The goblins, Evri, and DPD.

Lorcan

Lorcan

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So, after Happy Hay managed to send the last box via DPD, I ordered a box of the orchard hay for an Evri delivery. It went fairly smoothly, if not for Evri sending it out with their courier in his car. 10kg of hay, front seat of the car. He's like "I've a very large parcel for you, and it smells." The box had taken a bit of a beating but the seal was still intact, if that makes sense, although he did get bits of hay all over his car. It also smells fine, I suspect if you're not used to what hay smells like it can be a bit...offputting?

But it's the sending it in the car I have a problem with. A 10kg box like that should not be something you insist a courier deliver in his car. DPD will at least send it in a van.

We all know I really, really don't like DPD. And while they've been much, much better the last few times I've unintentionally used them, I don't know if a) they can actually keep this up and b) if it'll last because the holiday seasons are coming up and this is when they ended up beyond useless last year. But I also don't want to go back to paying the same amount for a box of Excel timothy that I would a box from Happy Hay, except one gives me 10kg and one gives me less than half that, 4.5kg.

I'm torn on what to do, here. Hay's kind of a necessity, it's not like I can skimp on it.
 
I've found that most of the hay suppliers seem to have moved to DPD now. My last Haybox order arrived in 2 separate deliveries over 2 days (very annoying). I think even Nature's Own have moved from Royal Mail to DPD.
 
Nature's Own had the last I checked. When I get the Excel I get it from The Hay Experts who'll send it via DPD, DHL or Parcelforce but it's the expense of it. They'll eat the Excel which makes it useful as a fallback but I don't really want to be paying so much for that little hay.

The current box should last for a while, gives me time to think of something, but I might suck it up and go back to DPD. The last few times they've delivered something they've been good, they'll be here tomorrow with something else (again, hadn't realised Novatech had changed couriers lol) and if there is a problem, Happy Hay said last time they'll send it out via Evri again.

That's a pity about Haybox though. 🤨 The 10kg box I get turns up as a 10kg microbale, complete with twine wrap for easy manhandling out of the box should that be necessary, no idea how they package the 15kg boxes.
 
Both Evri and DPD have their moments. I would generally say Evri are the prize winners for incompetent couriering, but DPD have thoroughly annoyed me recently.

At least the hay arrived safe and sound!
 
Evri hay delivery has failed to arrive! Usually because ‘the parcel is bulky and requires a specialist courier’. I’m impressed your courier got the box in their car - my Evri courier must have a Fiat 500 or an electric scooter 😂 I got Natures Own via parcelforce this time. Well wrapped and delivered. Haybox - DPD. Usually bashed and taped up. Hay ho ….
 
Yeah the box took a bit of a knock, and I opened it from the bottom up because that's where the knocks were but the tape was still intact, it was just the cardboard - unless they retaped it, but I doubt it with how the tape was sitting on the box, and where it had lifted away from the cardboard. I do feel for him because it'll have been that dust that always settles at the bottom of a box and it's all over the front passenger seat of his car :bal: But it's 10kg of hay and he shouldn't have to transport it in his car, and he's a nice guy. He doesn't deserve that headache, lol, although I did tell him I'd go to the car and lift it to my door, I wouldn't make him do it.

I keep being slightly paranoid about him saying "it smells" but to me it does smell fine. But then if I'd had to transport a 10kg box of hay in the passenger seat of my car, the smell of hay might be my least favourite thing too, lol.

Edit: Actually, I've had a thought. Happy Hay apparently do still sell 5kg boxes, and I'm wondering if getting a 10kg of the timothy from DPD but then a 5kg of the orchard from Evri would work out. That way he's not having to transport a massive box in the car but I'm also still not left short if DPD start their shenanigans up again. Hmm.
 
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5kg would certainly be less bulky. Still going to get the dusty hay though. Sounds like a reliable delivery guy so can understand you wanting to keep him on side.
 
There's nothing I can do about the dusty bits from the bottom of a box, unfortunately, but a smaller box would mean less knocking about. And less knocking about means less accidental debris getting everywhere - or at least, that's what I was thinking.
 
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