Amazon Prime “doorstepping”

I know how Amazon deliver so I generally only buy cheaper items from them (if dearer I would make sure someone is in) I also stay at the end of a cul-de-sac so low volume traffic passing. I wouldn’t report unless stuff went missing.

I’m guessing Amazon couriers must be on a tight time schedule? Possibly explains the dump n run approach.

I installed a ‘LockTin‘ when we first moved in: big metal cupboard secured to house wall, with electronic lock needing a PIN to access (we include instruction and PIN within delivery addresses). But clearly still too much effort/time-hungry for some couriers (almost always Amazon) who dump n run…

Conscious we buy quite a bit online so trying to make courier’s lives easier as well as our own.

I like it when couriers leave parcels. Means I don’t have to wait around at home for stuff.

Yes, we’ve never had a problem. Fortunately we don’t live in a crimey neighbourhood though! I can see how it would not be optimal, if you did.

Interestingly it’s totally different on the industrial estate where I work. It’s either delivered to you, a neighbour, or taken away again. Nothing is ever just left by the door or bins!!

I wouldn’t report unless stuff went missing.

That’s my big problem with it now – I had no way to report non-delivery to them (just that it wasn’t where the driver said it was – “thanks for the feedback”, they said, no way to escalate further with Amazon), so raised with the retailer who had to fork out for the replacement because Amazon said the driver delivered it “near” to the house, even though they declined to get a POD, which by their own terms they are required to get. If Amazon was paying out for the consequences of their shit treatment of drivers, that would be ok – it’s criminal that the retailer has to pay.

tbh i didnt realise this ws an issue. The ones that drop it off at ours literally firsbee it at the door sometimes.

Fair play – Amazon delivery for Mrs Pondo, knocked the door and rang the doorbell, handed the parcel to me. That’s more like it. 🙂

To clarify a couple of points.

As I said in the OP, my front door opens out onto the street.  Any notion of “safe places” like behind a garden wall or installing a drop box is out.  One of the big gripes I had with Yodel at the old house was that rather than dumping a package on the doorstep in full view of the main road I lived on, they could’ve put it behind a wall out of sight some two feet away but didn’t.  I don’t have that luxury here.

I’ve lived here four years.  This is new.  It happened once before also, last month.

I live on a thoroughfare in Burnley, not a leafy cul-de-sac in Tonbridge Wells.  It might be great for you, in which case I’m very happy for you, but it is not great for me.

There is almost always someone home.  There would be something amiss if we weren’t at the door within 30 seconds, it’s not like we’re keeping them waiting.  I’ve just timed myself walking from my office upstairs to answering the door at 24 seconds, and nine times out of ten I’m barely at the bottom of stairs by the time my partner has already got the door open first.

It’s deliberate.  They dump the package, wave their phone around, then the last thing they do as they turn on their heel to scarper is ring the bell.  I can only assume this is to minimise their chances of being caught out and receiving a bollocking.

It’s deliberate.

It is, but I think they are almost forced into operating like that by Amazon’s delivery model if they want to earn a passable wage. I have sympathy for you as I’ve been on the receiving end. But I also have sympathy for the drivers, it must be a rubbish and incredibly stressful way to earn a living.

Twenty four seconds is a long time to get to the door. We were told wait 10 seconds. The guys don’t have time in their schedule to wait 24 seconds at each delivery. I’m not saying that’s a good thing just that the delivery schedule is so tight that the deliveries need to be ticked off quickly to get through the schedule for the day.

It’s a tough gig. I remember having 220 items to deliver starting out of the depot around 10:30/11:00. I used to stop for 5 minutes to have a quick swig of tea and sandwich once I got down to 100 items to go. Some days I didn’t have time for a five minute break. Then when you’ve finished your schedule you have to do re attempts. Every non delivered item had to have at least one re-attempt. I’d often call the customer but it just rang out because a lot of people don’t answer calls from numbers they don’t recognise.

Anyway you then head back to the depot to return the van and any undeliverable items, usually around 19:30. The boss is not happy if you bring more than a few items back to the depot.  You get home about 8pm knackered to get back up the next day and arrive at the depot ready for loading about 09:30. If you get one day off a week you’re lucky.

It is, but I think they are almost forced into operating like that by Amazon’s delivery model if they want to earn a passable wage. I have sympathy for you as I’ve been on the receiving end. But I also have sympathy for the drivers, it must be a rubbish and incredibly stressful way to earn a living.

