GLS - parcel delivery

VeeEmmy

I'm mad as *heck* and I'm not gonna take it anymore.

GLS - Global Logistics Systems (a subsidiary of Consignia, a privatised company formerly known as "The British Mail") - delivers air mail parcels from the US Postal Service to Ireland. (Their contract is apparently with the USPS, not An Post or the EU.)

They delay parcels an average of 11 days compared to parcels that manage to come to me via An Post (I've two parcels posted on the same day at the same location by the same person. One arrived in 4 days via An Post, the other in about 15 days via GLS. Slight difference in size of parcel, otherwise quite similar).

Additionally, certain parcels are stopped in customs, no VAT or Duty owed, yet GLS charges €9.50 for "customs clearance administration fee."

I understand that the Herald ran an article on this rip-off recently, but I don't know what day, what issue. The story told about one woman having to spend in the neighbourhood of €300 to get various personal Christmas presents released from GLS.

I am trying to gather information about both their level of service to Ireland and the "customs clearance administrative fee."

Does anyone know what date the article appeared in the Evening Herald last week?

Does anyone have information about delays and charges incurred thru GLS?

Is anyone else affected and/or annoyed at the "service" we are getting from these people? They have struck gold in Ireland, that's for sure!

Ban

Stark

Strange, I've received a good few parcels from them and even though they take a good while to deliver, I've never had major problems. I think the packages I received might have been marked as "gift" though,so they got through customs that way.

VeeEmmy

Thanks for the reply.

I think the lady's Christmas parcels were gifts (and likely labeled as such) too. (But I'd really like to get hold of that EH issue...)

What sort of delay did you experience? Their standard is supposed to be delivery time of 4-6 days, according to the press release when they got the contract.

I find average delivery time to be about 15± days. Parcel arrives in Germany in 4 days, then takes 9-11 days to be delivered. With a parcel from a business, throw in the extra days for the post card to be printed, posted, delivered, and arrangements for paying the €9.50, etc. and then delivery, add about 5 days... and we've already paid around €25 for expedited postage!

A farce. So I want to get data...

Ban

eth0_

GLS were featured on the Gerry Ryan show re their ripping off customers with the 'customs clearance charge'. Have you ever tried calling them? I think there's one person working in their cust service dept!

Morgoth

In the past 5 months I've used GLS for delivery twice. Once to deliver a large-ish consignment from dabs.com in England and once to get a couple of small items from komplett.ie.

With the dabs order, it tooks them 5 weeks to discover that they'd received my parcel in their Dublin depot only to have sent it back to dabs in England; in fact the order had gotten completely cancelled (probably dabs' fault in part) and I had to re-order. Even then it took them another 2 weeks to actually get it to me. I'm not sure how long it would have taken had I not started phoning them daily from about 2 weeks since the original order date.

Shortly after that, I chose the GLS option for delivery on the komplett site (I really should have paid the extra 3 euro for DHL). Two weeks down the road and I ended up driving down to their depot on the far side of Cork city from where I live to collect the package. This was despite having received no visit or even a phone call from one of their delivery guys. They even claimed they had rung me, but well, no, they hadn't, as my phone rather magically records missed calls and there weren't any.

They really seem quite incompetant and if I have the choice again I will certainly steer clear of them. That said, they seem cheap enough for the two times I used em. o_O

silent

I do get loads of parcels each month from different delivery companies, several medium size parcels recieved through williames (now gls) - delivery times raging from 7working days being fastest and exactly 31days being slowest - however that was over xmas hollidays but still - the parcel entered ireland on 30.dec only to be delivered to me on the 16th jan - the delivery guy claimed that they have been extremely busy. all these parcels originitated from us/ca and sent standard airmail.

Considering that I live less than a mile down the road from their north dublin depot I hate them as the pest - ignorant ****s who can't get the their act together, same as another delivery company that I hate as much - omega securicor.
The only time there are no problems is when I had the parcels delivered to my work address - after I changed jobs I could not anymore, however I am home very often during the day so it's not like they can't deliver as I'm not home. GLS+Omega = worst delivery companies I ever used.

Big reason why I will shell out more bucks for usps EMS or global priority mail for small items, or priority mail for stuff from .ca - they go throught an post (unless excesively big - eg. >10lbs) and they rarely get charged by customs - my guess would be 1 out of 200, and I had some mid-priced stuff this way (600$ laptop) and no problems. standard airmail is just not worth the hassle anymore.

Ro-76

I have had 2 USPS EMS parcels delivered by GLS lately, both taking the standard 2-3 weeks, as distinct from the quoted 3-5 days for EMS.

GLS say that it's the USPS's fault for sending the parcels via airmail instead of EMS.

