DPD Liars & Useless

Edg3

Hello all.

This is the latest in an ongoing issue I've been having with DPD lately that I thought I'd solved.
I live out in the country side, its difficult for couriers who don't know the area to find me, so I've always tried to make it as easy as possible, when possible I attach a phone number to a parcel and when thats not an option I email/call the company soon as I get the tracking number to give them a number to call me at for directions.
90% of the stuff I order comes via DPD and usually they are, fairly, almost ok, but this past week has been a ****ing nightmare.
I ordered off MyProtein on the 28th of May, the stuff was shipped on the 29th, small parcel, doubt its even a kilo in weight. On the 1st of May I received an email from DPD (after sending them my phone number via their website).

Parcel being delivered today 01/05/2014 by DPD (Ref:*********)

"Your order is due for delivery today between 08:30 - 10:30
Your order is out for delivery today between 08:30 - 10:30. Can you please ensure that someone will be available to sign for the parcel at your delivery address below.

If today is not convenient, please click below to change the date."

10.30 arrived and still no package, 3pm came and went so I called DPD to give them a number again to add to my account. Note this is 6 days ago.

Friday came and went no word. Monday was a bank holiday so I expected on Tuesday my parcel would arrive. I found out the parcel was in a local depot just in the road so I called the directly and asked where the parcel was, they told me it had no number attached and had spent the day in the van "awaiting delivery". So fine, I gave them a number and the guy on the other end told me "You'll have it tomorrow". Fine well and good.
Today, the 7th of May, nothing arrived, so at about 12 I called the depot again and was told the system was down, but to call back in a while. Called at 1, got a very helpful woman who said the parcel was out for delivery and I'd have it around 3. I got back home around 4.30, no parcel. I called again, guy told me he'd contact the driver, but the driver wasnt picking up so he said "I'll call him and get him to call you." 6pm arrived, no call, no parcel, no contact at all.

Now if this was the first time this had happened it'd be fine, but this is the 5th or 6th time its happened exactly like this, once I had a driver arrive, in his car, with his family, to give me the parcel at 8pm at night.
Ive had once driver who actual knows the area and remembers me because I order and have deliveries brought here at least once every 2 or 3 weeks and when its that driver he always arrive at 10.30 and never needs to call.

What pissed me off the most is that I was meant to go out today, and one of the other days and waited for the delivery guy to arrive to no avail. Then to be lied to over the phone by the guy in the depot thats a completely different thing.

If I had another choice I would take it but DPD seem to be the only ones the company uses. I'm just sick of waiting for them to show up. They've been paid. And my parcel will probably arrive looking like it went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson because any longer then 2 or 3 days and it looks like they kicked it around the warehouse while it wasn't being crushed under bigger boxes in the back of the van.

I know I'm not the only one to have this problem with them, so... is there actually anything I can do??

Oh and only last thing, on Tuesday, when I was waiting I checked the parcels status online and it told me "Delivered" and stayed that way til later in the day when it said "Returned to Hub."