ParcelHero - where do I legally stand ?

[abrook11]

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone is well! I’ll get straight to the point.

I had to send a parcel to Russian Federation since my wife is there with kids. I used a service called ParcelHero (comparison site for courier companies) booked a courier service with DHL filled all the forms including customs done everything by instruction and finally send the parcel off. Few days later I could see the parcel arrived to Moscow and was held there. Finally, on tracking I could see they are returning the parcel back to UK. I called DHL they told me you can only use DHL shipping to Russia only if you’re a business sending it to another business I.e. you cannot send this to residential property. I spoke to DHL and they said the refund will be issued! I told them I booked it through ParcelHero so they suggested to contact them.

next I received an email from ParcelHero suggesting not only I will not receive my refund as they failed to mention that I cannot send to residential address they also want me to pay them for a return flight.

Even though i paid £40 I would very much like that money back. If they refuse a refund, could I take them to court or how do I deal with them ?

Thank you

Alex

[efpom]

To take anyone to court for £40 is madness!

However, you are also up against Parcel Hero's T&Cs which, I my view would make it a certainty that you will lose at court.

See https://www.parcelhero.com/en-gb/ter...and-conditions Cl. 11
"...compliance with any law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction..."

"In such circumstances, We shall arrange to return Your Consignment to You at the Collection Point as soon as reasonably practicable and at Your sole cost and expense."

HOWEVER - if you have an undertaking, in writing, from the carrier, DHL, that it will return the consignment to you and refund the carriage cost, there is no "cost and expense."

If the above undertaking exists, You have two choices - deal with DHL directly, or request Parcel Hero to "arrange" per it's contract with you, advising it that because DHL confirmed, in writing, there is no cost, it is not entitled to charge you anything.

[R0b]

Perhaps £40 is madness but at the same time, why should companies benefit from retaining someone else's money if they are required to give it back.

Clause 11 could be construed as an unfair term and in any event I'm not so sure it is a force majeure event.

The other key question is whether PH had informed you on their website at the time that parcels could only be delivered to Russia via a business address. If they didn't then that is crucial information that was omitted at the time of entering into the contract and you should be entitled to recover the £40 back, let alone any alleged charges incurred by PH should be at their expense. If they let you process the order to a residential address knowing that it could only be delivered to a business one, well that's their fault not yours.

[abrook11]

efpom , rob thank you for your response. Ok, I understand taking someone to court for £40 sounds absurd. However, I tend to agree with Rob, I mean why should I work to earn this 40 quid when some company can just claim it without even lifting a finger, plus they have the nerve to ask me to pay them a return fee. I'm just so frustrated with them.

Just now I tried to book a parcel to Russia again through PH just to see the process and see if I have missed anything and maybe Im going crazy and I'm totally wrong. No! Turns out I am right, they do no mention that curlers cannot deliver parcels to Russia that includes FedEx, DHL , UPS , HERMES. Only Royal Mail can or private companies. The only thing they have said when you select UPS it does state UPS does not deliver to RUSSIA residential address, they offer you alternative service with DHL and let you pay. Please if you have time have a look at the screenshots I've taken.

Process of booking a parcel with PH.

1. Select the country, input size, weight.
2. Select service you require
3. Filled in details where the parcel is going
4. After pressing next they say UPS does not deliver to RUSSIA select alternative
5. I pressed alternative option, it took me to the payment page where I paid and as you can see 'alternative option' is DHL.


P.S read google reviews about them there's people saying forget about your money after using them, the only option is to go to your credit card company and tell them it's in dispute.

Furthermore, wife called DHL Express Russia to see if she can pick the parcel up they told her DHL have stopped delivering to residential addresses in 2010. Parcel arrived back to me yesterday all fine and well.