+1

It’s a loathsome expression, but I’ll use it anyway:

The behaviour of your delivery driver is baked in to the Amazon business model.

What exactly did the OP expect the driver to do given the constraints and expectations imposed upon him?

220 deliveries a day?  Over 8 hours that’s one every 2 minutes! Including travel between drops – I hope they give you a fastest route map for that!  What area would that cover?

I’m not without sympathy for the drivers – believe me, I’m not. But the corners they have to cut to adhere to Amazon’s principles mean extra cost to smaller retailers. The issue here is 100% Amazon as a company.

Get yourself a nice big flower pot for outside the front which deliveries can be hidden behind. You could even order one from Amazon… no wait, what will the Amazon driver hide the flower pot for hiding things behind behind?

Move house.

Twenty four seconds is a long time to get to the door. We were told wait 10 seconds.

How long does it take to get back to the van and drive off?

What exactly did the OP expect the driver to do given the constraints and expectations imposed upon him?

Call me wild and crazy but, I expect them to deliver the parcel rather than dump it in the street and doing a runner. Ringing the doorbell as Step One rather than it being the last thing they do at arm’s length as they’re leaving would be a start.

I hope they give you a fastest route map for that!

Going back to my mate who’s a former Amazon driver, he had an app with the optimum route pre-planned.

Get yourself a nice big flower pot for outside the front which deliveries can be hidden behind

That would be obstructing the public highway.

Sounds like you have unrealistic expectations given the constraints the driver is working to. I remember a customer in a similar set up to you who realised delivery drivers could not be expected to wait for her to finish a call and walk from her upstairs office to the front door so she had a delivery box at the side of her house. Her delivery instructions explained the arrangement. I suggest you think of an alternative arrangement that will work for you and speed up the process for the driver.

I suggest you think of an alternative arrangement that will work for you and speed up the process for the driver.

So, just to check – the customer has to find the solution for the driver?

Sounds like you have unrealistic expectations given the constraints the driver is working to.

I don’t think that “delivering a parcel” is an unrealistic expectation of a parcel delivery service.  Any “constraints” are between Amazon and its drivers and not my concern.

I suggest you think of an alternative arrangement that will work for you and speed up the process for the driver.

I’m open to suggestions above and beyond “answering the door as quickly as possible only to find them halfway down the street.”  Seriously, how is this a “me” problem when I’m paying for a service?  What if I was elderly or infirm?

If anything I’m more inclined to complain to Amazon now.  If enough customers moan maybe they’ll set more realistic targets for their drivers.

I think it’s the price we pay as a society for cheap/free delivery, not saying I like it, mind, from a customer perspective, or a driver safety/sanity perspective if they are rushing to meet their delivery targets.

Are Amazon lockers an option for you for larger or expensive items? they have them at my local Sainsburys.

Are Amazon lockers an option for you for larger or expensive items?

It’s technically an option but not a particularly convenient one.  And in any case, I fail to see why I’m paying for a premium subscription service in order to go fetch my own deliveries.  That’s the Ticketmaster “£2.75 to print your tickets at home” service model.

That would be obstructing the public highway.

Which you’re already doing by ordering stuff. Someone I know has added a large sign pointing to their doorbell to solve this problem. The sign says “doorbell”.

And in any case, I fail to see why I’m paying for a premium subscription service in order to go fetch my own deliveries.

You’re not paying for a premium service though are you. You’re paying for a company that makes the retail experience worse for almost everyone involved including the consumer (you, who has had to navigate both their horrible website and is now complaining about their delivery service), warehouse workers, people making these deliveries, and even people who don’t even work for or with Amazon because they have such outsize power in the market.

You’re not going to win here, and the only modicum of control you have over it is to not play the game.

Beautifully put soundninja

It’s technically an option but not a particularly convenient one. And in any case, I fail to see why I’m paying for a premium subscription service in order to go fetch my own deliveries. That’s the Ticketmaster “£2.75 to print your tickets at home” service model.

I agree with you, but (there’s always a but!) ..I ordered a small item yesterday about mid-day, and it was delivered about 7pm yesterday evening. Most ‘prime’ stuff is next day at worst..but to be fair the driver did knock on the door and I answered it…

also..

If you think about the logistics of how that is physically possible, ten quid a month is not going to cover that if you order (I dunno, say) more than one very small thing a month, hence the reports of overworked drivers and warehouse workers, something has to give to provide the service so cheap.

