Shipping Courier Advice Help - UK domestic shipping

[hcp2p]

Hi everyone,

I’m starting up a peer-to-peer rental business where I’ll be shipping about 50-100 orders per month. Each order package needs to go from a lender to me, then I post it out to the renter, then the renter posts it back to me, and I post it back to the lender. So that’s 4 instances of shipping per order. Each package will be around the 1000-3000 GBP mark with the average weight around 3-4kg. All users will be within the UK so no international shipping.

I’m looking for advice on the best courier for my situation - as well as advice on the most convenient way for the initial lender to ship their item to me (I would pay for the shipping). Ideally each shipment would be either 1 day/2 day, high reliability plus convenient returns for the renter.

It's rather expensive to have to ship 4 times per order but unfortunately I can't skip the middleman (me) on both outwards and inwards shipping.

would appreciate any advice! Thank you

 

[martin_shl]

Speaking as a consumer (I've never shipped goods for business), I have found DPD to be the most reliable with the best tracking. They also have drop-off options in addition to pickup which gives flexibility to your customers.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

The value of the goods are a concern for the overnight parcel companies but I recommend APC

 

[Carol Learmouth]

Definitely APC. Speak to the manager at your local depot. You can do third party pick ups and drop off from your dashboard so complete control of the process. With the value though you must tick Increased Liability and that will effect the price.

 

[AlanJ1]

With the value though you must tick Increased Liability and that will effect the price.

This would be my biggest concern if looking on competitive pricing. It will all come down to the insurance side.

 

[campbeji]

Each package will be around the 1000-3000 GBP mark with the average weight around 3-4kg. All users will be within the UK so no international shipping.

Hi, I'd not be able to give any specific advice as to couriers as I only really use Royal Mail, Yodel, and Evri.

I would have recommended Royal Mail except for the parcel values, 1 to 3 k is a lot, so you will need to make sure you have proper insurance in place. Most couriers will mess you about with insurance and will probably only insure you for the replacement cost of the item. It might have a retail cost of £3000 but if it cost you £750 then that's your insured amount. Look for someone to give you a quote for your insurance separate to the courier.

You didn't say if your B2B or B2C. If your B2B then be aware of the obligations for sending to Northern Ireland, you will need to apply for a UKIMS number to mark the delivery as going via the Green channel. Also most couriers will charge more for Northern Ireland (Royal Mail don't)

Good Luck
Jim

 

[hcp2p]

Hi, I'd not be able to give any specific advice as to couriers as I only really use Royal Mail, Yodel, and Evri.

I would have recommended Royal Mail except for the parcel values, 1 to 3 k is a lot, so you will need to make sure you have proper insurance in place. Most couriers will mess you about with insurance and will probably only insure you for the replacement cost of the item. It might have a retail cost of £3000 but if it cost you £750 then that's your insured amount. Look for someone to give you a quote for your insurance separate to the courier.

You didn't say if your B2B or B2C. If your B2B then be aware of the obligations for sending to Northern Ireland, you will need to apply for a UKIMS number to mark the delivery as going via the Green channel. Also most couriers will charge more for Northern Ireland (Royal Mail don't)

Good Luck
Jim

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the advice! Just noting that the items I'm shipping don't belong to me, I'm just operating as a middleman connector between lending users and renting users - I assume in that case it would be retail cost rather than replacement cost?

Thanks!

 

[campbeji]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the advice! Just noting that the items I'm shipping don't belong to me, I'm just operating as a middleman connector between lending users and renting users - I assume in that case it would be retail cost rather than replacement cost?

Thanks!

Hi,

I would not want to assume that at all. In my experience, couriers will only pay out the minimum they have to, and they will make it as hard as possible to make the claim. I am in the process of putting in several claims. They want me to provide them with invoices to show the value of the products lost.

So if I understand it properly, one of your clients will rent an item to you, and then you pass it on to a second client for a higher rent. I assume that you want the item to be sent to you as the middleman so that you don't get cut out of the deal, hence the two postage charges. Have you thought about trying to get some sort of anonymous courier service where the item is picked up from one and then sent to the other? Perhaps you can get the courier to pick it up and take the parcel label with them.

Of course, you may want to get the item so that you can do an inspection on it, which makes the previous idea useless

Good Luck
Jim

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Hi,

I would not want to assume that at all. In my experience, couriers will only pay out the minimum they have to, and they will make it as hard as possible to make the claim. I am in the process of putting in several claims. They want me to provide them with invoices to show the value of the products lost.

So if I understand it properly, one of your clients will rent an item to you, and then you pass it on to a second client for a higher rent. I assume that you want the item to be sent to you as the middleman so that you don't get cut out of the deal, hence the two postage charges. Have you thought about trying to get some sort of anonymous courier service where the item is picked up from one and then sent to the other? Perhaps you can get the courier to pick it up and take the parcel label with them.

Of course, you may want to get the item so that you can do an inspection on it, which makes the previous idea useless

Good Luck
Jim

Hello Jim

We offer this service but we charge for it and it is unviable for most business transactions and there is not really any in between. It is either the cheap parcel option for a fiver or a bespoke service for £400