Comparing courier quotes for sending a bass door to door

[Guest]

Parcel is 135cm × 45cm × 25cm, and weighs under 7.5kg

Delivery by end of next day. All prices inc. VAT

UPS: about £40 

DHL: package too long

Parcelfarce: £21.12 / no estimated delivery time given to recipient 

PDP Local: £15.59 / one hour delivery slot given to recipient 

Hermes: bass delivered parted out

Edited July 9, 2021 by Ricky Rioli

[ambient]

I’m pretty shocked that you’d risk My Hermes to deliver anything more than a pair of socks.

[tegs07]

33 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

Hermes: bass maybe  delivered, probably in parts

Fixed the above 

Edited July 9, 2021 by tegs07

[Lozz196]

22 minutes ago, ambient said:

I’m pretty shocked that you’d risk My Hermes to deliver anything more than a pair of socks.

Or Parcelforce, their T&Cs prohibit insurance on musical instruments 

[Guest]

Another reason for finding DPD appealing is that in my experience the parcels are treated respectfully the whole way.

I've had things from shops delivered by them with nothing added to the manufacturer's packaging, just a label taped on; they've reached me with no more visible wear than if it had just been picked off the shelf and taken to the counter.

So I was going to use them anyway, but when I saw that they're also cheaper than Parcelforce, I thought the good news worth sharing

[warwickhunt]

You haven't added insurance premium (wasted on PF as they won't honour it in T&C).  I sold a £1000 bass on ebay and thought £50 would be more than enough... £80 with insurance cover. 

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Or Parcelforce, their T&Cs prohibit insurance on musical instruments 

Weirdly, I find having no insurance gives peace of mind: actually getting a pay out is never a breeze, so it's nice that all that palaver isn't a possibility 🙃

[Paddy515]

PARCELHERO always seem to be less expensive than going straight to the courier's site. Parcelforce, neck off, never had a problem.

[warwickhunt]

Just now, Ricky Rioli said:

Weirdly, I find having no insurance gives peace of mind: actually getting a pay out is never a breeze, so it's nice that all that palaver isn't a possibility 🙃

Peace of mind.... strange take on the term.  If a £1000 instrument disappears or is broken, you (or the buyer) are £1000 + £20 postage out of pocket. 

 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

Peace of mind.... strange take on the term.  If a £1000 instrument disappears or is broken, you (or the buyer) are £1000 + £20 postage out of pocket. 

 

The instrument I'm sending is worth a third of that; the packaging is vgd; the couriers are carefully chosen. If I still get unlucky, I get unlucky: misfortune lurks around every corner. 

If I had iffy packaging and a terrible courier, I would be worrying until it arrived. If it were damaged or lost I would be worrying until I got the payout.

With what I'm about to do, I feel I've minimised the possibility of misfortune, and I'm not feeling at the mercy of feckless couriers or dishonourable insurance companies: that for me is peace of mind.

When I once sold something I couldn't afford to lose, I paid the buyer to come and collect it.

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, Paddy515 said:

Parcelforce ... never had a problem

I've just had Parcelforce declare my USA G&L to be lost property and sell it at auction, legalised theft. 

[tauzero]

7 hours ago, Ricky Rioli said:

Another reason for finding DPD appealing is that in my experience the parcels are treated respectfully the whole way.

They took great care of the 5-string Thumb sent to me from Italy, taking it back off the van, putting it on the next day's van, taking it back off, losing it, finding it, and letting me do the 50 mile round trip to pick it up from their depot as I no longer trusted them to put it on the van at their depot, drive it to my house, and deliver it. But most of us have bad experience of one courier or another,  and that's the only bad DPD experience I've had.

[jezzaboy]

I seem to remember trying to get DPD to deliver a bass for me but they refused saying it was too large. Which is strange as they seem to do okay delivering basses from Andertons and Guitarguitar but then again they are giving them loads of work.

I drove a truck for Hermes for 1 week. Please do not send anything with this company. You will thank me.

