, really.
I want one of these: The Dennerle 60L nano cube. Pretty isn't it? Those rounded corners. Its just the right size for where I want to put it as well, and you wouldn't want anything smaller: too hard to look after.
Dennerle only sell the 60L version in Germany for whatever reason. Even with shipping they are reasonably priced, so I decided to order one anyway.
I got an email telling me the Aquarium had been dispatched, but wasn't given a tracking number. I asked for the tracking number, and then asked again, explaining it was urgent, and finally got it. On the day the courier said they would delivery it: 'Out for dispatch', I waited at home to receive it.
At lunchtime, I checked the tracking site to see a report of 'returned to depot, incomplete address'. I was already a bit worried. I did some research, and found the GLS don't deliver to the UK themselves, they use Parcel Force. The next day, I found that GLS had added the Parcel Force tracking code to their log, so from now on, I talk to Parcel force. It transpires that my 5 character post code has somehow become a 4 character postcode, loosing the 3rd character. I correct the address, but can't work from home again, so I just wait to get a card. I know I'm not very likely to get the Aquarium intact now, but don't want to pay Parcel Force to redirect. They might arrive early in the morning, and everything will be peachy.
Anyway, equipped with my correct address, Parcel Force duly fail to find my flat on Wednesday. Now, I order stuff from Screwfix quite a bit. Its really convenient: Order Friday afternoon, and it arrives Saturday morning, and only costs a fiver. They reach me every time. And that's Parcel Force. Its obviously some other Parcel force that knows where I live. Finally on Friday, that Parcel Force, which knows where I live, delivers the Aquarium to my neighbour, and leaves me a card.
Unfortunately, its smashed to pieces. Its probably slid around the back of an empty van on the way back to the depot one too many times.
I get in touch with the vendor, and to their great credit, they immediately agree to send me another one. It'll be delayed - they are out of stock. At this point I make some packing suggestions - put it in a plywood box, I'll pay the extra.
A couple of weeks later, I get a DHL domestic card through my letter box. I go to the URL on it, and redirect the parcel to my work. I've no idea what it is - I assume its a small item I've ordered on E-Bay. The delivery is booked for Wednesday. By Friday, I'm wondering where to hell it is so I ring the number. The machine says its out for delivery, but when I leave at 6pm it hasn't arrived. In the afternoon, I rang again, and waited for an operator. Then things got a bit demented. They said, despite the machine giving me an answer, that they couldn't find the parcel. I was redirected to DHL express. They couldn't find it either, so they told me to ring another number for DHL Europe. I rang them, and they suggested express again. Everyone asked me which type of DHL card it was, as if there was a different kind of card, with different instructions, for each. I also drop the vendor an email, asking if there's been any progress on my aquarium.
When I ring DHL on Saturday morning, the machine says my parcel has been delivered at 6.18pm, and one of my colleagues has signed for it. On Monday morning its there, and several colleagues says they were there when it was delivered, none too gently, being rolled over several times as its brought in the door. This is after the courier is told its an aquarium. Apparently he thought that was a joke. Anyway, this isn't the problem, because you can see the walls of the box are crumpled: the parcel has been sitting under something very heavy for a week, and the aquarium has quite simply been crushed. It probably didn't help that it was packed with the front facing down: its failed at the curved corners.
I'm pretty sure the aquarium would have arrived intact this time, if only the vendor had followed my instructions. The box was very well padded, but that was no defence against being crushed. They really didn't help by not notifying me of the shipment, either. The vendor is declining to return my emails, and never did answer the phone. They probably think lightning doesn't strike twice.
I'll think I'll get my local glazier to make one the right size now. No rounded corners for me. I wonder if I'll get my money back. I feel I've wasted enough effort already, really.
