Warehouse Online - deceptive "Dispatch" notice.

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dejadeadnz

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#195882 10-May-2016 10:37

Long story short, if you care about accurate, honest dispatch notices, buying stuff from The Warehouse's online store might not be for you.

I ordered a copy of Uncharted 4 online last week. Although I didn't have any expectation that it would be delivered on release date (May 10 IIRC), if that really occurred, it would have been nice. So imagine my pleasant surprise yesterday when I got a dispatch notice in the afternoon afternoon with a Courier Post tracking number. I didn't look into the tracking details further thinking there is a good chance that I will have my item in hand today (I live in Auckland).

It was an unpleasant surprise when I clicked into the tracking link this morning to see that my tracking number was merely created yesterday afternoon and that my item was only picked up by Courierpost today. Yet The Warehouse had the gall to send me an e-mail yesterday with a first line that says:

Items in your order/s have been dispatched and will be with you soon.

I order plenty of things online. Everybody only claims that an item is dispatched/sent when it is picked up/has left the sender's control. Amazon will tell you that your item is being prepared for delivery but only claim that it is sent when the courier has it. "Dispatched" in ordinary English can only mean that it has been sent out. On one level, this isn't a big deal but I really dislike companies telling porkies. I won't be buying from TWH online again on principle.

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#1549104 10-May-2016 10:44

I can understand your annoyance. But you are insisting that "dispatched" only has the meaning you assign it: that the item has actually been physically sent. The meaning of the word allows that the task of sending has been assigned/commanded but the actual execution is not necessarily complete.

P.S. Edit to correct grammar

dejadeadnz

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#1549108 10-May-2016 10:52

Hammerer:

I can understand your annoyance. But you are insisting that "dispatched" only has the meaning you assign it: that the item has actually been physically sent. The meaning of the word allows that the task of sending has been assigned/commanded but the actual execution is not necessarily complete.

P.S. Edit to correct grammar

They claimed "dispatched", i.e. past tense/done. Not dispatching. The Merriam-Webster dictionary so defines the word "dispatch", amongst other things:

to send off or away with promptness or speed; ...

to dispose of (as a task) rapidly or efficiently

In context, I think the fact that I've never, ever run into any online merchant that claims an item to have been dispatched without it having been picked up by a delivery agent, the fact that they used the word in the past tense, and that it is neither doing something promptly or efficiently to create a tracking number and then sending it the day after (relatively speaking for the online word) means that they really should cease their current practice. And frankly just who did they "send off" my item to when they merely created the tracking number yesterday?

tripp

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#1549115 10-May-2016 11:02

I agree, a number of companies do that however, 1-day is another example, you will get a email saying it has been sent but only a tracking number has been assigned and not with courier yet.

Behodar

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#1549117 10-May-2016 11:05

In this context they mean "sitting in the courier bay, awaiting collection". Basically they've done everything that they need to do at their end, and are now waiting for the courier to collect it. It's "with" the courier, even though it's still physically at the warehouse.

With that said, it annoys me too :)

tieke

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#1549118 10-May-2016 11:05

I would take it that when they say dispatched they mean that the item has been packaged, addressed, given a courier ticket and is now waiting for courier pickup.

I wouldn't expect them to then have a staff member keeping an eye on individual packages and only sending out a confirmation e-mail once the courier has actually touched it, as if you wanted that information the tracking number would provide it.

I have had similar notification e-mails from vendors in NZ and overseas - you are notified of a tracking number once the parcel has left their system and you are now dependent on the carrier for updates.

What this thread is basically saying is that you would have had no problem with the parcel arriving at the same time as long as the Warehouse had delayed telling you for a day, or that you would have preferred them to use the phrase "ready for shipment and awaiting our courier driver".

"Deceptive" seems a bit much when all you had to do was look at the tracking number they provided you with - bit of a storm in a teacup really.

rmt38

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#1549126 10-May-2016 11:10

Well, the item has been dispatched, it just hasn't arrived. Not sure I can get on board with your interpretation.

surfisup1000

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#1549128 10-May-2016 11:12

Dispatched to me, means the goods have been sent.

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dejadeadnz

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#1549129 10-May-2016 11:13

tieke:

I have had similar notification e-mails from vendors in NZ and overseas - you are notified of a tracking number once the parcel has left their system and you are now dependent on the carrier for updates.

What this thread is basically saying is that you would have had no problem with the parcel arriving at the same time as long as the Warehouse had delayed telling you for a day, or that you would have preferred them to use the phrase "ready for shipment and awaiting our courier driver".

"Deceptive" seems a bit much when all you had to do was look at the tracking number they provided you with - bit of a storm in a teacup really.

