Affiliate Marketing Blog: Initial City Link Are Crap

Wednesday, 2 May 2007

Initial City Link Are Crap - Merchants Please don't use!

I ordered a new laptop to be delivered by 17:30 at my client's address and it never turned up. I tried calling and got disconnected. Then tried again at 18:00 because they say that they're open until 19:00 but they're closed so I try leaving a message but can't because their mailbox is full.

How many times do I have to chuffing complain about how crap the last people in the ecommerce chain are but we're always let down?!?!

So can I please ask any merchant not to use Initial City Link because, I personally, always have problems with them!

Apparently they've won the "UK Courier Company of 2007" - somehow!

Update: I'd appreciate if anyone could leave some feedback on Parcel Monkey - as they offer some un-naturally cheap courier prices!

33 Comments:

At 3 May 2007 at 08:40 , Anonymous said...: I've never had a problem with them. In fact, they are the best in my books, closely followed by DHL. Parcel Force (aka Parcel Farce) are by far the worst. IMO.
At 5 May 2007 at 19:05 , Anonymous said...: Well I'm in London and buy a fair bit from ebuyer (who use CityLink) and have only once had a problem with them. The problem I had was that they claimed they had attempted to deliver my parcel but said nobody was in - I was in all day and no card was left, when I called my local City Link depot and finally managed to speak to someone after being cut off, they were so rude and implied that I was lying (why would I bother?), they told me they knew the driver had been to my house as I had a red door which is odd as my door is black, wtf?. The following day I was in all day waiting and called CityLink who told me the driver was definitely coming, then something inside of me told me that I should open my font door, and what did I find?..... A card saying CityLink had tried to deliver my package even though my doorbell didn't even ring! In the end I had to go and collect my package from my so called local depot as they said they will only attempt to deliver a package twice. Usually I am fortunate enough to have a regular driver who delivers my orders like clockwork, a very nice guy too, but I'm sure I would have had many more problems with City Link if it wasn't for my regular driver. As strange as it may sound, I consider myself lucky after some of the comments I have read about City Link at http://forums.ebuyer.com

Anyway, rant over ;)
At 24 July 2007 at 20:39 , Anonymous said...: I agree that City Link are a disaster. Their success rate is around 30% to our address. We avoid them like the plague now. They have apalling customer service, don't answer the phone, and lie through their teeth. BEWARE!
At 25 July 2007 at 10:50 , Anonymous said...: I am in total agreement with you and I have worked for them...twice! Not only do they treat their customers badly, they also treat ex-employees like crap too! I left them in Jan this year and have been chacing a discrepency in my pay ever since. I keep getting fobbed off and passed from one person to another. IF "Sh*tty Link" were the only parcel courier firm available, I would deliver my parcels myself!!!
At 16 October 2007 at 11:10 , Anonymous said...: I agree entirely City Link really are Crap.
below is the online tracking from their web site tracker for my Bamboo plant
City Link Job No Search
OV958157

Current Status: The goods have been returned to the branch after an unsuccessful delivery attempt.

Customer Reference: 8392137-20071011-113024 Scheduled Delivery Date: 15/10/07

Tracking History
11:35 Thursday, October 11, 2007 Awaiting Collection
16:34 Thursday, October 11, 2007 On route to delivery branch
04:27 Friday, October 12, 2007 Arrived at Delivery Branch
08:58 Friday, October 12, 2007 Goods loaded onto a van
17:11 Friday, October 12, 2007 Goods returned to branch
14:00 Monday, October 15, 2007 Goods returned to branch

On Friday the incompitent Driver turned up with the paper work but no plant, when I enquired where was my Item his reply was, "must of been put on another Van", I then phoned City Link only to be told my item must be lost but if it should show up I will recieve it on Monday.
Monday I telephoned City Link to ask where my Bamboo plant was only to be told they did not know, yet when I look later on in the afternoon I see item returned to base at 1400. well not only are they incompitant but are also adept at Lying.
I have fired off a Letter for all the good this may do to their Manging Director asking for his help in finding my delivery item.
I would never use this shambolic company out of choice.
At 16 October 2007 at 15:57 , Anonymous said...: Follow up to my previous comment today.

