Postage to the USA - EVRi suck.

I was surprised a couple of weeks ago to find 5 of my Kickstarter packages, intended for the USA, sitting outside my door.

All of these had been taken to the Post Office, along with a lot of other smaller parcels, and I paid everything I was asked to pay, the process taking even longer than it used to.

When it got to the larger packages, of which 5 went to the USA, I was told that the Royal Mail no longer offered this service themselves but subcontracted (effectively) to EVRi. It had become too troublesome in recent times it appeared.

OK, fair enough.

These took even longer to process and again I paid everything I was asked to pay, and it wasn't cheap I can tell you.

So, why were they returned?

I noticed that they had stickers on them saying that 'Customers hadn't been paid.'

But how can this be, I paid everything I was asked to pay at the Post Office.

I went to my Post Office to find out.

It turns out EVRi may charge additional fees and that I would have received an email to that effect. Asking me for the extra cash.

Blimey.

More fees.

But I had received no emails. Not even in my Junk folder was there anything telling me this.

The Post Office manager suggested I contact EVRi to find out what had happened.

There is no way to speak to a human at EVRi and the CharBot is shite. After an hour or so trying different prompts for the ChatBot I gave up with that approach.

I went back to the Office to ask for help.

They emailed EVRi on my behalf and I was told that I would receive an email in a few days.

A week later, having received no email I went back to the Post Office.

This time I was asked to email the Post Office myself with the complaint.

I did this a week ago and am still waiting.

I've informed my backers and told them I'll reimburse them if I've got no further by the 7th Jan. Not something I want to do but I can't afford the double postage costs and the chance that the parcels will be returned to me again.

Lesson learned for me.

I will never again use EVRi for posting anything to anyone.

They suck and I'm amazed that they are still in business.

I will pass this on to everyone I know.

If you plan to use EVRi to post something somewhere you might as well walk to you back door and throw the parcel into the back garden and save yourself some money.