Right, here is what any normal courier company should do:

1) Attempt to deliver
2) If delivery failed, take back to depot and wait for me to ask for redelivery or collect in person, this should be easy and my desired action should be delayed for now longer than it needs to.

But this is what is actually happening:

I ordered an item from Amazon UK, for some unknown reason they decided to deliver my item using the courier 'Home Delivery Network Ltd'. They do the usual attempted delivery, but no one was in, so they have taken it back to their depot, not a problem I think.

The item is for my girlfriends birthday tomorrow (Tuesday), So I attempt to use the couriers appalling online rebooking system that says I can have the item redelivered on Tuesday, this is too late and no one will be in. There is also an option to pick it up from the depot, but they won't let me do this until Wednesday... why the hell not?!

In frustration I phone the local depot (after hours searching for a number) and asked the assistant if I can collect today, "Sorry, but we work by the computer system, and if that's what it says then you will have to wait". Are they trying to say their warehouse is so disorganised that it takes 3 days to find my package and put it to one side?

I'm tempted to ride the 50+ miles round trip in the pouring rain this evening (Monday, 2 days before they will allow me to collect) and just say the computer said I can collect today. I won't mention I've phoned up, surely they won't send me back without my parcel?

What should I do? I'm not usually one to make such a fuss, but in this instance it seemed only right.

Remember, don't touch Home Delivery Network Ltd with a barge pole.