cheapest 24 hr courier

[dawn123]

Does anyone know of a reliable cheap 24hr courier service for individual parcels UK wide? They will be averaging 3kg in weight.

Thanks in advance

 

[japancool]

How cheap is "cheap"?

 

[dawn123]

Ha, well I guess I'm looking for the cheapest but value for money. I've no idea what constitutes cheap !

 

[japancool]

You could try having a look at www.p4d.co.uk.

They're an aggregator, and their next day services are through Parcelforce and Citylink. Next day via Citylink is about £11.

Interlink are more expensive, but pretty much everyone says they give better service, although that hasn't so far been my experience.

 

[IanG]

City Link via Parcel Monkey is cheaper at £9.59 for next day 3kg (assuming its not massive).

3kg is a funny size, you're above the weight at which Royal Mail will be competitive for a comparable service (they do have cheaper but no tracking) but that same package as booked above can be twice the weight and it won't change the price.

Edit - above quote is £7.99 + VAT = £9.59

Parcelforce is also on there £7.69 + VAT = £9.23 if you drop at a depot.

 

[japancool]

I think it's £8.50 ex VAT on P4D.

 

[wayzgoose]

Cheap and reliable are two requirements that don't go together - it's one or the other.

 

[neildigital]

Interlink is sub £6 for that weight, and its tracked. They also email/text a 1 hour slot to the receipent..

 

[sb65]

UPS via Interparcel, badged as Interparcel Standard we've found to be the best. Same day collection to 12noon, and despite being advertised as 1-2 days they almost always (95%+) get there the next day. £9.59 inc VAT. The customer service from Interparcel is not up to much, mind.

Far better, if more expensive, than Hermes and Yodel, both of whom are slightly cheaper.

 

[SillyJokes]

Interlink are the bomb. If you use a cheap carrier you pay much more in the long term in orders lost, untrackable and generally having to be resent because you can't get the courier to resolve it. Interlink resolve problems and the tracking is excellent - customers love it. My only gripe is that if the customer isn't around to sign or collect from the depot it eventually gets returned to us by Interlink at a hefty cost. As a result we often ask them to destroy inexpensive parcels rather than bother to return them.

 

[callum-JH]

Parcel2Go is another name I hear cropping up now and again. I've used it personally but not for business. You type in the details and it lists providers in price order.