DHL nightmare and IPAC alternatives?

[Jae200]

So its been about a couple weeks since I ordered my IPAC2. Monday was the day it was going to be delivered and I was home waiting.. The delivery came and went and I didn't see or hear a single thing all day. I found out the next day why.. DHL delivered it to the wrong address yesterday! 10 minutes after I saw the tracking information I called and got no help. I was told they would call dispatch and have the driver pick it up and re-deliver it but that it would take a couple hours to hear from them. Well, its been about a day and 6 calls later and still absolutely nothing. I keep being told to be patient while someone else has my package. They tell me they're going to call me and don't, then when I call they have nothing new to say. They haven't heard a word from the driver or from dispatch. What the hell? Somehow they read my address which is Belleview as Pennsylvania and delivered it wrong. I was told that if they check and the address on the package is in fact Pennsylvania, there may not be anything I could do and the driver may leave it where it is.. I told them to check the ID of the people living there but was told that that would be up to the driver and so far, the driver is MIA and I'm getting pissed. Its a little sad that this is the first and only time I've ever used DHL.

So I'm trying to hold out hope that they'll get my package back to me or at least will reimburse me for it somehow, but if not.. What are some good IPAC alternatives out there?

[Havok]

I just picked up a Keywiz from GroovyGameGear, and it works great. Especially with all the new cool products Randy is putting out, you might want to check it out.

http://www.groovygamegear.com

[SirPoonga]

I've always had good luck with DHL.  Anyway, things like this can happen.  I had a UPS package sent to the wrong city because the zipcode was somehow wrong.

Maybe a talk with the better business bureu would help?

[Flinkly]

i would have gotten a minipac instead, but you probably would have had the same problem.  i also have two gpwiz49's though, and they work great.

it all depends on what controls you want.  overall, i'd just wait till this problem solves itself and don't get so antsy.  your not helping anyone by being pissy, although persistance helps (not anger).

[CheffoJeffo]

So its been about a couple weeks since I ordered my IPAC2.

That's bizarre ... I usually get my stuff from Andy in a few days, faster than if I order from anywhere in the US.

Good luck.

Cheers.

[MikeDeuce]

That's bizarre ... I usually get my stuff from Andy in a few days, faster than if I order from anywhere in the US.

Same here... Though I've only ordered twice (ipac2 both times)... Andy + DHL regularly beats the pants off anyone I order from in the US. Also, I ordered a router from Amazon.com on late afternoon Monday, using the free super saver shipping which to my surprise used DHL, and it left OH yesterday morning and it arrived to me in CA today (2,422 mi)!

[Ninten-doh]

Jae, I feel your pain.  I accidentally gave Andy the wrong zip code (we recently moved and I had the old zip tattooed to my brain) and now it's heading to another state.  I called DHL the second I got Andy's confirmation of shipment email, but it was no use.  DHL insisted it HAD to go first to the incorrect location, then it would get sent to me.      My own damn fault.  No one to blame but myself.

I'm sure someone will correct me, the woman at DHL sure did, but I don't understand how if I call before it gets to the U.S. and change the zip in their computer system, why when it gets to the central distribution location it can't then be sent to the correct place.  Don't understand why it has to go all the way to the destination first.

[Flinkly]

yeah, since they probably give it a barcode and get's scanned at every point along the trip, it should just be flagged and ejected from the current route, and then manhandled to the new location, or it's just totally updated and rerouted computer wise.  then the workers don't even have to know the difference.

[Ninten-doh]

Flinkly, that's exactly what I thought.  When I tried to explain this to the customer service rep, she just kept repeating "Due to the logistics, it's not possible."  When I pressed a bit more, she totally threw me a curve with "Sir, we can't stop the delivery of all the packages on that flight so that we can reroute yours!"  Wha?!?!!?   

[Flinkly]

stop the plane, now that's stupid.  they should just throw it out the back cargo door with a parachute when they are over your approximate area.  idiots.





 

[rwhip41]

I've placed orders from Andy 6 different times and have had zero issues. Everything arrived when I expected it. I am also patient enough where a few days past expectations doesn't worry me too much.

