Couriers: Am I the only one having problems???

Smokey_Robinson

Smokey_Robinson

Experienced Vaper
LV
35
 
Joined
22/10/14
Posts
300
Awards
20
Age
46
Location
Kakamas, Northern Cape
I'm tagging the guys that have bought recently from me, so they can be involved and informed, @Grand Guru , @Saintjie , @Finn-pop-soda , @Dooky , @Enursha .

So I stopped vaping and decided to sell the stuff I mostly got from this same forum. Only issue is, staying in a rural town. No postnet, nearest one is 70km away, so that brings in additional R150-200 petrol costs on the suv. Paxi from Pep clearly states no tobacco related products, plus I have heard of a few parcels that has been damaged badly, opened or just plain lost. Post Office this side is nightmare everyday with Sassa payments, never mind standing in a line where social distancing protocols are neglected, I had a heart attack 2years ago, little obese, and level 2 insulin resistant, and hitting almost 45, not good stats if you are trying to sidestep the virus from the east. So I phoned most of the big courier companies from Klerksdorp, Skynet, Courier guy etc. Give them estimates on smallest to largest packages. They quote me from R170 -230. So the delivery costs almost equals the item I'm selling....not gonna work. So find out there is a locker system in town from DSV courier, flat fee of R110 and delivery within 8 working days, and in mayor centers it says 3days.
I sold a fly rod on the 26th of last month to a guy in Amamzimtoti/Durban area, using Courier guy (guy was willing to pay R180 bucks, but then again it was a R1300 rod). Guy notified me yesterday he received it, so little more than 2 weeks. I ordered some fly tying stuff from a oke in Pretoria area, he was using skynet, I waited 3weeks for my delivery.
So far, the 1st parcel I have send through DSV locker system reads as follows: drop of at collection point in town: 1st Oct................dropped off at klerksdorp locker 5 Oct, scanned and taken for collection at klerksdorp locker: 6Oct. And then nothing. The buyer did contact them and it seems it will be delivered this week, it has moved from klersdorp to one of their mayor hubs, so there is movement.
So at this stage it seems best scenario is 2weeks and worse is 3weeks. Paying more is no guarantee for much more improved delivery speed, not from this side anyways, except if you are a big company, I order from takealot and 5working days...wholla. I phoned them today, because some of the parcels have not showed up on the system, which I dropped on thurday, locally. I phoned them twice, and they come back with, I need to be patient, they are sorry and they are busy with it. There is a backlog on hubs and updating the systems online.
I mean, as seller this reflects poorly on me, as money is paid for a service. They say things are like this, due to covid, and protocols that also places extra pressure.
I just wanted to know if anyone else is experiencing the same, or is this due to me in this rural town??? I still have a Vaporesso Lux mod for sale, but seriously opting to remove it, or charge more for taking it to klerksdorp to drop at postnet....
 
I've used the DSV lockers many times and all but one time I had great success in doing so. Okay, I do stay in Pretoria, but I have sent to rural towns before (the main reason for using it actually vs TCG, etc. due to their costs). Now the one time it was a delivery from Pta to Jhb and it took almost 2 weeks. Had the same issue of this excuse and that, but true to what they said, it was during the lockdown period so they were slightly overwhelmed, but in general I've only had good service from them.

The latest lockers I'm using is PUDO, operated by TCG, even cheaper than the DSV ones, though you need to parcel and package your own thing, unlike DSV they do not provide packaging. Sending something to a rural town in Western Cape cost me R50 versus R290... Sent three times using them and was very quick indeed.
 
I also live very remote and those are also the prices I get. 2 things I don't think Pep cares anymore about tobacco and have forgotten to change the slips, as I get vape stuff paxi all the time. Second thing is use rush.co.za get courier quotes from them they include guys like the courier guy and the big wigs but it's on their account and is much cheaper!! Still a penny because we are so remote, but at least R60 cheaper than normal prices :)
 
Thanks guys for the info and help. But damage is done, parcels already send and now the buyers need to be patient....but now I know I'm not the only one suffering.
 
Parcel from the UK shipped internationally via Parcelforce, tracking ended a week ago with "Exported from Country".... upon asking them today what the status is, I got an outdated auto response boiling down to the tobacco ban and they cannot comfirm that the shipment can be completed. They knew where it was going to before they shipped it, why accept the shipment in the first place... so it's not just locally, its internationally a problem too.
 
Since we're talking about couriers, the worst for small towns are DSV (I nearly said DSTV!) and Fastway, which should be renamed Slow-way. I live in a small town and I've never waited more than 2 or, at the most 3, days for a delivery from any of the other couriers.

I can not believe that a local (i.e. SA) would take 2 or 3 weeks, irrespective of where it is being sent from or to. It's absolutely unacceptable. During lockdown there was a good reason and after online sales opened again the couriers were indeed rushed off their feet, but now??

Vasbyt @Smokey_Robinson and all your buyers!
 
Bottom line is every courier in out of the way places suck. Those places are serviced by small private setups and they range from OK to really KAK!
 
