why does Ebay persist with using Evri (formerly Hermes)

[angieflange]

So every single parcel I have ordered via Ebay has been delivered to a neighbour who is elderly and recovering from cancer.  After the eighth occasion and after going round in circles with an auto-bot clearly intent on avoiding passing me onto a real person, I was finally advised they would ensure it won't happen again. Yet here I am, three mis-delivered items further and Evri, as usual, simply pass the buck to the seller or myself. Ebay, Evri are diabolical so why on earth do you use them? I am no longer shopping on Ebay, it's too unreliable

[technthread]

That's understandable, sellers shouldn't be changing the courier from RM to Evri without checking. I think a lot of private sellers just forget what they have put down as the postage especially if the item has been up for sale for a while..

eBay customer services told me once that they don't view a courier change dimly as long as the delivery speed is the same.

I think a lot do it other way round (change from evri to RM) when they realise the buyer is based in a location where evri charge more than double the price (Northern Ireland etc) and the postage charged to the buyer doesn't cover the actual cost. 

I have considered explaining my free postage in my descriptions to make it clear I'll use who I see fit but figured that it is overkill to justify it as the buyer can always select RM if they want at checkout and pay a bit more. Nobody really seems to do it, the last one of mine was someone who paid extra for RM Special Delivery at Xmas 2022.

[silveroboe]

Evri are diabolical here, and I never use them. If I see  items I wish to bid on or purchase, and the delivery is "other courier" then I always ask the sellers which courier they will be using, and if it is possible to send via Royal Mail or another courier - nine times out of ten the problem is resolved.

If it can't be, and the seller can only use Evri because he or she has an account with them etc., then I reply politely that I understand their position, and look elsewhere.

I have also come across Evri listed as the delivery option, only to have the seller reply that he or she never uses Evri! This has happened more than once, so I suppose that might be down to ebay.

If, like me, you definitely don't want deliveries from Evri, then it's worth taking a few minutes to contact the seller and enquire about possible alternatives.

[technthread]

In an ideal world I would love to send everything Royal Mail tracked 24 and support Royal Mail but we are being squeezed so much. Postage costs are going up, eBay can be quiet so we sometimes send offers on things that a few years ago we wouldn't as another buyer was around the corner. This is just a different perspective to throw out there, sellers are really struggling and a small ish saving on postage each time quickly adds up. 

[bob1942music]

hi - to make things worse - when I persued the money back option ebay threw the case out
Basically calling me a liar - the money involved was not large but the whole episode was quite disturbing with aggressive coms from the seller from the beginning. The fact remains I paid for goods that never arrived at my door. When Evri report goods delivered "it aint necessary so"
Sent from my iPhone

[silveroboe]

Indeed it ain't!

I queried delivery of an item and received the Evri "handed to buyer" information - in the driver's dream - the parcel was left in a doorway several houses away! Fortunately, the owner of the house kindly brought the parcel round to me  when she returned from work, and, of course, I was in, as I had been all day - waiting for the delivery.

I know some people have no problems with Evri - but I am definitely not one of them! It seems the only way to avoid problems is quite simply not to use the wretched company.

[silveroboe]

What I find infuriating is sellers who list their courier as Royal Mail and then send via Evri, who are diabolical here, and  whom I avoid.

It's not pleasant to be put in the position of feeling you might need to email a seller and ask if he really means Royal Mail;  in other words, you are asking if he, like our MPs,  is being "economical with the truth"!

Whilst I am no fan whatsoever of ebay's persistent tinkering, I do feel  that ebay should ensure that  if a seller says he is sending via a particular courier, then that should be the courier he uses. I understand the problems for sellers who sell a wide range of items and state "other courier", but in that case it is up to the buyer to request the name of the courier which will be used.

[bazinga-games]

Perhaps the easiest thing would be to have a nice little sign made stating something like 'number 3 at top of steps' or whatever it is, and fix it outside your neighbour's property.  Many properties which are behind others have these types of signs.  It will likely be useful in the future, anyway, not just for Evri.

[sea.n.van._60]

You should leave them neutral or negative feedback so they have the motivation to care/change.

[cantisque]

For my listings, I put everything down with free shipping with "Other 3-5 day courier" as the option so I can pick whatever I feel is appropriate for the specific item.

I usually use Evri to send lower value items that are larger than letters (low enough value to fit into the standard compensation). Also I wouldn't use Evri if the item was fragile. I've seen some horrific delivery proof photos for some things I've sent with them!

For those that want to use RM, I also offer tracked 24 option for an additional £1.

For when things go wrong, it's so much easier to claim compensation from Packlink on an Evri order than it is to get it from Royal Mail. Not only is the process much easier, but the last time Evri lost a package I had the compensation approved by Packlink in 4 hours, whereas with Royal Mail it took them 40 days to reply!

TLDR; offer an alternative to the cheapest possible shipping. There are customers out there who'd rather pay a little extra if it means not going with Evri.

