Wednesday 22 December 2021

Hectic Day

It is just getting dark and I have had another hectic day with no time for a walk.   Now it is raining heavily and I suppose if we were a little higher it might be snow.   Something to do with a warm front meeting a cold front head on.

This morning it was dealing with a lost on line gift token; this afternoon it has been dealing with a huge M and S parcel wrongly delivered.   My son told me off saying I shouldn't have accepted it from Hermes but accept it I did.   When opened it was a huge XXL black overcoat.   There was no paperwork in the bag at all so I couldn't follow the instructions of the Hermes driver and fill in the paperwork and ring them to collect it.  Their phone line is useless - if you don;t give the delivery number or some such the recorded voice just says sorry but can't help you.   I am now, at tea time, a more or less wrung-out wreck.   I shall try and forget about it until tomorrow - a new day - and then start again.  

It has never really got light today and the dark has descended quite quickly.    Tom tells me that the light returns at a rate of twenty minutes a week.   That will be lovely.   And Anne reminds us that yesterday was the twenty first day of the twenty first year of the twenty first century.   Wouldn't that be a lovely day on which to be born?

I am looking forward tonight to the Christmas edition of the Great British Sewing Bee - that should pass the evening nicely along with the Hairy Bikers.   What did I do with out television.   Read all the time I suppose.   At present our Book Group is reading Cold Comfort Farm and contrary to expectations I am loving it although it is a bit dated.

I shall now go and toast some currant bread and cheese (present from T - thank you T) make a cup of tea and sit down and try to forget Hermes until morning.   See you then.

37 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

Did the parcel not have a delivery name and address on the outside?

Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder said...

Dearest Pat,
Such things happen in our lives and even if they are inconvenient, they too will pass.
We have sunshine today and rather crisp but such a blessing after dark and rainy days.
Enjoy your current bread and cheese.
Hugs,
Mariette

Sue in Suffolk said...

Deliveries are always going to wrong addresses - so don't worry, it will get sorted.
Just spend the evening having a quiet one - see how many questions you can answer on the Christmas Alumni version of University Challenge?

The Feminine Energy said...

Is there an address on the box itself, where the parcel should have gone? Maybe you can look up the people online and find their phone number & give them a call. It would probably be easier for them to just pick up the package from you themselves. It's probably a Christmas gift and I'm sure they'll be most grateful to get it before the 25th. ~Andrea xoxoxo

the veg artist said...

M&S have now gone 'paperless', so no paperwork inside at all. I recently ordered 3 shirts as gifts for husband, none fitted, had to download return barcode ourselves, and return to a local store where they could not use the barcode! Eventually received a refund. Was not impressed. I don't think any of this will help in your circumstances!
I have spent time today trying to leave a comment on Tom's blog, telling him what a lovely fireplace he has made - 5 attempts, then I gave up.
Technology is supposed to make things easier, but when it doesn't work, it makes it much, much more difficult.

Tasker Dunham said...

Our local Hermes people here are good, but I think it depends on where you are. I've just been reading accounts in Which of people deciding not to buy from certain online retailers because of the terrible courier services they use. Hermes appears to be particularly poor in some areas.

Yellow Shoes said...

Hermes have always been a nightmare. We wanted to return a double mattress and he arrived in a tiny car! He said wed have to sort it out, not him. x

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

I'm told that Hermes chose their name as Hermes was the messenger of the gods. If they'd done their research a little more thoroughly they'd have realised he was also the protector of thieves and tricksters!

Sharon in Surrey said...

If there's no address on the outside & no paperwork on the inside, it is yours. Don't stress about it! It's not your problem. You accepted it with good intentions, no matter what your son said. He just doesn't want to try to return it!! Tuck it away for a month, if you can't get anyone to take your call & no one calls to collect it, it belongs to you. Donate it to a good cause. Someone will love it in the end.

Rachel Phillips said...

Your life would make a good sitcom.

Pam M said...

If there is nothing helpful written on the outside of the parcel, I would suggest contacting M&S customer service. They should be able to work out who ordered it and arrange for Hermes to pick it up from you. There is a phone number and also web chat and email options on their website.

Rachel Phillips said...

In the research of this problem one needs to put oneself in the shoes of the person waiting for this parcel - they will have been tracking it and see that it has been delivered. They will then inform Hermes that they have not received it and ask to where it was delivered. If I were you Weave, I would do nothing and wait.

Anonymous said...

You could have done without that problem. -Pam.

Anonymous said...

It doesn't sound like you have any responsibility for the mis-delivered parcel; my suggestion would be to stash it somewhere out of the way and wait for follow up; the driver knows where it was delivered and tracking should come from the delivery end, not from you.

Your energy is too precious to waste on someone else's inefficiency.

ceci

John Going Gently said...

Big Christmas hugs weave xx

thelma said...

It is that time of year, everyone has ordered stuff, not surprising some of it goes astray. There will be numbers on the package which will eventually go back to the shop and right address. Don't panic!

Jules said...

It must have been the day for annoyances. My mobile phone gave up on me this morning. X

Heather said...

