Amazon

[Giantt]

How much are they making, costing in insurance claims?.That they can afford to have the vans driven in a manner that leaves every side panel bashed,creased scratched?
Watched one,from a distance, yesterday couldn't even perform a simple left turn without crunching up over the kerb

[WarrenB]

I've often wondered this. One driver turned up with a 5 day old Transit with a huge gouge down the side. Asked what happened, he just shrugged his shoulders and said drivers have to pay the same excess whether it's a small scratch or the van is written off.

[yellowbentines]

I'm often in traffic with scores of them returning along the motorway to the Glasgow depot in the evening - and I've never seen a van without damage, and most have multiple dings, scratches, dents, trim missing - way worse than DPD, DHL, UPS, Royal Mail.

Makes you think that Amazon can't be particularly strict with their drivers in their ability to drive and to look after their vehicle.

Also makes you wonder about all the other vehicles, buildings, posts, poles or whatever was hit to cause all the damage - does much of it get reported or is hit and run the favoured tactic

[reddiesel]

In my opinion Amazon make so much money they care as little as their Drivers do . What I do often wonder is the effect of any claims by Amazon upon the rest of our Insurance Premiums . If the Insurance Companies are saying that Events such as the Luton Airport Car Park fire will increase Premiums then surely the incompetence of Georgi from Romania will be doing likewise

[Djtemeka]

They probably don’t claim on every little ding

[sherman]

There is that many dings on the high top transits from amazon round here I was beginning to think that the depot was built too low for the current vans and they all clip the same overhang on the way out.

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

It's the same with Royal Mail - try and find a van of theirs that isn't brand spanking new that does not have a large ding or scrape on it.

[Glenn63]

Matt_E_Mulsion said:

It's the same with Royal Mail - try and find a van of theirs that isn't brand spanking new that does not have a large ding or scrape on it.

I drive hgv’s for Royal Mail, I few weeks back a postie drove his Royal Mail van into my Royal Mail hgv…. Special offer 2 for 1 vehicles off the road.

[Venisonpie]

I would think they are only 3rd party insured, many large fleets are. I ran one for a national retailer and even back in 2010 ish the annual premium for 110 traction vehicles/180 trailers was over £300k p/a on this basis.

I subsequently worked for a national bus operator where the excess on any claim was £250k..

[Billybob_55]

yellowbentines said:

I'm often in traffic with scores of them returning along the motorway to the Glasgow depot in the evening - and I've never seen a van without damage, and most have multiple dings, scratches, dents, trim missing - way worse than DPD, DHL, UPS, Royal Mail.

Makes you think that Amazon can't be particularly strict with their drivers in their ability to drive and to look after their vehicle.

Also makes you wonder about all the other vehicles, buildings, posts, poles or whatever was hit to cause all the damage - does much of it get reported or is hit and run the favoured tactic

We have the bathgate and Newbridge vans parks in out yard in bathgate and we play a game of how many we see with no damage. Half of them all boy racers flying about with thier phones in front of there faces not giving a fk.

We actually brought 90% of the 71 palte transits to scotland and ones we delivered were fked within a week.

Think we have taken 6 back down south that we're damaged beyond repair. One of thier designated bodyshops have a 9 month backlog of just amazon vans to be repaired.

I do however belive ford has now refused sale/lease of vans to amazon and soon will see 24 plate Mercedes sprinter vans for amazon (yip) there's a stockpile of Mercedes sprinter amazon vans in royal Portbury dock in Bristol awaiting rolling out for delivery

[reddiesel]

That's fascinating to read Billybob . I remember how hard I grafted in the early days of building my little business , buying all sorts of crap vehicles till you slowly get on your feet . Of course the Banks would never lend as I had no proven track record so it was red diesel and all the usual ducking and diving .
I look at the state of these Brand New Amazon Vans and it makes me really upset which I am a bit embarrassed to admit . Of course sooner or later they will be tarted up and sold to some unsuspecting bloke perhaps starting a small Business just like myself all those years back and suddenly we have come full circle .

[Tractor Driver]

I do however belive ford has now refused sale/lease of vans to amazon and soon will see 24 plate Mercedes sprinter vans for amazon (yip) there's a stockpile of Mercedes sprinter amazon vans in royal Portbury dock in Bristol awaiting rolling out for delivery
[/quote]


Guess it would depend on the operational model. If Amazon are buying Transits outright, why would Ford refuse to sell them more? A shabby Transit isn’t a poor reflection on Ford, just on the driver or operator.

If Amazon are leasing from Ford, I’d imagine they’re sick of vehicles being returned at the end of the lease period in a pretty shambolic state of repair. Presumably Amazon get charged for damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, but it must be costing Ford a fortune to get them ship shape.

[Little Lofty]

Many of the Amazon vans are operated by private couriers, Amazon don’t own the vans, they are more like a franchise, they are driven by some shocking drivers though. I think they employ anyone willing to give it ago, and obviously offer no training in what are quite large vans, they also take the piss with their dreadful parking.

[Giantt]

'best' yet? State of that

[Its Just Adz]

Half the problem is they are driven by youngsters with not much experience. That added to the face they are constantly pissing about with their phone for deliveries is gonna equal trouble.

[Little Lofty]

My local Ford dealer has a one way system so to get out you have to drive all the way past the workshops at the rear of the dealership, I counted 9 Amazon vans parked up, all smashed to bits. I wonder why other couriers don’t have the same problem, bizarre.

[b0rk]

Tractor Driver said:

Guess it would depend on the operational model. If Amazon are buying Transits outright, why would Ford refuse to sell them more? A shabby Transit isn’t a poor reflection on Ford, just on the driver or operator.

If Amazon are leasing from Ford, I’d imagine they’re sick of vehicles being returned at the end of the lease period in a pretty shambolic state of repair. Presumably Amazon get charged for damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, but it must be costing Ford a fortune to get them ship shape.

Amazon logistics have IIRC negotiated a bulk deals with the manufacturers and a finance house. The Ford one are I believe funded by Ford, Mercedes are funding the Sprinters and one of major funders are behind the various Chinese origin EV vans.

As you say if Ford have bailed it’ll be the shear number coming back in a substandard state costing them more than expected to bring upto standard for resale.

The drivers whilst independent contractors get the branded van via Amazon as a condition of the contract. Amazon don’t want loads of white generic vans running around dropping off their packages, or contractors trying to run multiple networks at the same time.

[reddiesel]

Its interesting hearing about this Cost of bringing these damaged vans up to a level that's fit for resale to another buyer . I recently came across exactly this when I visited the Mercedes Dealership in Derby attempting to buy a flat bed Sprinter . To sell these damaged vehicles with an Approved Warranty is costing these dealerships a fortune in time and money . So much so that many Dealerships are reluctant to bid in the internal Mercedes Auctions .

[yellowbentines]

reddiesel said:

Its interesting hearing about this Cost of bringing these damaged vans up to a level that's fit for resale to another buyer

And the savvy onward buyer will know that there's a high chance that a 3yr old van in a specific colour with black wheels, in a specific body shape, is highly likely to be ex Amazon and had a very very hard life.

[geeks]

yellowbentines said:

reddiesel said:

Its interesting hearing about this Cost of bringing these damaged vans up to a level that's fit for resale to another buyer

And the savvy onward buyer will know that there's a high chance that a 3yr old van in a specific colour with black wheels, in a specific body shape, is highly likely to be ex Amazon and had a very very hard life.

I view that as Darwin but for vans, anything tough enough to survive all that and still be roadworthy deserves to pass that onto its van offspring