Bad Computer 3
Royal Mail Safepalce
(may be a question if this is computing, but I say it is. See the assessment) I bought an item from an online retailer. The seller posted the package as a tracked delivery by Royal Mail. Royal Mail sent me a message saying the package was on it’s way. I knew I wouldn’t be in, but also that I would only be an hour or so late, and assumed if I missed delivery I could pick up from a depot.
When I got back there was no package. When I checked tracking I was told the package had been delivered and that it had been put in a ‘Safeplace’. The ‘Safeplace’ was a green wastebin. Proof of delivery was the photo above.
I tried asking others in the block, but they said they had not seen the parcel. I checked neighbouring bins, in case the delivery driver was dyslexic (is that photo clear? Does it show the package? No). After three days, I and the seller declared the package lost.
The cost
Loss of the item I had bought.
The end
The retailer did not want to pursue Royal Mail. He suggested we split the cost of the loss, which we did. I’ve decided to avoid ordering items to where I live and, with this standard of delivery handling, avoid Royal Mail.
Assessment
The bin in question (a guess) is one of three. The bins are in a carpark. Next to the carpark is a small block of flats, which also have three bins. The bins are sometimes shared, so that’s six green bins—fifteen bins in total. Overlooked directly by sixteen or so residences, not to mention passers by.
Usually, if the situation is personal, I’d give the parties involved a chance to reply. But I can imagine the Royal Mail responses. They’ll range from mission statement, “We endeavour to deliver every package successfully”, to leaning on their performance, “According to our records, the package was delivered on XXX.XX”, to blaming the customer (in this case the receiver i.e. me) “We sent a text message in which you can express delivery preferences”, to legal quibbles, “If there is a problem with a Royal Mail delivery, the seller (not the purchaser) must contact us”, to sales, “If a package is of value, it is possible to purchase insurance against loss of items”.
None of which covers the base query—why did the courier dump a package in a shared wastebin in full sight of a crowd of people? There are posts online expressing surprise that Royal Mail should choose such unsafe ‘Safepoints’, but it’s no surprise at all. It is the sender/seller who must claim, and they have little incentive, as they have no proof of non‐delivery—the receiver may be lying. Moreover a ‘Safepoint’ deposit saves the courier money on return costs, storage, and negotiation communication. So default those Safepoints to anywhere available—why not the local river, shopping mall, council dump or secondhand trader? In this situation, there is no buyer protection at all.
How is this an result of ‘bad computer’? Computers, through various, often high‐tech devices, interact with the real world. Through bar‐code scanning, image recognition, automated package sorting and so forth. Package delivery is a business centred on computing. The modern idea of ‘tracking’ a package, especially to display to a user as information, is only possible using computers. But this case shows it is not computers or the associated machinery that is the problem, it the way people and firms use them.
Bee Transport App
Bee Transport was/is an initiative by a metropolitan council to unify a caotic and wasteful private transport system into a coherent public service. I have good things too say about it. But this is about their app.
Have a look at the above screenshot. This app is the very model of modern presentation. It’s user interface is excellent, But the interface covers numerous operational failings.
What’s your key question when using public transport? It’s “How do I get to place X now?” This has been resolved by all major map apps using map‐pins and ‘get directions’ buttons. But the Bee app uses an ancient system—‘from’ and ‘to’ select‐boxes. If you use ‘from’ with ‘use my location’, in poor internet conditions (frequent) the box fails, the app has even hung on me. And you’re only halfway there. Do you know the address you’re going to? Even if you do, can you use that destination select box? Several times I’ve had the app stall or break because it’s assumed I’m travelling to places like Inverness or Penzance.
What else can a centralised app provide? How about information on maintenance works and route changes? I can’t fail the flow of information by the organisation, always up‐to‐date. But the app presentation is that routes are unavailable. This is a major quality failing—users like to know why, even if it makes no different to a journey plan. Worse, the app responds to further information requests by rerouting to the website, returning much the same information.
The app has only two functions of any use. It is good at saying which busses are departing from nearby stops. But, since you don’t know where the bus goes (on the app not possible) this is of limited use.
The other use, and the only major use of the app, is to buy tickets. I have a personal gripe here. The app has bought tickets for me for five years, But the card verification system will not now accept my new address. Long overdue, I call bad computer.
The cost
Mostly time. I’ve had to wait, when making queries of Bee transport, over a month for replies. Their customer service replies are modern. When I was invited to submit feedback on the app, then replied their route planner was ancient, they told me they now had a route planner. When their verification system failed, they suggested I contact my bank—‐for what?
A further note, it seems the company hung onto my email address despite a data protection request to delete the account. Despite website statements I was unable for find an account delete time—I assume by Act Of God? Sad to see this behaviour from a public company.
The end
I’ve ditched the app. And at least requested account deletion, even if the company cling forevermore—‘Sad to see you are leaving’.
Assessment
The model of a modern app. Recommended sincerely by everyone who works for the company. Sure it works for them, but for customers near‐complete operation failings. Unless you want to buy a ticket, use a general maps app.
Deliveroo
Deliveroo… not the first internet food delivery firm but a major one. The company have not escaped the controversies surrounding rider employment rights, but all internet delivery is poorly rated and under question. From a customer point of view, Deliveroo offered advantages over the alternatives—for a usually slightly more expensive order, the customer gets,
a slightly wider range of options
‘Uber’‐style delivery tracking
In 2025 Deliveroo sold out to an American company DoorDash. Since, it seems, the takeover, the working of the app has changed. The app now,
offers cover overlay adverts
offers ‘recommended’ options
contains ‘sponsored’ adverts
will not allow locking away from these options (my user preferences, not yours)
follows orders with ‘would you like?’ options
checks out orders with ‘also for you!’ options
The Deliveroo app used to be a nice example of how to make an ordering app. In the past year, it’s become harder to browse, as the screen jumps. Sort and select I recall could never be preset, but are now difficult to even initiate. And, end of this summer, the Deliveroo app for me finished an order with an offer from a local supermarket of cut‐price panty liners. I call bad computer.
The cost
None. To me. Though I fought with two food orders I couldn’t complete because the app is now too internet‐heavy for my local provision.
The end
I’m at least going to try the alternatives.
Assessment
The recent changes to this app are the model of stage one of enshittification. This is when an online service builds credibility with a good product, only to prioritise business customers—‐the addition of paid adverts, ‘recommended’ items and ‘further offers’ all of which slow the app, make it less personalised and are not in a user’s interests. I can’t prove the connection, but that Deliveroo publicly floated in 2021 then sold out in 2025 is a strong indicator. If Deliveroo move on the stage two of enshittification, they will next exploit their monopoly base to abuse both business and service users in favour of shareholders, making the app all but unusable. I expect I’ll hang on for now, so I may even get to see this happen.