Cousins Order Arrived --> Empty

[gpraceman]

Got my package from Cousins yesterday, with nothing inside but the receipt.  It was a padded manila envelope that was either opened by someone or the contents tore their way out (I rather believe the latter).  I had ordered some Seiko parts (case, movement, dial, and bracelet) to build myself a DressKX as well as some other items.  Over $200 USD worth of parts.  I am really hot under the collar that they would not ship this all in a box.  I contacted Cousins.  No response so far.  Am I screwed or will Cousins make it right?  It went via Royal Mail and was supposed to be insured.

This is only my 2nd order with them.  The first order came boxed up, with no issues.  Maybe I should stick to US parts suppliers and just pay more?

Edited March 21, 2023 by gpraceman

[LittleWatchShop]

I hope this is resolved in your favor.  Cousins should know we are watching.

[grsnovi]

20 minutes ago, gpraceman said:

I contacted Cousins.  No response so far.

Hope things work out for you.

I've never had any response from them although my inquiries were not related to a purchase.

- Gary

[SpringMangler]

I had an issue with an order a couple of months ago and it was resolved the next day. It is unusual that it's not boxed though especially with the type of contents. 

[Waggy]

I think  they post with insured mail? So they could claim for the loss and then replace?

[gpraceman]

Can't say that I am impressed with Cousins response so far.  Hadn't heard from them, so I sent a support message.  Three times I've asked how this process works and how long it takes.  Of course, they don't have a FAQ on the claims process.  All that I have gathered from Mr. Luke Cousins is that I can reorder the parts and Cousins would refund once the claim is successful.  No response on how long this process takes.  Days? Weeks? Months?  No way I am going to risk placing any further orders with Cousins until this issue is satisfactorily resolved and maybe not even then.

I can see getting screwed here.  There was no delivery signature required, so all they have is my word that I received an empty package.

EDIT: I finally got an answer to how long.  Up to 6 weeks. Ugh.

Edited March 24, 2023 by gpraceman

[PeterS]

It probably takes a few weeks for the claim to complete.
They will have to contact Royal Mail and will have to wait until Royal Mail gets back to them.
I can see the tracking number there, the LP4660…
That means it’s registered and insured and should have been signed for on delivery.

I think what they are saying is place the same order again and when they get the refund from Royal Mail they will refund you.
So you will pay twice but at some point you will get a refund for this shipment you just received.

[Neverenoughwatches]

On 3/21/2023 at 3:47 PM, gpraceman said:

Got my package from Cousins yesterday, with nothing inside but the receipt.  It was a padded manila envelope that was either opened by someone or the contents tore their way out (I rather believe the latter).  I had ordered some Seiko parts (case, movement, dial, and bracelet) to build myself a DressKX as well as some other items.  Over $200 USD worth of parts.  I am really hot under the collar that they would not ship this all in a box.  I contacted Cousins.  No response so far.  Am I screwed or will Cousins make it right?  It went via Royal Mail and was supposed to be insured.

This is only my 2nd order with them.  The first order came boxed up, with no issues.  Maybe I should stick to US parts suppliers and just pay more?

Was this just posted through your mail box or did you take delivery of your parcel ?

[Endeavor]

So far all I can say is that through the years CousinsUK has been a very reliable and a very correct business to deal with. If the parcel was registered and insured, you have to make a well documented claim.

I have had some problems in the past, but every time it turned out that it was never ever CousinsUK fault. Granted, there is room for improvement with their communication, but they are very correct in their doings.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Endeavor

[Mircea]

Well, same thing happened with one of my last purchases. I am waiting now for the Royal Mail conclusion. It was the same envelope type parcel, arrived empty. However, mine was not broken, but probably not well sealed in the beginning, in my opinion.

I reordered the items along others things I wanted, and even put another order after that, as I forgot something. I am waiting for the last two parcels to see if it happens again. I’ll keep you posted.

