Courier points system and courier issues

[pete.young]

[quote name='OldGit' post='713119' date='Jan 14 2010, 10:49 PM']Royal Mail Special Delivery next day has an insurance limit of £2500 (and no hidden restrictions on musical instruments that I can find - of course they may be very well hidden ....)[/quote]

Size limits of 600mm x 480mm x 480mm ?

Might be OK if you removed the neck, but not ideal for neck-through designs!

[tauzero]

A neutral for Interparcel.

I sent a sound module, collected on Tuesday 1st June, the day after a bank holiday. I used the HDNL option. Delivery was finally made to Dumfries (hardly the back of beyond) in the early evening of 7th June. Interparcel didn't respond to an email query from me. HDNL don't have an email contact, only phone - was going to ring them today but I didn't need to.

So I'm not impressed by Interparcel's customer care - there wasn't even an automated response email. And I'm not impressed by HDNL, either by their ability to deliver something in a reasonable timescale (it's 2 days non-guaranteed, so 7 days is crap) or by the fact that there's no email contact for them.

[270degrees]

UPS through Interparcel (service: Interparcel Economy)

On Monday, I sent a bass amp and a printer to 2 separate addresses. I filled the online forms in at 2.30, the items were collected at 4.30 and delivered in good order the next day.

Amp weighed 28kg and the printer about 7 (although I put 10).

The cost was £8.37 for each item. This included a 2% surcharge for using Paypal. Each item was insured for £50 and was able to be tracked.

Note: You need a printer to print off the shipping forms.

As a side-note: think about what happens when the parcel leaves you. It's handled manually at least 4 times. The easier the item is to lift, the less chance of it being damaged. So, for example, leave the handles of flightcases/amps exposed. If you don't want them to use the handles, cover them up but provide alternate "handles"; make it obvious as to how you want the item lifted. (Source-I used to work for a major courier company, unloading the trucks.)

UPS/Interparcel +1

Edited July 21, 2010 by 270degrees

[Mr. Foxen]

If you ship loads of stuff, [url="http://www.cotswoldexpresscouriers.co.uk/"]Cotswold Express Couriers[/url] are fantastic. You have to prebuy a book of labels, and give them a call to come collect. My Dad uses them, they collected a 30+kg racked amp from my Dad on Tuesday afternoon, at quarter past 11 in the morning I got a PM from Tinman saying it had arrived. You also seem to get the same lady on the phone whenever you call them.

[cetera]

Another +1 for UPS through Interparcel. Guitar picked up lunchtime and delivered other end of the country mid afternoon next day with packaging still intact. Nice easy transaction/operation

[Grandad Paul]

Had a bass combo amp delivered by DPD. First Class service. They e mailed me with the parcels movements and the times it had arrived at the depots during its journey. I had to nip out and lo and behold I missed them. I had left a note with my mobile number on my door, and the driver rang me and asked if it was alright to leave it with my neighbour. I can only say my experience with them is excellent.
Well done DPD.
Grandad Paul.

[deathpanda]

It's quite a while ago now, but oh well, here's a big -1 for parcelfarce. Bought a guitar from ebay, was shipped from Scotland with next day delivery (I realise this is not realistic and shouldn't have been an option in the first place), and after a week of me losing my mind and emailing the seller, it turned out to be stuck in a depot in Wales. I was assured that it would come on the Friday of the second week, and it did. Thanks ParcelFarce!

oops did I say thanks? I [i]meant[/i] f*** off go to hell...

Edited August 3, 2010 by deathpanda

[Lozz196]

[quote name='deathpanda' post='914040' date='Aug 3 2010, 04:51 PM']It's quite a while ago now, but oh well, here's a big -1 for parcelfarce. Bought a guitar from ebay, was shipped from Scotland with next day delivery (I realise this is not realistic and shouldn't have been an option in the first place), and after a week of me losing my mind and emailing the seller, it turned out to be stuck in a depot in Wales. I was assured that it would come on the Friday of the second week, and it did. Thanks ParcelFarce!

oops did I say thanks? I [i]meant[/i] f*** off go to hell...[/quote]
I used APC to send a jazz bass, in a hard case, to Newcastle, from Hertfordshire. Cost was £27.00, and included insurance. The main thing for me though, was that i could deal with an actual human being, and when I got to the depot to drop it off, the same human being dealt with me.

