Sometimes I need to return things to an EU country without the hassle of the recipient being charged import taxes (where none should be due). Last week was such a case, I needed to send my phone for a screen repair to a specialist repairer in Berlin and another faulty item back to Amazon in the UK.

After scouring the web, I stumbled upon Hermes. What was most attractive about their service is that I could print the shipping labels at home and then drop the parcels off at a local convenience store (which is open from 5am) just across the border in Rheinfelden i.e. a lot more convenient and stress free than using the German Post office.

Anyway its now 1 week later and my phone is showing up as 'cannot be delivered since recipient does not exist' and my Amazon return is stuck at their UK hub because the Address cannot be resolved

How can they not find Amazon in Fife???... its visible from the International bloody Space Station



I've tried calling them several times on their premium rate number, and simply cannot get through.

Aghhh stress, never again!!!

P.S Should have checked customer reviews.. they're awful

Let me help, Castro:

You shouldn't have used Hermes. They're awful.

You should have searched EF first. This post is a big warning: Hermes parcel delivery (Germany)

I've used Hermes and never had problems - but only within Germany, Most likely...good luck, I am sure it will sort itself out! Do they give you any hope at the other end of at least the item getting back to you?

I actually picked up the recommendation from a post on ToyTown, the fact that it includes €500 damage/loss insurance and handy drop off points across Germany swung it for me.

I am sure I will get them both back since I included a return address. However I will have missed the returns window for Amazon (and thus be charged for the replacement they sent me) and I will be without my main phone for another few weeks. Its just hassle and incompetence, maybe its because they use self employed part timers to make the deliveries (as some parcel companies in the UK do). That might explain why two separate deliveries in two different countries have failed.

Amazon is usually extremely flexible when I have dealt with them - are you sure they will charge you? I think I have only used Hermes when returning a product within Germany, but have received loads of stuff from them when I lived there and ordered from them...it is really annoying when things like this happen - what are the chances that 2 packages to 2 different addresses get mucked up? Any help at the place where you dropped it off (of course iirc, the place I used to use was in some type of a sandwich shop...)

I agree with DrMom, while Hermes may be crap at customer service*, Amazon have always been quite good with me. You can even have written chat with a rep, and get the exchange mailed to you at the end. I would try that, and explaining the situation, I think they will very likely grant you an extension on the return window.

*I don't know, my only experience with Hermes is I received some stuff from them in the past.

Knowing Castro, I think the Amazon item is likely to be something electronic. I think he would buy his building materials locally.

I meant the window of time.

• Amazon package still being held somewhere in Birmingham
• Broken phone finally delivered to repair company in Berlin (9 days from Baden-Württemberg to Berlin, Jesus Wept )

Yup, never again

Can you sign up for a Packstation (German post office / DHL) card? I think you can then use any Packstation hub to print labels and leave the packages there on a Packstation locker to be taken.

It may only be available to people with a German address, though.

Its so rare for me to actually send stuff in Germany that I'll probably just use the regular post office in the future. With respect to receiving parcels, I am very happy with LAS Burg over in Weil am Rhein (its got pretty good reviews from other Basel based EFers too).

De post dhl is the same, print labels at home and just drop the items at various shops - so convenient.

Las burg is good but as its so popular you akways need to wait.

There is another company called grenzpaket that have 4 outlets in weil

Here's a secret that I hope no-one reads: LAS Burg's Grenzstraße location is better, as there's no limit on the size and weight of the parcels they will accept (although the Hauptstraße location has a very high limit, perfectly fine by everyday needs), fees are the same, and there are no queues ... it's a little more difficult to get to by public transport, though.

yep true they opened it up for smaller items as demand was huge at the hauptstr.

Its a place to avoid near xmas time.

Other way around -- Grenzstraße is for larger items, but they also accept ordinary letters and parcels.

Out of interest do I need to create a separate account to use Grenzstraße or can I use my Haupstraße one i.e. Castro - C/O LAS BURG HA 1234?

exactly as I said.

You need a Grenzstraße-specific card and therefore, I assume, a second account. I have an account at one and my partner has one at the other. Maybe Fidel could have Grenzstraße and Raul, Haupt-?
Did you? I got confused. It looked like you said that Grenzstraße was opened for smaller items as demand at Hauptstraße was huge.