Trombones go to war over theft at parcel firm
NewsWe have received this message from Simon Minshall, president of the British Trombone Society:
As part of its charitable activities, The British Trombone Society lends high-calibre trombones to deserving young people for furtherance of their studies.
At the end of August 2022, one such instrument, a Yamaha YSL-882GO F/Bb trombone went missing whilst being shipped by the courier DPD from the Society’s service agent in Birmingham to a student in Devon.
Using DPD’s parcel app, the trombone was last tracked to the Aldridge Depot in Walsall and a Missing Parcel enquiry was opened. After several weeks of “searching,” the instrument was deemed “Whereabouts Unknown” and DPD hoped to close the case with an offer of £50 compensation.
In the meantime, thanks to the diligence of the Society’s agent and staff, the trombone was located, being advertised for sale on Facebook Marketplace!
DPD had sent the trombone to Lost Property and subsequently passed to an auction house when no one had claimed it. The instrument had now been sold via the auction house to a private buyer.
DPD now need to “do the right thing” and return the instrument to the British Trombone Society.
DPD is a Fench company, owned by La Poste. They appear to accept no responsibility for this distressing incident.
Oh dear! I’m afraid delivery companies in the UK do seem rather casual about things. UPS once delivered a valuable picture to a house 150 m down the road from us because they didn’t, apparently, understand the German style of putting house number after street name. Their choice of destination seemed completely arbitrary.
I believe said trombone would be valued between £2,500 and £3,000? Don’t let DPD get away with it!
As a former T-bone player, I completely agree with your last sentence. I say, “….hangin’ is too good fer ’em…”
Don’t let this slide…..
DPD being the POS it is. I hope it doesn’t get away with this theft. You go, BTS!
“Do not make eye contact with the trombone section. It only encourages them.” -Attributed to Various Conductors
Good one
Just so there’s no confusion, a Yamaha 882 is not an “F” contrabass trombone, but a standard 9 ft. Bb trombone with a thumb activated “F” valve attachment. If interested, here’s a photo. It’s sad that this has happened.
https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/winds/trombones/ysl-882/index.html
Make ’em pay!
Make DPD buy back the instrument from the “private buyer” and deliver it with the greatest haste to the rightful recipient in Devon, plus a substantial sum of compensation to the Society for all the time and trouble the “loss in transit” has occasioned.
Did anyone trace the 76 paper clips that DPD failed to deliver…?
Did you insure your package either through DPD (up to £5000) or a third party?
You’ve done a great job in tracking the current possessor of the instrument. If you can prove your ownership the auction house may not have had the title to sell because the trombone was not theirs. You may be able to recover it directly from the current possessor.
France appears to take after their US empire overlord. Hustlers and hucksters. Stealing things and taking no responsibility. Sick and vile.
Take them to court & make them pay. Dreadful way to run a business.