I ordered 1200 litres of fuel on Friday 29th January. I paid extra for 3-day delivery so my oil was due to arrive “on or before” Wednesday 3rd February.It didn’t arrive in time but I was given no call or explanation or apology. I wrote emails chasing my order on 3rd and 4th February explaining that my elderly parents were shielding at my house and my oil levels were very low but I received no reply. I called repeatedly on Friday 5th but couldn’t get through. I left a voicemail query that wasn’t replied to, pointing out that my order was late and cold weather was imminent.I received no communication from United Fuels so I called again in Monday 8th February. I was told weather had been an issue during previous week (really?!) and drivers were in training on Monday and Tuesday but was given a “cast iron promise” (their words) that it would be delivered on Wednesday 10th (a week late).My oil ran out on Tuesday 9th Feb. The order did not arrive on 10th. Or 11th. Yet again, I received no call or notice or explanation. So it fell to me to call United Fuels on Friday 12th to find out what was happening.Again, I was told a delivery had been attempted but the weather had prevented them. I asked why nobody had been in touch to tell me that. And I explained that I found that hard to believe as I’d been receiving mail and Amazon deliveries all week and I live on a farm route and milk trucks had been passing without problems. I was told the issue was in Skipton rather than in the rural Dales. I explained that I had been in and around Skipton that week and had seen no evidence of road problems.The upshot was I was once again promised that my delivery would be made early this week, by Tuesday 16th February.Once again, I received neither my oil nor any communication on 16th. So I called United again yesterday for an update. I was told wagons had broken down and drivers were in quarantine. I’m afraid I don’t believe those excuses and, in any event, the lack of contact given they know I have elderly parents and no oil was completely unacceptable.I asked the lady to find out - honestly - when my oil would be delivered. An hour later, she called back to tell me that because I was the only order they currently had in my area, they had decided they couldn’t fulfil my order and I would need to find another supplier.So United Fuels accepted an emergency 3-day order that they couldn’t / wouldn’t fulfil. They have failed to keep me updated as they miss deadline after deadline for delivery. When I contact them, they have strung me along during two weeks of freezing cold weather, giving false promises about when my order would arrive until I finally press them to give me a truthful delivery date, at which point they decide it’s not worth their while to come out to me.They haven’t taken responsibility for sorting the problem out and arranging for another supplier on my behalf. They’ve just left me hanging without oil and I’m now going to be significantly out of pocket making another urgent order and having suffered a week of permanently sub-zero weather.In nearly ten years living in the Dales, this is the worst customer service experience I have ever had. United don’t seem to care or understand that they are providing an essential service for people in rural communities.Yesterday, I submitted a similar review on their own website but it appears that they have vetoed its publication.
Claim your business profile now and gain access to all features and respond to customer reviews.
