DSColourLabs delivery delay

[AndWhyNot]

Just a word of warning to those who might be thinking about using DSColourLabs for their prints this season. Lots of people ( http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread... ) are experiencing delays with their deliveries, myself included, and DSCL continue to offer and charge for a next day service without any expectation of fulfilling it.

I ordered on Monday and paid £8 for next day courier. My stuff hasn't arrived yet and so far I haven't been able to get a tracking number to trace it in the delivery chain. They've also posted on their website (after I ordered) that there will be no refunds on postage services. Can't get through on the phone and enquiries by email are being handled with copy and paste at their end.

DSCL cite snow problems and high demand yet today's daily email from PhotoBox, for instance, still guarantees next day availability.

I've never had an issue with their quality of work or prices but their handling of this has left me seriously doubting their customer care.

Anyone else had similar or opposing experiences?

[Simpo Two]

My order with them was delayed but then it really was snowy and I hadn't paid for next-day service. Apart from their 80-option website which needed a call to a slightly grumpy member of staff* to figure out, it worked very well, prints looked very good and prices good too.

If they really are late because of weather then the fact it's delayed isn't their fault; your beef would be with the courier. Except that you can't complain to them because their contract is with DSC...

'Where are you?' he said
'At home in Essex sitting in front of the computer'
'No I meant where are you on the website?'

Edited by Simpo Two on Thursday 16th December 10:33

[AndWhyNot]

Simpo Two said:

If they really are late because of weather then the fact it's delayed isn't their fault; your beef would be with the courier. Except that you can't complain to them because their contract is with DSC...

Agreed, but they shouldn't still be accepting and charging for next day delivery if they know in advance they can't fulfill. My contract also is with DSC so I'll be pursuing them for a refund and they'll have to sort it out with their provider.

[andy-xr]

I think they're going on the basis of you getting it the next day after they've finished making it, so kinda correct assuming the couriers can deliver

[Pixel-Snapper]

Yes im having problems also.

I placed my order last monday after the snow had gone! I've used them 5-6 times now for differing size orders, and they have normally come next day once the order has been printed.

I received my email last tuesday saying that the order had been printed and gone out for delivery. I've now been waiting since then for the knock on the door.

I emailed them saying that it hadn't arrived and all I got back was the copy and paste email, saying that the snow has caused problems....fine I can understand that.....however, I ordered after the snow had gone...

[Pixel-Snapper]

Now been 14days and still no order.... Looks like my family wont be getting there presents.

[Simpo Two]

I can now drive to and from my house quite easily, and even two dustcarts got up here this morning on time as usual - but no sign of the milkman or postman.

I'm beginning to think that 'the weather' is being used a covering excuse for something else.

[Pixel-Snapper]

Not looking good...

Will they resend the order or even give me a refund is now in doubt also.

Edited by Pixel-Snapper on Tuesday 21st December 14:19

[cirks]

Simpo Two said:

and even two dustcarts got up here this morning on time as usual - but no sign of the milkman or postman.

Unlike us - no sign of dustcarts (they need the smallest of excuses not to come up our road), no HDNL vans but milkman and postie made it each day (postie in his shorts as usual!)

[ronj]

I ordered my prints on the 9th and they were sent out on the 10th ,still waiting.

Ron.

[jrampton]

HDNL are a nightmare, i used to use them for delivering our stuff and they managed to damage in some way 3 canvas orders that i posted out in a row !! Also parcels from them are almost always late as they use local man with a van type outfits that collect a load of stuff from the depot and then deliver as and when they feel like.

[cirks]

jrampton said:

HDNL are a nightmare

I was ready to slag them off even more after my comment yesterday morning but later in the day, the delivery guy parked the van on the main road at the bottom of our road and walked up it to drop the Amazon order off to us. So, shows that like most of these things, comes down to people more than the business in general!
Anyway, apologies to the OP for the thread going off track...

[Pixel-Snapper]

Managed to get through to speak to someone this morning from DSCL...

They had a "meeting" with Royal Mail and Citylink yesturday apparently, royal snail are saying that they have a back log of parcels still, well into the millions of packages, it could be the second week in Jan before they get through them. He said that this may or may not mean that my order will reach me by then. He then went on to say that they could resend the order but still cannot say when it will arrive......if at all!

[Simpo Two]

I had a problem with some DVD copies being delivered by Citylink a couple of weeks ago. First the box was 'in transit' for 3 days instead of one, then when the sender called them to find out they got shirty with her, then they swore the driver had rung the bell and no-one was in (I was in all day and can see anything that drives past). Mid-afternoon the van appeared and parked at the wrong end of the road - I went out and joined the driver in rummaging through the parcels in the back but we couldn't find mine. Just as I was heading back, he suddenly found it in the cabin. Had I not badgered him to look harder, he'd have driven off with it. But he was an Eastern European and had only started that week, doing his best.

I opnened the box and found that the shrink wrapping had burst, so the box had been dropped and I couldn't deliver them neatly. The sender kindly shipped me some spindle boxes and they took three days as well! Hence the whole very simple project was delayed by a week; fortunately the client didn't have a deadline.