GLS...making a complaint

sovtek

I've posted this in the other GLS thread as well.
Firstly is there an org that one can complain to such as a government body, or is there some org like the Better Business Bureau?
Also does anyone want to join me that have had problems with GLS?

Ripwave

Originally posted by sovtek
I've posted this in the other GLS thread as well.
Firstly is there an org that one can complain to such as a government body, or is there some org like the Better Business Bureau?
Also does anyone want to join me that have had problems with GLS?

As far as I can recall, An Post recommend that you complain to the US Embassy - the US Postal Service is a Government agency, and it was their decision to give the contract to GLS.

sovtek

Originally posted by Ripwave
As far as I can recall, An Post recommend that you complain to the US Embassy - the US Postal Service is a Government agency, and it was their decision to give the contract to GLS.

But they are a registered company in Ireland as well.

Ripwave

Originally posted by sovtek
But they are a registered company in Ireland as well.

So what? The contract is with USPS. GLS obviously don't particularly care what people in Ireland think about the service, or we wouldn't be talking about complaining in the first place, would we?

dahamsta

They do operate in Ireland though, surely somebody in Ireland should be responsible for them? The Consumers Association seems to be pretty feckless, but I guess lodging a complaint with them won't do any harm. Isn't there a new consumer watchdog too?

adam

Ripwave

Originally posted by dahamsta
They do operate in Ireland though, surely somebody in Ireland should be responsible for them?

GLS are responsible for themselves. If you find they're breaking any laws, then you can complain to the relevant authorities. Otherwise, if you want to actually have an impact on them, then complain to the people who have given them the contract.

Of course, if all you want to do is get it off your chest, then by all mean complain to whoever you want to in Ireland. Just don't pretend that it will make any difference.

sovtek

Originally posted by Ripwave
GLS are responsible for themselves. If you find they're breaking any laws, then you can complain to the relevant authorities. Otherwise, if you want to actually have an impact on them, then complain to the people who have given them the contract.

Of course, if all you want to do is get it off your chest, then by all mean complain to whoever you want to in Ireland. Just don't pretend that it will make any difference.

I want to complain to any government body or org in Ireland that is there for that purpose. If they are registered in Ireland then they have to conform to Irish as well as EU law.
I also stated in the other thread in this forum about GLS that I was also going to complain on the American side as well.
The reason I posted is because I had hoped someone would know who to complain to.

dahamsta

I should have known better than to attempt a logical discussion with Ripwave. :rolleyes:

vinnyfitz

Adam is right - as they operate here they must be regulated to at least some extent here.

I'd recommend checking it out with the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs http://www.odca.ie

They handle about 30,000 enquiries a year (mostly by phone) and they have a whole section on cross border commerce on their website.

Sovtek - if you do get on to Consumer Affairs let us know what they say.

spongebob

Originally posted by Ripwave
GLS are responsible for themselves. If you find they're breaking any laws, then you can complain to the relevant authorities.

Here one for ya.



GLS got ISO9000 certification . How does one set about getting them decertified, they are bringing the whole process into disrepute .

Who awards ISO9000 anyway ? Is there a review process or a dispute resolution procedure.

M

BuffyBot

Have a look at ISO for mroe about the ISO9000.

The NSAI is the Irish member of the ISO

RainyDay

Make sure you notify the sender of the goods of your complaint. They are the people who hold the purse-strings in this situation, as they are choosing to ship by US Post (as opposed to Fedex or similar). If enough senders get enough complaints and feed them back to US Post, then something just might change.

ken90

What about taking a claim in the Small Claims Court?

Urban Weigl

I had my supplier complain to the USPS in America. There was a fitting strip about ISO certification in Dilbert about a year ago, can't find it now.

spongebob

I believe that is the This Here GLS ISO9000 and ISO9001 certification information.

The Following excerpt from the NSAI webpage is the bumf on what ISO9000 has done for GLS and for their many many Happy Customers.