I have just recieved a Phone call from the Secretary of the Manager of City Link, apologizing for the non delivery of my Bamboo plant and assuring me that it will infact be delivered tomorrow, so it looks like my letter wasn't in vain.
I will follow up with a comment if it is indeed delivered tomorrow as promised.
At 17 October 2007 at 16:42 , Anonymous said...: Time 4.30PM and no delivery as promised, I have just looked at the online tracking and the same old story:

Postcode
City Link Job No Search
OV958157

Current Status: The goods have been returned to the branch after an unsuccessful delivery attempt.

Customer Reference: 8392137-20071011-113024 Scheduled Delivery Date: 15/10/07

Tracking History
11:35 Thursday, October 11, 2007 Awaiting Collection
16:34 Thursday, October 11, 2007 On route to delivery branch
04:27 Friday, October 12, 2007 Arrived at Delivery Branch
08:58 Friday, October 12, 2007 Goods loaded onto a van
17:11 Friday, October 12, 2007 Goods returned to branch
14:00 Monday, October 15, 2007 Goods returned to branch
15:12 Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Goods returned to branch
09:05 Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Goods loaded onto a van

It seems like the Manager of city Link does not have the influence to get a simple Bamboo delivery sorted and delivered.

I will include a different item below order number OV958768 that was indeed delivered by City Link yesterady to prove that I was at my Home yesterday awaiting delivery of the initial Bamboo order.

OV958768

Current Status: These goods have been successfully delivered.

Customer Reference: 8392137-20071015-113517 Scheduled Delivery Date: 16/10/07
POD Date: 16/10/07 POD Time: 14:12
POD Signature: WHITE

Tracking History
11:43 Monday, October 15, 2007 Awaiting Collection
17:59 Monday, October 15, 2007 On route to delivery branch
05:19 Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Arrived at Delivery Branch
08:33 Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Goods loaded onto a van

I will in future always check which delivery company that is used before I make a online purchase and needless to say if City Link is the delivery company then I shall certainly not be placing any orders as they really are useless.
At 11 December 2007 at 23:34 , Anonymous said...: I have usually found City Link to be reliable, however this last week my parcel was out for re-delivery again but failed because they had problems locating my address; i waited in all day and now its been returned to sender ! also i don't like it that you have to phone an 0870 national rate number to contact the local depot.
At 13 December 2007 at 17:14 , Anonymous said...: citylink are utter crap, they dont ring my doorbell but tap on the door once, first with my modem then with my eeepc i ordered recently. first time i was sitting downstairs all day and missed it because they didnt ring my doorbell grrr, when i order my eeepc on the dispatch day i sat by my window all day and guess what the man tap the door lightly which i didnt even hear and walked away good job i set by the window i already paid £18 for next day delivery.

someone really needs to train the drivers to use the doorbell
At 16 December 2007 at 21:43 , Anonymous said...: I am a same day freelance van courier. I can't begin to count how many times I have been called to the local Citylink depot to collect 'urgent' parcels that have been loaded onto wrong vans or misrouted or a hundred other reasons for not being delivered as intended. Citylink are the laughing stock of national couriers in this area
At 5 January 2008 at 19:07 , Anonymous said...: Granted city link are a pain. I work for them so i should know. I hear the same comments time and time again city link are this or that, they have lost this, they've said that. But everyone always blames the drivers!!
Its not our fault the every tom dick and harry use us to delivery the items people are to lazy to buy from the shops. They order late at night tues and expect it first thing wed morn etc etc or they arrange a redelivery of a parcel because they've been carded twice and claim that they will be in on selected date but to the drivers suprise they consignee has buggered off out so they get carded and then insist on moaning that the driver never turned up blah blah blah....
It also comes across as people seem to be under the impression that the delivery van only has their parcel in the back, when we actually go out on the road with 60-100 different drops (delivery addresses) and we much prefer to get most or ALL deliv's off as we dont wannabe faced with those the next day as they are added on the next days delivery total. Give the drivers a chance and ease off on the abuse we have to be faced with. We dont receive any extra money no matter how much you may pay for your item...
Most of the problems are caused by the national call centre who keep you on hold or cut you off or make false promises etc etc.
At 7 January 2008 at 16:27 , Anonymous said...: I agree it is not the drivers fault all the time. But overall City Link is terrible. I recently ordered tools, to be delivered via City link and they havent been delivered yet. To my shock I called the customer services and was told they somehow lost my parcel. Thats £70 lost and no explanation after numerous phone calls. Yet, if i lost my temper with them i would be the one in the wrong. ABSOLUTE NONSENSE DO NOT USE CITY LINK.
At 17 January 2008 at 00:52 , Anonymous said...: I think it depends which area you're in. Here in North Kent, I've had numerous failed deliveries, some carded, some claimed carded and some just failed for some other reason. This is when I've worked from home waited in all day for them. The few times ICL actually delivered, the drivers were fine - polite, professional.

