DHL Sucks: Let this be a warning [pics]
 

Don't trust anything to DHL.
Here's the 18 day saga of a 3-day express delivery.

Story from my DHL claim form with pics following:
Reason for claim:
- Item grossly delayed
- Staff in France on support line can only be described as incompetent.
With the exception of 4 days, DHL France was rung 2 times every day enquiring about this package.
Each call delivey was promised the next day. One week into the debacle was informed that the package would not be delivered as it was held in customs. Advised to fax copy of passport and reasons for import. Three days passed, package was not released. Advised to fax visa. Was told passport, letter and visa were not received. Next day was told documents were received but incomplete. Next support staffer advised that one more document was needed. Delivery was scheduled for Paris, package was sent back to Lyon. Delivery was rescheduled for Paris, delivery promised between 9 – 12AM. Deadline passed, rang DHL, was advised that package was sent to wrong depot, would be delivered between 2-6PM. Deadline passed. Rang DHL, told the address on the parcel was incorrect - placed on hold for 10 minutes, then hung up on. Called back, before being placed on hold, asked for confirmation that I would not be hung up on. Call was subsequently placed on hold and hung up on. Called back for a third time, was promised I would not be hung up on, placed on hold and then hung up on. Called back forth time, told by support staff that the address on the parcel was indeed correct, but, ‘It was not my problem, and I can do nothing to fix it’.
Called back next morning – delivery promised between 9 – 12AM. Was advised that the courier did not have sufficient address information again, adding they lacked a door code – which had been noted on the account – and that the receivers name did not exist on the letterboxes – despite large capital letters of the name – and despite promises of a call if there were problems.

Eventually rescheduled delivery to workplace of friend, package delivered.

Parcel was utterly destroyed. At some stage in the shipping process had been left in the rain / left standing in water – and then subsequently wrapped in two layers of plastic, sealing in the moisture.

Box subsequently disintegrated and moulded. Mould spread through contents of box – books, clothes, batteries etc. Even the invoice was covered in mould. On opening of box was still able to squeeze water from the cardboard everything was so wet.

http://www.ninjito.com/dump/dhl/dhl-2.jpg
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here's the fun shipping record.
AVOID DHL

June 14, 2007 15:49 Brisbane - Australia Shipment picked up
June 27, 2007 08:56 Lyon - France Departing origin
June 14, 2007 23:33 Brisbane - Australia Departed from DHL facility in Brisbane - Australia
June 15, 2007 22:48 London-Heathrow - UK Departed from DHL facility in London-Heathrow - UK
June 16, 2007 02:17 Brussels - Belgium Arrived at DHL facility in Brussels - Belgium
June 17, 2007 17:35 Brussels - Belgium Departed from DHL facility in Brussels - Belgium
June 17, 2007 22:19 Lyon - France Arrived at DHL facility in Lyon - France
June 18, 2007 02:34 Lyon - France Processed for clearance at Lyon - France
June 18, 2007 06:03 Lyon - France Shipment arrived at wrong facility. Sent to correct destination
June 19, 2007 08:38 Lyon - France Shipment arrived at wrong facility. Sent to correct destination
June 20, 2007 08:09 Lyon - France Shipment arrived at wrong facility. Sent to correct destination
June 21, 2007 08:06 Lyon - France Shipment arrived at wrong facility. Sent to correct destination
June 22, 2007 08:19 Lyon - France Shipment arrived at wrong facility. Sent to correct destination
June 22, 2007 10:31 Lyon - France Clearance delay
June 25, 2007 03:51 Lyon - France Clearance delay
June 26, 2007 18:25 Lyon - France Processed for clearance at Lyon - France
June 26, 2007 18:26 Lyon - France Clearance delay
June 26, 2007 18:33 Lyon - France Clearance processing complete at Lyon - France
June 26, 2007 22:36 Lyon - France Departed from DHL facility in Lyon - France
June 27, 2007 08:10 Lyon - France Shipment arrived at wrong facility. Sent to correct destination
June 27, 2007 22:38 Lyon - France Departed from DHL facility in Lyon - France
June 28, 2007 04:27 Paris - France Arrived at DHL facility in Paris - France
June 28, 2007 06:59 Paris - France Departed from DHL facility in Paris - France
June 28, 2007 13:55 Paris - France With delivery courier
June 28, 2007 20:13 Paris - France Address Information needed; contact DHL
June 29, 2007 09:28 Paris - France Departed from DHL facility in Paris - France
June 29, 2007 13:15 Paris - France Arrived at DHL Facility
June 29, 2007 19:30 Paris - France Recipient moved
July 02, 2007 05:05 Paris - France Departed from DHL facility in Paris - France
July 02, 2007 07:15 Paris - France Arrived at DHL Facility
July 02, 2007 09:01 Paris - France With delivery courier
July 02, 2007 12:50 Paris - France Shipment delivered

We had the same problem while trying to send business cards. It was supposed to take 2 days and it ended up taking 2 weeks cause the people at DHL couldn't decide which one of them should send the form to Customs.

Yeah and they billed me duties for 2.4 grands when the actual cost of the item was 140$.

in the courier business, they are known as Duey, Huey and Louie...

ouch .

How's france? ;)

holy mama thats bad :/

I never use dhl. too many horror stories. It's FedEx 100% for me.

OMG! That is terrible

Various incarnations of the above in forms of housing and financials.
Underground and above ground are still fun though,thank god ;)

Amazing, and sorry to hear.

If you see Lezard or Ulrich, tell them I said hello. :1orglaugh

Interesting... I opened my front door today to find a fedex envelope literally submerged in water on my front porch. We've had a lot of rain the last several days, and last night it finally reached the level of the front porch. Why Mr Fedex thought it would be OK to leave it there, I'll never know.

Damn that's terrible. Out here in Costa Rica DHL seems to be the only company with any kind of service whatsoever -- FedEx and UPS are just useless down here.

wow........

fedex sucks too

DHL lost a gun I bought for 2 months here in Canada...
finally arrived and was left on my doorstep...

DHL
"D" stands for destroy ???

omg!!!..thanks for that...i am planning to use DHL for the paper that needs to bring to canada...thanks for your warning..

Sorry to hear about it Q :(

It's their way of saying 'Move to Europe!' :winkwink:

But seriously, I'm presuming they're going to reimburse you for the damage caused to the package. Right? :Oh crap

Holy shit, that's fucked up! I don't do much international shipping though, so I can't say I've ever had a problem with DHL.

Fucking hell..... :disgust

Damn that sucks :(

holy shit.. thanks for the heads up

Well, Fed Ex is not much better in a lot of cases:2 cents:

Damn, that's fucked up!!