Parcel heroes? They charged me £37 to return an undelivered gift

B.D. writes: I sent a parcel of gifts to friends in Spain on Parcelhero’s ‘next day’ service at a cost of £33. A courier collected the parcel and all the paperwork was provided by Parcelhero, including a customs invoice and manifest. Next day, I checked with my friends but nothing had arrived. A few days later, the answer was the same. Tracking showed the parcel arrived in Valencia and stayed there. Three weeks later, it arrived back in the UK and Parcelhero debited our account with a further charge of £37 for the privilege of having my parcel sent to Spain and back.

YOU have told me that while your parcel was on its threeweek break in Spain, more than 30 emails went back and forth between you and Parcelhero. Eventually, Parcelhero told you the delivery in Valencia had not gone ahead because you had provided the wrong telephone number for your friends.

Yet the paperwork you gave to Parcelhero – which I have seen – shows your friends’ correct address and telephone number.

It is possible this may have been garbled when the details were given to the local courier in Spain, but if this is what happened then you can hardly be held to blame. Charging you for the return of your parcel is just rubbing salt into the wound.

So what did go wrong? I asked Parcelhero but its response was rather vague. It told me: ‘We are sorry for the problems Mr D experienced with his shipment.

We have examined the case and there was a problem with the accompanying invoice which meant the carrier was unable to complete the delivery once it arrived in Spain. Our support team resent the information, including the phone number of the receiver, but there were communication issues.’

Whatever the problem was with the invoice and the nature of the ‘communication issues’, the reason remains unexplained. But Parcelhero is refunding your £33 and the £37 extra it charged to return the parcel. However, I know you are irritated it describes this as ‘a gesture of goodwill’, as if Parcelhero is doing you a favour rather than just accepting it did not provide the next day service it promised, and I share your annoyance.