Now, if I have to get an ICL delivery, I drive to the depot. I know it by heart, and I know the opening & closing times, which are quite different to what's on the card.

I try to avoid suppliers that use ICL, but sometimes you can't. They must be cheap to be that popular. I used to get steamed up about their service, but now I realise life's too short. At least the depot isn't too far, and what's a couple of hours every few months?
At 29 January 2008 at 18:36 , Anonymous said...: I receive packages on a constant basis as can draw conclusions as I am in the Chauffeur business. In the last week City Link have failed to turn up at my correct address 3 times on behalf of electrical 123 (wasting my time).

On Saturday they finally got it right but not at the time promised.

Today they failed to even deliver a time critical computer. When I first called the bloke who spoke to me in a derisory manner talked it up that it would arrive by 5.30 PM (I Knew it would not call it 6th sense) and when I finished my 26 minite call near 6PM I was no clearer exept to be sure the driver does not bother to answer his phone and the center manager does not train his drivers to act.

My response is to ask HP for a refund for 'postage' and send a bill to city link for my time.
At 29 January 2008 at 18:38 , Anonymous said...: Initial city link are hartless, my husband works for them, between xmas snd new year they put a memo on the notice board saying that the site he works at will be closing in august 08. When returnig to work in the new year he asked what was going on and was told that the posting of the memo was a mistake, but was true. no one from H.R. has had the decency to show their faces or send a letter to the employees to advise them of what is going on, your just a number to them, not a person with worries about your future. anonymous worried wife.
At 25 March 2008 at 16:22 , Anonymous said...: City link should be fined for breaking the trades decriptions act. We do not use them but one of my suppliers uses them to deliver to me, today city link reported that my address did not exisit and was wrong. I have a delivery from the same supplier each week. i think the driver just wants to go home early.
we also have had "cards" left (none found by us) and they say no one is here, well its an office open from 8 am till 6pm. if they are going to lie then at least get the facts right.
At 31 July 2008 at 15:02 , bdude said...: City Link are crap. I have only used there shocking service twice, and twice my parcel has never reached me the day it was supposed to. They never ring the door bell and never leave a card. They do this so that you have to pay MORE money to get the parcel re-delivered for the same thing to happen all over again.
At 16 August 2008 at 13:42 , Anonymous said...: Extract from the South Wales Echo Aug 6 2008 . This is where my £1200 television went !!

A RING of delivery crooks stole hi-tech goods for more than two months before their employer alerted police. Three employees of delivery firm City Link took computers, televisions and other goods that they should have delivered to homes in South Wales. Cardiff Crown Court was told that for two and a half months the crooks peddled their illicitly obtained goods on auction website eBay at knockdown prices. One raked in more than £10,000 by selling more than 60 different items through the website. In total, it is believed more than £30,000 worth of items went missing. Detective Sergeant Mike Yeo, of Roath CID, said detectives had been called in by delivery firm City Link, which has a base at Portmanmoor Road Industrial Estate, Splott, Cardiff. Det Sgt Yeo said: “They were stealing all sorts of things: plasma-screen televisions, iPods, computers, hi-tech equipment, even a Dyson cleaner.” It is believed the stolen goods were loaded onto delivery driver Paul Golding’s van and he delivered them to the homes of the other two men, Vincent Smith, 38, of Greenway Road, Rumney, Cardiff, and Joseph Stephens, 45, of Glyn Eidw, Pentwyn, Cardiff. Between April 13 and June 3, 2007, some 61 items were stolen and sold on the popular auction website eBay for around £10,000, a fraction of their full value. Night-time supervisor Smith was jailed for nine months after he pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and one count of theft, with 24 offences taken into consideration.

Driver Golding, 42, of Chesterton Road, Llanrumney, Cardiff, was jailed for six months after pleading guilty to 15 counts of theft.