Forgot to say, Cousins is my main supplier for the last two and a half years, never ever had a problem with them or their parcels before. I even thought that they overprotected items sometime…. I still like them a lot!

[gpraceman]

7 hours ago, PeterS said:

It probably takes a few weeks for the claim to complete.
They will have to contact Royal Mail and will have to wait until Royal Mail gets back to them.
I can see the tracking number there, the LP4660…
That means it’s registered and insured and should have been signed for on delivery.

I think what they are saying is place the same order again and when they get the refund from Royal Mail they will refund you.
So you will pay twice but at some point you will get a refund for this shipment you just received.

The package just showed up in my mailbox in that state.  I did not sign for it.  I am rather leery at this point in reordering from them.

 

2 hours ago, Endeavor said:

So far all I can say is that through the years CousinsUK has been a very reliable and a very correct business to deal with. If the parcel was registered and insured, you have to make a well documented claim.

I have had some problems in the past, but every time it turned out that it was never ever CousinsUK fault. Granted, there is room for improvement with their communication, but they are very correct in their doings.

My only documentation are the photographs of the empty envelope.  Cousins certainly isn't accepting any blame for this.  "Cousins ship thousands of orders monthly and we have had not reports from customers reporting whole orders missing." and "I can only try to re-assure you we ship hundreds of parcels to the US every month, both in padded jiffy envelopes and in boxes, and issues are rare. Any future orders should be safe."  My experience certainly doesn't seem to cause them to see what they can do to prevent such an issue.  To me, at least pasting the customs sleeve over the envelope flap would help ensure that the flap won't pop open if the adhesive strip is weak.  For this order, I had to grab my magnifier to see where the flap was at one point adhered to the back of the envelope.  Maybe that let go, spilled the contents on some conveyor, and then the flap got ripped off down the line.

 

1 hour ago, Mircea said:

Well, same thing happened with one of my last purchases. I am waiting now for the Royal Mail conclusion. It was the same envelope type parcel, arrived empty. However, mine was not broken, but probably not well sealed in the beginning, in my opinion.

I reordered the items along others things I wanted, and even put another order after that, as I forgot something. I am waiting for the last two parcels to see if it happens again. I’ll keep you posted.

Forgot to say, Cousins is my main supplier for the last two and a half years, never ever had a problem with them or their parcels before. I even thought that they overprotected items sometime…. I still like them a lot!

So much for "Cousins ship thousands of orders monthly and we have had not reports from customers reporting whole orders missing." 

Personally, I don't trust the adhesive strips.  I've had packages, that my company ships out, pop open.  We actually changed our process because of that to add some packaging tape and not trust the adhesive strips.  Tape is cheap and it only takes a few seconds.  Hadn't had a single issue with packages popping open since.  We also don't use the manila envelopes as things can tear through them.  Instead we use poly envelopes, which are far more durable.

I did have one other order in the queue, which I received yesterday.  The customs sleeve was adhered over the flap.  No issues with that order.  That would be a simple countermeasure to implement as standard practice, at least for international orders.

I'd be interested to hear about what happens with your order claim.  I cannot even reorder the same parts, at least not completely, since one of them is out of stock and not expected until May.

 

6 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Was this just posted through your mail box or did you take delivery of your parcel ?

It was delivered to my mailbox.  I did not sign for it.

Edited March 24, 2023 by gpraceman

[PeterS]

The main problem here is the postal service on your end.
It was tracked and your postman should have not left it in your mailbox.
You’re supposed to sign for this.
This means, no matter where you order from, it can happen again.
The postman doesn’t know who it’s from, it could have been from anyone else and he would have left it in the mailbox without your signature. Whether it’s from Cousins or not, that makes no difference.
My feeling is, the postman didn’t want to give you an opened package personally and that’s why he left it in your mailbox.
Your other options are, if you want to buy from Cousins, to select a courier instead of the standard signed for method. But that would be more expensive.
Personally, as you said you had a box from them and you had no issues, I’d call them with the next order and ask them to send it in a box and put a note on your record to always use boxes, for all shipments.

