Amazon Hub Lockers installed at West Midlands Trains railway stations

[Bletchleyite]

Other companies may not be perfect either, but there's a chance that they might better, whereas Amazon is known to be bad.

As a customer they are excellent. In particular their delivery service to these lockers is reliable and avoids me needing to be in. And if anything ever goes wrong they're straight in with a refund.

We've been here before - Tesco came in and disrupted the local shopping market by providing local shops that are actually useful in the form of Tesco Express, compared to the 1990s when local shops just had a few mouldy vegetables and ageing "Happy Shopper" tins and little else bar papers, sweets and fags. Those independent shops have had to improve to survive. The ones that improved have survived.

Then Uber came along - not a great company, but the local minicab firms have had to get out of the dark ages and do app booking and card payment to survive.

If other businesses want me to use them they need to (a) use a reliable courier which can divert to a local shop or post office (which means Royal Mail or DPD), and (b) confirm that they do, and which one, on their website. It is literally that simple. I'm even willing to pay the extra cost of it. But hardly anyone offers it, and so I refuse to use them.

Until then, it's Amazon for me.

I usually look for online sellers who specifically say they use DPD. There are some out there, although obviously it depends on exactly what you're looking for and of course using DPD generally costs more than the rubbish of Evri or Yodel. But my stuff might actually get to me in the condition it was sent in!

I'm happy to pay extra for use of DPD or Royal Mail, but only if it specifically says so. Very few companies seem to bother.

 

[DarloRich]

If you can't already see the Amazon is a problematic company then I don't know where you've been. They have a history of:

- Treating workers very poorly
- Dodgying taxes
- Overwhelming the market and making it harder for smaller retailers to compete
- There's been some privacy concerns with their smart stuff
- Reviews and products are flooded with cheap rubbish with fake reviews

Other companies may not be perfect either, but there's a chance that they might better, whereas Amazon is known to be bad.

but my books come the next day! From my point of view, as a customer, they offer a fantastic service.

 

[Bletchleyite]

but my books come the next day! From my point of view, as a customer, they offer a fantastic service.

Exactly. Smaller suppliers are moaning like greengrocers etc did when supermarkets came in but are not attempting to compete. For instance, sticking resolutely to opening 9am to 5:30pm with an hour's lunch when the customers had their lunch (why not instead open noon to 8pm a couple of days a week?), or not finding unique selling points like quality of product and advice.

I've said what would make me use them - don't use Hermes/Yodel and make it clear that you won't use those two useless companies and who you will use.

Small business does not have a right to exist. It exists because it does right for its customers. At the moment most non-Amazon online sellers do not, because they use those two useless courier companies. I don't use Amazon for cheapness - very often it isn't the cheapest - I use it because it works.

 

[DarloRich]

I've said what would make me use them - don't use Hermes/Yodel and make it clear that you won't use those two useless companies and who you will use.

my amazon deliveries seem to come in marked Amazon vans and/or stressed bloke in an estate!

 

[Bletchleyite]

my amazon deliveries seem to come in marked Amazon vans and/or stressed bloke in an estate!

It's a similar setup to Hermes with self employed couriers, but for three very important things.

1: They have proper tracking, so there is no way for them to get away with delivering when they feel like (e.g. 2 days later if a bit busy) as our local Hermes person does. Also you know exactly when they are going to deliver.
2: If there is any sort of problem they will just refund without argument (and probably charge the courier the cost, so they are strongly incentivised not to mess things up).
3: If you know you won't be in there are the lockers.

 

[Davester50]

Getting away from the ethics of Amazon, Lockers are a boon if you're working away from home. So what TOCs have Lockers of Amazon (or others) at stations?
We know from the start of the thread West Midlands do, and also Northern, and Merseyrail. Are there any others?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Getting away from the ethics of Amazon, Lockers are a boon if you're working away from home. So what TOCs have Lockers of Amazon (or others) at stations?
We know from the start of the thread West Midlands do, and also Northern, and Merseyrail. Are there any others?

I know there's one at Edinburgh Waverley as I've used it.

 

[skyhigh]

The only issue I can foresee is if people don't pick their orders up in a timely fashion, ie. on the same day that the order is left in the locker, or the day after at the latest. Any later than that, and the system records that the locker is full, with the result that no-one can send any more orders there.

Any later than that and they get collected and sent back, so it's not a major issue.