Fellow City Link employee Stephens was also jailed for six months after admitting five counts of theft.
At 16 October 2008 at 23:11 , Anonymous said...: Same old story here too!
Somerset BATH branch.
Drivers are given too many parcels per day and too little pay meaning that a serious number do not turn up due to not being bothered/able.

There is a very large probability of your parcel being marked as "you were not in" even if you are. This gives them an easy way out as people can generally not claim to have been home, and when the company is called, I have always been given a unsympathetic, lying employee.

Three parcels have turned up more than a week late, two drivers have not been able to find the house try getting a map! (I live in an easy-to-find place) and four parcels less than a week late (but still late). Twice I have had to go to their shabby, bad quality, and one-manned collection point, where there were lots of people waiting, all very annoyed at being lied to.

I have heard from an Amazon employee that they will now almost always refund postage immediately if they have used CityLink and you have had a problem, as they are so used to people complaining about them.

This is without a doubt the single worst courier comapny, certainly in this area. Avoid like the plague.
At 28 October 2008 at 15:30 , Anonymous said...: I've just read the comment by a city link driver, apparently blaming the company's customers for their problems, saying we are too lazy and should buy stuff in shops.
what a fool, we are the ones keeping you lot in a job!! However I will certainly take your advice, and will not be using your firm again. with any luck everyone will get wise to your company's incompetance, then your job will be much,much easier, you won't have to deliver anything.
At 14 February 2009 at 14:35 , Anonymous said...: If you dont like city link or other courier companies, get off your lazy a**s and go buy your hoovers, laptops, tvs etc etc etc and shut up moaning about drivers who do (believe it or not) carry more than your one sodding parcel..
That you have ordered on a next day at 9pm at night and expect it to turn up on your doorstep the following morning at 8am, not before then as your trying to sleep and not after as you've p***ed off out for the day.
Then once back and find the card you call the call centre number, quote the consignment number and then lie saying you were in all day and didnt receive a card!!
At 14 February 2009 at 18:03 , Anonymous said...: ha ha ha good on ya james!
At 23 February 2009 at 14:00 , Anonymous said...: It seems I am not the only one who has had trouble with Citylink,here follows my letter to Lambatek regarding my order:
Dear Mr Reddy
I am writing this, after eventually being able to get in touch with the courier “Citylink” who were delivering my order: LAMBDA1234442948.
I have no longer any interest in doing business with this company now, or ever again in the future. I found them dishonest, saying that they had tried to deliver the article, which was not true. They left neither advice that they had been to my address, or tried to reach me by phone to ask for alternative arrangements. I had left a note on my door to say what was to be done with the delivery if I were not in! That note in still on my door. I find this company not only dishonest but unprofessional, abrupt and uncooperative, after having spoken to them.
In view of above I would ask you to redeliver my order via an alternative courier.
Kind regards
At 19 March 2009 at 12:28 , Anonymous said...: I am a customer not a merchant. I buy reularly from Amazon. I live in a rural area and whenever Amazon uses city link a disaster follows. They are in my experience the worst courier company I have ever come across. OK - mistakes can happen - but not EVERY time. And like the other contributors I have been consistently lied to and taken for a fool. If I was a merchant I would avoid them like the plague. When I am choosing to buy stuff on line I will not buy from companies that indicate that they use city link and I always ring to check if the website does say which courier is used. I have a postie who has been delivering for 15 years without any problems. For myself, I order from companies which use Royal Mail.
At 26 March 2009 at 16:09 , Anonymous said...: I am an Amazon Customer, I usually get items delivered by Royal Mail no problem, however, I have been awaiting a parcel which was a gift for Mothers day which was despatched on 17 March via Citylink. On 25th March I still had no parcel or card from Citylink and Mothers Day had been and gone. I tracked parcel via Amazon and was amazed to find out it stated they had attempted delivery twice on 18 and 19 March. No card was left for me and someone was at home all day on 19 March. I phoned last night and arranged for them to re-deliver today and someone has been in all day waiting on them. No sign of them once again. When I phoned today they said driver had been this morning and no one was at home. No card has been left once again. When I insisted someone has been at home all day, they tried to say my buzzer must not work then!!! So what happened to the card they are supposed to leave on the 3 supposed occasions they have tried to deliver my parcel? they said maybe my neighbours took it!!! - the driver also said my door is white, but my door is BLACK. I would never ever buy from anyone who uses this crap company ever again!!! I just hope they don't charge me to re-deliver it tomorrow for the supposed 4th time!
At 30 March 2009 at 09:41 , Anonymous said...: *Update" my parcel was delivered on Friday 27th March (10 days after the order was dispatched by Amazon using "1 day delivery" service). The parcel had been deliberately slit open with a knife or scissors and the book inside was damanged to the extend I am now unable to give the book as a gift.
At 12 May 2009 at 17:51 , Chris, Staffs said...: This is the third time that City Link have pulled the same "no one in" shit...at three separate addresses!! I had to move the heavens to rearrange work today to be in...and - Surprise!! Card dropped (but no card here). Called City Link as soon as the status changed on the online tracker to be told by the service centre that the driver "refused" to come back and drop the package..THE Lazy F*cker!!

