DHL - what a joke!

[RSD]

Couldn't find the section for venting off topic but someone will probably move it there!

Ordered a small piece of equipment that I need for my work from Germany at the start of December in plenty of time (so I thought) for it to get here for an upcoming assignment. Supplier shipped it with DHL on the 5th of December. I waited patiently for it to turn up, wasn't too worried when it didn't arrive before Christmas as I know things are busy that time of year. Started to wonder what was happening when it didn't arrive in the first full week of January. Chased up the supplier and got the track and trace number and looked it up on their website - it hadn't even left Germany! Lodged an online query with DHL and four days later got a reply back saying that it had left Germany the day before - apparently DHL have delays getting stuff to Australia at the moment for "operational reasons". Now - 14 days after it left Germany it still hasn't arrived in Australia yet - and they can't tell me where it is!

Did I blink and miss the announcement that means of transport using fossil fuels were banned and that all transportation from Europe was being done by sailing ship - or have we been teleported back 200 years to the year 1811?

If anyone has any insight into this please feel free to post!

 

[albatross710]

Generally I've found DHL & Fedex to be reliable but like you consignments do off the rails from time to time. (Just this week a local Brisbane courier took 21 days to get our 2kgs parcel from Milton to The Valley in Brisbane.)

I check the online Trace and Trace portal to watch the progress of a parcel. If the goods are now in transit and you see the status being updated that should be comforting.

I try not to request special escalation of consignments. Someone starts to treat it with care and it gets out of the flow. For some reason your consignment got out of the 'flow' at the start but now that it is back into the system it should just work.

Sorry to hear of the inconvenience.

Alby

 

[futaris]

I too am waiting for a package from Germany. As too are a heap of people on ozaudi forums.

I've contacted DHL Global Mailing Service and the response was "Due to the new security restrictions, goods coming from Germany to Australia will be inspected comprehensively for 1-1.5 months before delivered via sea freight" wt*...?

I paid for DHL express post and they are converting it to sea freight????!! This is not funny

And.. response from Australian Post was "Unable to track the parcel but the record suggests that it is still under the control of Deutsche custom"

Also, apparently Australian Customs are also checking all packages under the $1000 GST-free threshold:

[FONT=&quot]Dear valued customer,[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Please see below important information regarding changes relevant to businesses dealing in International Trade. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]As you may be aware, Australia has one of the highest Low Value thresholds globally and as such the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service has advised that there will be an increased intervention in the profiling of Low Value Consignments that come into Australia. [FONT=&quot]This will result in an increase in the number of low value goods experiencing delayed delivery.[/FONT]TNT will attempt to assist the smooth delivery of our customers Low Value shipments by providing the Australian Customs Authorities with the required documentation electronically.

Where the Australian Border and Customs Protection Service do not accept the provided documentation, then the receiver /shipper will need to supply Commercial Documentation or "Evidence of Monies Price Paid (EMPP)". This is categorised as:
• Commercial Documents
• Commercial Tax Invoices
• Contracts of Sale
• Purchase Orders
• Illustrative Descriptive Material (IDM) may also be required
• Third party financial institution transaction record
• Where no transfer of funds an email between shipper / receiver confirming
transition and values.

The provision of correct, complete and legible paperwork and sufficient consignment labelling, will assist in clearing Low Value consignments in the first instance.

TNT has been advised that whilst customs have seconded additional staff to address this activity, they are still experiencing delays in clearing goods.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

 

[RSD]

Well I finally got an answer of sorts from DHL today - my package which was supposed to be coming by air... is on a ship that is presently somewhere between Hamburg and Singapore, and the ship will eventually dock in Sydney sometime in mid-February! Unfortunately this will be after I have left for my assignment so I have just sent emails to the supplier to order another one that will be coming by Fedex this time.

NOT HAPPY JAN!

 

[Febs]

If anyone has any insight into this please feel free to post!

Only insight I can provide is this: don't expect it to get any better once it hits Australia..

I recently had a package delivered by DHL from Japan. While the timeframes were reasonable, the customer service wasn't.

Basically:

• I missed the first delivery attempt, so rang up to choose an alternate option. I asked if it could be delivered the next day, they said no worries - definitely before midday.
• Called back at 12:30pm the next day. "Oh, it's still at our distribution centre. We have no record of you requesting it to be sent out again?" They then told me it could be delivered that afternoon, and I said it's OK to leave it in the public area of our mailboxes (I live in an apartment, the public area, where newspapers etc.. are left, is very obvious). Arrived home later that night - nothing.
• Called back the next day to see what was going on. Said I wasn't happy for it to be left anymore (as I wouldn't be home for a while), and could it instead be delivered to my work address?
• It turned up that night, left on the floor *right* in front of our apartment block's main entrance. Not in the public area, not off to the side...RIGHT in the foot traffic of everyone who enters our apartment block.

