Parcel Monkeys 'Disputed Charges' - Be Careful!

[Gaslight]

I have to use couriers and third party bookers for my business a lot, so I am used to seeing these pop up from time to time - it's often ridiculously funny as they will send me an email stating a tiny 20cm x 10xcm box that weights less than 500grammes has been 'When weighed, laser scanned for precise measurement and volumetrically calculated by the carrier they have informed us that the correct billing weight or size exceeds their limitations for this service." and it now weighs 10kg and is over a metre in length.

Its clearly a ploy to raise some profits, however never had a problem 'fighting' them as I always hold the items in stock and can measure the box and send them photos. However, I've been caught out this time by Parcel Monkey.

Arranged for a small rolled mattress to be collected - in the original manufacturers packaging with weight shown on the 'bag' it was in. OBviously the manufacturer are pretty accurate with these things being that it forms part of the distribution logistics. The seller also measured it for me and said he added extra for movement, so I actually increased the figures myself when booking to be on the safe side. 110cmx35cmx35, 27kg.

Price came out at £25.91, so booked, collected, delivered. All fine. Wrapping disposed of. End of matter, until today, 12 day later.

Email from ParcelMonkey stating they have a disputed charge amount and have charged my card with a further £52.76 as the packaging is now apparently is seized at 118 cm x 45 cm x 58 cm and weighs 10kg. Apparently it slightly grew and lost almost a third of its weight!

I actually put these dimensions and weight into P2Gs website, and the cost came out at £46.61, yet they were charging in total, £73.30 (original of £25.91+ additional charge £52.76).

Upon contacted them as there was clearly a multitude of errors, they became very robotic and cyclic in their responses. Bare in my they provided no proof of this assesment of my parcel, but asked me to send photos of a tape measure next to the parcel to confirm the sizes and it on a set of scales. The item that has been in use for 12 days and the packaging disposed of. Being that its vacuum wrapped, there is no way to even 'mock' this up. Sent them photos of there charges discrepencies on their website and photos of the package showing the manufacturers label, they refused to comment on any of them.

They refuse to answer any questions and give a very cyclic response that they refuse to do anything without these photos.

Sadly, and this was my blunder entirely, I used a debit card to pay and not a credit card, so its a little more difficult to dispute the charge, but I will be doing so. Schoolboy error completely.

So be warned, if you have to use like Parcel Monkey, photograph everything, as you'll be thankful the day one of these charges appear.


"If you have any pictures of your shipment to hand that prove the measurements you provided at the time of booking were correct, then could you please upload the pictures on this thread so we can then dispute the additional charge with the courier involved. These images will need to include the courier labels attached to the parcel and also, be able to show each dimension of the parcel with a measuring tape alongside"

"Apologies for the inconvenience.Please be advisesd that we will be needing a proof of measurement for us to forward to the courier to dispute the additional charge."

"Thank you for your message.Unfortunately, we will be needing a proof of measurement of your parcel showing each dimension of the parcel with a measuring tape alongside."

 

[John7]

Looks to me like it's not Parcel Monkey that's the problem but the carrier(s) they are using. They are just a middle man, surely?

 

[Gaslight]

Looks to me like it's not Parcel Monkey that's the problem but the carrier(s) they are using. They are just a middle man, surely?

They take the money, they are responsible.

Its for them to dispute with Parcelforce, and request proof of these claims.

 

[Koeman2021]

Just setup a new parcel2go account. They never follow up the additional charges

 

[Gaslight]

Just setup a new parcel2go account. They never follow up the additional charges

This is Parcel Monkey, and the amount has already been debited.

 

[Darth Felix]

If the sender dispatched the item in a bag then parcel force may have repackaged it in a stiff box and recharged for that (As per their packaging guidelines).

https://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-advice/sending/packaging-guidelines

The companies reasoning would be that goods damaged in transit would cost them in a potential claim whereas repackaging and charging for the “service” increases the profit margin.

A smaller more ”customer service“ orientated courier company would have contacted you first and asked if you wished to proceed or cancel.

Parcelforce won’t contact you to green light this because you are using a third party booker and are therefore “not their client”.

Using third party bookers may save you money in the long run but you lose out in customer service when things go wrong.

ETA: That’s not to say you shouldn’t pursue this with parcel monkey as their standards of communication (not to mention their math skills) seem a bit……lacking.