Benefits Applying an ISO 9000 management system within an organization should result in significant benefits in many areas including

Management effectiveness through defined objectives and targets together with systematic feedback on performance.
Operating efficiency through establishing best practice supported by documented procedures.
Performance improvement by monitoring, analysis and action to drive continuous improvement.
Cost reduction through the identification and elimination of potential system deficiencies and product failure.
Increased marketability through the identification of a registered company with a quality philosophy and international standard.
Employee satisfaction through management commitment, improved communications, defined authorities and responsibilities and supportive systems.
Customer satisfaction through the receipt of enhanced service or product quality levels.

Enhanced Service Levels, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Yeah!

To complain about this farce Contact richard.hadfield@nsai.ie (Richard Hadfield in the NSAI) or linda.hendy@nsai.ie (Linda Hendy , Secretary of the Quality Management Standards Committee in the NSAI who decide on policy and stuff) . Try both,they should tell you how to take it further.

I suspect that most of GLS 's contracts depend on their maintenance of the risible ISO 9000 and ISO 9001 standards. Once these are withdrawn by the NSAI for non compliance we will see a lot less of them

M

Ripwave

Originally posted by dahamsta
I should have known better than to attempt a logical discussion with Ripwave. :rolleyes:

Typical Adam response - play the man, not the ball.

GLS aren't breaking any laws, and they aren't in breach of any "consumer standards" (because there aren't any for them to be in breach of).

If you've got a "logical" point to make, Adam, go right ahead. (Not that anyone will be holding their breath, or anything).

spongebob

Jeez . Anything helpful to say about the (immediately) previous post Ripwave ?

M

Ripwave

Originally posted by sovtek
I want to complain to any government body or org in Ireland that is there for that purpose.

A body or org that is there for the purpose of taking complaints?

If they are registered in Ireland then they have to conform to Irish as well as EU law.

Let me repeat what I already said - If you find they're breaking any laws, then you can complain to the relevant authorities. So far, despite a wide concensus that GLS are a total shower of wasters, nobody has suggested that they are breaking any laws.

(For what it's worth, I received a parcel from the US at the end of December without any hassles at all, and then a week later, I ordered something from Komplett in Norway, and selected "ParcelForce" delivery, which appears to be handled by GLS in Ireland. They managed to make a total balls of the delivery, and delayed everything by 2 days. Komplett refunded the delivery charge).

Ripwave

Originally posted by Muck
Jeez . Anything helpful to say about the (immediately) previous post Ripwave ?

I was going to go easy on you Muck .

ISO certification is almost certainly irrelevant to USPS, but even if it was relevant, there's nothing in ISO 9000 that would cause GLS to be "decertified" for being a shower of tossers. As long as they hand in their homework on time, they get the gold star.

Ripwave

Originally posted by Urban Weigl
There was a fitting strip about ISO certification in Dilbert about a year ago, can't find it now.

http://plg.uwaterloo.ca/~migod/fun/dilbert-iso9000.gif .

spongebob

I woulda thought that the Certification would be their weak spot.

GLS do not know where their parcels ARE . If they were originally certified with ISO(pick a numbers) on the basis that they had some notion where their goods were then it strikes me that the Certification is Invalid and should be withdrawn. Otherwise, whats the point of having the standard if you only have to meet it on exam day and never again ?

As for Komplett, GLS are NOT entirely at fault there. Komplett do not print the second line of the Delivery address (if it on their system in addition to the Billing address) on the Delivery labels. GLS are too mangy to allow their staff to make a quick mobile call to sort it out, DHL staff usually ring your mobile (which IS printed on the label) and get the missing bit that way.

GLS are guilty of some shocking antics in re: Gifts or Items sent via the USPS and deserve all the opprobium for that alone.

M

Ripwave

Originally posted by Muck
I woulda thought that the Certification would be their weak spot.

GLS do not know where their parcels ARE . If they were originally certified with ISO(pick a numbers) on the basis that they had some notion where their goods were then it strikes me that the Certification is Invalid and should be withdrawn. Otherwise, whats the point of having the standard if you only have to meet it on exam day and never again ?

