Bit of a rant about Natural Instinct

[elaine.e]

I feel really let down and angry at the moment.

Before Christmas I had the saga of the Natural Instinct order that took a week to be delivered and by that time had thawed out. NI chased and chased CityLink about it, so did their best, but I was left with 20kgs of thawed out reeking meat leaking from blood soaked packaging that had been battered beyond belief in transit. By the time I'd sorted it all out there was blood on OH's clothes from carrying it through to the garage, blood on the garage floor (still smells now despite bleach) and I was filthy and felt sick after having to extricate the leaky, smelly packages and double wrap them to put them in the bin. I obviously didn't do a good enough job as I had to scrub, hose and disinfect the bin after the refuse collection on Monday.

NI offered to replace the order and phoned me on Wednesday to say it would be delivered yesterday. It didn't arrive so I phoned them this morning. I've since been told that CityLink won't be delivering it until next week, so of course the meat will have been thawed out for several days by then and will have to be destroyed. I just don't want to have to do that again, not least because my next refuse collection isn't until 10th January.

I've emailed NI and asked them to arrange with CityLink to have the meat returned to them and for me to have a refund. I'm waiting for their response.

Rant over, but I still feel really angry

[cdpops]

That's terrible. I would be really angry too. I hope they sort things out for you.
I wonder if they have grown to quickly and can't cope with orders I recently received an order that had different use by dates on the same package and was labeled as 400g when it was a 1kg. Several packs were not sealed properly and I still have no re-useable lid!

[Sheepscheeks]

I am glad I sorted out a larger than normal order before the snow came down. It was a squeeze fitting 15kg in our freezers but was worth it as I know the website said that deliveries were suspended during the bad weather. It sounds like you have had a rough time with them... My packaging issues seem to have been resolved - the 15kg packs arrived all intact and with a re-usable lid that is standing up to the job dispite being really flimsy.

Hope you get the situation resolved soon and I really hope NI haven't expanded too quickly as Freddie does so well on their food and can't tolerate kibbles.

[elaine.e]

Mine should have arrived on 17th December before the bad weather here in the south. NI suspended deliveries the following day, probably because by then they had other customers as well as me who were experiencing delays.

I've been ordering from them for about 9 months and had no problems before this. In fact their service was excellent. I really hope this is just a blip because William and Louis are thriving on the food and I don't want to change but I feel very disappointed at the moment.

[SimonandMandy]

It sounds like City Link is the issue rather than NI as the order is at least getting out their door and they are trying for you.  I had an order not arrive and phoned them out of hours and they chased for me and got it sorted.  I have to agree though I am not keen on the new packaging as it takes up so much more room in the fridge although it is better now the lid has arrived.  Fingers crossed they can get the order returned and then sorted when the couriers start to return to normal...

[ladylola]

Thought all deliveries were suspended til 4th Jan.  I'm hoping for a delivery of 40k on the 5th.

Hope I get it as I have run out now. I think NI are doing what they can, sounds like the problem is with City Link.

I would have been well peed off too in your situation.

[supergirl]

I had a weeks delay on my order at the beginning of Dec - however NI did phone me to say it would arrive the next day which surprised me as once the weather hit I really didn't expect it to arrive.  Even though a week late it was still frozen.

Haven't seen a lid yet - do you have to request them?

[SimonandMandy]

Lid arrived with December order sitting on top packet, nearly missed it as it is just  light plastic...

[Ninasmum]

What a nuisance Elaine 
I also think the blame is with the carrier City Link.... the agreement with N.I. & City Link should be for next day delivery with any kind of goods like this.  Perhaps N.I. need to find a new reliable courier company. 
I do part time courier del's for a different company & if we have any kind of items like this or plants/flowers/chocs we always deliver that day. 

[elaine.e]

What a nuisance Elaine 
I also think the blame is with the carrier City Link.... the agreement with N.I. & City Link should be for next day delivery with any kind of goods like this.  Perhaps N.I. need to find a new reliable courier company. 
I do part time courier del's for a different company & if we have any kind of items like this or plants/flowers/chocs we always deliver that day. 

