rant about delivery of goods

[jackiew]

Just got home. Found while I was out my new windows had been delivered. Stegbar went through this big performance on the phone about how I didn't need to be there when they delivered the windows but they needed to know where to put them. So what do I find, the windows are propped up against the side of the house in full view of the street, the timber for sills etc stacked next to it and the invoice with my phone number and name on it just sat on the top.

A) why ask for delivery instructions if they were going to ignore them?
B) who would be liable if someone made off with the delivery? With half the street having building work done I bet anyone with enough front could have just lifted the lot as no-one would pay attention to someone walking up the street carrying building materials.
C) am I just paranoid thinking my phone number would be a good present for an opportunist burglar ... ring my phone on their mobile ... no answer ... break in?

[craigb]

I can see why you'd be annoyed.

Probably you've already done it but the first thing to do would be to give Stegbar an earfull.

I bet you'll find that they say that they subcrontract their deliveries.

If they had been thieved I doubt if you'd had an easy time getting restitution.

Presumably you had already paid for the items. I wonder if they'd have been quite so cavalier if the terms were COD. But of course they're not going to manufacture windows to order without some money up front.

I know it's beside the point, but at least no harm was done.

Cheers
Craig

[Eastie]

Last week I had a pack of sheet flooring delivered. Living in the hills the driveway isn’t exactly flat, but a decent vehicle mounted crane setup with a certified crane operator it isn’t too difficult to safely unload with limited projection.
Anyhow the truck arrives, the bloke sets the outriggers and rigs the pack. During the lift the pack swung around :rolleyes: (due to a major f-up in the rigging). The loads gravity shifted and became too much for the cranes hydraulics and the whole thing moved, uncontrolled, under its own weight towards the cab, driver and crane controls :eek: Thankfully one of our trees was in the way and took the full weight of the load, the boom and the truck which was now sitting on the driveway, outrigger and sole plate sunk 1 ½ feet deep and the trucks passenger side half a metre off the ground. If that wasn’t enough the load was still six foot off the ground with the hydraulics refusing to budge.
Seeing the truck teetering on the verge of going rubber side up I told the bloke to bleed the load down, to which was replied “I don’t know how”. At this point I picked up my jaw and informed the truck diver to disappear so I could sort the situation out, which wasn’t too difficult. All their drivers are now off to do their vehicle mounted crane certificate of competency and I’m in line for some at-cost discounts.

[silentC]

Jackie,

a) I've often wondered this myself. They never seem to pass them on. It's like when we order pizza - our house is a bit hard to find. We give them detailed directions when we ring in the order but they never get given to the driver and he always gets lost.

b) Once they're on site, they're your problem. In fact, if you hadn't paid for them up front and you refused to pay after they were delivered, it is actually illegal for them to come onto your property to recover them without your permission. Once delivered, they belong to you.

c) Regarding the phone number, they can get that from the phone book anyway unless it's unlisted but it would be nice to think that they would not leave it lying about for everyone to see.

[journeyman Mick]

If you're not there to sign for the delivery then any theft that occurs would really be their responsibility as thay have no proof that you recieved the goods. Of course, if you've already handed over the money you have to battlle the supplier. This is a good reason to either get materials on account or on a credit card. The credit card company will usually withold payment to a supplier if there is a dispute.

Mick

[bitingmidge]

Congratulations on getting a delivery from Stegbar!

About every ten years I give them another go. Last one was enough to see me through to retirement, and in this industry that is no mean feat! I think singularly the worst bit of service I have ever experienced, even down to the bit where after lengthy comedy of errors, I decided not to pay the $5,000 I owed until the bifold doors were adjusted properly, and all locks keyed alike as ordered.........after politely asking about 200 times, I started to think they didn't care.

FOUR MONTHS later, someone from their accounts department phoned to chase up the dough. TWO months later someone else phoned to say they were personally in charge of getting the things fixed..........eventually I hijacked a rep on another site who fixed the stuff overnight......

Ah well......

P

[Eastie]

A lot of delivery companies take a digital photo of the goods once they have been dropped off. That way if the goods are nicked or damaged after the driver leaves it's your problem.

Most people are sceptical about trusting delivery times/methods as too many people have been burnt in stuff being left in the wrong place, at the wrong address, not showing up on time or even worse taking time off work to be there to accept goods and the goods don’t show up at all.

Despite this I’m astonished that with building materials people expect absolute assurance that it will somehow be secure between time of delivery and when you get home? Would you think the same if it were a new tv worth the equivalent as your windows that was being dropped off? I’m guessing you wouldn’t instruct them to put it by the back door out of site - the chance of it being there after a couple of hours would be up there with the odds of Pharlap winning this years Melbourne Cup.

[craigb]

Yes but Mark I think the problem was that they delivered the stuff to Jackie outside of the time that had been arranged. At least that was my reading of the post.

[silentC]

A lot of delivery companies take a digital photo of the goods once they have been dropped off

What, like this?

[Eastie]

I took it that the claimant alleged the defendant didn't do as they were told(putting the windows on the roof or something), and the claimant took the "you don't need to be home" pill and swallowed it whole without consulting legal advice, thus opening a huge crack in the claimants case.

Ok - my healthy scepticism has turned ugly and I've become a cynical bastard. I'm off to become a hermit :rolleyes:

Mark, the cynical hermit.

[jackiew]

I'd only paid a 10% deposit on the goods so I wouldn't have been too far out of pocket although obviously I'd rather not be out of pocket at all. When the fitters arrived today they discovered that there wasn't enough architrave delivered ... which may meen it was delivered and went for a walk ... fortunately I had some long lengths I'd prepared earlier ( as in it has sat in my laundry for the past 6 months waiting for me to fit it round a doorway). I'm hoping that they come good with the promise to drop replacement off later ... and that that doesn't go for a walk either.

I'm still waiting for their delivery guys to ring me back so that I can deliver my comments in person rather than to their answerphone. Sigh ..... looks like another stroppy letter. Those of you who have been following my saga of the loft ladder will not be surprised to find that the fitter who is supposed to remedy the work has not contacted me yet ..... Maybe my telephone manner needs improvement as no-one wants to talk to me on the phone :-( So Attic Ladders of Melbourne are officially on my do not recommend list!

[craigb]

I took it that the claimant alleged the defendant didn't do as they were told(putting the windows on the roof or something), and the claimant took the "you don't need to be home" pill and swallowed it whole without consulting legal advice, thus opening a huge crack in the claimants case.

Ok - my healthy scepticism has turned ugly and I've become a cynical bastard. I'm off to become a hermit :rolleyes:

Mark, the cynical hermit.

Mark,
I just went back and re-ead Jackie's original post and I see that it is me that has the wrong end of the stick (no surprises there then). :(

Craig