Big +1 on that kind of service, even though a bit more costly than some others.

[Faithless]

Do mods mind deleting bots' spam?


-1 for FedEx..

Bass, which was in Hiscox hardcase, came damaged from UK - one of the pre-amp control pots was inclined to about 45 degrees, and one wire was fully loose from battery compartment.

Case did seem damaged also.
I guess it all happened by dropping the case from a slight height.

The guy, who delivered the bass couldn't be arsed to wait till I check the box, and was gone in a moment after delivery.

[warwickhunt]

+1 for Interparcel - UPS. Sent a Streamer to the other end of the country and despite them taking my online booking and then later telling me that I had missed the collection deadline, I was still happy with the service and the bass arrived safe and sound.

Oh and advice to those perusing this thread intent on sending a package by courier... pop down to your local cycle retailer and ask for one of the boxes that their adult sized cycles are delivered in; they are the perfect length and depth to take a hardcase you just need to cut down the width for the ultimate 'cheap' packaging (slip the offcuts between the case and the box for extra protection). Be polite and they'll likely be over the moon to give you a box for free as it costs them to have the packaging recycled.

[Waldo]

- 1 for DPD.

Said they'd collect between 9 and 5, they turned up at 6:30 after I had to ring them up.

[EvilSmile]

+1 for interparcel - UPS

Service as described, very prompt collection and bass arrived safe and sound!

[analog kid]

Welli can only speak as i find.

A +1 for TNT.

Even though i was happy for a 2 day delivery,the Bass turned up next day just after 1pm.
Though the bass was in hardcase,but not brilliantly secured,it turned up without a scratch.

Simple smooth transaction as well.

I was quite impressed.

[LukeFRC]

Used interparcel to pick up a bass i had bought and get it delivered, they used TNT. £30 nextday with £1000 insurance.

I got home to find the bass there (my flatmate had been in) and 2 emails from them as it looked like the driver had donesomething wrong with the pick up and they wanted the paperwork to chase it. I told them I had it beside me, but still, impressive!

[JPJ]

Well after reading this thread I opted for APC Overnight who delivered my new Stingray from Bristol to Newcastle fully insured for £23. The bass arrived just 18 hours after it was dropped off. No damage so a big +1 from me.

[HeavyJay]

I used Interparcel.com to send a bass in a hardcase to a BC user in Holland in June. Collected on a Friday (4th) from the UK, delivered on the Tuesday (8th) to Holland. £55 insured and trackable.

Smooth process all round.

[sub]Edited to add:[/sub]
Twas a Stingray

Edited November 4, 2010 by HeavyJay

[Oggy]

[b]Be very careful when using Interparcel[/b]; they have a nasty little 'get out clause' for non delivery using next day 'Premium' service.

Don't make the mistake I made when sending a Bass from Reading to Aberdeen using Interparcel Premium Service, thinking that they would fall under "most of UK mainland", apparently Reading and Aberdeen don't fall in this category and they would have told me this if I'd called them after they had accepted the booking and money - silly me .

From Interparcel web site:

[b]Interparcel Premium[/b]
Guaranteed collection on the date you choose, or your money back.
[b]Delivery is guaranteed by end of next working day after collection to [color="#0000FF"]most of
UK mainland[/color], or your money back.[/b] This service is delivered by UPS.

Perhaps if Interparcel added a note to the 'Premium Service' eg.
[i]We'll accept your booking and money but if you don't call us and make sure that the shipping point and destination point fall under what we deem as "most of UK mainland" we will not deliver the next day and we defiantly won't give you your money back. We will however blame you for not calling us and UPS who act as our courier for any late delivery - thank you, now give us your money cos that's all were interested in[/i] .

