Wheelcourier.com - A Cautionary Tale

[br1anstorm]

A lot of us Lexus owners seem to want to change or upgrade our wheels. I was one of them! eBay is of course a good source of alternative wheels. But wherever you get them from, chances are you may have to arrange for a courier to collect/deliver them. This is a warning based on my experience.

My first encounter with wheelcourier.com was good. Their quote for shipping a set of four wheels was more attractive than anyone else I had found. I placed the order online via their site, the wheels were collected as arranged, and they arrived safely. I was impressed.

But then came my second encounter. I had bought another set of four wheels and tyres from a Lexus owner in NW England, and needed them delivered to me in Scotland. I booked the collection and delivery via wheelcourier.com. All four wheels were collected (in two packages) from the seller on the agreed date. A couple of days later... just one package, containing only two wheels, arrived.

I emailed wheelcourier.com, and got a reply assuring me that the other package with the remaining two wheels, would arrive "next day". It didn't. Nor - despite further email exchanges - did it arrive the following week. So I started investigating, using the barcode and other details on the one package that did arrive. This revealed an interesting story. Briefly summarised:

• - wheelcourier had "subcontracted" the shipping order to a firm called P4D;
  
• - P4D had in fact placed the order with DHL Domestic, now merged with Home Delivery Network and known as Yodel;
  
• - Yodel's online tracking showed that both packages had been collected, and that one had been delivered, but that the other was - supposedly - at their Manchester depot
  

I spoke to Yodel's callcentre, who refused to trace the missing package, saying they could only do so if asked by the company which placed the delivery order.

I spoke to P4D, who were very helpful, and launched an investigation with Yodel which revealed that the package was "missing". But P4D correctly advised me that I should pursue my enquiries with Wheelcourier, since I had placed the order through them.

I informed Wheelcourier by email, and got a reply saying that the investigation would take "up to six weeks".

Since then I have had regular emails from P4D, informing me of the further searches they had instigated with Yodel and eventually advising that there was no alternative but to make a claim (via Wheelcourier). Meanwhile I have sent three very polite emails to Wheelcourier, giving all details and asking for their assistance in pursuing and settling the claim (NB Wheelcourier's own site says they provide insurance on all orders).

I have had no replies or further contact of any kind from Wheelcourier - just complete silence.

On the other hand, P4D have been exceptionally helpful and have taken up the case and the claim (which has to be pursued against Yodel) even though I did not originally place the order through them.

I am still awaiting the outcome of this process. The time taken to find out what has happened to the missing package, and who was responsible, meant that the 45-day limit for raising the issue via PayPal (through whom I paid Wheelcourier for the original shipping order) has passed. So it looks as if I cannot recoup what I paid Wheelcourier for their - failed - delivery service.

The moral of the story, and the message to others, is - don't rely on wheelcourier.com. Their rates may be attractive, and they may be OK when things go well. But they are in effect an agency or intermediary, and it is clear that when things go wrong, they simply wash their hands and walk away.

The other message from my experience - at least so far - is that P4D are very impressive: their customer service has (so far) been excellent and even though they are strictly not obliged by any contract to assist me, they have proved very helpful.

I'd be happy to give further details to anyone interested. Perhaps other forum members could post their experiences (good or bad) and advice on which courier firms to use or avoid.