"Mystery" delivery failure

“"Mystery" delivery failure”

Written on: 04/03/2012

I ordered some plants, and paid extra for specified day delivery (Friday), because I needed to plant them before going away on business. The retailer promised the date and delivery by APC Wilsons Express.
On the day I stayed in. At 1630 nothing had come and I rang the retailer - no reply, and left an answerphone message. Rang APC Wilsons Express - no reply also. I later found that the retailer had emailed me at 1430 to say the courier had been unable to find the house - he claimed there were two houses with my number in the street (untrue) and neither matched my name. He also said that he had phoned but got no reply (I was at home all day, the phone never rang, and no message was left on the answerphone).
Phoned APC Wilsons Express on Saturday morning and they told me the same thing. They apologised but said they could do nothing until Monday - when I would have gone away, leaving the plants deteriorating in a parcel. My only option was to drive 15 miles to their depot (before midday) and pick it up. Told the same story, again they apologised, but offered no credible explanation or compensation.
The story is completely implausible, and the only explanation I can think of is that the courier went to the wrong place altogether, and wanted to get home on Friday afternoon.