 

[Davester50]

I know there's one at Edinburgh Waverley as I've used it.

Never noticed it! Where in the station?
It's not showing on Google Maps - just in the Waverley Centre, and that's down as "temporarily closed"

 

[setdown]

I think it’s a good thing to be putting these lockers in more convenient locations. It’s better for the environment to have deliveries to these, rather than individual houses.

 

[D821]

I think the ones on Merseyrail stations have been there for about 3-4 years. Apart from the ones at the busier Liverpool stations, I can't remember seeing anyone using them.
Is it cheaper to get stuff delivered there or are they more for returns?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Never noticed it! Where in the station?
It's not showing on Google Maps - just in the Waverley Centre, and that's down as "temporarily closed"

In the shopping centre. If that's closed then it probably is too, unfortunately.

I think the ones on Merseyrail stations have been there for about 3-4 years. Apart from the ones at the busier Liverpool stations, I can't remember seeing anyone using them.
Is it cheaper to get stuff delivered there or are they more for returns?

You can do returns that way but they are mostly for convenience, i.e. ordering stuff when you're not going to be in but know you will pass one.

 

[greatkingrat]

Getting away from the ethics of Amazon, Lockers are a boon if you're working away from home. So what TOCs have Lockers of Amazon (or others) at stations?
We know from the start of the thread West Midlands do, and also Northern, and Merseyrail. Are there any others?

A lot of the above ground London Underground stations seem to have lockers now.

 

[Davester50]

Is it cheaper to get stuff delivered there or are they more for returns?

It's the same price as getting delivered to your own home or business, or indeed local Post Office.
It's more for the convenience of the shopper.

I used to use the Post Office until the counter staff moaned about the space they all took up, so just use lockers now. Their loss.

In the shopping centre. If that's closed then it probably is too, unfortunately.

The centre is open, I see it's called Waverley Market now, just the locker shown as temporarily closed.

 

[GoneSouth]

Probably unpopular opinion: publicly funded organisations should not be providing different services for their users who happen to use a particular private business.

Haha you’ve just generated a LOT of unused retail space across the network. Oh, and there quite a few nice pubs (eg Huddersfield) that you’ve just put out of business.

Of course NR should be maximising income from their estate, I’d love to see more use of their buildings for such things instead of watching them decay.

In fact you specifically said publicly funded organisations in your post… have you never bought a cup of coffee whilst waiting in a hospital, had a sandwich or drink at a museum or theatre. I imagine there are a lot of civil servants working up and down the country who rely on a midday meal provided by a caterer leasing space in government buildings.

Not sure I understand the point you’re making, it happens everywhere (as it should, unless you’re advocating state owned logistics, coffee shops, general retailers and caterers). I suspect you won’t get a lot of support on here comrade.

Stumbled across this on Twitter. Seems a good idea, making railway stations more of a hub for the community. Looks useful to collect a parcel when arriving at the station on your way home.

Whilst I think this is a good idea, let’s forget the notion that there is any interest in community or community hubs here. The arrangement makes both parties money and that’s all there is to it.

 

[greatkingrat]

It's the same price as getting delivered to your own home or business, or indeed local Post Office.
It's more for the convenience of the shopper.

It can be cheaper, if the order is too small to be eligible for free delivery to home, you can often still get it delivered to a locker for free.

 

[Davester50]

It can be cheaper, if the order is too small to be eligible for free delivery to home, you can often still get it delivered to a locker for free.

Learn something new every day!

 

[GoneSouth]

As a customer they are excellent. In particular their delivery service to these lockers is reliable and avoids me needing to be in. And if anything ever goes wrong they're straight in with a refund.

We've been here before - Tesco came in and disrupted the local shopping market by providing local shops that are actually useful in the form of Tesco Express, compared to the 1990s when local shops just had a few mouldy vegetables and ageing "Happy Shopper" tins and little else bar papers, sweets and fags. Those independent shops have had to improve to survive. The ones that improved have survived.

Then Uber came along - not a great company, but the local minicab firms have had to get out of the dark ages and do app booking and card payment to survive.

If other businesses want me to use them they need to (a) use a reliable courier which can divert to a local shop or post office (which means Royal Mail or DPD), and (b) confirm that they do, and which one, on their website. It is literally that simple. I'm even willing to pay the extra cost of it. But hardly anyone offers it, and so I refuse to use them.

