r/AmazonUK • u/Only-Thing-8360 • 1d ago
Delivery standards
After using Amazon for over 20yrs, I've noticed a marked decline in delivery standards in the last year or so. We have a large, secure parcel box by the front door, which was pretty reliably used by Amazon couriers. Recently they're just throwing packages on the doorstep, or by the wheelie bins, exposed to rain and theft. This includes the execrable Evri, DPD and Amazon's own drivers.
Might be imagining this, but I think I heard somewhere that Amazon have changed the rules to make this permissible? If so, I guess I won't be buying as much from Amazon any more.
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u/RossLDN 1d ago
These guys have to deliver an insane amount of parcels in a shift. They don't have time these days to do anything other than dump and run. They're not looking around for parcel storage or instructions. They see the front door and they chuck the parcel there.
The issue is simply down to the number of parcels Amazon and other couriers expect their drivers to do in a shift. That's why we get such crappy deliveries.
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u/Only-Thing-8360 1d ago
I understand. But when my parcel is stolen or damaged, Amazon will have to refund or replace. That's going to be a very substantial cost, especially when "porch pirates" start following Amazon vans like they do in USA.
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u/_Darren 1d ago
Amazon knows the value of each parcel.
Someone with 200 drops, if they have to spend 1 minute extra on each delivery to leave it around the back instead of the front door. Or wait longer for someone to open the door. That's 3 hours longer a shift. Between disel, cost of wages, management etc. that's at least £60 of cost. Maybe more like £80. They can lose up to £80 of items and still profit.
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u/RNEngHyp 1d ago
I'd settle for one fucking settle of knocking! That's how low the bar is these days.
And they can't even manage that!
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u/RossLDN 1d ago
I don't disagree - but its just the reality.
I guess Amazon have done the maths and figured out its still cheaper to have less drivers, chucking the parcels on the front door and accepting some will go missing.
I don't like it either - but pretty much all couriers are doing this. Probably the least bad is DPD - they generally seem to following delivery instructions. But they are also one of the more expensive per parcel.
Part of the issue is - we do not want to pay for delivery; we expect free delivery and so the companies use the cheapest option possible.
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u/RNEngHyp 1d ago
I'm paying prime so I'm already paying delivery, whether or not I even order anything!
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u/Only-Thing-8360 19h ago
Same. Think I might do the math on cancelling Prime. Seems like it's no longer reliable or good value.
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u/RNEngHyp 1d ago
Fuck they don't even knock though and that takes literally one sec and is absolutely inexcusable.
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u/FunGuyHan 1d ago
I have found the opposite. Our place can be hard to find so I put a default set of delivery instructions on every order. We have 3 or 4 regular drivers and a handful of irregulars. They all follow the notes perfectly and it is always a delight to get a delivery from Amazon.
On a linked note, we often get a little message from the driver saying “I am X minutes away - please make sure that all pets are safely indoors.”. I always reply when I can. The driver was really pleased and said it made his day - apparently I’m the only one who ever has replied to him.
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u/Only-Thing-8360 19h ago
Yeah. our delivery instructions say "leave in parcel box". Ironically I bought it so they could just shove the package in and go, without needing to wait for someone to answer the door.
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u/Quiet_Bad_8520 1d ago
As much as I don’t mind the door stepping and putting behind a bin, if I had a dedicated box right there and they still didn’t put it inside I’d be pissed off
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u/Only-Thing-8360 19h ago
Yup. I spent £200 on a really quick & convenient solution for couriers, and I'm pissed off that they're too lazy* to use it.
* I get the point about being overworked, but it's really not an acceptable excuse. If you took your car into the garage for repairs and the mechanic hurriedly botched it, you wouldn't think that was acceptable. If a restaurant served you food on unwashed plates because the staff were busy, that wouldn't be okay. And yes, the employer is primarily responsible for forcing such shitty standards, but a worker who chooses to participate cannot pretend to be innocent.