Well done DHL...love your work. :shock:

 

[Danny Ocean]

Part of the problem with DHL is they use seem to liberally subcontract - eg using freelance drivers for local deliveries - must last shipment arrived in a white van driven by a guy in jeans asking me to sign a piece of paper acknowledging delivery. If you don't control the people you can't control the service.......

 

[ButFli]

Are there any couriers that don't subcontract the final delivery? Even Australia Post has contractors to deliver parcels.

 

[albatross710]

I have just sent emails to the supplier to order another one that will be coming by Fedex this time.

NOT HAPPY JAN!

Fedex also have a rewards scheme which you can view here

Enjoy!

 

[munitalP]

I have watched URGENT DHL deliveries leave LINZ, end up in a forwarding centre in th UK to be returned to FRA for forwarding to KL to finally end up in AU weeks after expectation.

A couple of years ago, we needed urgently ex WEIZ ( near GRZ ) a component, we had a power station awaiting supply basically, I sent a labourer on a return BNE/SIN/FRA/GRZ to pick it up and carry back as checked luggage. Guaranteed delivery (excluding luggage handlers), he got a $hit load of SC as he flew full Y there and back, jet lag from hell, and a major case of needing a shower

 

[medhead]

I can't help with the topic but have had 2 interesting courier experiences. First was my redoxx air boss that took 2 days to get from Montana to sydney and then another 2 days to get to Adelaide with fedex

Then there was the shipment from Nowra to Adelaide, after a week we did the tracking thing, it said they had sent it for delivery 3 times. Trouble was someone had been at home the whole time waiting. When we called them they said the sent for delivery only meant that it was put on the truck, not that the truck actually came to our house. Fastway couriers on that one.

 

[jsoprano]

I can't help either, but just letting you know I am waiting for a shipment with DHL that was send off in Frankfurt on 18 November. It's still not here and obviously all shipments, regardless if you paid for air or special express, are send via ship these days, which is ridiculous.:evil:

DHL and Deutsche Post were both not helpful at all in locating the package, all I know is it left Germany (apparently through Hamburg - which means transport by sea) around the 30 November.

 

[RSD]

Anyone any good with Facebook? Maybe it's time for a "DHL can't deliver the goods" fan page? At least it might get them off their butts to offer compensation and make an effort to find out accurate delivery dates for people.

 

[docjames]

Fastway couriers on that one.

Swift and shift perhaps?

 

[Pushka]

I have used DHL perhaps eight times in the last 3 months to ship items from USA to Australia, all valued at under $1000. From my first experience where they used a third party courier to get the item from their depot to my house and which took almost as long to get to me as from Florida to Melbourne, I get all my packages marked as "hold at depot, customer to collect" and then by tracking I know when it arrives and go and get it, as it is less than 15 minutes drive away. I did notice that my last delivery which arrived on Saturday in January was marked as "delay in customs" but it was released by late Sunday and got to me Monday anyway. other than that first hiccup they have been great. Also, with the item being shipped, couldn't you tell from the cost of the delivery it was going slow mail and not air?

 

[ethernet]

People pay TOP dollar for express.

If it instead comes by ship, fails to meet delivery times - Do you get your money back? Was this communicated ? Really, DHL should have packed the lot off to Amsterdam.

Proportionate response to risk my cough. They can mumble about security - but know what - you have lost a client and been blacklisted. Time to short DHL and any German based air freight operators.

I also see Australia got hit by a USD 9 surcharge to send to USA.
If Germany now thinks sending stuff by sea of ok, I can see their export based economy going down the coughper.

Good, big clients are going to get people to change companies, or ferry it somewhere else to get over the 'blockage'. Or buy it from an alternate maker if possible.

In the meantime China laughs. Cheaper and faster . And a lot of JUST IN TIME shops, or low/zero inventory places may have to reevaluate things.

As for Australian Customs going through sub $1000 shipments this WONT work at all. The Commonwealth has sold off the land/airports at mail bulk clearing centers (and sometimes leases the buildings) so there is no land/storage space should the want to lower the threshold.

The extra security (post 911, and now TSA inspired over the top treatment) means
what they have is too cramped. Even if they find compliance issues, its going to cost em more money than what they get based on exponential process curves.