Business
Vinted users furious over InPost UK parcel delays
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Users of the second-hand shopping app Vinted have taken to social media in outrage over severe delays in receiving their orders via one of the firm’s partner couriers.
Posts seen by the BBC describe parcels not being collected from InPost UK lockers or left stuck in transit without updated tracking information.
Some customers were notified their items had been delivered but had not received them, while others reported technical faults at lockers during collection.
InPost UK, which distributes parcels to lockers for customers to collect, has apologised for network “delays” caused by an IT issue.
Sonia Fallows, from Manchester, is waiting for a delivery of second-hand toy building blocks she ordered from Vinted.
She told the BBC: “It’s been stuck in the warehouse for eight days without being scanned.”
“I have spoken to them every day and they keep running circles around me. They are just not doing anything.”
Ms Fallows said she was a regular user of the courier service, which was “usually really good” but was now left frustrated.
“I have got some favourite sellers on Vinted, but if they are going to use InPost I just won’t use them anymore,” she added.
On its website, InPost UK blamed the problems on a “software integration issue”.
It said it had “isolated the root cause” and was “making significant progress” on resolving the problem.
However, some InPost UK users were told the issues would be resolved by Wednesday but have been left waiting for their parcels.
Posting on X, one woman described how she was given a new delivery date for 22 October, adding she “won’t use Inpost ever again”.
Another posted: “Here we all still are in the dark about where are parcels are and when they will arrive.”
InPost acquired parcel delivery firm Yodel in May, a move that the two companies said would create one of the largest logistics firms in the UK.
At the time of the deal, InPost UK chief executive Neil Kuschel announced plans to expand and handle more than 300 million parcels a year, saying the company was “reshaping the future of parcel delivery”.
Business
America’s gladiator – DeChambeau’s road to Ryder Cup talisman
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7 minutes ago
What do Bryson DeChambeau and Russell Crowe have in common?
Your instinct might be ‘very little’ yet there is one key similarity – both men have been cast as the lead gladiator in a must-watch box-office battle.
At the start of the century, it was Oscar-winning actor Crowe playing the lead of Maximus Decimus Meridius in Ridley Scott’s Roman epic.
Now, DeChambeau is primed to take centre stage in what the United States hope will be a Ryder Cup-winning performance against Europe in New York.
“This is his arena. If he views himself as a gladiator golfer, this is as good as it gets,” DeChambeau’s team-mate Xander Schaffeule said.
DeChambeau – two-time US Open champion, audience-attracting YouTuber and MAGA-loving ally of President Donald Trump – has morphed into a talisman for the American team.
That has not previously been the case.
While he amazed the Whistling Straits crowds with his Happy Gilmore-style driving of the greens on 400-yard par fours in 2021, DeChambeau was also taunted by some home fans.
A self-styled moniker of ‘The Scientist’ brought derision. He also took stick from plenty of fans who sided with Brooks Koepka in the all-star American ‘feud’ between the pair.
The US locker room was not bowled over by DeChambeau, insiders say. There was an ambivalent, if not stone cold, attitude towards the beefy Californian.
It appears the perception among his PGA Tour peers has now changed.
Making a concerted effort to join team bonding events has seemingly helped get him back on side, with US captain Keegan Bradley also pointing to DeChambeau’s “X-Factor ability” and “fiery” energy as further redeeming qualities.
“This is a tough thing for him, to come into guys that he doesn’t see every day,” said Bradley.
“But he’s done an exceptional job of making the extra effort – flying to Napa, flying to Atlanta – doing things that are really difficult with the schedule he has.
“He’s made every effort possible and been incredible in the team room.”
When the Americans were humbled by the Europeans two years ago, DeChambeau was even further on the periphery than he was at Whistling Straits.
The controversial switch to LIV Golf meant he was not eligible to earn qualification points for the Rome clash.
Then-US captain Zach Johnson did not deem him worthy of a wildcard – nor even a phone call relaying the news.
Harbouring an inescapable feeling of being ruthlessly snubbed, DeChambeau set about getting back on the team for Bethpage.
“It sucked. I wanted to be there,” DeChambeau said on Thursday.
“Seeing the guys lose really put a fire in my stomach. I wanted to make the team this time around.”
The same complications remained, though.
As a LIV golfer, DeChambeau could only earn points during the eight major championships over the two-year qualification process.
