in a chestnut pickle

Hi all, need some advice on how to proceed with the following:

I asked a fair few people on "woodlots" to supply me with 250 sweet chestnut fenceposts, and went with one that seemed reasonable in price and said he'd be happy to put them on pallets for me. I need them on pallets asthat way I could get them collected by a normal courier and still be within budget.

Not many people were happy to do this, the usual reply was:"no mate, we're in Kent/Sussex/Surrey/Hampshire and can't deliver to you (Lincs), even after I'd said I could arrange collection if they were palletised.

When they were ready for collection, I payed via BACS as I am a self-employed person myself and know how much stress it can give to have to wait for your money. I was told they were on two pallets and he'd had to make up a framework on the pallets to keep them safe, £15 extra.

I booked the courier for collection last wednesday only to be phoned yesterday (thursday) by the courier that they'd been unable to pick up as the one pallet fell apart when they tried to lift it, and the other they thought not safe to move as they need to move them a few times in between there (E Sussex) and here. They'd been in contact with the supplier and he'd agreed to re-pack them onto three pallets ready for collection today (friday)

The couriers (pallet-line) have been really good about it, esp when I explained that I was already paying for 4 pallet-spaces to accomodate the 6ft wide pallets. They agreed to collect them with no extra fee charged as they could almost fit the three pallets in the 4 spaces I paid for.

Just got called by the couriers that they tried to collect, the 3rd pallet is not a pallet, it's a stack of posts held by balertwine on two blocks, the other two have not changed and could not be moved by their driver with his pallet-truck. Both the driver and the person I dealt with tried to phone the guy several times but no answer, the driver tried for about 40 minutes (on a friday afternoon, sterling effort old chap!) to get hold of him/get the pallets moved but in the end had to give in to the luring calls of cold beer from his mrs.

Again the couriers are being really good, and will try and collect yet again on monday, providing the posts are strapped in some way to three actual pallets.

What do I do, I don't think the supplier quite understands what a pallet is? I've paid him and need the posts to erect a 1000m of stockfence but don't have any faith left in their ability to supply.

Any suggestions welcome

get a new supplier, they are iether dumb or lazy, maybe both!

get a new supplier, they are iether dumb or lazy, maybe both!

Quite agree, but in the mean-time I've paid for these ones already. I'd have thought it pretty obvious i'll never use them again it's the now that's the issue.

Sorry but he sounds like he's a total waste of space.

Personally I'd go and pick them up myself but this may not be possible.

Give him a call and ask what the ruddy hell's going on!!

he's 200 miles away. If he were a bit closer he would not be standing up to hear me tell him off. I've tried to call but no answer.

I also have paid for the courier, and seeing the amount of effort they've put in so far I'll not got a refund if I'd go myself, that's £250 gone. I can't afford that and having to drive 400 miles myself= a full day + fuel etc.

This is what I'd do. Apologise to the courier and tell them you'll have to sort it out yourself. You may get some refund from them.

Get myself down to the suppliers yard for 7.30am, load up, give him a roasting and get back home for midday.

Put it down to experience and never recommend him to anyone.

I would ask for a refund, no ifs buts or maybes, your supplier to also refund courier costs.

you would be well within your rights i reckon.

I would ask for a refund, no ifs buts or maybes, your supplier to also refund courier costs.

 

you would be well within your rights i reckon.

I could ask, and am probably legally right to do so, but consideriing the inadequacy of the supplier and their attitude towards their customer I very much doubt I'd get any money out of them.

As far as the courier refund is concerned , It is in no way their fault or responsibility, they've already done far more than their legal and moral duty.

Also, as I've arranged for the courier to pick up, rather than them having arranged to send them I do not think I have the legal right to a refund for the courier from the supplier. Moral, yes but it seems he has none.

If they can't be collected on monday I'll try to arrange something else but am not sure what. I could go and pick them up, but I'll still be taking a hit on the courier and the costs of me getting them. I don't know how I'd be getting any sort of money out of them.

You could make a saving, albeit minor, by rather than going and collecting them, going in something small, with low fuel costs, and arranging to meet the courier there.

If you took the necessary to pack them properly for collection, say a couple of pallets, some wire, cutters and something to tension it with (I presume you have this as you're planning on using the posts for fencing) then you could at least guarantee pick-up would be achieved, both for yourself and the courier.

I reckon the fuel costs for a 400 mile round trip in a small hatchback would be about £60 and even if you can't borrow one they're only £35/day to hire (round my way anyway), so whilst it would cost you an extra, say £100, plus the time, it would at least be a certainty, with the added bonus that, once everything was safely loaded and the courier had driven off, you could express your opinion directly to the bloke in whatever terms you thought appropriate!

Alec

what was your budget on posts as it sounds like it would of been easier to use a larger supplier like jacksons,torry hill etc who charge a bit more but supply nationally. who is supplying the posts?