E-go couriers are a no go

[markgray]

I recently brought some goods from a Grays online auction and booked E-go online couriers to pick it up for me. I have used them in the past with mixed results but my recent experiences have been terrible.
Anyway the most recent auction the courier failed to show up on the booked day and the Grays people rang to say my goods where still there. You can't contact this mob by phone so sent them an Email letting them know it had to be picked up the next day or the goods would be lost. They replied that they would let the depot know.
At the end of the next day got a phone call from Grays saying no one turned up. They kindly offered to put the goods aside for collection the next day when the cleanup crew (ie scrappies ) were to come in and cleanup everything as the site had to be left vacant. So another Email to E-go but no reply. Of course no one showed and the goods were declared abandoned and discarded.

Sent some furious Emails and then the next week get a reply that they went to collect ( 5 days late) but the business was closed and could I let them know their new address!!!
So another furious Email and asked them to ring me to discuss compensation for my lost goods.
No call just an Email saying do I want a refund!

To be fair Grays were as good as you could expect. They did everything in their power to help with collection.
As for E-go I will never use them again.
I have made a complaint to the Dept Fair trading to see what they can do.
Have contacted the pickup and receiving couriers and let them know what I think about E-go (or No-go as I now call them).

I think I might restrict myself to auctions that I can personally attend. More fun anyway


Are there any good courier companies for pickups from auctions like Grays? They suggested Pack and Send as their preferred collectors but I have never used them.


Cheers

Mark

[RayG]

Outch, I got ripped off week before last at a Gray's auction, turned up to collect a mixed lot and several items had been ratted. Not major components, but still miffed.

With regard to e-go, it seems you are not alone. http://www.productreview.com.au/p/e-go.html

Reading the reviews, it seems there is no courier service that works perfectly, but e-go is close to the worst of them. Smartsend and Interparcel get fair reviews..

Ray

[Big Shed]

That is certainly not a good advertisement for e-go! Bit worried as well now as I bought a couple of aluminium LED mounting strips and they are being sent via e-go as they are 2m long they can't be posted.
From what I can see e-go are only a facilitator and the actual transport part is handled by various transport companies.
In my case I have tracking number which shows it was picked up by Hunter Express on the same day I purchased them.
Fingers crossed.
Transport companies in Oz have always been notoriously unreliable and take no responsibility for anything.

[Vernonv]

I have used e-go on a few occasions and have generally found them pretty good. The majority of time I was the sender and I normally used depot to depot.
Unfortunately the local freight depot are no longer e-go "agents", so I'll have to find another way.

[RustyArc]

This crowd are basically Hunter Express who have done deals with a pile of random local couriers. I think the angle is that the local pickup and delivery is done on a convenience basis - i.e. when they're going to be in the area for other jobs, not on a guaranteed time or date. That makes it a lot cheaper, but much less predictable. Add in the very loose connection to the local couriers, and it becomes very difficult to track or predict what's happening with your freight.

[markgray]

This crowd are basically Hunter Express who have done deals with a pile of random local couriers. I think the angle is that the local pickup and delivery is done on a convenience basis - i.e. when they're going to be in the area for other jobs, not on a guaranteed time or date. That makes it a lot cheaper, but much less predictable. Add in the very loose connection to the local couriers, and it becomes very difficult to track or predict what's happening with your freight.

This seems to be correct and some areas are obviously better than others. Never had a problem in Sydney with pickup but they did lose one item and break another. Of the roughly 10 items I have got through them one has been lost, one has been broken and the last 2 just not picked up (one I still got but it took a lot of work and extra money to get an alternate pickup).
I think if you deliver to a depot and pick up from a depot you are probably safe.

Ray,
The product review site certainly paints a sorry picture of E-go. Lots of unhappy patrons.
I was probably pretty lucky as the item lost was of relatively low value ($100).
Still will generally find alternate options if I buy anything in the future

[sacc51]

Unfortunately with couriers you are totally at their mercy. I've had experience with several and all seem to operate in the same manner: none can give you even an approximate time time so you have to wait in all day for them. Unfortunately when they do turn up they simply put a notice in the mailbox saying they called but no one was home. Absolute nonsense of course, on every occasion I have been within metres of the door or in the shed which has an extension to the doorbell.

[.RC.]

I used e-go many years ago. My item went missing, it was dropped off at the depot by a relative, and then vanished. I rang hunter express and they totally refused to assist. I rang the local depot where it should have been and they swore black and blue it was not there. I rang the local depot a few days later with the con note number, and someone said the number sounded familiar, and it was there all along.

Never used them since.

[Big Shed]

OK, my parcel was delivered to my door (we live in the country) at 4pm this afternoon. Was picked up by e-go in Sydney on Monday 2/11, so I can't fault them.

[Mike4]

Australia Post tops my list of hopeless carriers, they have an arrogant attitude , take forever to answer the phone .
I wish that a purchaser of goods could specify that they were never used for any parcels until they get their act together, 4 days from Brisbane, 6-7 days from Sydney , I can get a carrier to pick up and deliver to my door in less time and legally.

They cant be taken to court for negligence or damage / loss either .

Yet they are trying to "become competitive"

Michael

[KBs PensNmore]

Our local newsagency is a depot for some new type of courier service, supposed to be better and cheaper than AU Post. Still took nearly a week to get a parcel to central NSW, 7-8 days to get something from Brisbane to Adelaide, where as a carton from USA 8-14 days, 3 times the distance????

[Oldneweng]

I have noticed that in the past 12 months courier activity has been gradually improving at my home address. Prior to this I simply would not order if a courier was used, or if I had no choice had it sent to my SA post box "location".

Last Friday I received a phone call from a courier delivering my latest order from CTC. He asked me what he did last time to get a parcel to me. Give it to the postman was my answer. The courier route ends 60km from home. The post originates from the same town. A hybrid system that takes a bit longer but it works.

I have spoken to many sales people on the phone who flatly state that "their" courier delivers "anywhere". Funny that. When a parcel gets out this far it is carried by the same courier regardless of which "city" courier picked it up and they turn around for home 60km away.

Deliveries to my postbox location. Couriers do not deliver to postboxes and will not allow these addresses to be used. The store/post office where my postbox is located is a courier drop off point. I now just use the street address of the store. City businesses are happy to send there. Once again tho, local couriers do these deliveries and they know all the tricks.

Dean

[clive hugh]

I just had a package take 11 days NSW to WA with Australia Post, pretty slack when I can get similar sized parcels from the USA in 5-8 days.

[Mike4]

I am currently having another battle with the glorious Aust Post , I purchased parts from the supplier in China , dispatched 01-12-15, it's now the 17-12-2015 and no parcel .

When I finally got through to Aust Post , "oh there was industrial action by customs , we will endeavour to get you items to you as quickly as possible".

Same old dont give a hoot reply , I hope to be using couriers only in future as they are able to tell you where stuff is and will get it to you on time and it can be tracked fully.
Aust Post Tracking only confirms delivery , not something that I am interested in, as I need to have an accurate idea of when something will arrive to schedule a time for the repairs to be completed,often with customers who need their gear to be back asap.

Michael