Audiophiles DO NOT USE DHL-READ MY NIGHTMARE


Just had a nightmare experience with DHL shipping a Wadia 16 from Richmond,Va to South Carolina. Yesterday, the driver came to pick it up and tried to turn his van around where it could not be turned around in a shared driveway, almost ran over my new heat pumps, ran over my neighbors drainage pipe, and then stormed off without picking up the package. I tried to stop him and could not. I called DHL and reported the driver. His manager came to pickup my package. His manager told me that the driver is a hothead sometimes. Great! It was scheduled for delivery today. I told the guy it was a CD player, delicate electronic instrument and the waybill also had that info. My buyer just called me told me that the Wadia 16 arrived and was completely totalled. They had dropped it on its side and broken all the connections on the back. The styrofoam was crushed into powder. I almost feel like they did this intentionally. When I called to report the problem I was told that unless I could produce a receipt that they would not pay the claim as I had it insured for $ 2K. She seemed amazed that a CD player could be worth $ 2K. The way she talked it could be months before I get my money back, if ever. I had thought that DHL was trying to take business from FedEx and UPS and was doing a good job. Obviously, I will never use them again. Also, lost the $ 125 I paid to have the unit shipped overnight and to insure it. This is my first experience like this and I am ticked!!! Beware of DHL. I can understand how accidents can happen but that is what the insurance is for. I just got a poor reception when I called to make a claim. Consider this experience when you decide on your shipper!!!!
etmerritt33
I've always wondered about "insurance" with these shipping companies. What exactly are you paying to insure? That they will do the job you've already paid them to do? And then if they don't do it (deliver your item intact) they fight you every step of the way. I think it's a huge and profitable scam! I agree that the post office can be a viable alternative in some cases.
As far as I can tell, the insurance is if they sctually loose it. Otherwise its an "excess value claim". No need for an attorney in small claims court, BTW.
We're paying additional money so they won't loose our stuff? Still sounds like an huge scam to me.
I would agree with your statements and I normally have good relationships with all that come here to pick things up or deliver things. HOWEVER, if you could see the area that he tried to turn a long van around in you would have probably done the same thing. It was STUPID period. Just image a shared residental driveway of normal width in a Y shape and trying to turn a van around in an area where you could not turn a Mini Cooper around. Anyone with that little sense and judgment should not be driving a truck for a living!!!! When I tried to stop him he just continued. I have two almost brand new heat pump units that he was about to run over. If that had happened I probably would have pulled him out of the truck. The whole thing was just stupid. I've had a few DHL deliveries and pickups in the last few weeks here and they all except this moron drove straight in and then backed straight out with no problems at all. Any idiot could do it with his eyes closed. My gut tells me that this was intentional and they dropped it a few times to pay me back knowing I would have trouble collecting.
This fits very nicely into small claims court. Would not need an attorney. I think I could argue this and win easily. The time to collect.. who knows. I never hear people post with how long it took to collect. I did get the forms via email from DHL and will complete them today. I have a ton of documentation to prove my case.