Anger as InPost parcels remain undelivered

Stephen Price

Vinted users have shared their anger following ongoing delays in the movement of their parcels through InPost, with packages stuck in transit for over two weeks in some cases.

Vinted has grown in popularity, with many younger buyers and sellers opting for the platform due to its low prices, eco-credentials and usability, with InPost one of its most celebrated features for ease of drop off and pick up.

Throughout September, however, Vinted users have expressed their frustration as parcels seemingly sit in sorting facilities or repeatedly depart and arrive at others.

In a service update posted to X on 20 September, InPost wrote: “Some parcels are taking a little longer than usual, link to find out more here – https://inpost.co.uk/service-update – We are very sorry for these unexpected delays and understand your disappointment, please be assured we will resolve this.”

One user, TheUntruth0 commented: “I have 12 parcels in Limbo. Inpost and Yodel. Looks like any parcel sent at the time of the merge is stuck. 14th -15th ish. Anything posted last 3-4 days are moving normally.”

Hundreds of others have taken to social media, particularly X, such as one user who wrote: “InPost has gone from great to absolutely appalling in the last months, the delay caused by having a ‘middle man’ collection and then waiting for the courier to collect from them, coupled with terrible tracking, makes InPost now almost unusable.”

InPost has gone from great to absolutely appalling in the last months, the delay caused by having a ‘middle man’ collection and then waiting for the courier to collect from them, coupled with terrible tracking, makes InPost now almost unusable.

— Perfect Wedding & Event DJs | Exeter Devon (@PerfectWedDJs) September 15, 2022

Another X user, Fi, wrote: “I’ve got loads of parcels stuck in this delay too, have contacted both vinted and inPost (numerous ways) and getting absolutel zero response from either… one of my parcels was posted a fortnight ago and has been in sorting office for 11 days, it’s absolutely ridiculous!”

Today, X user Adaline added: “Lo and behold, I’ve had two delayed parcels delivered today to @InPostUK locker. Yay for that.

“Two are still MIA, one of them since September 14th so I’m still mad as hell. I never thought I would ever say this, but Evri, forgive me for all the shit I’ve ever said.”

InPost

InPost is an international e-commerce logistics company, best known for its network of over 20,000 automated parcel lockers (APMs) and pick-up drop-off (PUDO) points across Europe, including the UK, which offer 24 hour convenience for collecting and sending parcels.

Users can drop off parcels at InPost lockers at any time by scanning a QR code on their phone, and the parcels are then collected by couriers for onward delivery. The service aims to simplify deliveries and make parcel sending and collection more flexible and eco-friendly.

Until this episode, the company received widespread acclaim due to its unfussy, low cost approach to shipping – with no need for printing, and its simple locker service which fits in with people’s busy lifestyles.

UK parcel delivery company Yodel was purchased by InPost in a £106m deal that has created the third-largest independent delivery business serving online retailers in Britain.

InPost, which placed its first locker in Kraków in 2009, said the takeover would combine its drop-off and collection network with Yodel’s home delivery capabilities, “seamlessly integrating out-of-home and to-door solutions” under a single brand, but many online commenters have questioned if the integration has been at fault, and questioned why a reliable service has taken on one with less than favourable reviews online.

Apology

In a statement shared on the InPost website, a spokesperson said: “We want to apologise to all customers impacted by a software integration issue that resulted in delays within part of our network.

“Since isolating the root cause, our engineers have been working around the clock to put the correct fixes in place, and the additional resource we have deployed means the backlog has significantly decreased.

“With parcels moving fluidly through our network, and all of our lockers now fully operational, we are confident in our progress towards quickly resolving the situation.

“We are very aware of the delays and inconvenience we have caused, and for that we are truly sorry.”