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by jezzaboy

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, jezzaboy said:

I seem to remember trying to get DPD to deliver a bass for me but they refused saying it was too large

Was that recently? The website was happy with the dimensions I gave.... 😕

Oh well, forewarned, thank you.

[Guest]

45 minutes ago, tauzero said:

taking it back off the van, putting it on the next day's van, taking it back off, losing it, finding it, and letting me do the 50 mile round trip to pick it up

How was the parcel looking after this adventure?

[Waddo Soqable]

31 minutes ago, jezzaboy said:

I seem to remember trying to get DPD to deliver a bass for me but they refused saying it was too large. Which is strange as they seem to do okay delivering basses from Andertons and Guitarguitar but then again they are giving them loads of work.

I drove a truck for Hermes for 1 week. Please do not send anything with this company. You will thank me.

 

Gerry, the guys you sent the bass to me with were excellent, what were they called again ?

[tauzero]

2 hours ago, Ricky Rioli said:

How was the parcel looking after this adventure?

Intact, fortunately. 

[jezzaboy]

2 hours ago, Waddo Soqable said:

Gerry, the guys you sent the bass to me with were excellent, what were they called again ?

The guys are called Overland Express. Someone on here put me onto them.

They are a broker and give you several options but I always use APC overnight through them. Now this could be the kiss of...but they have not damaged a bass yet. The only issue I had with them was they delivered the bass a couple of days late on one occasion but apart from that all good. On the one issue, they were on the case and you can actually speak to someone.

It works out about £30 for a bass with £1000 insurance: I haven`t had to use the insurance yet so can`t comment on how good it is.

[jezzaboy]

2 hours ago, Ricky Rioli said:

Was that recently? The website was happy with the dimensions I gave.... 😕

Oh well, forewarned, thank you.

About 18 months ago. They were not keen and said it was classed as an oversize parcel. It might be different now of course.

[Waddo Soqable]

The APC guys did very well for me then certainly 👍

[Downunderwonder]

12 hours ago, Ricky Rioli said:

The instrument I'm sending is worth a third of that; the packaging is vgd; the couriers are carefully chosen. If I still get unlucky, I get unlucky: misfortune lurks around every corner. 

If I had iffy packaging and a terrible courier, I would be worrying until it arrived. If it were damaged or lost I would be worrying until I got the payout.

With what I'm about to do, I feel I've minimised the possibility of misfortune, and I'm not feeling at the mercy of feckless couriers or dishonourable insurance companies: that for me is peace of mind.

When I once sold something I couldn't afford to lose, I paid the buyer to come and collect it.

If you are regularly flipping 1000 pound basses, at 80 quid a throw, you are carrying your own insurance for free if you can get to 12 undamaged first.

[Velarian]

The bass that Gerry sent to me via ACP recently was delivered safely and efficiently (although Gerry’s bomb proof packaging contributed to that as well). The delivery driver was a nice guy too and he was intrigued to know what it was. Turns out he was a Mick Karn fan and we had a really good chat about fretless basses and other early eighties bass players. 

[police squad]

where I work, we have used DPD for a number of years. I don't think we've ever had a lost parcel with them.I have also shipped guitars and amps all over europe with no problem, using DPD. But since Brexit, we only use DHL, who are pretty rubbish to be honest and I won't be shipping any personal stuff now

Still use DPD for uk shipping though and they are ok for that

[Guest]

On 09/07/2021 at 10:14, warwickhunt said:

You haven't added insurance premium (wasted on PF as they won't honour it in T&C).  I sold a £1000 bass on ebay and thought £50 would be more than enough... £80 with insurance cover. 

Have you seen some of the info given in this thread? 

[Guest]

On 09/07/2021 at 21:22, jezzaboy said:

About 18 months ago. They were not keen and said it was classed as an oversize parcel. It might be different now of course.

DPD did in fact refuse to do it  Thank you for the warning. 

Parcelforce it is. I'm hoping this instrument is too cheap to attract the attention of Parcelforce's pixies of misfortune.