[Silverwind]

I've ordered in the past an ipac-4 and it works great.

At work we have used DHL a few times and every time got horrible results.  One instance we ordered a 17" LCD monitor.  It arrived in the correct city at least, but to a residential address!  The person signed for it even!!  We are a government agency so I don't know how they could have missed that one and delivered it residential.

Another instance we received a DHL package it was not on time by a long shot and when we got it, the package was all beat up.  Suffice to say we avoid DHL like the plauge.

Andy is a good guy though.

[markrvp]

The DHL delivery guy on our route doesn't speak English.  He can make out the word "photography" on the package and usually delivers it to our competitor portriat studio.  I've had to go over to their place 3 times to pick up mis-delivered DHL packages.

[kelemvor]

Be sure to file a complaint with the BBB and your state's Attorney General's office.

[Mark70]

I ordered an IPAC2 from Andy and had no real problems.  I did however give them my home address, and after UPS just left my controls sitting on the porch in a rainstorm, I didn't want to have any poblems with my IPAC.  I called DHL and asked them to hold the package at the local depot.  I got crappy customer service from them.  The web site was horrible and didn't work with my waybill #. I don't really like DHL, but it worked well. 

The IPACs were nicely packaged in bubble wrap and a brand new box with CD, so Andy's end of things were top notch.

I'm still waiting for DHL to send collections after me for the brokerage and duty.

[krick]

I've ordered twice from Andy at Ultimarc.  The first order had zero problems via DHL. The second package (also by DHL) was kind of beat up and some of the contents were actually poking through the cardboard box. Not sure if it was the rough handling, or thin cardboard, or both.  However when I contacted Andy, he hooked me up with replacement parts, no questions asked.  So I would definitely order from Andy again in a heartbeat.

[DrewKaree]

Flinkly, that's exactly what I thought.  When I tried to explain this to the customer service rep, she just kept repeating "Due to the logistics, it's not possible."  When I pressed a bit more, she totally threw me a curve with "Sir, we can't stop the delivery of all the packages on that flight so that we can reroute yours!"  Wha?!?!!?   

There's a rough sort done on these things so they go to a general location, then sorted finer to your more-specific area.  That may have been what she was talking about.  I'm guessing based on how UPS loaded stuff when I worked there, and some Discovery or some other such show like that when they did a show on FedEx.

[Brad]

My delivery from Andy via DHL arrived after about 2 weeks. They then held it is customs as they were unsure on what the parts were. The broker actually rang me to define what the parts were so they could understand wether to charge duty or not. After straightening that out they delivered it in 3 days. DHL then sent me an $80.00 bill for customs fees!!

I spoke to them and asked why I should be the fees when the government site clearly stated I didn't have too. DHL said that they'd paid it on my behalf and I therefore owed them. I countered with "it's hardly my fault you paid a bill you should never have paid" and hung up.

Avoid DHL like the plague. I'm unsure as to Andy's reason in using them given the issues people seem to have with them

Brad

[RayB]

My delivery from Andy via DHL arrived after about 2 weeks. They then held it is customs as they were unsure on what the parts were. The broker actually rang me to define what the parts were so they could understand wether to charge duty or not. After straightening that out they delivered it in 3 days. DHL then sent me an $80.00 bill for customs fees!!

$80?! What did you order, 10 ArcadeVGA cards??

Oh well. Im sorry to here DHL horror stories, for me I still prefer them over UPS. They only charge on average about $5-8 in brokerage fees. Very fair compared to UPS.

[Flinkly]

after reading all these posts, you all make it sound like andy might be involved.  yeah he sends dhl, but every carrier has problems.  it's like voting for a president, yeah, they all suck in different ways, but you've still got to try and make the best choice.

also, take these opinions with a grain of salt.  remember that your only gonna hear how dhl sucks, the people who like them aren't gonna bother to tell an uninteresting story about how their package arrived on time and in good shape, like all of mine.  oh, and i'm not on dhl paroll or anything, it just seems that your all grumpy about something not worth being grumpy about.  smell the roses.

