courier companies for new eretail business - any advice?

[ExtraMileScotland]

Hi,
I am about to start an e-retail business located in the centre of Scotland. I am investigating courier companies to handle my deliveries. I presume ParcelForce is not the only opton? (I have read some good and bad things about their service.) There seem to be a lot of companies around but I wonder if anyone out there has any experience/advice on this key issue to business success!
Thanks
Johanna
Extra Mile Scotland

[speedy_s]

Hi,
I am about to start an e-retail business located in the centre of Scotland. I am investigating courier companies to handle my deliveries. I presume ParcelForce is not the only opton? (read some good and bad things about their service.) There seem to be a lot of companies around but I wonder if anyone out there has anu experience/advice on this key issue to business success!
Thanks
Johanna
Extra Mile Scotland

Have a look at directparceldelivery.com , they do next day deliveries for £6 via FEDEX. If you send enough, you can even get an account with them so that you get invoiced weekly.

[MH1]

A lot will have to do with the products, sizes and weights and the expected number of shipments.

I use DHL at present and am about to trial parcelforce since they offer a much later cut off. I would have thought parcelforce would be one serious contender based on your location.

[ExtraMileScotland]

Thanks to both of you - I will look closely at all these suggestions.

[cubzworld]

I use a company called Sales Track approx £6 for next day deliveries up to 28kg using DHL. The costs go down the more you post. It is internet based to print off labels, you top up funds online by card.

If you post regularly you can arrange a collection for every day or phone an automated line before 12.30pm to book adhoc collections.

http://www.dhl.saletrack.co.uk/

Regards

Tracy
Tots n Toys

[KidsBeeHappy]

There are pros and cons with all of the carriers, they all have good depots and bad ones, and as you said looking through posts here you can see complaints and recommendations for every one of them.

Interlink tend to be one of the more reliable ones, they have a 97% overall reliability (delivered undamaged within the required time period). But they are also one of the most expensive.

DHL do the cheap and cheerfull options, but there are stories about next day not always being next day if the customer lives in a rural area for example.

Some/Most will require a trading history, or volume levels before offering you an account, so it's best to build this up over the first few months with an online PAYG kind of a supplier, and then you've got some ammunition to negotiate some good terms.

Things to watch out for;

No-one insures glass, most of them don't include it under their carrying conditions.
Volumetric weight pricings are starting to come in now, for UK-UK deliveries, previously it's just been EC & International. If you're sending large light items this can have a huge impact. I think TNT are putting new contracts on volumetric pricing.
Watch the Fuel Surcharges, these can vary tremendously between carriers.
If you're going to collect customers returns ask about the third party collection fee, this can be high.
How many free redeliveries?
Good luck
Sandra

[ExtraMileScotland]

This is very helpful information - many thanks Sandra!

[nandos]

we've been using nightfrieight for the past 5 months and have had no problems so far. We ship curved and angled radiators custom made to fit bay windows.

[sysops]

we've been using nightfrieight for the past 5 months and have had no problems so far. We ship curved and angled radiators custom made to fit bay windows.

We have daily deliveries from all the main couriers, including Nightfreight.

The % of damaged goods is generally very low, 1-2 a week. With Nightfreight, it is unusual to receive a consignment without a damaged parcel in it. Water damage, crushing (they usually have footprints on them), falling off the lorry, you name it.

We send out hundreds of parcels a week with our courier, and we wouldn't use Nightfreight for our outgoing parcels if their service was free of charge.

[KidsBeeHappy]

This is horses for courses so to speak. Nightfreight are very good for parcels that are larger and heavier than the standard average parcel. And by good, i mean offer an adequate service for the price that people want to pay. Low prices can only be achieved in this game through high volumes.

All of these carriers use a hub system, think of the Heathrow baggage handling system. So everything should be boxed and packaged appropriately.

Make the assumption that the thing coming along behind your parcel on the conveyor belt is a 30kg whisky barrel plant tub in a cardboard box.

[sysops]

Make the assumption that the thing coming along behind your parcel on the conveyor belt is a 30kg whisky barrel plant tub in a cardboard box.


Having been through quite a few damage investigations with Nightfreight, it would appear that most of the damage happens at the depots and on the trucks. Their hubs are no different to anyone else's, it's the employees that make all the difference.

[nandos]

i guess we are lucky as our items are heavy - weighing between 25kg - 50kg so it can't really be thrown about.

[KidsBeeHappy]

i guess we are lucky as our items are heavy - weighing between 25kg - 50kg so it can't really be thrown about.

Yours are the ones that are doing the squidging :D

It's one of those things where you have to stand back from your expectations and think about the process in hand. Items in the vans are rarely secured in baskets etc. so yes, things slide around in vans, if you live in a rural area, or up a mountain, all of that will be exagerated further.

How does your suitcase get onto the plane?

Parcel prices are phenominally cheap for the processes and work involved, £6 is quoted in this thread. If you were to physically do the job yourself for that one parcel it will end up costing you hundreds. Parcel companies only work because of volume, and the cheaper the price the higher the volume. The higher the volume, the less time and attention per parcel. It just maths, same as anyother business.

[sysops]

i guess we are lucky as our items are heavy - weighing between 25kg - 50kg so it can't really be thrown about.

"Where there's a Nightfreight employee, there's a way"

[Mint Technology]

Have a look at directparceldelivery.com , they do next day deliveries for £6 via FEDEX. If you send enough, you can even get an account with them so that you get invoiced weekly.
Has anybody else used Direct ParcelDelivery . com?

Their website is appalling, but the prices are cheap, and I'm trying to get away from DHL.

In the same vein, has anybody had an experience with Fedex?

[speedy_s]

Their website is appalling


'Never judge a book by its cover' springs to mind, but I agree their website is appalling. Apparently, their new one is being designed professionally and will be live soon.

FEDEX haven't been great with me, I have used TNT and they are almost perfect (great customer service). DHL are also very good but I dislike that you have to buy a 'guaranteed next day' which is more expensive than 1-2 days as I need most of my parcels to be delivered next day.

[ThaiFoodOnline]

We started off using a company called Fastway - they have franchises around the country: £4.95 for most locations & £2.95 for local deliveries. However... when their delivery guy left, we didn't get a replacemnt for over a week and were left 'high & dry'!

Eventually swapped over to DHL, who have been quite good. We send about a hundred parcels a week with them and get £4.20 per parcel. For items under 1kg, Royal mail is still the cheapest way.