If anything I’m more inclined to complain to Amazon now.  If enough customers moan maybe they’ll set more realistic targets for their drivers.

Yep.. the man who has absolutely committed to ensure that no Amazon workplace will ever recognise a union, under any circumstances, is bound to do exactly that

Then he’ll end his space programme and commit to giving all his billions to charity

Meanwhile, back in the real world…. I’m afraid that the only language Mr Bezos understands is for you to take your custom elsewhere. And even that’s kind of academic when you’re already richer than 95% of the world combined

Someone I know has added a large sign pointing to their doorbell to solve this problem. The sign says “doorbell”.

This has crossed my mind, but a) it’s a Ring doorbell, it’s hard to miss and b) if I did that, every **** and their mother would press it out of devilment as they walked past. Lols-o-plenty at pub chucking-out time.

You’re not paying for a premium service though are you. You’re paying for [blah blah corporate greed]

It’s simply not relevant. I’m paying a subscription to receive a service. If I’m not receiving that service then that is my problem. If Amazon are sending small boys up chimneys then that is Amazon’s problem.

ten quid a month is not going to cover that if you order (I dunno, say) more than one very small thing a month

Yet I can get free delivery from places like AliExpress. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Look. This is getting (predicably) silly now. I didn’t ask for a Panorama documentary into Amazon’s business practices, I asked whether people thought I should complain. It’s a simple question or so I thought, more fool me it seems.

It’s a simple question or so I thought,

Are you new around here? 😀

It’s simply not relevant. I’m paying a subscription to receive a service. If I’m not receiving that service then that is my problem. If Amazon are sending small boys up chimneys then that is Amazon’s problem.

Lol. I disagree, I think it’s entirely relevant. The reason you’re not receiving the ‘premium delivery service’ (double lol) you’re paying for (triple lol) is because the corporate greed business model means that the small boys up the chimneys aren’t paid to do a particularly good job. So they don’t. Meaning you have a crappy time of it.

So in answer to your question, nah mate save your energy it won’t make any odds. HTH.

Yet I can get free delivery from places like AliExpress

Probably not the best benchmark to choose when the issue of employment practices is an issue.

Tax-free shopping direct from Chinese sweatshops

I think the question of complaint is more a question of what you’re happy to support or not hence the dive into Amazon and the enshitification of courier services (literally if they’re working to that tight a schedule).

Yes it sucks but FWIW a complaint isn’t going to change things except for the person that’s trying to make up time and isn’t paid enough to care how. Amazon don’t give a single solitary **** as long as you keep paying for Prime, look at the ad bullshit for another example. Late stage enshitification, isn’t the world wonderful?

I came here wanting to read how Amazon’s sharp practices are the OP’s fault, actually; and I am not disappointed.

Think I’m siding with that crazy wild man Cougar expecting delivery drivers to do their jobs properly. Just because dump and run has so far worked for some of us because we’re too lazy to give a shit that it might not, doesn’t mean it works at all for people the less able, vulnerable, or those in areas with higher crime rates, etc, etc.

Might not make a difference, but maybe it will.

Amazon (and all the other online outfits I use) suit my lifestyle; working 9-5 and cycle commuting, out of town village location, limited time at weekends, 1 car family of four, it’s just easier and less hassle to order online, even if the delivery drivers do dump and run.

Look. This is getting (predicably) silly now. I didn’t ask for a Panorama documentary into Amazon’s business practices, I asked whether people thought I should complain. It’s a simple question or so I thought, more fool me it seems.

You are right it really is very simple. People do jobs like this through need not choice. So no don’t complain just cancel your subscription. That is all.

Just for info, I ordered directly from the retailer – Amazon was their delivery solution of choice. That’ll learn ’em.

I actually spoke to the driver (or A driver, I imagine turnover is pretty high) over the summer when they left another parcel on the doorstep – asked him not to do it, he just said sorry. I said don’t be sorry, just don’t do it! He said he thought there was someone in – that’s a shit reason to leave a parcel on the doorstep without ringing the bell or knocking the door.

He said he thought there was someone in – that’s a shit reason to leave a parcel on the doorstep without ringing the bell or knocking the door.

I totally agree… but the delivery driver isn’t the problem here, its the courrier, be it Amazon, DPD, Evri, or whoever…

My eyes really got opened a few years ago, I’d ordered something, not amazon, it may have been DPD, but I honestly don’t remember.