Until then, it's Amazon for me.

I see a trend here. All of the above have had a reputation for sharp employment practices in the past. We’re not living in 1850 and shouldn’t be expecting people to work for nothing or treating them like slaves. I’m a firm believer that you should treat people with fairness and decency and I don’t believe some of these companies do that.

You are right, they are innovative and disruptive, but I think the cost of that progress is often the disregard of the well-being of the people they ‘use’ along the way. Just for openness, I do use all of these companies, sometimes there isn’t an option, but each time I click the buy or book button it hurts!

Actually, the lockers are probably good for the employees of Amazon too, one stop = 20 deliveries, everybody wins.

 

[bspahh]

We know from the start of the thread West Midlands do, and also Northern, and Merseyrail. Are there any others?

There are Amazon lockers in the car park at Ely station, run by Greater Anglia.

 

[Davester50]

Actually, the lockers are probably good for the employees of Amazon too, one stop = 20 deliveries, everybody wins.

If only they would prioritise deliveries to lockers first though. I've had Out for Delivery status for hours when delivering to a local locker.

 

[Silver Cobra]

Getting away from the ethics of Amazon, Lockers are a boon if you're working away from home. So what TOCs have Lockers of Amazon (or others) at stations?
We know from the start of the thread West Midlands do, and also Northern, and Merseyrail. Are there any others?

Amazon Lockers have been at most Great Northern stations for a few years now (at least the ones between Hitchin and Peterborough). In the last few months they have also added InPost lockers to the station as well.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Actually, the lockers are probably good for the employees of Amazon too, one stop = 20 deliveries, everybody wins.

And for the environment - less driving around. The concept was genius. I'd not use them nearly as much if they didn't exist.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Amazon aren't that bad employers. Yes, it's hard work, but if you don't mind hard work it's not too bad. They pay over minimum wage, after three years service they'll fully fund a university course if you want them too-any course, any uni, your choice.

 

[OuterDistant]

Alternatively we could not be encouraging the use of Amazon.

This crossed my mind briefly as well.

In an ideal world, I would be about to pop out in my Rover EV to pick up my Woolworths order from a Royal Mail locker. But in a world where "innovate or die" applies, here we are.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This crossed my mind briefly as well.

In an ideal world, I would be about to pop out in my Rover EV to pick up my Woolworths order from a Royal Mail locker. But in a world where "innovate or die" applies, here we are.

To be fair Royal Mail does allow you to divert stuff to a post office, which these days tends to be a convenience store with longish hours. It's almost as good.

 

[GoneSouth]

To be fair Royal Mail does allow you to divert stuff to a post office, which these days tends to be a convenience store with longish hours. It's almost as good.

I’m theory it’s better, you just might buy something from the local store whilst there

Amazon aren't that bad employers. Yes, it's hard work, but if you don't mind hard work it's not too bad. They pay over minimum wage, after three years service they'll fully fund a university course if you want them too-any course, any uni, your choice.

Really, that does sound good, too good to be true in fact. Why do we hear the horror stories and not this. Do they publish this information anywhere, and if so do you have a link? Thanks

Edit: I’ve answered my own question, found a statement on Amazon’s site that says

… we offer our innovative Career Choice program, which pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields.

Not quite any course then, but still a good benefit to have.

 

[andystock22]

A large number of GTR stations have had 'In Post' lockers for a while now. Used one last week to return some online shopping I did.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I’m theory it’s better, you just might buy something from the local store whilst there

Upsides and downsides. The upside of the lockers is that provided they're outside (as most are) they are accessible 24/7/365.

I do however very often pop into the Co-op where my closest locker is while there, that said.

A large number of GTR stations have had 'In Post' lockers for a while now. Used one last week to return some online shopping I did.

You see a lot of those but it seems quite rare to be able to actually have stuff delivered to them.

 

[Davester50]

A large number of GTR stations have had 'In Post' lockers for a while now. Used one last week to return some online shopping I did.

Looking at the In Post website, there's a photo of a woman standing outside of Wandsworth Common railway station.
I've seen one of them at a Morrisons, but never looked to use them.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I actually really do think Royal Mail should consider installing some of their own. They could offer additional services using them, such as the ability to have all your letter post diverted to one while on holiday to collect when you get back, as well as simply having parcels delivered to them.