Aaaargh!!! Why do I have to go and collect my parcel?!

Picture this:

It's a regular weekday afternoon, and you're eagerly waiting for your parcel to arrive. Won't be long now. You've had your notification to let you know it's coming today. You'll get home from work, and there it will be on your door step waiting for you. Or will it?

Your phone alerts you to a message. With excited anticipation, you read the message from the courier company to let you know that they've dropped off your parcel. Except.... that's not what it says...

Instead of letting you know that it is now waiting at your front door, it tells you that your parcel has been taken back to their depot, or the Post Office for you to collect. "Why do they do this?!" you ask yourself in frustration. "Why can't they just leave it on the front door step?!"

We get it. It's frustrating to have to go to the freight depot, during their opening times to collect your parcel. But, do you know what's even more frustrating? Not getting it at all. Arriving home to find that it is not where the delivery driver left it. Or perhaps it is, but it's been raining all day, and now it is soaked through.

There are a number of reasons that your parcel may end up back at the depot for you to collect. Let's have a look at a few of them.

1. It can't be left 'out of sight'.

   Unfortunately, we live in a world where some people are more than happy to take what is not theirs, and make it their own. This can be really frustrating, especially if it's an expensive item, or was purchased as a gift. When leaving a parcel, our drivers will check to make sure that it cannot be seen from the road, or by people walking by. If they can they might hide it behind something, or even in something. But, if they don't feel that they can leave it where it is out of sight, they will leave you a calling card and bring it back to the depot. Better to be safe, than sorry, right? While this can be inconvenient for you, it is certainly a lot less inconvenient than you getting home, and it's no-where to be found.

2. It can't be left out of the weather.

Another reason our drivers may not leave your parcel for you at home, is because there is no where to leave it out of the weather. While leaving something in the sun is not typically an issue, if there is rain on the horizon....

We instruct out team to make sure that your item is left 'out of the weather', to ensure that it won't get damaged. Better to be safe, than sorry, right? While again this can be inconvenient for you, it is certainly a lot less inconvenient than you getting home, to find that it is wet through because it has been left in the rain all day.

3. We aren't allowed to.

A minor technicality of the freight industry, is that our customer is the one who pays the freight charges. Typically that is the sender, and not you, the receiver.

As the payer of the freight charge, they may place conditions on the delivery such as 'cannot be left', or 'must have a signature' or 'can only be received by the intended recipient, who must be identified with some form of ID'.

In each of these cases, we are simply not allowed to leave your parcel unattended, or without proof of delivery, or without proof of it really being you. Again, while this can be frustrating, it is really out of our control as it is a conditional agreement of our freight contract with our customer. Further more, surely it is better to make sure that YOU receive your brand new and very expensive iPhone 37+, and not some walker by.

WE get it. It can be frustrating when you get home and your parcel is not there to greet you, because it has been taken back to the depot, or to the Post Office. You've been working all day, you're tired... and now you have to make a plan to go and pick it up. "ugh!!" We get it. We really do.

We call it "Safe Dropping" for a reason. To make sure your parcel is SAFE, and that YOU receive it, in the condition that you expect it.

Ask yourself... "Would I prefer to be inconvenienced a little by having to go and collect it, or a whole lot because it has gone missing or has been damaged by weather"

Till next time!!

SUNRAYSIA FREIGHT CO.

SIMPLIFYING LIFE by SIMPLIFYING FREIGHT