[gpraceman]

13 minutes ago, PeterS said:

The main problem here is the postal service on your end.
It was tracked and your postman should have not left it in your mailbox.
You’re supposed to sign for this.
This means, no matter where you order from, it can happen again.
The postman doesn’t know who it’s from, it could have been from anyone else and he would have left it in the mailbox without your signature. Whether it’s from Cousins or not, that makes no difference.
My feeling is, the postman didn’t want to give you an opened package personally and that’s why he left it in your mailbox.
Your other options are, if you want to buy from Cousins, to select a courier instead of the standard signed for method. But that would be more expensive.
Personally, as you said you had a box from them and you had no issues, I’d call them with the next order and ask them to send it in a box and put a note on your record to always use boxes, for all shipments.

I see the order states that it is tracked and insured.  No mention about signature required.  Had I signed for it, I would at least have confirmation from the postman that the package was empty upon delivery.  As it stands, it is just my word.  I had another order in the queue, which I received yesterday with no issues.  It was packaged in an envelope and was put in my mailbox.

Not sure that a request for a box will work, but I can give that a try.  Maybe make sure to order something too heavy or bulky for an envelope.

Edited March 24, 2023 by gpraceman

[Mircea]

My packages from Cousins all bear the « Signature required » mention on the label. Canada Post sometimes ask me to go and sign at the postal office, sometimes deliver them in the mailbox. The empty package that I received was left in the mailbox without signature, same situation as gpraceman here. The only proof are photos of the empty package and my word.

As for using a courrier, fees are usually 3 to 4 times more than Royal Mail, so it is not justified pricewise, in my opinion. 
waiting for my other packages and resolution of the Royal Mail claim, will keep posted when they arrive.

never thought about asking them to send in a box, I think that would not be justified in my case for all orders, sometimes I order hands or small parts only, a box would be overpacked…

[watchweasol]

There are alternatives to Cousins,  A.G.Thomas Bradford in Yorkshire. And Gleave and Co in London, in the states there are Esslingers.  Otto Frie,   Timesavers,  In Canada. Perkins,  perhaps you should have a look at then if you haven’t already done so.  It’s just a suggestion. There can be nothing more frustrating as what you have suffered.

[gpraceman]

2 hours ago, Mircea said:

My packages from Cousins all bear the « Signature required » mention on the label. Canada Post sometimes ask me to go and sign at the postal office, sometimes deliver them in the mailbox. The empty package that I received was left in the mailbox without signature, same situation as gpraceman here. The only proof are photos of the empty package and my word.

As for using a courrier, fees are usually 3 to 4 times more than Royal Mail, so it is not justified pricewise, in my opinion. 
waiting for my other packages and resolution of the Royal Mail claim, will keep posted when they arrive.

never thought about asking them to send in a box, I think that would not be justified in my case for all orders, sometimes I order hands or small parts only, a box would be overpacked…

Mine say "Delivery Confirmation".  No mention of signature required.  On that order I do think that I had to remove a heavier item in order to get Royal Mail as a shipping option, instead of the the other more expensive options.

 

1 hour ago, watchweasol said:

There are alternatives to Cousins,  A.G.Thomas Bradford in Yorkshire. And Gleave and Co in London, in the states there are Esslingers.  Otto Frie,   Timesavers,  In Canada. Perkins,  perhaps you should have a look at then if you haven’t already done so.  It’s just a suggestion. There can be nothing more frustrating as what you have suffered.

I have ordered from Esslinger a couple of times.  I had been price checking between Esslinger and Cousins.  Cousins can be substantially less expensive on some items.  I'll have to check out Otto Frie and Timesavers.