Please don't put words into my mouth. I too have received e-mails saying that items are ready for dispatch and here is your tracking number for future tracking. I have zero problems whatsoever with these. The meaning is clear and they aren't arguably claiming more credit than is due. Nor do I expect any staff member to sit there and send out updates only when the courier has actually touched my item. Plenty of online merchants have integrated backends that enable this and automatically alert people when their item has been picked up.

If TWH can't provide this, it's not the end of the world. Just be honest and send out an e-mail only saying that "here is your tracking number" without the inference that the item has been sent (that past tense thing again). A bit of full and frank disclosure and honesty doesn't kill anyone.

gzt

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#1549158 10-May-2016 11:47

With any service I tend to assume 'one week' unless paying for a particular delivery timeframe. Many times the generation of the number and actual dispatch will occur same day.

Imo 'prepared for delivery' is one step worse. This phrase kind of implies it is close to your place.

Imo you may be asking for a level of integration that does not yet exist in NZ. Does anyone have that?

'In the pile by the door' might be as good as it gets ; ).

dejadeadnz

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#1549166 10-May-2016 11:58

gzt: With any service I tend to assume 'one week' unless paying for a particular delivery timeframe. Many times the generation of the number and actual dispatch will occur same day.

Imo 'prepared for delivery' is one step worse. This phrase kind of implies it is close to your place.

Imo you may be asking for a level of integration that does not yet exist in NZ. Does anyone have that?

'In the pile by the door' might be as good as it gets ; ).

Yeah I don't really have any huge expectations regarding delivery timeframes, except when people explicitly promise a short timeframe. On the integration point, however, I must differ. I buy my protein bars from www.supplements.co.nz or www.sprintfit.co.nz monthly and I get dispatch notices when the courier has picked up the item, confirmation of delivery, and sometimes even when items are leaving the courier depot for delivery. All automated. As I said, I don't need this stuff per se but certainly think it's far more accurate and truthful to say that something has been dispatched when it has left the sender's control.

Dairyxox

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#1549200 10-May-2016 12:23

Try to imagine the process:

1."The Warehouse" assemble & pack your order, put it in the pickup corner of their warehouse, and call the couriers telling them there is a pickup.

2.They then send you an email telling you your order has been 'dispatched'

3. Depending on the time of the day the courier might not stop past until the next morning, which will then show in the tracking system as picked up

4.Eventually the couriers deliver it.

All seems to be sensible and make sense, and lines up with what you're seeing.

I think what you're wanting is for them to send you the dispatch email/notification when the courier van actually picks up your order, which is not always practical.

richms

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#1549208 10-May-2016 12:34

So you assumed that there was a higher SLA than actually provided and were disappointed when your assumption was incorrect?

Richard rich.ms

dejadeadnz

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#1549261 10-May-2016 12:58

richms:

So you assumed that there was a higher SLA than actually provided and were disappointed when your assumption was incorrect?

Please read what I posted again before making your unjustified, snide comment. I don't have any firm, expected delivery timeframe ("Although I didn't have any expectation that it would be delivered on release date (May 10 IIRC), if that really occurred, it would have been nice"; "Yeah I don't really have any huge expectations regarding delivery timeframes, except when people explicitly promise a short timeframe" would have given you the hint but I guess reading is hard for some).

I have a problem with a retailer claiming unambiguously via the body and title of an e-mail that an item has been dispatched when it was merely sitting there waiting for collection. So far we have seen useful replies from the likes of Behodar saying that it seems that some retailers take dispatched to mean "I've done everything and it is sitting awaiting collection" and that many people also don't like it but "dispatched" seems to have slid into that kind of usage. I personally found those posts enlightening. Can't say the same for yours.

PhantomNVD

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#1549283 10-May-2016 13:28

Well, so far every response has disagreed with your interpretation, and yet you're still upset and feel wronged.

At this point I'd say enough ranting, and just don't buy if you still feel that strongly about the company, but any more ranting now just shows you wanting to rubbish their name.

Enough said?

dejadeadnz

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#1549284 10-May-2016 13:33

Funnily enough quite a few people have written in this thread that they are unhappy with this use of the word "dispatch/dispatched" but I guess your eyes can't see that. So it seems that you don't understand what the word "every" means. Poor you. And I work in risk/legal/trade practices for a listed company and over lunch a few of us (all qualified lawyers and/or risk people with background in reviewing marketing/trade materials) had a discussion and all bar one thought the way TWH was doing things was pretty bad form.

I guess we are all morons. And no I haven't been badmouthing this company. I have already said that it is perfectly acceptable to send out a tracking number. Just don't claim to have sent away my item when you haven't.

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