 

[Gaslight]

If the sender dispatched the item in a bag then parcel force may have repackaged it in a stiff box and recharged for that (As per their packaging guidelines).

https://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-advice/sending/packaging-guidelines

The companies reasoning would be that goods damaged in transit would cost them in a potential claim whereas repackaging and charging for the “service” increases the profit margin.

A smaller more ”customer service“ orientated courier company would have contacted you first and asked if you wished to proceed or cancel.

Parcelforce won’t contact you to green light this because you are using a third party booker and are therefore “not their client”.

Using third party bookers may save you money in the long run but you lose out in customer service when things go wrong.

ETA: That’s not to say you shouldn’t pursue this with parcel monkey as their standards of communication (not to mention their math skills) seem a bit……lacking.

It was delivered as it was collected, manufacturer packaging.

The latest correspondance from Parcel Monkey was funny.

They sent me a screengrab of the supposed 'dispute' claiming the parcel was too heavy to be weighed by Parcelforce (they put 0kg down), thefore they used volumetric weight to asses the weight, which they decided was 57kg!

Obviously the weight was 27KG.

I explained to them, a 3m x 3m box of cotton wool would be lighter than a 3mx 3m box of steel, therefore volumetric weight is of no real fact.

They didn't respond.

I imagine you are right regarding the customer service. Having checked the PF website, booking direct would have cost £17 more.

 

[Darth Felix]

It was delivered as it was collected, manufacturer packaging.

The latest correspondance from Parcel Monkey was funny.

Fair enough, that being the case I see no legitimate reason for the difference in measurements.

I explained to them, a 3m x 3m box of cotton wool would be lighter than a 3mx 3m box of steel, therefore volumetric weight is of no real fact.

Both would take up the same amount of space in the van/ship/plane. The carrier would compare volumetric and actual weight and charge whichever is higher, that’s industry standard (Although it sucks having to make the call to tell the client when you have to do this).

Regardless PF have obviously screwed up with their calculations and are clearly in the wrong.

PF have ripped off Parcel Monkey who have chosen to pass this on to you. the fact that you pay by card is what allows them to do this.

If you held a business account with a more traditional courier company you would have the leverage of being able to withhold payment on part or all of your monthly invoice until such time as any disputes are resolved, although the courier company could respond by placing your account on hold if your complaint was unreasonable (Which in this case it’s not), Chances are you would also have a dedicated account manager with whom you could build a more productive relationship over time.

The downside is that this kind of service can be more expensive (not as much as you might think) although rates can be negotiable depending on volume of business.

 

[hippo99]

Shouldn’t they be flagged up to trading standards (or Ofcom)?
Given you have proof for all the other times they’ve tried it on, & their crap maths & ‘volumetric weight’ justification, you can clearly show a pattern of concerning behaviour.

 

[Gaslight]

Fair enough, that being the case I see no legitimate reason for the difference in measurements.

Both would take up the same amount of space in the van/ship/plane. The carrier would compare volumetric and actual weight and charge whichever is higher, that’s industry standard (Although it sucks having to make the call to tell the client when you have to do this).

Regardless PF have obviously screwed up with their calculations and are clearly in the wrong.

PF have ripped off Parcel Monkey who have chosen to pass this on to you. the fact that you pay by card is what allows them to do this.

If you held a business account with a more traditional courier company you would have the leverage of being able to withhold payment on part or all of your monthly invoice until such time as any disputes are resolved, although the courier company could respond by placing your account on hold if your complaint was unreasonable (Which in this case it’s not), Chances are you would also have a dedicated account manager with whom you could build a more productive relationship over time.

The downside is that this kind of service can be more expensive (not as much as you might think) although rates can be negotiable depending on volume of business.

Yes, I have realised that PayPal is the best way forward if using these third party bookers as they wont be able to take funds. Sadly, Parcel Monkey being somewhat snide, have removed PayPal as a payment option for overseas packages, but for this one, it would have been better using PP.

It was just a one off private package, I use other couriers for business stuff, it was a very honest purchase , and everything was correct. While PF have possibly made a mistake, the reluctance of Parcel Monkey to deal with it correctly, without a 'photograph of the parcel with tape measures next to it on a scale' ten days after delivery, is the real ridiculous element of this, which proves PArcel Monkey ARE more likely the con artists.

Shouldn’t they be flagged up to trading standards (or Ofcom)?
Given you have proof for all the other times they’ve tried it on, & their crap maths & ‘volumetric weight’ justification, you can clearly show a pattern of concerning behaviour.