[Mircea]

There is a typo in the name of one of the suppliers, it is Otto Frei in Canada. Never used them yet, though… Otherwise, still up north here, Somal watches is also good for many items, mostly tools and movements, although their site is more difficult to navigate. Prices are good, in my opinion, but usually a bit more than Cousins. My only experience with Gleaves was excellent, fast shipping of small items (crown, stem and mainspring) all in a small flat plastic box inside a padded envelope, well sealed. Arrived without any problem through the same Royal Mail…

otherwise, the old ebay for difficult to find parts…

never used Esslinger or Timesavers or Thomas Bradford, I have to check them also. Thank you watchweasol for the suggestions, well appreciated!

[Endeavor]

11 hours ago, gpraceman said:

My only documentation are the photographs of the empty envelope.  Cousins certainly isn't accepting any blame for this. 

No Cousins won't take the blame, but they are the initiator & payer of the shipment and they have to initiate a claim by the carrier.

Perhaps it is temporarily, but I noticed that during my last two orders that for abroad CousinsUK dropped the cheaper unregistered Royal Mail shipping option. The last time I looked it was only registered / insured shipping. Perhaps they had too much trouble with RM?

On the flip-side, any carrier does request that the shipment has to be well & securely packaged ..... if it was a fully torn open box, the case is clear. In this case the carrier can claim that they delivered the parcel (with or without contents) ......... a tricky one ......

6 Weeks; RM has lots of claims and they, like the Danish PostNord, aren't the fastest.

Edited March 25, 2023 by Endeavor

[RickTock]

Perrin

4 hours ago, Mircea said:

There is a typo in the name of one of the suppliers, it is Otto Frei in Canada. Never used them yet, though…

Otto Frei is located in Oakland, California.

Perrin is another good Canadian supplier.

[Mircea]

Thanks RickTok, my fault, as I said I never used them yet, and I didn’t check details… i was thinking they are Canadians…

I forgot about Perrin, they are good also.

[RichardHarris123]

7 hours ago, Endeavor said:

No Cousins won't take the blame, but they are the initiator & payer of the shipment and they have to initiate a claim by the carrier.

Perhaps it is temporarily, but I noticed that during my last two orders that for abroad CousinsUK dropped the cheaper unregistered Royal Mail shipping option. The last time I looked it was only registered / insured shipping. Perhaps they had too much trouble with RM?

On the flip-side, any carrier does request that the shipment has to be well & securely packaged ..... if it was a fully torn open box, the case is clear. In this case the carrier can claim that they delivered the parcel (with or without contents) ......... a tricky one ......

6 Weeks; RM has lots of claims and they, like the Danish PostNord, aren't the fastest.

Unfortunately the RM isn't what it used to be. 

[tomh207]

40 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Unfortunately the RM isn't what it used to be. 

That’s an understatement, even tracked nothing gets updated on the tracking page until hours after it’s been delivered.

 

Tom

[Mircea]

Update no. 1 in my case

First package after the empty one showed up, but it is a box, due to bulky items ordered with the missing ones. Well packed as usual, no problem at all. Just one mention: I had to go to the post office to pick it up, but there was no signature required. Either Canada Post doesn’t communicate well with Royal Mail for this, either Cousins send them without signature required, despite the sign on the label… I don’t know. I even asked the post office lady where I sign, answer: no need for it, isn’t required.

keep you posted with the second to come and the claim when solved.

[aac58]

Since Royal Mail fixed their ransom problems, Cousins has been sending the parcels tracked and non signed for some reason. They used to send them signed but it was more expensive too.

Edited March 29, 2023 by aac58

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, aac58 said:

Since Royal Mail fixed their ransom problems, Cousins has been sending the parcels tracked and non signed for some reason. They used to send them signed but it was more expensive too.

 

1 hour ago, aac58 said:

Since Royal Mail fixed their ransom problems, Cousins has been sending the parcels tracked and non signed for some reason. They used to send them signed but it was more expensive too.

That must be an international thing. I've just had a big parcel from them, fully tracked to my door and i had to sign for it. But that is UK.