Demonstrating his insatiable appetite for the big stage, he earned six top-10 finishes – including victory at the 2024 US Open – to claim one of the half a dozen automatic spots.
However criticism about his suitability for the team environment has continued in the run-up to Bethpage.
Brandel Chamblee, a former American player and prominent commentator, still believes DeChambeau is an individualist and described him as a “captain’s nightmare”
“No doubt he is one hell of a golfer,” Chamblee said on the Golf Channel. “But he’s an odd duck when he’s trying to blend in with the team.”
Others disagree.
Venerable American writer Alex Miceli, who has known DeChambeau since starting to cover the player’s career when he was a teenage talent, believes the player now fully embraces the collective ethos.
“I think Bryson was a little immature back then, four years ago, but I think he is a much more mature player and more mature person now,” Miceli told BBC Sport.
During his news conference on Thursday, DeChambeau was keen to stress how invested he is in the team scenario.
Asked how he would feel if left out of any of the pairings on Friday, he said he would “totally understand”.
“We’re coming together as a team and we’re not doing it for anything else other than our country,” he said.
DeChambeau’s clear national pride will be mirrored by the majority of the 50,000 fans flocking to Bethpage on Friday.
The fear is patriotism will veer into jingoism in the galleries. President Trump’s appearance during the afternoon session could serve to increase the crowd volume.
DeChambeau counts Trump as a friend, often playing rounds of golf with the president and appearing on stage – wearing a ‘Make American Great Again’ red cap – during Trump’s election celebrations last year.
DeChambeau’s clear backing of Trump is another element to his divisive persona.
For this weekend, though, the hosts hope he will serve as a unifying force on the course.
Many Americans believe DeChambeau can emerge as a talismanic figure for their team to rival the impact of Rory McIlroy for Europe.
“The Europeans have always had a person who they look to for inspiration,” said Miceli.
“We need someone to look to. I think Bryson brings that focus. He can handle the pressure and the gladiatorial part is partly true.
“He’s not as bloodthirsty as a gladiator but no doubt he really believes in this team.
“That’s why the others now look up to him and the fans love him too.”
Business
Jaguar Land Rover restarts some IT systems after cyber-attack
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Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) says it has begun a “phased restart” of its operations with parts of its IT system back up and running.
The company said it was “working to clear a backlog of payments” to suppliers as it now had increased its processing capacity for invoicing.
The carmaker’s production lines have been suspended since a cyber-attack in August forced the company to shut down its IT networks. Its factories remain closed until next month at the earliest.
The prime minister said the government was “working 24/7” on a support package for suppliers amid growing concerns that some, mostly small businesses, could go bust due to the prolonged shutdown of operations.
Sir Keir Starmer said the situation faced by suppliers was “urgent”, but admitted no support plan had yet been finalised.
“I am acutely aware of the urgency of the situation and the difficulties that many of these companies are inevitably finding themselves, through no fault of course of their own,” he told the BBC.
Various ideas have been put forward over how the government could step in to support suppliers of JLR until car production is restarted.
The company said on Thursday that its recovery programme was “firmly under way” and that its global parts logistics centre, which supplies spare parts that service customers’ vehicles, “returning to full operations”.
“The financial system we use to process the wholesales of vehicles has been brought back online and we are able to sell and register vehicles for our clients faster, delivering important cash flow,” the company added.
The carmaker said it recognised that the situation was a “difficult time for all connected with JLR”, with no new cars being built and staff being sent home from work.
The manufacturer, which is owned by India’s Tata Motors, typically builds about 1,000 cars a day at its three factories in Solihull and Wolverhampton in West Midlands, and Halewood in Merseyside.
Workers have been told to stay home since 1 September, with no firm return date.
About 30,000 people are directly employed at the company’s plants with about 100,000 working for firms in the supply chain. Some of these firms supply parts exclusively to JLR, while others sell components to other carmakers as well.
Calls have been made to support suppliers, whose businesses are under threat as a result of the knock-on impact of the cyber attack.
One idea being explored is the government buying the component parts the suppliers build, with the aim of keeping the companies in JLR’s supply chain in business until production lines are up and running again.
However, firms have told the BBC they are sceptical about the success of such a scheme.
The government “simply don’t understand the complexity of what they’re dealing with”, said one supplier.
