Website for sending parcels

[Yorkie]

Recently I had to return a damaged scope to an e-bay supplier who agreed without hesitation to a full refund and the cost of return postage. The seller (a company - not a private individual) advised me to go to the website of www.Parcel2Go.com and to choose a courier service from there.

I found it excellent - you simply enter the dimensions and weight of the parcel, where you want it to be collected from and delivered to, and what speed of service you require, then it comes up with quotes from several courier services. You choose the one you prefer, what level of insurance you require, pay online, print off your delivery label and that's it. In my case, the parcel was 2ft x 1ft x 2'6" and weighed 10kG. It was collected next morning, and delivered the day after. It cost £10.50 including insurance for the value of the contents - £65.00. (Cheapest quote was £4.50). The courier I chose was 'Yodel' formerly DHL UK. Their rates for the various service levels are currently:

Yodel UK Multi Formerly DHL £4.99+ VAT
Yodel 48 Formerly DHL £6.50+ VAT
Yodel Standard Formerly DHL £8.99+ VAT
Yodel Northern Ireland £14.99+ VAT
Yodel Highland and Islands £14.99+ VAT
Yodel UK Delivery by 10 am £19.99+ VAT

(There are other couriers at Parcel2Go.com - TNT for example).

I thought it was worth mentioning because I didn't have to queue at Parcel Farce, didn't have to pay through the nose, and didn't have to wonder if it would be snarled up with Christmas parcels. It might be of interest to anyone wishes to get a radio, test gear etc sent somewhere at a sensible price.

Hope that's of interest.

[pwdrive]

Not really an interest for me David, it's fine if you live on a street or road but in more remote locations all of them I have found to be totally useless without exception except Royal Mail. Not fit for purpose is how I would describe most of these carriers if you live like where I live. It usually starts when I am expecting a delivery, armed with a tracking number supplied to me by the sender I go on the web, tap it in and up it comes...tried to deliver today but you were out....(Er no been in all day and yesterday waiting)....website options....fill in a reschedule delivery form entering the ref no. on the card the driver left...(Er no...he did not come so how can he have left a card for me to fill in, the fact is he could not find the address and has never been within a sniff of the house)....next option... phone the helpline...fine if you have taken 20 bottles of pills a slug of scotch and have half a day to waste...eventually get get through...Sorry to keep you waiting sir (No your not your just saying that and don't call me sir)... our telephone number is on our address on the parcel to say 'phone if can't find....Our drivers don't have 'phones sir (Great... a 21st centuary logistics company and their drivers don't have 'phones.. I could get a job with them, dump all the parcels in a ditch and cruise up to Blackpool for the day) can you give me a contact number of your local depot where my parcel is......Sorry sir we are not allowed to give that information to you (I hang up) get in car drive 14 miles to the depot and sort it myself, this happens time and time again, I am sure they all employ the same catch 22 / chicken and egg web designers and business operating systems salespersons.
This happens all the time, we've had them all...totally usless and not fit for purpose for people in situations like ours.....If I owed them a thousand quid they would find us sure enough, Parcel to Go, parcel to go where...

Lawrence.

[Robert G0UHF]

Hi David,

I've used this website quite a few times over the last few years for sending items and had no problems whatsoever to date. I've also had several large vintage radio's delivered through them (usually by TNT) and each parcel has arrived in the specified delivery period and in good condition so far.

I've also found the Royal Mail/Parcel Force to be equally as good with the larger items but do charge a good deal more for an equivalent signed for/insured service.

Kind regards

[Yorkie]

Oh dear Lawrence, I do sympathise with your predicament, and I guess that in your situation, Royal Mail are the 'supplier of last resort' who have to find you, come what may. Commiserations - my experiences are those of a lifelong townie, who loves to visit the countryside, but wouldn't like to live there. I have an aunt who lives in Henwood, a hamlet in Cornwall (nearest town Liskeard). None of the houses have numbers - just names, and there are no street signs, so you just have to knock on any door and they tell you who lives where! Given their remoteness, it wouldn't surprise me if they do much of their shopping on internet (assuming they can get a reliable broadband connection!). I bet Amazon et al love them to bits. (not!).