I agree that it's Citilink causing the problem but it looks like NI are continuing to use them for the moment anyway, which gives me no confidence. I've just had another email from NI explaining that they spoke to Citilink last night and Citilink should be destroying all the orders that left NI on Wednesday and weren't delivered on Thursday as they will be spoiled by the time Citilink resume deliveries next week. I think it must be costing NI quite a lot as I'm obviously not the only customer with failed deliveries. At least it means (hopefully) that Citilink will destroy the meat and I won't have to.

NI have offered to send me my order next week or to give me a refund. I'm still thinking on that. I really want to continue with NI but need to know that Citilink aren't going to keep failing them.

[Mel]

I made an order around 14th Dec and it all arrived next day, except for 15 jerky sticks which they phoned to let me know would go out the following day as they were not dried enough for dispatch that day.

I waited til the following Monday, by which time we had snow. I phoned them and they said they would check if I had had them sent, if not they would refund me and I should order after the 4th. I said ok expecting the bloke to let me know if my order had gone out and he put the phone down.

I thought about it for a bit and thought, 'hey thats all very well refunding me but I'll have to pay extra VAT which isn't fair as the order was placed in 2010.'

So I rang back and explained what had occured. The woman asked me to hold on and spoke to another woman who said she hadn't sent out my jerky sticks the next day as she's forgotten , 'tell her I'll post them tomorrow'. I was told there had been an overwhelming order on jerky sticks and they were sorry, mine would go out the next day.

Nothing has, of course arrived. I'll be damn annoyed if I have to pay extra VAT on it because they forgot to send it. I gather meat for dogs is covered by VAT?

Also, when I ordered they turkey meals, I was overcharged, (nothing new for 2010, it happened all the time), and they only offered to credit my account for next time or add some dried liver treats. Also, I've never had a lid.

I think they are a victim of their own success and Citilink are hopeless. Lush used to use them with dire consequences.

However, Tali is good on their food and I think I'll stick with them for now.

[ladylola]

I'm a bit fuming with them now.

Phoned them this morning to see when the delivery 40k I ordered before christmas will be coming.

I'll get someone to phone you straight back, he said.  Still waiting   
I use 14kilos a week    and ran out 2 weeks ago, going to have to source some food as I have been feeding them chappie.

[bracken]

I'm a bit fuming with them now.

Phoned them this morning to see when the delivery 40k I ordered before christmas will be coming.

I'll get someone to phone you straight back, he said.  Still waiting   
I use 14kilos a week    and ran out 2 weeks ago, going to have to source some food as I have been feeding them chappie.

Hope they offer you a good discount when they get around to sorting the problem

[elaine.e]

I phoned them this morning about my order as an email I had last week said it would be sent out on the first working day this week (yesterday), but I've heard nothing since. The lady I spoke to phoned me back a few minutes later to say that the manager of City Link is due at NI for a meeting at lunchtime today to sort out the courier problems. Hopefully NI will be laying down the law as all the thawed out orders must be costing them a huge amount.

There's yet another problem with my order. It should have been turkey, which was on special offer before Christmas and what turned up on 23rd December was indeed turkey, but thawed out and stinky . As they'd run out of turkey by then they offered chicken instead, which I agreed to and that's what was sent out between Christmas & New Year but not delivered. This morning I was told that as I wanted turkey I'd have to wait until next week . I explained again that chicken will be fine and I think my order will be sent today providing City Link give NI enough assurances that deliveries will be on time from now on.

So I'm off out in a minute as I only have enough locally bought raw food for their tea tonight. I've been using those square blocks that many pet shops have and adding veg. and fruit but poor William keeps getting constipated

ladylola, I think they will phone customers once they've had the meeting with CityLink, so hopefully this afternoon.

[ladylola]

Well I phoned them again, and got the we'll ring you back in the next 15 mins.
Which they did. They said the reason my order wasn't sent was because I ordered Turkey and chicken and they only have the chicken.
They can't source the turkey and will be another week. They are going to send me the 20k of chicken today.
It's easier to get meat from supermarkets for one dog, but for 6 it costs a fortune.
This stuff costs me a lot anyway using 14k a week. Like you I ordered the special offer.
Think I may look at our meat wholesalers and restart doing it myself.