Deliveries by DHL

[Nick Fiddes]

As has been much remarked here, we know many of you guys dislike Fedex. (Please let's not rehash the reasons here... it's all there in previous threads!)

We've recently been offered a deal by DHL which is now competitive with Fedex on price but offers us other administrative advantages. So we're giving them a trial, which will involve sending a couple of packages a day with them to see how their service compares in practice.

So, if you're thinking of placing an order with us and would prefer to get delivery by DHL, please just specify this on your order and it will be done.

Also, if anyone has particular experiences about DHL they'd like to share, we'd be interested. Feel free to PM me off-list if you prefer.

Thanks

Nick

[JS Sanders]

To be perfectly blunt...

The few deliveries I've received via DHL were so totally screwed up it was beyond my comprehension to understand how they remain in business. If DHL is my only choice for delivery, I'll forego that product altogether.

The most recent was a Dell computer with a two day guaranteed DHL delivery. When I checked my DHL order status at their website, it indicated the delivery had been made multiple times and no one was at my address to accept it. That was not true. No one would answer e-mails either.

After three weeks of no computer and literally no one answering their telephone, I canceled the order with Dell.

Another week passed, and guess who showed up at my door with a computer - on a Sunday?

Try googling "DHL complaints". If you think UPS or FedEx generates a beau coup of angry entries, wait'll you read about DHL.

From what I've learned, DHL has bitten off a greater bite than it can chew because of its unprepared expansion into the US market. All this is so peculiar since DHL is a German owned company.

Slainte,
steve

[Nick Fiddes]

Maybe I should rephrase my question, into is there ANY delivery company that the consensus likes?

The reality of course is that we've all suffered at the hands of companies we will never do business with again. Your feedback is noted! But I'm sure you'll appreciate that in contracting with service suppliers, we have to seek the 'least worst' aggregate evidence, rather than be swayed by individual experiences, however traumatic. That's why we've stuck with Fedex until now, as our objective experience is that they're no worse than most. And that's why we're trialling DHL, to discover their actual hit rate with delivering our particular stuff reliably to our particular customers. We'll end up with the best compromise, hopefully.

[cessna152towser]

I have had two recent deliveries of mail order purchases via DHL, to my address in Scotland, one being computer stuff from England and the other a kilt from Wales. The computer stuff arrived the day following despatch but the kilt took about a week to work its way through their system. Both packages arrived undamaged and the delivery driver was courteous and friendly.

[James MacMillan]

I have seen no appreciable difference with the things delivered to me by DHL and FedEx. For me as the receiver of items they have (so far) been the same. In the US, DHL is a new-comer and they are still trying to gain some market share. With that in mind, they seem to be offering deals.

Doing a side by side comparison (by a single party - and only on-line) the difference between DHL and FedEx seem to be negligable.

[JerseyLawyer]

Since Dell started using DHL, I've gotten quite a few deliveries from them, and haven't had any problems, save once where they claimed to have attempted delivery and I knew I was home at the time.

Otherwise, though, they seem to have done okay by me.

[James MacMillan]

By the way Nick - The link in your tag-line to Kilt-Store doesn't work for me.

[Nick Fiddes]

Thanks James - I'm just about to change it anyway! All will be revealed in the next couple of days...

[ForresterModern]

Although not a retail merchant I have both sent and recieved numerous shipments via DHL and absolutely have had no problems with them in any way. They are convenient for me to use to ship things out, less expensive than Fedex for most stuff I ship, and nobody I have sent things to has ever had a complaint. I guess we will find out with your test of their services if they are any more reasonable with their international shipments than Fedex is with their customs fees.

DHL in most cases actually is my preferred method of shipping when I am shipping out, and I don't have any problems with recieving stuff from them either.

Hope this helps.

fm

[Lyrd]

DHL is a franchise operation in the US. They operate primarily with the Airborne infrastructure because they bought them out last year. Because they are franchise your experience may vary depending on where you live.

Marc
DHL route manager