[Roughy]

Heh...

http://www.rudeclerk.com/rudeStory.cfm?ID=53

Sounds like they've got a rep...  (DHL, that is)

[hypernova]

As someone who's worked in shipping, I prefer UPS.  We've used UPS since the inception of our company.  The only problems we've had are cases of chemicals being damaged to where some chemical is leaking out.  Which is understandable.  (We've since stopped shipping chemicals of any kind through UPS, no matter how small the order.)

DHL one day came in and offered us a nice new free computer to use them and their software and do a certain amount of business with them.  Well, they did NOT start out great.  First, it took over a month from the day we agreed to do so to finally get the computer and have it set up for us.  (They insisted on setting it up themselves, when I am perfectly capable of doing so.  Especially since I've built my own pcs.)
Then the day came when we FINALLY used them.  Guess what.  They didn't show up.  Didn't call.  Nothing.  We were supposed to be on a daily route.  Next day, we call them to find out what happened.  A likely story.  They had the wrong address.  Whatever.  Anywho, one of the things I REALLY dislike about DHL is their delivery trucks.  It's merely a gutted conversion van.  That's it.  No shelves, anything to separate or neatly arrange boxes.  They basically just toss your box in the back.  Nothing else they can really do, without any kind of system set up back there.  Conversely, UPS has a nice truck with shelves lining both sides of the truck, to keep things from crushing each other too much.  (Obviously you'll still have incidents.  Nobody's perfect.)  Well, we shipped daily from then on with them, but only two boxes or so.  Problem was, they wouldn't come at the same time every day.  One day they'd come at 4pm, then 2, then 3, then freaking 12 noon.  They should've been coming between 3 and 4.  We don't have the stuff ready until after 2 sometimes.  They couldn't get that through their heads.
Finally I did some comparisons.  After a month or so of using them daily, I checked rates to compare them to UPS.  Well, they still cost about even, usually a tad more.  I decided to stop using them then and there.  No benefits from DHL.

Someone said that UPS delivers to addresses without signatures.  So does DHL.  We actually got complaints from business customers about this when we used DHL.  Ironically, in all the time of UPS, we'd NEVER had a complaint about this.  I think EVERY small package company does this.

Anywho back to my story.  Since we stopped using them, we called them to take all their crap back.  A few months passed, and no one came for the pc.  I called them back, (left a message for our rep, she didn't answer.)  That was months ago as well.  It's been around a year now.  That pc is STILL sitting in a box.  Guess they don't want their pc.  I'll try one more time.  If no one picks up after a month, I'm gutting the thing and taking what I want.

Edit:  Oh, and one more thing.  In the one month we used them, their software failed to work like 3 times, so we couldn't give them anything that day.  Obviously a remote server of theirs was a little less than reliable. 

[CheffoJeffo]

Oh well. Im sorry to here DHL horror stories, for me I still prefer them over UPS. They only charge on average about $5-8 in brokerage fees. Very fair compared to UPS.

On a related note, I just got my bill from FedEx for the monitor I ordered from Happs ... $30 brokerage charge ... a new carrier to avoid.

Cheers.

[whatzcrackn]

ordered from andy twice.  Current order was placed on the 020606 and I got it today 020906.  DHL service.

What is this broker charge?  I have ordered from Andy and Happs and have not had this fee?

[Brad]

My delivery from Andy via DHL arrived after about 2 weeks. They then held it is customs as they were unsure on what the parts were. The broker actually rang me to define what the parts were so they could understand wether to charge duty or not. After straightening that out they delivered it in 3 days. DHL then sent me an $80.00 bill for customs fees!!

$80?! What did you order, 10 ArcadeVGA cards??

Oh well. Im sorry to here DHL horror stories, for me I still prefer them over UPS. They only charge on average about $5-8 in brokerage fees. Very fair compared to UPS.

That should have read customs duty. The government wanted to tax me on the parts. Despite me straightening out DHL BEFORE they released it, they still paid the duty when they shouldn't have then tried to get me to pay for their mistake. DHL = sucky

All I ordered was an AVGA, Minipac, buttons and a Video amp with cable.

The saga went on for 2 months.

[Luckydevil]

I've had great service and shipping time with Andy and DHL. The only time I have ever used DHL though was when I ordered from Andy.