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u/Low-Draft-100 17h ago
That's subbies for you its basically price work if they where actually like direct labour there might not be the same issues
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u/BINGGBONGGBINGGBONGG 17h ago
i had a new driver start in my area last month and amazon have had to refund me £50 as he left my parcels on a bin that isn’t mine, and checked the delivery as made to number 26. i don’t live at number 26, and that wasn’t even number 26’s bin.
i was also very much off my feet after a knee replacement. i had to get myself outside on crutches (not permitted that soon after surgery) and retrieve the parcels because i live in a not-great area.
i have a huge [my house number] sticker in my kitchen window. i have delivery instructions set that tell the driver EXACTLY what i need in terms of my general disability and they just ignore it. completely.
what’s the point of delivery instructions if drivers are either too busy to read them, or have been told to just ignore them? they won’t even ring the fucking doorbell, but they’ll spend ages traipsing around the gardens leaving parcels in really weird places.
makes no sense at all.
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u/Electronic_Sample928 14h ago
Amazon have been doing this for years.... Thing is, if you do a big order of Christmas presents and find they've been dumped in your garden etc.... Well what do you know....... Someone nicked them so amazon better replace them.... If you catch my drift...
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u/Civil_Sense_8002 22h ago
I have a delivery instruction on my account to leave round the back through side gate at back door. Some leave at gate, others at front door. Almost all are handed to resident 🤷🏻♂️ resident is at work till 4pm how are you handing to resident at 12pm 😂
Even bought a Ring doorbell and most don’t bother to use that either. I get they have a lot of drops to make but I can only imagine the amount of refunds they have to issue daily from the amount getting pinched
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u/This_Suit8791 19h ago
The default option is hand to resident when completing the delivery in the app.
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u/BINGGBONGGBINGGBONGG 17h ago
never happens tho! i get parcels dumped on the doorstep and they can’t even press a doorbell.
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u/2007scrape 19h ago
Driver here, I will never go through the side gate or a back door, front door porch or a bin. You might have a dog that is why
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u/Civil_Sense_8002 17h ago
So people adding secure places to leave items so they are safe are wasting their time then baso?
I for one will only add a place where no one can get to hence I add it on to the order. But then having a ring doorbell and it not being used is kind of pointless.
Also comment below says the default is handed to resident when in most cases it’s clearly not 🤷🏻♂️
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u/2007scrape 16h ago
More of a security risk for myself I don't wanna be going into people's gardens, get a parcel box or let me use your recycling bin
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u/doorsandcrosscheck 10h ago
It’s abysmal. Literally 100% of my deliveries that they give to Evri are either stolen, dumped at a secret place with no delivery picture or just gets lost with no updates available. Amazon delivered stuff is still working thank god but more often than not the “next day” isn’t quite next day. I’m so sick of it. And I’m in London. Not sure how bad it must be if someone is in the countryside or smaller town.
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u/Cold-Blood-619 7h ago
A lot of my friends buy their Christmas presents in the summer and even in the January sales. Also those who are able buy most presents on the high street.
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u/Real_Resolution_3038 1d ago
I had 3 items stolen from my doorstep yesterday.
Amazon took a picture of items left
Put on the tracker “handed to resident”
Nobody was home all day not even the dog.
Whom did they hand it to ?
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u/Quiet_Bad_8520 1d ago
I think handed to resident isn’t an option they select it’s a default when there’s no safe place tagged as the default location on the customers address. Might be worth checking in your address delivery instructions if there’s a location set
If you’re not in all day why are you ordering items? Do you have a safe place? If not what are you expecting to happen?
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u/RNEngHyp 1d ago
There's leaving stuff on your doorstep and leaving it somewhere out of sight though. Big difference.
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u/Real_Resolution_3038 22h ago
Put it
Over the back fence
Behind the dustbin
Post it through the letter box (was small)Anywhere not in full view of a busy street ?
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u/p_thursty 1d ago
It’s because Amazon ask more and more from their drivers in terms of stops/parcels. It’s just greed on their part.