Today's annoyance

[andrewducker]

Companies that email you "Your parcel is on the way!", but it turns out that actually they've just reserved a tracking number and aren't physically sending anything for another day or two.

Comments

[mountainkiss]

I was getting annoyed this morning by an email from eBay to say "Your seller is preparing your parcel". How does that (1) make my life better in any way whatsoever (2) do anything for eBay as a brand but associate negative emotion with it?

[andrewducker]

Exactly! I can understand it with food delivery apps - "Your food is being cooked" is just the stage between "Order accepted" and "Delivery driver on the way".

But when it comes to things I've bought I don't need an update on any stage between "Order accepted" and "Your item is now actually in the hands of the delivery company, here is the tracking number." (Which is what Amazon does)

[mountainkiss]

YES THIS

[juan_gandhi]

Or ever.

[andrewducker]

I trust that I'll get this. I've received parcels from them before. I just know that I've received the email because they've...printed a label. And it won't actually be picked up by the delivery company for another day or so.

[bens_dad]

I supposed that if the next steps are:
stick the label on the parcel,
put the parcel in a sack,
delivery company removes the sack
then that is the last internet-connected point in the supplier's process.

[bens_dad]

then that is the last internet-connected point in the supplier's process.

Actually it is the last point in the supplier's process.

[andrewducker]

They could hold on to the information until the parcels are collected, and then send out the information at that point.

(But I see your point that for a small supplier that might not be feasible)

[hilarita]

+1

[cellio]

Your parcel's mailing label is on the way (to the box)". How helpful! (Not.)

I'm with you -- until they've actually got something to say, like a tracking number or a revised delivery date, they have nothing to say and shouldn't say it anyway.

[darkoshi]

I ran into that problem myself today (again). 6 days ago I ordered some cookies - not something I usually order, but the box I bought in the store was SO good and the website had more options. 3 days ago I got an email stating (so cutely) "Your cookies are on the way | The cookies have packed their bags and have started their journey to you. They are very excited." The email said items usually arrive in 3 to 5 days.

Today I checked the tracking link, and it showed the postal service still waiting to receive the item. In case the company messed up and didn't send it yet, I emailed them. Tonight I finally got a notification that the postal service received the item one hour before I sent the email.

I don't mind the extra emails, but they should be clearer when items aren't really mailed yet.

[channelpenguin]

Even had it that I got a tracking number but nothing had yet happened. Seems tracking numbers can be reserved in advance with some parcel services?

[andrewducker]

Ones which allow you to print a label at home/in the office.

So they print the label, which assigns them a unique number, and stick that on your parcel. But it's not picked up until the next day. But they seem to trigger the email at the point they print out the label, not the point the parcel is picked up.

[trailer_spot]

My suspicion always is that they do this because once they have done this, or more accurately, they say that they have done this, you aren't able to cancel your order anymore.

[andrewducker]

Someone pointed out that the point where they print out the shipping label is probably the easiest point to automatically send an email out with the shipping code from it.

It's still annoying though.

[andrewducker]

I totally agree. That would frustrate the hell out of me.