ISO 9000 was developed for the purpose of making companies more profitable by making them more efficient. Customers (ie really big corporations) began to insist on their suppliers being ISO 9000 certified, because certified companies are more efficient, and therefore must be cheaper (logical, by some definitions of logic). So the only reason USPS might care about ISO 9000 certification is because it's supposed to make GLS cheaper (in the long run). But given the USPS dire financial straits these days, a GLS that charges the recipient €10 to handle a package, and therefore doesn't pass that cost on to USPS, probably isn't going to lose the contract simply because of ISO certification status.

As for Komplett, GLS are entirely at fault there. Komplett do not print the second line of the Delivery address (if it on their system in addition to the Billing address) on the Delivery labels. GLS are too mangy to allow their staff to make a quick mobile call to sort it out, DHL staff usually ring your mobile (which IS printed on the label) and get the missing bit that way.

Komplett screwed up even worse than that, but they told me on Friday morning that they had contacted GLS with the correct information, and that my package would be delivered on Friday afternoon. On Monday at lunch time, I did get a call on my mobile from GLS, who couldn't find the screwed up address that Komplett originally gave them, and the package was finally delivered on Tuesday.

GLS are guilty of some shocking antics in re: Gifts or Items sent via the USPS and deserve all the opprobium for that alone.

I agree totally. But they aren't breaking any laws or regulations, and as such, complaints to any Irish organization probably won't achieve much. It doesn't cost any more to complain to the US Embassy than it does to complain to the ODCA.

spongebob

Go straight to the Inspector General in the US of A would be my other advice

THey are the Postal Ispector, the website is Here . Report GLS for non compliance/material breach of the following Reportable Offences .

Intentional deception
False statements, submitting false claims, using false weights or measures
Significant cases of mismanagement
Deficient practices, systems, controls or decisions

I believe many US parcels should be delivered according to standards laid down
Here .

M

sovtek

Originally posted by Ripwave
A body or org that is there for the purpose of taking complaints?
Let me repeat what I already said - If you find they're breaking any laws, then you can complain to the relevant authorities.

They have yet to delivery a package that they were paid to do? They don't answer their phones, emails or faxes.
I paid for a service that isn't being carried out.
Is that what you mean by breaking laws?

I find it strange that so many people say things like "we deserve it because we never complain" then I do something like ask how to complain then I get someone that argues that I should even do so or don't do it here????
Am I missing something? Is this a cultural difference?

Anyway thanks to the ones who've made suggestions.

Ripwave

Originally posted by sovtek
They have yet to delivery a package that they were paid to do? They don't answer their phones, emails or faxes.
I paid for a service that isn't being carried out.

Really? You paid GLS in Ireland to deliver a package? Did you get a receipt from GLS? No? Thought not.

Is that what you mean by breaking laws?

Is it against the law to not answer your phone now? News to me. Jaze, these new laws are just poping up like mushrooms!

You don't have a contract with GLS. You haven't paid GLS to deliver your package. You've paid someone else and that someone else has used GLS as their agent. If you seek legal redress, you will have to seek it from the entity that you did business with, not their agents. I'm pretty sure that you'll find that Contract Law works pretty much the same way in the Good Ol' USA as it does here.

I find it strange that so many people say things like "we deserve it because we never complain" then I do something like ask how to complain then I get someone that argues that I should even do so or don't do it here????
Am I missing something?

Apparently. I didn't say that you shouldn't complain. I said that you should complain to the people that have the contract with GLS. I didn't even say that you shouldn't complain in Ireland. I said that there isn't any body here in Ireland that complaining to will make any difference, unless you just want to get it off you chest, in which case a call to Gerry Ryan or one of the many other talk radio hosts is probably your best bet.

GLS can apparently stay in business while delivering a totally crap service. If you want to change that, then you'll have to complain to the people that they earn their money from. If you'd rather waste your time complaining to the ODCI, or the NSAI, don't let me stop you. Be sure to let us know how you got on.

therecklessone

Don't know if folks are aware of this, but any bulky packages shipped by amazon.co.uk are handled by GLS. Got a delivery this morning, told the courier that they were getting an awful name for themselves. "I'm only with them a week now bud" was the reply...