Best company for delivery/shipping - Any advice

[doc40hz]

Hi there,

Just wondering who people would recommend for sending a bass around the country - cost is not too much of an issue, don't mind paying a bit more. I have JayDee Supernatural that needs a re-fret and am thinking of sending it down to JayDee in Birmingham rather than letting the local guy do it. Any suggestions? I know some companies insurance doesn't cover musical instruments.

Cheers guys

[yorick]

The music company I work for use Interlink and dpd to ship our stuff. Don't usually have any problems, apart from oversized/overweight stuff.

[Grangur]

I usually use the interparcel.com site and usually book UPS. They insure for musical instruments and seem really reliable. You can also log in and see a signature of the person who signed for the delivery.

I used DPD for sending some books to France. It took them 3 days to come and collect. Then it only happened because I phoned and complained. Won't use them again in a hurry.

[EssentialTension]

Having had bad experiences with DPD and several others, I always use Parcelforce with whom I have only had one poor experience of lateness and then they refunded.

I never waste money on 'probably will never pay out' insurance.

Others will tell you how useless Parcelforce are.

Oh well.

Edited November 17, 2015 by EssentialTension

[Lozz196]

UPS via Interparcel for me. Whilst I agree that many of the companies will probably try and not pay out on an insured item, I`d much rather not send something that was specifically listed as prohibited for insurance.

[buff]

Ive always used my local APC depot for anything ive sold on here, or stuff ive bought to be collected. Never had any problems and always turned up the next day. My feedback will back this up.

[dannybuoy]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1447800813' post='2910616']
UPS via Interparcel for me.
[/quote]

Most basses I've either bought or sold on here were shipped the same way!

[planer]

I use APC for all my mainland UK shipping, never had any problems (except they've just closed my local depot). Outside the UK I book UPS or Parcel Force via Parcel Monkey.

[Big_Stu]

Never had a problem with DPD, wouldn't touch Parcelforce with a JayDee because the insurance would be invalid.
Personally with a JayDee I'd plan well ahead and get a cheap train ticket and hotel (if necessary) and make the trip with it myself, John's always very welcoming to customers. I've done that from Edinburgh when JayDee rewired my John Birch. One time I went Mark King "popped in" and if I'd been there two days before John told me I'd have met Tony Iommi.

[TheGreek]

Interparcel, as most others say...I prefer Parcelforce personally - their depot is 10 minutes up the road so I can collect if I miss the delivery. I've had bad experiences with UPS so would give them another penny of my money. As others have said don't bother with Insurance as musical instruments are always exempt.

[RickyV]

Another vote for UPS via Interparcel.com. Have shipped several basses and a head without any issues whatsoever. Reliable.

[BigRedX]

As I've said before, a delivery service is only as good as its weakest link.

I can't buy stuff from Bass Direct any more because they will only use APC the ship the large items and the APC depot in Nottingham is totally useless - one collection that never turned up to collect and two deliveries that stuck cards through my door when I was in, rather than actually deliver the parcels.

IME unless you are shipping something fairly small but very expensive, UPS via Interparcel always works out cheaper than Parcel Force.

And Interparcel's insurance does work. I've had to make two claims (over 5 years and several hundred parcels sent) and both were paid without any fuss. One was for a parcel that went missing, and the other was for an item that was damaged in transit. So insurance is worth paying for.

What I will say it that you should make sure that anything you send is well packed. That means if you don't have a hard case for your bass then it needs to be double-boxed and well padded inside both boxes, and if you do have a hard case, bubble-wrap it and pad it inside the delivery box.

HTH.

Edited November 18, 2015 by BigRedX

[neepheid]

Another satisfied Interparcel/UPS customer here. Between 10 and 20 basses sent over the last few years, no mishaps, no problems.

[CamdenRob]

UPS for me... Although I find it ridiculous that I have to pay extra for insurance incase they are so incompetent that they manage to break the contents of my parcel, at least they offer said insurance.. unline some others.

Edited November 18, 2015 by CamdenRob

[xgsjx]

It really depends on where you're shipping it to.
Since I moved to Perth 8 1/2 years ago, I've never had parcel farce deliver to my door yet. Phoned them & complained several times. Had cards through my door telling me the parcel is at the local post office, only to go there & be informed that they've no idea what I'm talking about & then found out that it's actually back at the farce's sorting office (on more than 1 occasion).

[doc40hz]

Thanks guys, UPS it seems!

[ribbetingfrog]

UPS is definitely the way to go.
Cheapest if booked through interparcel.

[xgsjx]

Another to have a look at is ipostparcels.com
I've used them many times & they've been excellent. Very cheap too.

[Thunderbird]

I always used to use Direct Courier Solutions (they supposedly specialize in shipping guitars and the like but in reality you get interlink express turn up to collect your parcel and they ram it in the van any old how) but they smashed up a bass I was sending and then refused to pay out insurance and got really sh*tty via email when I complained I think UPS seems to get the best reviews but IMO I think they all try and worm the way out of paying out claims.