“We don’t need promises, we need help.”
The prime minister said the business secretary, Peter Kyle, was “working 24/7 with those businesses to come up with a viable way of solving this and supporting them in this crucial period”.
Meanwhile, Industry Minister Chris McDonald said the move towards restarting production was “welcome progress towards JLR’s recovery” and a step in supporting cash flow across JLR’s supply chains, adding that the government would continue its dialogue with the beleaguered firm.
Unions have called for a Covid-style furlough scheme, but ministers have ruled this out given its likely cost, sources have told the BBC.
Following a private meeting between JLR’s suppliers and the Business and Trade Select Committee on Thursday afternoon, chair of the committee Liam Byrne MP has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves warning some firms had only “weeks left” before the financial impact seriously disrupts elements of the car supply chain.
While the purchase and stockpiling of car parts by the government is an option on the table, this would present considerable logistical challenges.
JLR’s manufacturing process relies on the right part arriving at the right place, at the right time.
Another option being considered is government-backed loans to suppliers, though this is understood to be unpopular with suppliers.
Business
Jaguar Land Rover restarts some IT systems after cyber-attack
Read full article on post.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) says it has begun a “phased restart” of its operations with parts of its IT system back up and running.
The company said it was “working to clear a backlog of payments” to suppliers as it now had increased its processing capacity for invoicing.
The carmaker’s production lines have been suspended since a cyber-attack in August forced the company to shut down its IT networks. Its factories remain closed until next month at the earliest.
The prime minister said the government was “working 24/7” on a support package for suppliers amid growing concerns that some, mostly small businesses, could go bust due to the prolonged shutdown of operations.
Sir Keir Starmer said the situation faced by suppliers was “urgent”, but admitted no support plan had yet been finalised.
“I am acutely aware of the urgency of the situation and the difficulties that many of these companies are inevitably finding themselves, through no fault of course of their own,” he told the BBC.
Various ideas have been put forward over how the government could step in to support suppliers of JLR until car production is restarted.
The company said on Thursday that its recovery programme was “firmly under way” and that its global parts logistics centre, which supplies spare parts that service customers’ vehicles, “returning to full operations”.
“The financial system we use to process the wholesales of vehicles has been brought back online and we are able to sell and register vehicles for our clients faster, delivering important cash flow,” the company added.
The carmaker said it recognised that the situation was a “difficult time for all connected with JLR”, with no new cars being built and staff being sent home from work.
The manufacturer, which is owned by India’s Tata Motors, typically builds about 1,000 cars a day at its three factories in Solihull and Wolverhampton in West Midlands, and Halewood in Merseyside.
Workers have been told to stay home since 1 September, with no firm return date.
About 30,000 people are directly employed at the company’s plants with about 100,000 working for firms in the supply chain. Some of these firms supply parts exclusively to JLR, while others sell components to other carmakers as well.
Calls have been made to support suppliers, whose businesses are under threat as a result of the knock-on impact of the cyber attack.
One idea being explored is the government buying the component parts the suppliers build, with the aim of keeping the companies in JLR’s supply chain in business until production lines are up and running again.
However, firms have told the BBC they are sceptical about the success of such a scheme.
The government “simply don’t understand the complexity of what they’re dealing with”, said one supplier.
“We don’t need promises, we need help.”
The prime minister said the business secretary, Peter Kyle, was “working 24/7 with those businesses to come up with a viable way of solving this and supporting them in this crucial period”.
Meanwhile, Industry Minister Chris McDonald said the move towards restarting production was “welcome progress towards JLR’s recovery” and a step in supporting cash flow across JLR’s supply chains, adding that the government would continue its dialogue with the beleaguered firm.
Unions have called for a Covid-style furlough scheme, but ministers have ruled this out given its likely cost, sources have told the BBC.
Following a private meeting between JLR’s suppliers and the Business and Trade Select Committee on Thursday afternoon, chair of the committee Liam Byrne MP has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves warning some firms had only “weeks left” before the financial impact seriously disrupts elements of the car supply chain.
While the purchase and stockpiling of car parts by the government is an option on the table, this would present considerable logistical challenges.
JLR’s manufacturing process relies on the right part arriving at the right place, at the right time.
Another option being considered is government-backed loans to suppliers, though this is understood to be unpopular with suppliers.
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