I hope they all rot in hell...
At 13 May 2009 at 19:06 , Anonymous said...: A parcel was posted to me on Friday 8th may so i left a signed message telling them where to leave it.They left a card on the 11th so i phoned their office and when i had finally got through their system left a message for them to ring me ~ they never did.
A call to their head office with new delivery instructions seemed reassuring but it is now the 13th and i await in vain. Tomorrow i shall have to re-order the parts again(and pay for them) and go and collect them.
I hope my customer with the broken PC remains more patient than i am.
I will certainly never use this company again. Thank goodness for ANC Fedex and all the other couriers

Arthur Lewis
At 28 May 2009 at 19:37 , Unknown said...: I ordered a book on Sunday from Amazon on next day delivery. Someone was in all Tuesday and it didn't turn up, Wednesday, A City Link card gets pushed through the door and I'm expected to drive to Asford 30 miles away to pick it up.

A) What happened to two delivery attempts

B) It costs £10 in petrol to drive from here to Ashford "local branch" and back.

The value of the item - £8.39

Pathetic. From now on I'll check first. If it's City Link, they can jam it.
At 24 June 2009 at 01:35 , Old Fart said...: I've spent years of my life delivering parcels.
What I can say -
many drivers do not allow customers enough time to get to the door. If you're not in the room and responding immediately to the knock or ring, the card is through the door and the driver is off to maintain his "depot king" status of 10-12 drops per hour.
Frankly, at the crummy pay rate Citylink offer, that is the only way to make a living wage. When I've been unfortunate enough to get a Citylink delivery, the packaging has always been damaged, and the goods as well in 3 of 4 cases.

What upsets me is they sell franchises to unfortunate sods who want to make money. If you want a parcels franchise, and you aren't afraid of long hours and hard work, go to Tufnells and become a big green parcel machine - it's still hard work, but CityLink propaganda will lead you to believe you can make money. With Tufnells, you need to work long hours, but you will make money ...

Having seen a few cases, I think the CityLink corp offer franchises so that they can take over your liveried van at a cheap lease rate, when you've decided it is a bad deal, and they've had your money.
At 3 September 2009 at 16:48 , Anonymous said...: City Link cannot claim to be couriers, I have used probably all the couriers at different times, most are what they say on the tin, sometimes a little late but generally satisfactory. on the other hand, my experience with Shitty Link are lies for excuses followed by more lies to cover up the original lie. In my experience not only that they often damage anything that is not bullit proof.
Do yourselves a favour. Dont use them
At 9 June 2010 at 23:23 , Unknown said...: I am a sub-contractor for City Link in the Midlands area. And to be honest I would agree with most of the comments posted here. They are shit - they don''t give a shit about their drivers and this is why their drivers don't give a shit about their customers. Their is no gratitude from the management for the long hours that we do, only scathing criticism for the failed deliveries, which are City Links fault anyway for giving is too much to do in the first place! They are a bunch of tossers, who the phrase "piss up in brewery" was invented for. What more can i say?
At 9 June 2010 at 23:30 , Anonymous said...: You wankers should all try working for City Link!!! Most of you fat lazy office fuckers would not last a day! It is the hardest job I have ever had and nobody respects you. You all want your parcels at the same fucking time and screw everyone else! You are lucky that people even do the job of delivering your shitty parcels. Most of us hate every day and are only there unti we can get something better!

In your defence City Link are particularly shit, at least in my experience. And they don't give a fuck about their drivers. Which is why the drivers don't give a fuck about the parcels. Take my advice and don't use them.