I have reported them for it. In the unlikely event that TS want to take it further, I've left them with my contact details and have said they are welcome to contact me anytime, and I will direct them to evidence of their consistent trading practices.

The latest PM response was another corker.

I asked them for evidence of the parcel, in the same format they requested of me, as the onus is on them to provide proof of their claims. Apparently, they are not saying it wasn't even put through a scanner.

"Hello,

Please note that the carrier cannot provide pictorial evidence for your parcel. Since your parcel was too heavy, the carrier was unable to put it through the scanner hence, the weight was declared as 0 kg.

Kind regards,
Amy"

They have pretty much removed all their own conditional 'facts' through each email. As remember, in the first email they stated this

"When weighed, laser scanned for precise measurement and volumetrically calculated by the carrier they have informed us that the correct billing weight or size exceeds their limitations for this service."

So, now, its hasn't been 'laser scanned for precise measurement'.

 

[chenks]

why would ofcom get involved?
they only deal with Royal Mail issues "universal postal service", not private couriers.

 

[Darth Felix]

why would ofcom get involved?
they only deal with Royal Mail issues "universal postal service", not private couriers.

Parcel force is the delivery arm of the Royal Mail. It would depend on wether the OP made the complaint against PF or PM.

 

[chenks]

Yes but parcel force isn’t part of the universal postal service though, is it? (Which is the 1 price fits all of Mail)

also, ofcom are the regulator and don’t necessarily deal with individual complaints

 

[Gaslight]

It dosent really matter.

It's been reported to Trading Standards, if they deem they have enough complaints of the same nature against PM, thn they will hopefully begin an investigation.

 

[Lewie]

I’ve had this too with parcelforce and parcel monkey
I even screen grabbed the price and weight - they dropped it in the end

 

[Gaslight]

I’ve had this too with parcelforce and parcel monkey
I even screen grabbed the price and weight - they dropped it in the end

Glad they did! I dont think they are dropping this because of the high amount, despite all the evidence.

Ironic really, considering they will have to pay their banks 'chargeback' handling cost...I think they believe I am bluffing, because of Covid, the banks are taking eight weeks to handle chargebacks, therefore they won't see it being pulled for a while until its officially disputed.

My impression is that the company is run pretty much by low level employees, that have no authorisation, and the person who 'claimed' to be a manager (doubtful by her response) is either very clueless or 'playing hardball' to prove herself.

 

[Lewie]

They said I had under paid - when I looked at the PF website there was a surcharge I think because it was a tube or something but this surcharge did not flow through to the parcel monkey website so it was impossible to know about unless the PF t&c were read
i said that I had put in the size and Wright on the parcel monkey website and paid the price quoted by them

 

[aVdub]

I’ve had this too with parcelforce and parcel monkey
I even screen grabbed the price and weight - they dropped it in the end

Had a few as well and one I'm reading now was from UPS.
Everything was sent within their rules on weight and cube and was collected, but they decide later (a month) that additional charges apply due to the parcel being too heavy or outside their cube size.

I could almost say now that if I send a large parcel that is within 1cm on all sides and under the permitted weight I would more than likely get hit with an additional charge later on.

 

[Gaslight]

It does seem to be a complete racket where they know they can get away with it, as who actually measures and photographs their packages with tape measures and scales?

Then the whole waiting 10 days+ to claim a size discrepency just adds to the ability to get away with it.

I once sent a business parcel with Parcel2Go, it was sent it its original box, which measure 12cmx10xcmx5cm and weighed 200g.

Parcelforce then came back claiming it was 50cmx50xcm50cm and weighed 18kg.

Thankfully, as it was business stock, I was able to provide a photo with measurements as I had another to do that. I just removed EXIF data so they couldn't claim the photo was taken after the parcel was sent.

Christ, the things you can to do now to stop yourself getting scammed by these companies!

 

[Gaslight]

So, after pointing out the issues with the various claims Parcel Monkey have made with zero evidence and the fact they have retracted on some of their statements, they refuse to acknowledge nor address ANY of the points I raised, from the difference in costs on their website to the 'laser scanner' claim to their 'it wasn't actually laser scanned' confession...

What looks to be Parcel Monkeys final response was...

"Hello,

I can understand where you are coming from and I can understand that this whole situation can be really frustrating. I sincerely apologise for all these hassles and troubles.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to dispute this charge further with the courier.