My recommendation would be not to use this company, I'm still trying very hard to believe that they think Reading and Aberdeen are not major centres and don't fall under 'most of UK mainland', must be an age thing .

Oggy

[Wimpy]

check this, maybe interesting for this thread:
[url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=713516&highlight="]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.p...&highlight=[/url]

[Wimpy]

and this!

[url="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/black-friday-shipping-company-careful-holiday-packages/story?id=12244017&page=2"]http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/black-fri...4017&page=2[/url]


[url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=715700"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=715700[/url]

Edited November 28, 2010 by Wimpy

[Wimpy]

vote now! :-)

[url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=713516"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=713516[/url]

[martysprior]

-1 For Home Delivery Network (GB) working in conjunction as UK Agents for B Post (Belgium Post).

Very long and stressfull sarga that thankfully had a happy ending!!

Purchased a bass through bass chat last week, paid the chap (Don) in Belgium inc UK delivery
Awaited delivery, was shocked to find out that the bass was delivered to a neighbours house and not to me. The HDN driver had incorrectly assumed that it was alright to leave a parcel addressed to me with some complete stranger with no confirmation of I.D., etc. Thankfully my neighbour was a genuine guy who signed for the bass, had to go on shift and consequently delivered the bass the next day to my front door ;^>


Afford HDN at all costs - Useless

[Floyd Pepper]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='919280' date='Aug 9 2010, 07:57 AM']I used APC to send a jazz bass, in a hard case, to Newcastle, from Hertfordshire. Cost was £27.00, and included insurance. The main thing for me though, was that i could deal with an actual human being, and when I got to the depot to drop it off, the same human being dealt with me.

Big +1 on that kind of service, even though a bit more costly than some others.[/quote]


Just had a call from my local APC depot to say (quote)

"We made a mistake in offering you insurance (£1000) as [i]by law[/i][b][/b], we are not allowed to offer insurance to any customers paying by cash/credit/debit card" - "we can only offer £100 insurance"

Anybody else had this problem?

[Faithless]

I'm waiting for my Genz Benz combo to arrive in days, and, we're using Parcelforce.

Question is - when it arrives, do I have the full right to open and check it if it is damaged, [i]before [/i]signing it?
Or, if they (courier) don't allow me to open it before signing, leave the package as it is and not accept it?

I know these are 'regular' questions, but, when my custom ACG arrived damaged, and I signed before checking it (courier was FedEx then, and the boy was so 'in hurry', that he insisted me to sign it before, and 'call to the office if anything's wrong' (as if I could make claims after I signed that the package is OK...)

[bythesea]

A +1 for Interparcel, but a bit of a -1 for UPS. Had a parcel packed and ready for pick-up on Tuesday 21st. At 4 pm I had a really apologetic phone call from UPS saying that due to the weather and them trying to clear the backlog they wouldn't be able to collect it that day, and that I needed to phone and rebook collection, which would be for Wednesday 22nd. He gave me a phone number, and after he hung up I realised the phone number he gave me was the one he called from. In hindsight I get the feeling that he already knew what would happen but didn't want to tell me.

Phoned up the number and got someone much less friendly who said the earliest I could rebook for was the 29th. Now with Christmas and the weather I would have been OK with this if the first caller hadn't said something different. Unfortunately the second guy was giving the impression "either the 29th or go away". I did rebook for then but not impressed with UPS customer service which I hadn't needed before.

[Faithless]

Now that's weird..

I've just called TNT to get quote for shipping from Lithuania to UK, and they said they wouldn't collect package from private client anymore, because, due to latest terrorism acts via couriers in USA, the whole pickup process was tightened and I would have to bring the package to their office myself..

But, I think I've called them about a month ago, and I didn't get a single mention about this thing, and, I think, those terrorism acts via couriers in USA happened in summer?