8mm Forum: Royal Mail/GLS

This is topic Royal Mail/GLS in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on January 15, 2014, 01:34 AM:

I bought a 9,5 film from a British seller (who is not responsible for what is following). I found (a wednesday) a note in my mailbox from a private company I never heard about before (GLS) saying they came when I was at work and they would come back the following day (without any time range written on the paper). I called GLS to tell them I would not be there on the Thursday and we agreed for another meeting on the Friday between 10:30 am and 12pm. Nobody showed up so I called the company again about 1 pm just to hear that the driver says he came at 8 am. I said that was at home, he didn't ring, he didn't call me (they asked my phone number the first time I called) and he didn't leave any paper in my mailbox. The lady on the phone told me that it was the fourth time he came but that it is possible that sometimes he hasn't paper anymore to leave in the mailbox as he may have a full van of parcells. I let you imagine how professionnal I regard this answer. So, I asked when they could come again and they sais that four times is a maximum and that I had to go to pick the parcell myself in...another city ! I insisted and they accepted to deliver my film at work the following Monday. They took my phone number a second time. I wrote an e-mail to the seller to report about the company he choosed to send my parcell and, big surprise, he answered he sent it via the Royal Mail (the British official Post Office). So the story doesn't end here. As my film never arrived at my work on the Monday, I called yesterday (Tuesday) GPS and they told me that the parcell had been sent back to the sender the preceeding Friday (the day I called them). Once again, nobody called me. The laday on the phone told me that she didn't understand why the film had not been kept but that she could not do anything about that as it was not in Belgium anymore and that the sender has to complain ! So be aware that the Royal Mail doesn't necessarily work with the national post offices but may choose some small unefficient companies.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 15, 2014, 02:44 AM:

I recently bought a film from a Belgium member of this Forum and he used GLS. This was delivered to me by Royal Mail.
GLS is General Logistics Systems and is based in Amsterdam, it is a subsidiary of the UK's Royal Mail.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on January 15, 2014, 03:03 AM:

I've just sent them a written complain and will see if and what they answer. maurice, if the sender chooses GLS and warns the recipient it is different that if he chooses an official national post company as in the second case you expect that the national net will be used in the country where the parcell is sent.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 15, 2014, 04:41 AM:

A further film from another Forum member sent to me from Germany using Deutsche Post Brief was delivered to me by Royal Mail.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on January 15, 2014, 06:31 AM:

So, the problem seems to be when someone posts something from Britain to abroad and not from abroad to Britain.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 15, 2014, 06:36 AM:

It certainly seems like it.
I have had no problems receiving from Europe.
However, I have never sent anything to Europe from here in the UK.

Posted by Terry Sills (Member # 3309) on January 15, 2014, 12:11 PM:

I recently sent a projector to Norway via Parcelforce (a division of Royal Mail) and it arrived in less than a week. So not always a problem sending from UK. However a couple of years ago,or so, I sent a film to Belgium and that disappeared never to be seen again. Perhaps the problem lies in the Belgium delivery system.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on January 15, 2014, 12:20 PM:

Maurice, are you suggesting that UK is not in Europe ? ;-)

Posted by Terry Sills (Member # 3309) on January 15, 2014, 12:25 PM:

Dom
There are those amongst us that sometimes wish we were not!

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on January 15, 2014, 12:33 PM:

[Smile]

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on January 15, 2014, 01:18 PM:

I always wondered what that big lump of land at the side of us was.

New rule from the EU all cinemas to only show 35mm films, now I would vote to stay in the EU for that.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on January 15, 2014, 01:30 PM:

Terry, it seems that this company, GLS, is not efficient.

Posted by Terry Sills (Member # 3309) on January 15, 2014, 01:57 PM:

Dom
From what you describe I would say that is an understatement. Terrible experience for you.

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