On one occasion, when I complained about the quality of service, I was told that they had ISO9000 qulaity standard. I wonder if it would be possible to complain to whoever regulates the standard to put pressure on them?

Ro

VeeEmmy

Parcels I've received from the US via GLS reach the central distribution location in Germany in 4 days, fairly consistently. I don't know what problem there is with that! Sounds fairly fast to me. That would be the USPS's part, I think??

Then it takes 2-4 days to get to Ireland and then about 6-9 days after that to be delivered. The major breakdown occurs after the parcel arrives in Ireland. USPS are way out of the picture by then!

One parcel's info that I'm looking at WAS sent EMS! They can say what they want, give all the excuses they want. Their service is extremely consistent: CONSISTENTLY ABOMINABLE! It is inexcusable, yet we each think we are the only ones, so we don't complain. Well... we complain, but we don't DO anything!

The USPS are the ones who contracted with GLS (Consignia, formerly British Mail/Royal Mail/ParcelForce/Williames Group, etc -- the web is complicated) because they would expedite delivery. Ha. Roight...

It's a sad commentary on their "expediting" when An Post delivers a package to me in 4 days from the day it was posted in Orlando FL, and the 2nd parcel posted at the same time, same place coming through GLS arrived 12 days later! (No customs clearance involved in that one.)

According to GLS's website, they are delivering the USPS's 4-day EMS parcels and 6-day Air Parcels. Maybe that just means 4-6 days to Germany, but I kinda don't think that's what it really means.... do you??

I am collecting data. These people need to be eliminated from the parcel shipping equation.

Ban

Ripwave

Originally posted by Banished-She
I am collecting data. These people need to be eliminated from the parcel shipping equation.

I don't know if it will make any difference, but I imagine that a complaint from the sender to the US postmaster would probably carry more weight than a complaint from you (though complaints from both of you would probably be better still). Unfotunately, the US Postal Service, like An Post, isn't in the greatest position financially, so the tendering process for services like this will always be price oriented, rather than service oriented.

Ro-76

Originally posted by cableguy
Paid for overnight delivery,USPS collected and shipped on the 15th of jan.
Still waiting for the damn thing.

If you paid for Global Express Guaranteed, it is actually processed by DHL, not or GLS.

Does anyone know if there is someone you can gave a USPS tracking number
to here to see where the hell it is.?

You could try the sds website, to see if they have it. The US tracking number should work if they have it. Otherwise, phone GLS and they may be able to give you the GLS tracking number if they have the package.

I've paid the delivery charge and if someone asks me for more money......
well god help them.:mad: :mad: :mad:

The only way to avoid the customs clearance service charge from GLS is to go to the Revenue Commissioners and get the relevant form, pay them the duty owed, and fax the form to GLS, who will then release the parcel. Probably less hassle to pay the surcharge.

Ro

digitaldr

I purchased a PDA and 256 Mb SD card from the USA (total value €438) and got the guy I bought it from to write "sample" on the customs label. It's now with GLS and tracking details are as below:


61 2004-01-22 12:08 In Clearance Process Ireland
63 2004-01-22 12:01 Clearance Delay, Importer Ireland
04 2004-01-22 12:00 Arrival At Destination Ireland
02 2004-01-20 19:46 Parcel Sorted In HUB United Kingdom
03 2004-01-20 19:46 Parcel Sorted in HUB United Kingdom
02 2004-01-19 19:46 Parcel Sorted In HUB Germany
03 2004-01-19 19:46 Parcel Sorted in HUB Germany
03 2004-01-19 19:43 Parcel Sorted in HUB Germany
01 2004-01-19 3:11 Parcel Left Origin Cntry. USP


According to their website "Clearance Delay, Importer Ireland" means

"Parcel will not be delivered before duties/taxes are paid by the consignee. The parcel is stored at the National Interface or in the customs warehouse and will be released for delivery as soon as the proof of payment has been received." and

"In Clearance Process Ireland" means

"The customs clearance process is not completed within the countryspecific agreed clearance times (the clearance process is defined as the timeframe from receipt of the customs parcel till the pyhsical availability for delivery)."


Does this mean that I will definitely have to pay duty? How long will I have to wait before I actually get the PDA which was mailed on 12/01/04

eth0_

Originally posted by digitaldr
I purchased a PDA and 256 Mb SD card from the USA (total value €438) and got the guy I bought it from to write "sample" on the customs label.

I don't know where this misconception started but writing 'sample' or 'free' on the package IN NO WAY excludes it from customs charges.
Maybe a long time ago it did, but do you honestly thing customs wouldn't get wise to it?
Basically if your parcel is in customs you will have to pay a fee.

digitaldr

Originally posted by eth0_
I don't know where this misconception started but writing 'sample' or 'free' on the package IN NO WAY excludes it from customs charges.
Maybe a long time ago it did, but do you honestly thing customs wouldn't get wise to it?
Basically if your parcel is in customs you will have to pay a fee.

