Parcelfarce Rant

Correct, the Post Office does not own Parcelfarce but they are both part of the Royal Mail Group and it is the Royal Mail that Meddlesome was looking at selling. So, Parcelfarce would be part of that.

I love the fact that you have faith that they give a damn. I have had dozens of problems in the last 5 years. At least 80% of my parcels do not make it on time. When I have complained the attitude has been 'it's the Government's fault for not giving us enough money and the offices are too small to handle parcels!' Depite complaints to the regulators I have never had even a half-hearted apology.

Ouch! Is it not repairable?

I thought the DA* lenses were 'pro' spec and should perhaps withstand hard knocks.

As an aside, but related thought, we ordered a bottle of whisky as a 50th birthday present for a very good friend in Sweden.

He received it three months late after it had been to Swaziland and Switzerland.

The courier, who else but the Royal Mail....

I did ring them back and after some discussion said if it arrives back at Cambridge overnight they would deliver today (Sat) as it was their mistake
Just had a look and it says out for delivery, not that important, but could have been and that's why you pay extra for the guaranteed 24hr service.
One thing I would say is the RMSD service is excellent,unlike this one from PF

Feel very bad moaning though because my late father was a postie, sorry Dad

I used Special Delivery last week. Posted on Friday and did not want to pay the extra for a Saturday delivery. However, it was delivered on the Saturday!

From experience SD is a better service than Parcelfarce - and for small items such as lenses, grips, books &c actually cheaper.

I live in a very rural location and I have to say in defence of the Post Office they are excellent.
Six months ago, I ordered three special black-out blinds from Velux, very expensive, coming from Scotland, four days delivery quoted from company, (private courier) ten days later telephoned company, dispatched on same day I ordered. After 20 days, the company dispatched more blinds (and claim off the courier), which arrived two days later (Royal Mail). Four months later, knock at the door, the post man, found the first blinds in the next valley over and recognized our name and brought them over.
Wait till Meddlesome does privatized the post office and you have private contractors throwing parcels (Pentax Lenses) out of the back of their vans, they will not care. Just claim it on the insurance they will say.

Quick update

No show again, for some weird reason they kept it back for collection, totally confused now

Rang the depot and supposedly will be delivered Monday, we shall see?

Getting to the point where I don't really care anymore and wished I hadn't bothered buying the new lens

For Parcelforce read Parcelfarce, absolutely useless. Waste of time and space if you see them on the road they are probably lost. THEY DON`T HAVE A CLUE. I ordered items from SRS and from Warehouse Express. They could not find my house despite delivering before. I tracked through the tracking number gave the idiot behind the counter this info who had had to put his cigarette out to serve me. He gave me the package, I complained and he said it was a new driver but the time showed as 1645 so I can only guess the real answer. After complaining to customer service and asking for compensation by some miracle my parcel from WE arrived no real apology or explanation. Anyway you think Parcelfarce are bad the first lens I ordered from WE I had to collect from Business Express, they couldn`t find it. It took over an hour before they located it. I was advised by a fellow in the queue not to complain or when they did find it they would kick it around the warehouse. I wonder how he knew! If you think that`s a challenge the TNT driver that delivers to my work place will if they are in his way on his truck throw them from one end to the other but only if labelled fragile. It`s nothing short of miraculous when we receive complete undamaged goods.

Cedric

Quick update,turned up this afternoon and about time too.

Now all I need is the time to get out and take some photos, pity my day isn't quite as lengthy as Parcefarce's 24 hours

Well, as the saying goes "Everything comes to those who wait"

Now go and enjoy.

Lot to be said for going and buying from a Local Dealer.

shim

And where would I find one worthy of the name within 10 miles? Nice if you live in a city not practical if you don't.

I think the Royal Mail is wonderful they serve me very well and I'm pretty rural.

Mike

I am very rural mikew, my nearest large town, so to speak of, is 32 miles away, so 64 mile round trip. Having said that, there is a Pentax Pro dealer there and they are superb, good service, knowledgeable, don't always stock everything, but will get it for you to look at within days and I would not shop anywhere else for Pentax products.

Fair enough. I'd probably have to go to Birmingham to do that and I'm not sure it would be worth it. Along with everyone else I find SRS to be very helpful.

If I were switching brands mind you then I think I'd go along and hold the kit. I was lucky that I bought Pentax on the basis of bang for bucks and it was also OK to hold and use!

Mike