I'm sure that living in such a tranquil backwater has its compensations, though not - if your experience is typical - when getting parcels collected or delivered by private couriers.

I guess that given that the UK has one of the highest urban population densities in the world, with 89.9% of the population living in urban areas (USA 81.4%, Japan 66.3%, France 77%, Germany 73.5%), the courier firms are geared up for that market - not the remaining 10.1% in more isolated rural areas, but if that's so, they shouldn't accept your business.As to the Post Office, we have a large well-staffed branch in our village, but it's a nightmare at any time of year - worse still at this time. There are always several people with 10 or 20 parcels - padded envelopes of all sizes and weights - not doubt items sold on e-bay - asking 'how much will this cost first class/second class, can I have proof of posting' etc, each item at a time placed on the scales. Then passports, foreign currency, car tax renewal...a place best avoided. At least we know our postman and if we're out, he knows where to hide our parcels.

Incidentally, when I had a parcel delivered by TNT, they didn't just need a signature, they took a photo of the front door!

(Population density source: Economist World in Figures, 2010).

[pwdrive]

Hello David, sadly everything I said in my rant is true, I have not had a hassle free delivery yet by the private carriers, I guess it is to be expected...they are all cutting each others throats to get business so it all ends up as a tight numbers game ie: just the cream, anything not normal to there slot receives little attention, plus I suspect they pay their drivers peanuts and expect them to deliver more than they can in any given day. I was relief field engineer here in Cornwall for a few years for a local firm....TV sound gone off, Mr Bloggs, The Cottage, Near Lostwithiel and that was about it, you get a nose to finding these places after a while.
I am the opposite now, I couldn't do the city any more, I like the hillbilly life!
I know Liskeard, go there quite often, I have always bought my wood burners from there. They have a good stove shop.
By the way the worst carrier help line I ever tried to get through to was City Link never again I'd rather live in a tent and whittle pegs.

Lawrence.

[Michaelr]

Hi lawrence,

In fairness to the carriers ( I would not want their job), many have over 90 drops per day and these have to be done preferably before the early afternoon because they then have to go around and do their pickups.

Remote locations are a big issue for them logistically

We have an account with UPS for our import and export and spend a lot of money with them and I must say the level of service is so good, the drivers are outstanding in my experience.

Interparcel is another good courier broker , you have a choice of service and courier company and their rates are excellent.We use them for our UK deliveries.

Mike

[pwdrive]

Hello Mike, I understand what you say and I also understand that some rural deliveries can somtimes be a logistical headache, but it's no headache for them to get the money off you and leave the recipient to contend with a help line system that is not really fit for purpose in such cases, that has been my experience to date.
However I do understand the pressures that their drivers are under and feel sorry for those that have to do rural.
My situation is understandably completely different than that of regular business users etc.
Nothing annoys me more than a closed loop system at the end of a 'phone line, it's a ridiculous way to run an operation, they make more bucks per mile doing urban than rural, that's the bottom line.
So no sympathy whatsoever, if they want sympathy they can find it in the dictionary between s**t and syphellus.

Ending on a better note it's good to here that you are exporting Mike, it's what this country needs.

Lawrence.

[pwdrive]

OK I'm back again, I am now trying to deal with another delivery problem, this time it is a parcel that my wife is expecting, we have the carriers tracking number, they have our 'phone number...to date two failed delivery attempts of said parcel, we have been in 24/7 for the last three days, phoned there "help" line, lets say they are called company X, company X say that the delivery has been transfered to a local company, here in Cornwall, we will call them company Y, we asked company X to give us the phone number of company Y so we could contact them, company X say that can't do that because they don't have a phone number for company Y (the company that company X has transfered the delivery to) OK then what's their adress, they said yes, company Y is at Unit so and so, so and so Business Park, so and so, Cornwall.
OK this company, company Y, has no listing for this adress or telephone number etc, but there is a company that does and it's company X ! and guess what, the phone number is obsolete......
I kid you not, all I know is that if it hasn't been delivered in the first two days of arriving in county the the parcel will be returned to sender if past experience is anything to go by. Merry Christmas.

Lawrence.