RAM COURIERS – WHEN A SIMPLE DELIVERY BECOMES A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE

I have used RAM Couriers approximately 15 times to send parcels to Michaelhouse. Every single time, I provide the same information: I am the contact number and email address for both the sender and receiver, as my son is at boarding school and does not have access to his own cellphone or email.

I also use the same Michaelhouse delivery information and PIN drop every time.

And this is not even the first time I have experienced service like this from RAM. I have actually continued using RAM because I am loyal — I like having one courier I know and trust, and I have always preferred to keep using the same company rather than jump around.

But honestly, my loyalty is being tested now.

I can accept that things go wrong, but when the same frustrations keep happening, and I have to spend my own time and money fixing problems that aren't mine, at some point you have to ask yourself why you are staying loyal.

This particular shipment contained over R4,000 worth of camping equipment that we had saved up for.

The parcel was originally scheduled for delivery on Friday. The driver could not get hold of me because I was in a meeting.

I completely understand that the driver could not simply leave a parcel somewhere without authorisation, and I actually appreciated that he was being careful with the shipment.

At 17:12 on Friday, I phoned RAM and waited 16 minutes before speaking to a consultant.

The consultant was helpful. He explained that the delivery had been unsuccessful because the driver was not prepared to leave the parcel with security.

I completely understood this, so I specifically asked that, if the parcel was sent out again, a note be added authorising the driver to leave the parcel with security at Michaelhouse.

I was told that this would be noted and that a **special delivery would be requested for Monday**.

So far, so good.

Then things went completely sideways.

On Monday at approximately 15:57, a RAM consultant phoned me and asked if it would be okay to deliver the parcel the following day.

I confirmed that this was perfectly fine.

I AGAIN asked whether the note had been added authorising the driver to leave the parcel with security.

I was told yes.

The consultant also confirmed the address as R103, and I AGAIN specifically said:

“PLEASE make sure it is Michaelhouse.”

I explained that I had used the PIN drop on the RAM system and had used this exact delivery information numerous times with RAM.

Then, on Tuesday morning at approximately 09:00, I received another call from RAM.

The gentleman asked me for the address because on his side it was ONLY showing R103.

Again, I said Michaelhouse.

Again, I asked that the parcel be left at security.

I then received another call from the driver asking me which parcel was mine.

I told him it was for my son, and gave the name — and the parcel itself clearly stated MICHAELHOUSE.

And then I received a call from a security guard at Glen Arum Farm telling me that there was a parcel there for me.

**WHAT?!**

After all the phone calls, confirmations, explanations, the same delivery information being used repeatedly, the PIN drop being provided, and me specifically telling RAM over and over again that the parcel was for Michaelhouse - how does a parcel end up being delivered to Glen Arum Farm?

This is not a minor inconvenience.

This was more than R4,000 worth of camping equipment that we saved up for.

Had the security guard at Glen Arum Farm not been an honest person and contacted me, I could very easily have lost the entire parcel.

I then had to pay an additional R250 out of my own pocket to get a local delivery person to collect the parcel and deliver it approximately 3.4 km from Glen Arum Farm to Michaelhouse.

A journey that takes roughly seven minutes.

I am incredibly grateful to that security guard for doing the right thing.

But I should never have been put in that position in the first place.

And then, when I tried to get clarity from RAM's online chat, the response from consultant **Jacob** made the situation even worse.

I was told:

> “I confirmed what should be done and I gave you the updates as well but you do not seem to understand that part.”

I was trying to explain that what Jacob was telling me did not match what had been communicated to me by RAM on Friday.

Rather than actually resolving the issue, the chat was closed.

**That is not customer service.**

I am not upset because a delivery went wrong. Mistakes happen.

I am upset because I went out of my way to prevent this from happening.

I called RAM.

I waited 16 minutes.

I explained the situation.

I confirmed the delivery address.

I confirmed Michaelhouse.

I confirmed that the parcel could be left at security.

I was told a special delivery would be arranged.

I was contacted again and reconfirmed everything.

I reconfirmed it AGAIN the next morning.

And despite all of that, my parcel was delivered to the **wrong property**.

Then I had to pay another **R250 to fix RAM's mistake**.

If the mistake had been mine, I would absolutely accept responsibility.

But in this situation, I honestly cannot see what more I could have done.

I also want to acknowledge **Mpume Goqera (ISA Outbound Agent)**.

I have dealt with Mpume previously and she has been absolutely brilliant. She genuinely tries to assist and has gone out of her way to help me with this shipment.

My frustration is that people like Mpume, who are trying to provide good customer service, ultimately have to deal with the consequences of failures elsewhere in the process.

**RAM, I am asking you to please investigate this properly.**

Please review the recorded calls and establish:

• What instructions were given on Friday at approximately 17:12 • Why those instructions were not correctly carried through • Why the parcel was delivered to Glen Arum Farm instead of Michaelhouse • What address/location information was actually loaded against the shipment • Why repeated verbal confirmation of “Michaelhouse” did not prevent the incorrect delivery • Why I had to pay an additional R250 to retrieve and deliver my own parcel • And why my attempt to obtain assistance from Jacob was handled in such a dismissive manner

I have used RAM approximately 15 times for deliveries to Michaelhouse.

I have been patient.

I have provided the same information repeatedly.

I have tried to work with your consultants.

I have even gone out of my way to make the delivery easier by authorising the parcel to be left with security.

Yet somehow, a parcel worth more than R4,000 ended up at the wrong property.

**That is not acceptable.**

RAM — I genuinely hope someone in management takes the time to look at this properly, because this experience has not only cost me an additional R250; it has cost me a huge amount of time, stress and confidence in your service.

And quite frankly, if that security guard had not been honest, I could have been more than **R4,000 out of pocket.**

That is the part that concerns me most.

**My loyalty to RAM is now seriously being tested.**