Actually it was from a posting on boards.ie!

Stark

I thought writing "gift" still did though?

eth0_

Originally posted by k.oriordan
I thought writing "gift" still did though?

Nope. Got hit with import tax on parcels marked as 'gift' twice last year...both in my address in Belfast and in Dublin. The delivery guy even told me it makes no difference.

BoneCollector

My experience with GLS more than once is they are sh*t beyond belief
i had 2 packages from the uk and paid for 3day delivery time
it took over aweek to get one of them then a few days more to get the other
both of which where sitting in there warehouse.

they have no customer service

if you ring tracking you always get a message telling you to leave your number and we will ring you back.

if you try to leave a message it says its full
and if its not they still dont ring you back
the same goes for the manager?? and all ther voice mails seem to have the same guy with a different name on them.

basicaly they have non existant customer service and cannot be contacted.
if you ring head office they say the will call them but they cant get trough
they gave me about 5 ext numbers to call all either did not answer or you got voice mail.

why are we paying for a crap service??? :mad:

BoneCollector

for anyone getting packages from the UK going through parcel force
EE

---

GB tracking numbers who then use GLS as the irish carrier, you can send your complaints to the following address
include this threads link in the mail.

parcel force complaints dep
po box 134
leeds
ls1 2ub
uk

Selik

BoneCollector I've had pretty much the exact same experience with GLS as yourself. NONE EXISTANT customer service, I spent a whole lunch break trying to get through to them only to end up talking to the same receptionist that I started with. Of course she couldn't do anything as she worked in a completely different department and building! The funny thing about the whole thing was the fact that my "parcel", which somehow couldn't fit into my letterbox, was actually as A4 sized envelope no more than 2mm thick! Why they had to leave a delivery docket is beyond belief, it wasn't like I had to sign for it or anything...

Goons, I hope and pray that I'll never have do deal with those unprofessional muppets (or should that be professional muppets? ) again.

MF2HD

Imagine "customer service" saying in reply to a complaint - we have ISO9000 make you want to cry.

Jeez you can get ISO certification for building a concrete life jacket as long as your processes are documented correctly lol

Well Done GLS

Urban Weigl

Last time I had the unfortunate task of dealing with GLS, it took them over one month to deliver a 3-5 day express package. Not to mention they charged 9.50 to "present" it to customs.

sovtek

Are all deliveries from the USPS through GLS now? I tried to get mine tracked through An Post and that is what they told me.
I bought contacts in America in October thinking they would be cheaper there. Stupid me. Six months later and I still haven't recieved them.
The first time my p's tried to ship them I never got a notice it was here or anything. I called CS at An Post and said "hasn't entered our system"..this was 1 month later. Then my parent's got it back in Jan, had been in Ireland from 6 days after they shipped it.
Then they shipped it to my work address. Now a month later and An Post tells me to contact GLS. I emailed the address they gave me and that person told me they would forward it to CS. 2 days and no response so I emailed same person again. Got a nasty reply how she isn't in "parcels". Have emailed CS twice since yesterday and still no response. I tried calling the customer service # and there was no answer.

sovtek

Still haven't talked to a human beign at GLS yet. I've got 4 numbers for people there and no one answers the phone.
Is there a government body or something like the Better Business Bureau in Ireland?
I'm going to make a complaint against them.
I've told my p's to claim the package lost and collect the insurance.
As well I'm going to complain on the US side as I think it's the USPS that gave them the contract.

El_MUERkO

I had huge prbolems with GLS shipping from JES computers, 2.5 weeks and a mysteryu delivery attempt to a house full of people all day yet no one hwears the door ring.

I also had to ring the other building to get a live person on the phone, from her I got the direct extentions of the customer support people.

The customer service number is listed as 8606200, now its been a while but if I remember correctly you change the last digit from 0 to a number between 1 and 9, each one will give you a voice mail of someone.

I got as far as 7 and talked to a bloke called chris who got my stuff delivered.

ReefBreak

What a coincidence. I've had a problem with them as well just today. I was due some deliveries from Amazon UK, but I wasn't home when GLS delivered it. So they mailed out a non-delivery card, but the fúckwits forgot to include the Dublin post-code on it. By the time I got the card, the package had been returned to Amazon.

Blackburn101

How long does it take to get to the hub because I have been waiting 2 days for it to change the statutes of my purchase

CeilingFly

This must be a boards record a resurrected thread from over 14 years ago.