Are People Still Using Yodel?

[alobmbe]

They don't have a great rep. but i'd been using them pretty reliably for a while. However, with the uncertainty over possible administration i went back to Royal Mail and FedEx. As things seem to be resolved now, is it safe to return? What would happen to in-transit parcels if they did go '*bleep*-up' after all?

[rjwilmsi]

According to their website the business has been bought out and is operational. So I suppose if you were happy with their service before then you can resume using them.

Personally I have concluded that Evri and Yodel are not good enough and are generally unsuitable for retail customers posting our items of any value (could be OK for items that are unbreakable and or very low value). But if they work for you then do what works for you.

I would assume that if a courier does fail then it could take several weeks for parcels to eventually be returned to sender, after administrators are brought in to sort out the position of the company.

[simplyessential_uk]

I had been a yodel user for last few years and I can honesy say (via parcel2go) out of the 250 items I send a month I may have 1 go missing (if that) so yes, they have a bad rep, but in contrast I prefer them to RM or Evri. 

RM are appalling, poor tracking/tech/customer service but I will use them for Flats.  I check all my orders on What3words and if i see the address as not obvious i put instructions on the delivery. 

I stopped using them while they were possibly go into administration but Ive gone back to them as now bought out and all deliveries are fine again. 

[gofastergames]

I have used Yodel since they undercut Evri a few years back and they have been great in that time, they have however just lost a parcel earlier this month. But I must have sent over 1500 parcels with them over the years and this is only the 2nd to go missing in all that time

[simplyessential_uk]

one thing I will add is Yodel CS and Packlink are awful, id rather bang my head against the wall BUT Parcel2go are great and Ive since discovered if someone is chasing a parcels etc and I put their tracking in my Yodel App I get an image of delivery or (out for delivery)  which saves me even contacting any CS so thats a plus for me.

Parcel2go on most occassions with also provide GPS map via chat (often have to ask for it) so that and the image is great for me to give to buyers.

[ian_w42]

Complete opposite for me, Yodel and Evri seem incredibly slow and unreliable whenever I am forced to receive something via them. I use RM48 for most of my sales with no issues, often even arrives in the 48 hour window which is fantastic for the price.

Been sitting watching Evri parcels sitting "at my delivery depot" since Monday with no movement...

[decalicious]

I use Yodel out of sheer convenience. The Collect+ are just outside my son's nursery so only a short five minute walk and always open unlike RM who have one parcel postbox about 10 minutes away in a completely different direction and another regular postbox another 10 minutes away whilst having closed all other red pillarboxes within a 20 minute radius here in East Ham with no notice if they will ever be reinstated. And the post offices are horrible out here - the two on the high street both North and South I avoid like the plague and the only one with great staff is actually in Upton Park - 15 minute walk. Therefore I often book the postie to come collect Tracked 48hr when I need to use RM and grudgingly would wish they'd take the eBay large letters as well given they've covered up the pillarboxes.

So far I have had 3 parcels being delayed but found and delivered and only one with contents likely trampled on. The Evri parcel shop is 15 minutes away in yet another direction so that's a no starter as well, however the delivery guy is just fine and never had anything lost, neither sent or received since moving here a couple of years ago.

[ian_w42]

I nearly always use collection for RM48 but yeah, it's always small/medium parcel for the things I handle.

Surprised they don't collect large letters (never knew that), I don't think I've ever seen a parcel postbox up here so collection is pretty much the only option. Local post office is a once a week thing... I have always heard that all post can be handed to the postman in rural areas due to basically no postboxes anywhere but never actually tested this and doubt it's still true.

Always confuses me how barebones RM really is compared to other countries, was like this before privatisation too. Where's the pre-paid boxes etc? it feels like the separation of Post Office and Royal Mail has led to this really strange service that isn't set up at all to cope with changing demands.

[johnwash1]

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@decalicious wrote:

I use Yodel out of sheer convenience. The Collect+ are just outside my son's nursery so only a short five minute walk and always open unlike RM who have one parcel postbox about 10 minutes away in a completely different direction and another regular postbox another 10 minutes away whilst having closed all other red pillarboxes within a 20 minute radius here in East Ham with no notice if they will ever be reinstated. And the post offices are horrible out here - the two on the high street both North and South I avoid like the plague and the only one with great staff is actually in Upton Park - 15 minute walk. Therefore I often book the postie to come collect Tracked 48hr when I need to use RM and grudgingly would wish they'd take the eBay large letters as well given they've covered up the pillarboxes.

So far I have had 3 parcels being delayed but found and delivered and only one with contents likely trampled on. The Evri parcel shop is 15 minutes away in yet another direction so that's a no starter as well, however the delivery guy is just fine and never had anything lost, neither sent or received since moving here a couple of years ago.