What I do remember is they had a really shiney looking tracking website… and my delivery said something like… driver on drop number 30, you are drop number 128. (it didn’t say how many drops they had that day in total…delivery expected between X & X….

That’s when it really hit home how much these drivers are overworked, not to mention it pushes them to not take breaks, drive tired, break traffic laws etc. to get their target for the day.

It doesn’t matter if its amazon or some other courrier, they are all basicaly the same in terms of pushing their drivers over the sensible limit, IMO.

Getting the driver fired doesn’t mean shit to the courier company, there’s ten more zero hours contract, owner/drivers where they came from. What it does mean is that driver might not be able to pay thier bills that month.

So if we are all going to get on our moral horses, we should be cancelling our subscriptions and get used to paying for delivery according to size/weight/value of item.

I don’t know if this will help, but if you’re at home expecting a Prime delivery, track it on the website, counts down delivery number and shows map and location of van. (Just like DPD), Usually driver is 10 drops away and in our street already, takes him 10-15 mins to get here from end of road. Just go and stand outside, or leave door open. Having said that some Amazon stuff comes via Royal Mail – now thats a whole new kettle of fish! 🙂

Think I’m siding with that crazy wild man Cougar expecting delivery drivers to do their jobs properly

That’s not an unreasonable expectation. How much are you actually willing to pay to ensure that’s the case?

Prime is priority dispatch but it’s the same shitty service once it leaves the warehouse, it’s not in any way tied to the method of delivery. Disabuse yourself of the notion that it is and set your expectations accordingly. How many decent deliveries would you expect for a few hours wages?

Been an Amazon delivery driver and it’s more than possible to do the Job properly, Amazon clearly state how they want you to deliver the parcels, only using drop boxes etc when it’s on the account, how to deal with IDs for alcohol, plastic bags for wet weather etc what most drivers seem to forget as soon as they start is the routes are planned to your previous drop rate to fill a days work, IF YOU RUN AROUND AND DROP AND RUN AND FINISH EARLY ALL YOU GET IS MORE DELIVERIES TO DO TOMORROW, when I worked there you where paid for a days work, not numbers of delivery’s made, yes it’s a long ass busy day but that’s the job, finding a place to pee was always my biggest problem, they clearly tell you to never ever, ever, ever, ever leave the engine running, still one guy I knew did it in Nottingham city centre and was surprised when the van got stolen and he was fired.

The guy who does ours is one who follows instructions and has been around for years at this point.

in short, report the drop and runners, maybe they will slow down and deliver as they have been trained to

Alright, enough now.  I asked whether people thought I should complain or not.  I didn’t ask for a critique on my shopping habits.

Ethical shopping is a sliding scale trading off against price and convenience; or if you like, it is a luxury that not all can afford.  I can only assume that those bleating on because I dared to shop at Amazon don’t own a mobile phone, buy all their food from the local farm shop and spend most of their life naked whilst sneering at those living hand-to-mouth because they aren’t eating organic gravel.

So please, knock it off before I get vexed.  If you want to go full Paul Hibbert about how many yachts Jeff Bezos needs then go start your own ****ing thread to argue about it and stop derailing mine.

if you’re at home expecting a Prime delivery, track it on the website, counts down delivery number and shows map and location of van.

That’s great and I do already except, these were deliveries ordered by my partner, I can’t track that and she’s working 12+ hour days non-stop.

Cougar
Full Member
Alright, enough now. I asked whether people thought I should complain or not. I didn’t ask for a critique on my shopping habits.

On the political threads there have been arguments about what constitutes an argument! I agree, it gets a bit much.

We are all hypocritical unless we are living in a cave and foraging for food… and even that could be dissected and hypocrisy found if enough time was spent.

when I worked there you where paid for a days work, not numbers of delivery’s made, yes it’s a long ass busy day but that’s the job,

Aye, this is consistent with what my friend told me.  You do an eight hour shift in ten hours, sucks to be you.  You do an eight hour shift in four hours, pub lunch and then home.  He was routinely doing 8-hour days in 6 hours and I have little reason to suspect that a) he was shirking or b) he was lying.  He took a pride in it.

Which is why I have less sympathy for the knock-a-door-run drivers.  I know that putting last-mile drivers under the cosh is typical for bottom-feeder couriers like Evri.  But to the best of my anecdotal knowledge from speaking with Amazon driver(s) this isn’t the case, Amazon knows exactly how long a delivery should take and those  drivers playing silly bastards just want to knock off early.