I use TCG only I have not had any problems with them I have seen people that hate them and have had terrible experience with TCG.
And recently I used Aramex and what a nice option, you go to a pick n pay and buy a bag from the money market and diy the delivery note, items in the bag drop it in the box and it gets delivered to the persons door for R99, Thanks @Mujahid Padayachy Maybe be a option for you @Smokey_Robinson.
But like @Grand Guru said we all know that delivery is not all ways a nice thing to deal with.
 
Dreadside said:
I use TCG only I have not had any problems with them I have seen people that hate them and have had terrible experience with TCG.
And recently I used Aramex and what a nice option, you go to a pick n pay and buy a bag from the money market and diy the delivery note, items in the bag drop it in the box and it gets delivered to the persons door for R99, Thanks @Mujahid Padayachy Maybe be a option for you @Smokey_Robinson.
But like @Grand Guru said we all know that delivery is not all ways a nice thing to deal with.
Click to expand...
It’s all well and good until one of your parcels gets misrouted or lost somehow... I think mishaps do occur with all courier companies. Talking about Aramex, they have no after sales service whatsoever...
 
@Smokey_Robinson I see you in Viljoenskroon. I once swopped gear with @JulianJulian who also is from there. He used the Aramex and the local Pick n Pay. Aramex was normally 2-3 days max but this time the delivery took 2 weeks. Aramex didn't even have it logged on their system even after it was delivered. Outlaying areas are a hassle and sometimes bigger courier companies use smaller 3rd party couriers to fetch their parcels from these towns and as a result never shows up on tracking. That specific parcel was tracked successfully on the 3rd party courier site that Aramex used but even aramex themselves couldn't tell me where it was. I had to call the pick n pay store manager, she then gave me info on which 3rd party company came to fetch from the aramex bin(the store keeps a copy of this waybill). It was the only way I found some info.
 
Ruwaid said:
@Smokey_Robinson I see you in Viljoenskroon. I once swopped gear with @JulianJulian who also is from there. He used the Aramex and the local Pick n Pay. Aramex was normally 2-3 days max but this time the delivery took 2 weeks. Aramex didn't even have it logged on their system even after it was delivered. Outlaying areas are a hassle and sometimes bigger courier companies use smaller 3rd party couriers to fetch their parcels from these towns and as a result never shows up on tracking. That specific parcel was tracked successfully on the 3rd party courier site that Aramex used but even aramex themselves couldn't tell me where it was. I had to call the pick n pay store manager, she then gave me info on which 3rd party company came to fetch from the aramex bin(the store keeps a copy of this waybill). It was the only way I found some info.
Click to expand...

Hi and thanks @Ruwaid. I have also send them an email with all the info requesting information. Them being the local stationary shop where I had dropped of the parcels. Going directly to DSV has helped nothing, so hoping this route gets results. Will not use them or DSV again!
 
NecroticAngel said:
I also live very remote and those are also the prices I get. 2 things I don't think Pep cares anymore about tobacco and have forgotten to change the slips, as I get vape stuff paxi all the time. Second thing is use rush.co.za get courier quotes from them they include guys like the courier guy and the big wigs but it's on their account and is much cheaper!! Still a penny because we are so remote, but at least R60 cheaper than normal prices :)
Click to expand...

Ok so I did a test run on rush.co.za. Came up to R159 vat excluded so should be about R170. R60 more and maybe a more reliable option i.t.o. speed? Anyone else used this service in rural towns. O yes, the cheapest qoute was from TCG
 
Ok feedback.
@Grand Guru they promise me your be with you this afternoon or tomorrow.

@Saintjie and @Finn-pop-soda yours is currently in JHB hub and scanned it, delivery time they don't want to commit to as yet.

@Enursha they had a breakdown from Klerksdorp and only had it at their hub yesterday so give another 2 days before on system.

@Dooky yours still at shop because I handed in yesterday :)
 
Smokey_Robinson said:
Ok so I did a test run on rush.co.za. Came up to R159 vat excluded so should be about R170. R60 more and maybe a more reliable option i.t.o. speed? Anyone else used this service in rural towns. O yes, the cheapest qoute was from TCG
Click to expand...
Yeah but it's cheaper than booking with tcg direct :)
 
Couriers globally are all over the place at the moment, stuff from the states is being rerouted to dubai and then SA. A lot of people I know who custom fabricate stuff for people locally have been having issues with The courier guy, but people from business who have probably larger accounts have had no issues.
 
Ruwaid said:
@Smokey_Robinson I see you in Viljoenskroon. I once swopped gear with @JulianJulian who also is from there. He used the Aramex and the local Pick n Pay. Aramex was normally 2-3 days max but this time the delivery took 2 weeks. Aramex didn't even have it logged on their system even after it was delivered. Outlaying areas are a hassle and sometimes bigger courier companies use smaller 3rd party couriers to fetch their parcels from these towns and as a result never shows up on tracking. That specific parcel was tracked successfully on the 3rd party courier site that Aramex used but even aramex themselves couldn't tell me where it was. I had to call the pick n pay store manager, she then gave me info on which 3rd party company came to fetch from the aramex bin(the store keeps a copy of this waybill). It was the only way I found some info.
Click to expand...
Aramex is a LOT slower,and I did talk to there company manager multiple times but athey only replied that we are situated in a outlaying area and its the primary cause of delays! :(
 
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