When I had trouble with xxx shipping a computer several years ago, I switched to DHL and was happy with their service and pricing. But they have gone downhill since then, and now I will never use them again.
In April of I had occasion to ship a large painting out of state. I used the online shipping calculator, and I *ALSO* spoke to a DHL representative. The dimensions, weight, and destination of the package were to cost approximately $26 or so, according to the Rep. That was fine. I shipped, had the driver fill out the correct paperwork on the correct slip, etc. It did not go Air Express, it went ground.
A few weeks later, I got a bill for Air Express, with a huge amount that I can't remember now but it was over $100.
I called immediately, told them that I was NOT going to pay this bill, and explained what the situation was. I told them it went Ground, not Air Express, and that the bill was really under $50. The customer service rep I spoke to looked in the computer, agreed that there was no record of Air Express having been used, and agreed to adjust the bill to the correct amount. I asked what that amount was. She said she did not know and that the department would have to do that, and they would send me a new bill with the correct amount. That was fine.
I waited. No bill arrived.
After awhile, I forgot about it. Perhaps I should have called them, but I have other things to worry about and it honestly slipped my mind.
On January 12, I received a letter from a collection agency, on behalf of DHL for the amount of $19.65.
Obviously they had corrected the bill. But why hadn't they bothered to SEND ME THE NEW BILL??? Why did they take it to a collection agency instead of sending me a bill? Why did they bother to file it, pay the collection agency a fee, etc etc, instead of sending me the new bill???
I tried to call the collection agency, but they do not answer their phone. They do not return messages. I left a detailed message. I never heard from them until I eventually filed a BBB report on them, and they only replied to me through the BBB system. (All I wanted to know was whether they were going to ruin my credit score and report to the credit bureaus over this gross mistake - a simple question and one that they should have had no problem letting me know, but they couldn't be bothered until the BBB report forced them to reply.)
The same day the collection agency's letter arrived (January 12), I called DHL. They had no explanation. I paid the bill in full. They said they would contact the collection agency to have the collection account closed. They did do that.
Ever since, I have been trying to find out the answer to what is, to me, a very simple question. Why didn't they send me a bill instead of going straight to a collection agency? I never got a phonecall, never got any kind of communication from anyone at DHL whatsoever. It's my understanding that a collection agency is only called in as a last resort, AFTER attempts have been made by the original company to collect a bill.
I have asked DHL for an apology. Never got one. I filed a BBB report on them, and they responded through the BBB that they were 'sorry for the inconvenience.' Not a word about why or how this could have happened.
If I had ignored a legitimate bill that had been sent to me, that would be one thing. That would be my own fault for not paying, or at least for not making payment arrangements. But in this case, the original bill they sent was false, I called to have it corrected, they agreed to correct it, they obviously did so (since I didn't get a collection bill for the wrong amount), but then told me they could NOT tell me the right amount over the phone just then, would have to figure it out, and would send me a corrected bill. Then they neglected to send me the correct bill, and NEVER attempted to contact me at all. Then they take it to collections???
I have never had this happen to me before. I've had other bills that were forgotten, and the companies ALWAYS either wrote or called to ask for the payment. NEVER before did they go straight to collections without an attempt to contact me. This is totally unacceptable.
I'm not surprised that DHL will no longer be doing delivery in the USA. If this is a sample of how they treat customers (and reading other reports here, it seems likely), then they've probably lost a lot of business.
May
Tacoma, Washington
U.S.A.
Sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome!
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