If I could give no stars I would, between Carphone Warehouse and DPD they just can't get their acts together. So I make a purchase over the phone with CPW, I wanted to do it online but when I rang to make an enquiry the operator I spoke with advised he could complete me order easier than doing it online. Post/mail/couriers are generally unreliable, I don’t like using them and I wanted to collect from my local CPW store but was advised that I could speak with the DPD delivery driver to have the phone sent to a CPW store or arrange a convenient time for delivery as DPD would be contacting me to arrange my 1 hour delivery slot. No one would be home to receive a delivery so I wanted to collect from a CPW store or another locally convenient collection point. First attempt by DPD at delivery and I received no contact to advise of a delivery slot, just an email (from CPW) advising that DPD were unable to deliver because there was no one to sign for the item. Via the tracking link I could opt for delivering to a neighbour, change my delivery day, collect from a depot (I don’t drive so it’s two trains and a bus away) or upgrade my delivery. Very limited and inconvenient options but searches on the DPD website show I can choose a DPD Parcel Pickup – GREAT, I’ll do that. So I get home to the card with my reference number, spend ages searching the DPD website, and could find no number to call to arrange the Parcel Pickup (you clearly don't want customers to find a contact number for you do you DPD!?). So I complete the "Contact Us" section of the website (emails go straight to makeitright@dpd.co.uk) and the message bounced right back as undeliverable (you REALLY don't want to communicate with customers do you DPD). A Google search revealed a contact number via another website (0121 275 0500 for anyone who wants it) so I called and after going round in circles via the automated options I waited and just pressed nothing until I was transferred to "Mark", who quite frankly sounded like he was slouched back in his chair, feet on the desk, reading a magazine, and the constant "I understand" was totally patronising. Apparently DPD had not received my contact details from CPW, and ridiculously, despite having the delivery slip in my hand with the DPD reference on it (something only I could have as it was put through MY letterbox), Mark could not take my details to update the system from me, it had to come from CPW, “it’s something to do with security” – WHAT?! I’m quoting the reference YOU gave me, I have your consignment number which I could only have via the link sent to ME by CPW and I have the senders reference, again sent via the link sent to ME by CPW, I’ve confirmed my name and address, there’s no DPA breach there. Not only that, but no arrangements could be made for the parcel to be delivered elsewhere or at a time convenient to me (seriously guys, what's the point in sending a driver somewhere to deliver a parcel when I'm telling you there won't be anyone there). I asked Mark to contact the driver to see if he could come back, could Mark pass my number to the driver – yep, he can do that!!! Although I don’t believe for one minute he actually did. So back to CPW I go, who advise that actually there had been a system error for DPD and my details had been sent to them but DPD hadn't received them, so CPW updated DPD with my details (I could have done this myself instead of being forces to make a further phone call, or DPD, show some “customer service” skills and contact CPW for the information you need!) I asked for the delivery to reattempted that evening, after all I was assured I would have it that day and so far between CPW & DPD they have both failed to meet their customers’ expectations. Unfortunately, no, it wouldn’t be with me that evening, but he could arrange for it be at a CPW store the following day – well, no, not good enough. I want my delivery on the day I was told I would get it and besides, I was waiting for the delivery driver to contact me (as per my request to Mark at DPD) so if CPW update their systems to say I’m happy to have it to a CPW store tomorrow then the driver won’t contact me, so I advised that I’d wait to hear from the DPD delivery driver. Needless to say, I never received any further contact from DPD. So today I await the message from DPD so I can arrange for the parcel to be delivered at a time when there will be someone there to sign for it. I received a text, not from DPD, but from CPW giving a link back to the DPD tracking site, again with the only options of having it delivered to a neighbour, change my delivery day, collect from a depot or upgrade my delivery. SO NO CONTACT FROM DPD!!! The only option I had was to have it delivered to a neighbour, and quite honestly I have no idea if any of my neighbours are home. It’s ok though, because I’ll get contact from the DPD driver, I’ve been assured of that. Well the only contact I got was yet another text from CPW telling me that DPD couldn’t deliver because there was no one to sign for the delivery. I KNOW THIS, I’VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU THIS AND MAKE ARRANGMENTS FOR THE DELIVERY TO BE MADE AT A TIME WHEN SOMEONE IS AVAILABLE, OR HAVE IT DELIVERED TO A CPW STORE OR A DPD PARCEL PICKUP POINT! So straight on the phone to DPD (literally within minutes, going round the automated system until I get transferred to a human being), and speak to Andrea, who initially sounds quite pleasant but still can’t help me get my delivery today. I want my delivery today, I should have had it yesterday and have been led to believe that I’ll be able to arrange for a convenient time or location, like the CPW store less than a mile away from the delivery address (and that doesn’t involve two trains and a bus - your collection depot isn’t exactly “local”), still I hear no mention of Parcel Pickup points, I’m assuming this is a myth. After too-ing and fro-ing I ask to speak to someone who can help me, a supervisor – no, she won’t transfer me, no one can help me get me parcel today, and I won’t be getting it today, with a very “end of” tone. Ok Andrea, I’ll just wait on the phone until you do transfer me. Click! Andrea hangs up. No response, just hangs up. Is that how you treat your customers DPD?! Is that what you train your staff to do when a customer is unhappy?! So not only do you make it almost impossible to contact you (don’t forget the bounced email) or speak to a human being, but when your staff do have to answer the phone and speak to customers they’re either completely slovenly or they hang up. So back I go to CPW who won’t contact DPD for the delivery to go to a CPW store today (all this within 15-20 mins of the message to say that the delivery had again failed, the driver would have still been in the area). WON’T contact DPD!!!! CPW, is this how you treat your customers?! Misinform them by telling them they can make arrangements with the DPD driver, fail to make sure that DPD have my information in the first place (and let’s just recap, I NEVER wanted it sent via DPD in the first place, I wanted to pick it up from a CPW store!). CPW, my advice to you is don’t use DPD, they’re rude and unhelpful with little to no customer service skills. I now won’t be getting my order until tomorrow, I have requested, as I initially wanted, to collect from my local CPW store (coincidentally, right next door to one of the advertised DPD Parcel Pickup locations).