Poor you being lumbered with having to try to sort out someone else's problem. Hope the currant bread and cheese helped! It sounds delicious. I also hope you get your walk tomorrow.

gz said...

I liked reading Cold Comfort Farm. Do you remember the radio adaptation?

Jennyff said...

I watched the Hairy Bikers tonight and felt so proud to be a northern lass. Their enthusiasm for good wholesome food, not too messed about, is inspirational plus the growers and producers they meet are wonderful. I read and enjoyed Cold Comfort recently, it was in my list of books I ought to read. As for Hermes, it’s their problem not yours. They get paid to deliver items you don’t get paid to sort out their mistakes of which they seem to make plenty, not worth stressing about just keep the package and wait for them to collect is my advice.

Ellen D. said...

Don't worry about the delivery - it will get sorted out like Rachel said when the orderer starts looking for their package. Hope you have a relaxing evening and that tomorrow your day will be calmer.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Derek the address on the outside was mine otherwise I wuuld not have accepted it. And I am waiting for a small parcel being delivered by them - but this parcel was a huge men's overcoat from M and S

marlane said...

This is the new thing now mis delivered packages. We had the opposite happen and got one delivered to someone else by mistake, fortunately a day later a neighbor dropped it at our front door.

Susan said...

Don't stress, Rachel is right. Hermes will start tracing the package, they'll see the address is incorrect and they will contact you to retrieve the package. Sit back, relax and wait for Hermes to correct their mistake.

Anonymous said...

Here in Australia parcels have people's names as well as their address printed on the parcel. I am not sure if you are saying the parcel was addressed to you? If the parcel had your name and address on it, that would mean it is probably a picking problem at the warehouse, where the wrong order was put in the wrong package.

Cro Magnon said...

A friend of ours recently received a parcel from 'Hello Fresh', which contained 3 fresh meals that you cook yourself. She found it on her doorstep. There was an unknown name on the parcel. Our friend did everything she could to find the person, without success. Eventually. knowing that it would all 'go off', she did what most sensible people would do, and tucked-in!

Librarian said...

It's only a wrongly delivered parcel - there's much worse things going on all the time, so I hope by today and after a pleasant evening with TV and nice food you have had a good night. Like the others here have said, it's neither your fault nor your responsibility to sort this out. And I am sure the person waiting for that overcoat will survive another few days without it, too :-)

Rachel Phillips said...

As Hermes delivered the parcel to the address on the label, as I see that Weave says it had her address on it, Hermes are being wronged here erroneously. They did their job. My advice is still the same - do nothing and wait for the true recipient, M&S and Hermes to sort it between them. Wrap the parcel up again and place it in your garage.

Pam M said...

As Rachel says, Hermes have done their job. My suspicion is that whatever Weave ordered from M&S has also gone to the wrong address - perhaps to the customer who ordered the overcoat! If this is the case, then unless Weave or the other customer contacts M&S, then they will not know that there is a problem that needs resolving.

the veg artist said...

Between us we have had serious sizing issues, returns difficulties, incorrect labelling for deliveries, lack of paperwork to correct anything - M&S seem to be losing the plot. I also read that they have had to recall a gluten-free loaf because it contains gluten, and believe me, that would have caused serious problems for me as a coeliac.
I was asked to do an online survey regarding my purchases, but I don't suppose anyone will pay any attention.

Tom Stephenson said...

Maybe it would be better to have your 21st birthday on the 21st day of the 21st century?

The Weaver of Grass said...

Pam - totally wrong - much more complicated

See my tomorrow's post wgen I will try to explain what has happened. Thanks for callinf in.

Iris said...

Don't fret about the delivery. It was not your fault. Amazon recently sent us (addressed to us!) a ton of batteries and a harness for a very large dog. None was ordered by us. Question to all: Should we get a very large dog now? (wink, wink)

Melinda from Ontario said...

I know the stress of having a problem that doesn't appear resolvable. My husband's grandmother was always saying, "It'll all come out in the wash." I now say that to myself when things get messy. I'm looking forward to your next post to find out what happens with the darned coat.

Sue said...

M&S parcels now contain no return paperwork and the online returns system is woeful. I won't be ordering from them again. Don't worry about this, keep the package safe somewhere and let M&S and Hermes sort it out between themselves.

vic said...

Well I find myself amazed at what you manage to accomplish given your situation and admire your efforts to continue on as best you can. I thought that your words concerning how you felt going to bed last night "tired, frustrated, and feeling totally inadequate to face the trials of the modern world" aptly apply to most of us at times, particularly during this odd, weird, confusing time that we are obliged to deal with these days.

Keep on keepin' on----that's the best any of us can do.

Granny Sue said...

What an aggravation to have to deal with that package. I'm glad it is sorted out in the end.

I am dealing with a lost package sent to my youngest son in Florida. Apparently it's been stolen, as best we can figure, or went to the wrong address. I can replace it easily enough, but it's sad that he won't have it on Christmas, esp as he tends to be depressed at this time of year anyway. His wife is trying to track it down, but I'm afraid it's gone for good.