Kind regards,
Amy"

 

[hippo99]

Have they provided proof that the courier is disputing the charge? Fraud isn’t it?

 

[Gaslight]

Have they provided proof that the courier is disputing the charge? Fraud isn’t it?

No. All they provided this screengrab....

Which comically, is different to the 'invoice' they sent me for the excess charge where it claimed the parcel was 'laser scanned' at 10kg, which they later retracted stating it wasn't actually laser scanned because it was 'too heavy'.

Interestingly it shows declared weight as 0kg, which is also inaccurate as it was declared as 27kg, as per the manufacturing packaging (photo attached). They claim it weighed 57kg, not because it was weighed, but because it was estimated at 'volumetric weight'. So if the bag was filled of cotton wool. they would still claim it weighed 57kg.

They requested a photo of the parcel with tape measures next to it. I requested this off them as the law seems to state they must provide proof of any claim, they wouldn't send it.

So yes, I agree , it is fraud, and that is how the bank will see it also I would imagine. It's just a shame Parcel Monkey prefer to go down that route and also then invoke the 'chargeback' charges their bank will charge to investigate the claim.

 

[aVdub]

Wouldn't it be awful if this was a depots weekly bonus. Oh course it is not...

 

[Wollsmeth]

I have to use couriers and third party bookers for my business a lot, so I am used to seeing these pop up from time to time - it's often ridiculously funny as they will send me an email stating a tiny 20cm x 10xcm box that weights less than 500grammes has been 'When weighed, laser scanned for precise measurement and volumetrically calculated by the carrier they have informed us that the correct billing weight or size exceeds their limitations for this service." and it now weighs 10kg and is over a metre in length.

Its clearly a ploy to raise some profits, however never had a problem 'fighting' them as I always hold the items in stock and can measure the box and send them photos. However, I've been caught out this time by Parcel Monkey.

Arranged for a small rolled mattress to be collected - in the original manufacturers packaging with weight shown on the 'bag' it was in. OBviously the manufacturer are pretty accurate with these things being that it forms part of the distribution logistics. The seller also measured it for me and said he added extra for movement, so I actually increased the figures myself when booking to be on the safe side. 110cmx35cmx35, 27kg.

Price came out at £25.91, so booked, collected, delivered. All fine. Wrapping disposed of. End of matter, until today, 12 day later.

Email from ParcelMonkey stating they have a disputed charge amount and have charged my card with a further £52.76 as the packaging is now apparently is seized at 118 cm x 45 cm x 58 cm and weighs 10kg. Apparently it slightly grew and lost almost a third of its weight!

I actually put these dimensions and weight into P2Gs website, and the cost came out at £46.61, yet they were charging in total, £73.30 (original of £25.91+ additional charge £52.76).

Upon contacted them as there was clearly a multitude of errors, they became very robotic and cyclic in their responses. Bare in my they provided no proof of this assesment of my parcel, but asked me to send photos of a tape measure next to the parcel to confirm the sizes and it on a set of scales. The item that has been in use for 12 days and the packaging disposed of. Being that its vacuum wrapped, there is no way to even 'mock' this up. Sent them photos of there charges discrepencies on their website and photos of the package showing the manufacturers label, they refused to comment on any of them.

They refuse to answer any questions and give a very cyclic response that they refuse to do anything without these photos.

Sadly, and this was my blunder entirely, I used a debit card to pay and not a credit card, so its a little more difficult to dispute the charge, but I will be doing so. Schoolboy error completely.

So be warned, if you have to use like Parcel Monkey, photograph everything, as you'll be thankful the day one of these charges appear.


"If you have any pictures of your shipment to hand that prove the measurements you provided at the time of booking were correct, then could you please upload the pictures on this thread so we can then dispute the additional charge with the courier involved. These images will need to include the courier labels attached to the parcel and also, be able to show each dimension of the parcel with a measuring tape alongside"

"Apologies for the inconvenience.Please be advisesd that we will be needing a proof of measurement for us to forward to the courier to dispute the additional charge."

"Thank you for your message.Unfortunately, we will be needing a proof of measurement of your parcel showing each dimension of the parcel with a measuring tape alongside."

Hello,
This exact same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago! Again with a mattress. They've taken £76 out of my PayPal account because the bag the mattress came in had a flappy bit at the top!
I've never had any proof.