Damage shouldn't be part and parcel of Interlink delivery

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/ju ... k-delivery" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A reader sent a coffee table which turned up broken and at the wrong address


A coffee table delivered by Interlink suffered damage
I am a young furniture designer who is just establishing my own studio. In March a retailer in London ordered one of my coffee tables and asked for it to be delivered to their office for a photo shoot, as they wanted to publish a piece on it. This not only represented a sale for me, but was also great for publicity. I packaged the coffee table securely and paid Interlink Express to deliver it, paying £8 on top of the initial £27 charge for extra insurance. I wrote "coffee table" on the item's docket and it was collected.

The following day I was contacted by the retailer to say the table had not arrived. I enquired with Interlink which told me somebody called Jennifer had signed for it, but it couldn't say who she was. The retailer was good enough to go down the street and knock at a few other office doors, only to find the table had been delivered to another firm. It was also broken and parts were missing.

Since then I have had numerous telephone conversations with Interlink. I claimed on the insurance but twice it lost my claim form. Interlink now says it won't pay out for the damaged table as "the small print states they don't take furniture", even though they knew it was a coffee table. They have reimbursed me for the delivery charge as they delivered to the wrong address. I have now lost a £600 coffee table, but more importantly lost the publicity opportunity. Can you help? DS, Sheffield

We don't get many complaints about parcel carriers given the huge numbers of items delivered in the UK each day, but your experience at the hands of Interlink Express certainly left a lot to be desired. The company says you made the order using its website, which it claims states that furniture is not covered by its insurance. It says you clicked a box to say you had read and checked the list of prohibited items.

You are clear you didn't see this when you made the booking. However, for us the fact that you had written "coffee table" on the docket, which was shown to the driver who picked up the item, gave you cause for hope.

Happily, after we intervened Interlink has now agreed to pay the claim and is sending you £500 to cover the damaged table.