Also, any seller that uses a different service than the one they promised in the listing deserves a strike, IMO.

[abtrade09]

Evri are the biggest parcel delivery company in the UK; might give you a clue why they can be selected on eBay .

As a seller I have used them hunfreds of times without a problem. I can drop off items from 6am to 10pm at two local drop off points with nearly always no queueing.

Compare that to the post office which is only open from 9am to 3pm i.e. while most people are at work, and with queues out the door. Plus RM are fussy on parcel size as well as weight making the whole RM experience a complete pain.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

you are the voice of common sense!  That is all i actually want from a seller,  to know exactly how they despatch, if it is a courier i can at least get in contact and ask or choose the higher postal charge for RM,  if i really want the item rather than the two months + of getting e mails from EVRI saying different things.  Luckily the buyer refunded me immediately i put in a claim (as soon as i could) but if they still had the parcel he did not!

[kath3735_wxmjn]

you state that you use EVRI so that is not a problem for people like myself who do not want items sent via them.  You would have a problem if you sent to my address because the local courier does not deliver to any out of the way places but usually says no one in etc.  Strangely enough one of my family members got a parcel from EVRI last week (item was supposed to be via other means) but it was apparently because the courier was sick......  Talk about lucky!  I will add that i post all my items via RM and have never (so far)) had a problem with the item not being delivered, not had any late delivery feedback either.  Then again i am a private seller and do my shopping in town on the days that i may have to post items so not an effort.

[silveroboe]

I have done that; and always mention in my feedback that the item was sent by a different courier from the one listed, so that other potential buyers know what might occur - always assuming they read feedback, of course!

It seems many buyers don't bother to look at feedback before they commit themselves either to bidding or buying, then grumble when the service they receive is not what they expected.

[*knight-rider*]

If this is such a big issue and they are happy for you to do it, why not change your registered delivery address to your parents?

Ebay can't really pick and choose what couriers are used by sellers, because if you find 100 people who buy or sell on here, every single one will have had an issue with one courier at some point. Are Evri worse than others, maybe they are, maybe they aren't, it depends who you ask 😉

[bob1942music]

I joined in this debate as a disgruntled buyer who did not receive goods purchased and paid for in good faith on more than one occasion and in each case the delivery agent was Evri - natural to hold them responsible . It is obvious that their low price business model results in poor quality control at " the sharp end" .The deliverers being paid per drop off are tempted to drop off at any nearby address for the difficult ones just to keep their earnings up . I have spoken to a trusted source so I am not just guessing.
In conclusion I think this is a case of (apologies to Paul Weller)
" the public gets what the public wants"
But it would be good if Ebay would at least raise this with Evri - but there I go wandering into cloud cuckoo land .

Sent from my iPhone

[kath3735_wxmjn]

My 'big issue' with this is when the person says sending by one means and then sending by another.  If the seller says courier then i can check and see which ones they are likely to use, EVRI is the only one that is a no for me.  Why should someone have to have things delivered elsewhere just because the seller cannot tell the truth on the listed item?  How difficult is it to choose courier, many do already.  If the buyer wants to follow up and find which courier or if they will deliver RM then they can do so (and i have done just that in the past for items i really needed).  

[ssukl]

I'm with you on this... with 34000 parcels going missing and 16,800 complaints about the delivery company compared to 419 complaints made about Royal Mail (as of Dec23), surely these stats should be giving eBay signals to get rid of Evri (formerly Hermes). 

In the past I have been a victim of theft when Evri (formerly Hermes) delivered an empty box. Fortunately the Police were involved and I received my money back.

As my mum used to say "Good things no Cheap...Cheap things no good" so until eBay stops trading with Evri (formerly Hermes) or whatever they change their name to next time, sadly we have to request the seller not to send via this courier. 

[bazinga-games]

You should see the way Parcelforce throw parcels around the back of their vans - it see it outside my home. 

In main parcel depots I imagine everything just travels along conveyor belts and likely drop on the floor all the time.

Whichever courier or postal service is used, one has to assume parcels are lobbed around - it's part and parcel (excuse the pun!  😄 )

People just need to ensure their items are properly packaged to ensure the items inside don't get damaged.

[silveroboe]

This is one of my main complaints - if sellers say they are using Royal Mail, then use Evri, as far as I am concerned they are being deliberately misleading and less than truthful.

Much as I deplore ebay's persistent tinkering and interference, I feel strongly that it's time sellers were compelled to be truthful about the courier they intend to use.

If I see "other courier" in a listing I always enquire which one  will be used, and if it is the dreaded and diabolical Evri, and the seller says there is no alternative, then I look elsewhere for the item.

[eeezeey]

Evri is the worst, I am always worried when a seller decides to use them. My latest purchase was supposed to be delivered yesterday but of course it's not left my local depot. Every day it's delayed is another day they could damage it or even lose it. Why given that there are other options people choose the worse possible currier is beyond comprehension.