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I don't know why you imagine RM won't collect large letters.  I book for my postie to collect, just the same as small and medium parcels.  Though I don't book anything through ebay, I do it direct on RM's site.  That way ebay doesn't know I normally despatch much earlier than my targets and doesn't screw me over by telling buyers over-optimistic delivery dates.  Proprietary algorithm?  Or bug??  Or just plain evil.

[jewellery-by-debi]

Hi,

RM will collect large letters from you.

I do all my ebay labels on the RM website (LL & parcels) & they collect no problem.

Debi

[jond1492]

For me, it's RM as the best, everytime.  I trust them, they deliver, and when things go wrong (which is almost never), they're fixed.

Yodel are okay, but not by much.

Evri/Hermes I would NEVER, EVER use, even if you paid me to do so!  They've just an evil, duplicitous, traitorous organisation, who don't deserve to call themselves a "delivery company"!

[sportex-uk]

Royal Mail only. I use Tracked48 for almost everything and never had any issues.

[alobmbe]

Thanks for the responses. Some interesting views, but not that many relevant to my central dilemma.

My guess is that if Yodel (or any other courier) went bust, sellers would be in the position of having to recompense buyers for stranded parcels and claim with the admistrators, hoping eventually for a few pence in the pound. Perhaps this is unduly pessimistic.

I've gone back to Yodel, but purchasing via ebay in the hope that may give some 'insurance' against failure.  Perhaps this is unduly optimistic.

But it was 3p cheaper than going direct 🙂

[cold-war-warrior]

Yodel are the absolute pits . Parcel marked as delivered but it wasnt . 3 or 4 live chats and still not resolved . Different answers every time , then the tracking number mysteriously is not recognised . Really poor customer service . I had to then relate the whole matter with the ebay seller , who contacted Ebay . Now I have to go through it all with them . Yodel you are pits 

[ictioo.mens.clothing]

I've been using Evri for a long while and have never had any problems with them

[gofastergames]

Ever since Yodel (collect plus) undercut Evri I have been using them and they are so good, in what must be 2000/3000 parcels they havent lost one in going on 3/4 years now. Cheap and reliable whats not to like

[ictioo.mens.clothing]

I'm very wary about using Yodel as I've never used it and I've heard some horror stories but there a lot of horror stories about Evri I suppose. I use Evri as I do free shipping and it's cheaper than Royal Mail. I would much prefer to us RM all the time as I trust them more. I use them when I send shoes though.  I might use Yodel on a cheap item to test the waters but my Evri shop has a post office and it's just far too convenient for me. 

[roger_roger_over_and_nowt]

In past 5 weeks i have bought 4 items from sellers using store to door service.

A service iv'e not seen before.

All 4 went awry.

Seller's bought postage through Ebay so it automatically shows as dispatched at my end.

The day after i got the dispatched notices i checked the tracking.

First 3 showed as being collected by yodel driver but for some reason Ebay took this to mean it was out for delivery to me !.

This obviously wasn't possible so the first 3 items (which all arrived late) showed as being delivered late when there was no fault made by the sender.

I wasn't given the chance to say when item was delivered as Ebay had already logged it.Hence i'm guessing the sellers will have got late delivery defects through no fault of their own.

The fourth item was supposed to be delivered 2 days ago but from day 1 the tracking number wasn't recognised.

I asked the seller about this and they sent me a screenshot which showed tracking number was correct and parcel was in the system.Item is low value,under 14 quid all in.

So,if i see an item with store to door as delivery method i have to ask seller if they could use a different service or i have to pass.

[jazzyjasper01uk]

Two annoying things. For yodel when I by something the tracking on eBay tells me it's being delivered the day it's being picked up. Not sure if the problem is Yodel or EBay but it's irritating. One Yodel office has no problem delivering but the other for my area several times tells me the driver can't find the address. They do deliver eventually so don't know if the driver has too many deliveries or if it's a say nav problem. As a buyer I dread seeing they're the courier

[the-online-oasis]

Hi Everyone,

Well, I have used RM, Evri, Yodel, Parcelforce etc.  - out of them I prefer RM.  I recently tried Yodel since their costs for low cost value items weighing under 100g packages are way cheaper than RM48. I thought just try. I always buy my postage via my ebay account which I find more convenient and post usually the day after receiving payment.  I drop the packages to one of the agency shops here in London where I'm located.   Now, regarding delivery time :  Yodel need 7 (!) days to delivery, regardless which area in the UK. Had I chosen RM48 it would usually been delivered within 3 days.  Conclusion:  Yodel = cheaper but longer delivery times.  For posting more valuable and delicate items I would only use RM however.