Courier services

Any recommendations? I've used Interparcel in the past but they now class a bike as a restricted item only insurable for loss not damage.
Yodel are very poor ( lost items, failed delivery etc etc )

many are now very expensive...
ideas?

I think there will always be someone who's had a bad experience with any of the courier services. I've always used City Link and I know a few people complain but I've never had a serious issue, a couple of occasions a 24hr parcel has arrived a day late. A standard bike box insured and booked on 24hr is around £23.00. I book them either through Parcel Monkey or P4D

APC are absolutely excellent. I've sent over 100 parcels with them, all arrived the next day (when the recipient was in) and they're fastidious about getting recipient details, emailing you when the parcel's picked up, when it's delivered and who signed for it, and contacting the recipient to arrange redelivery. They're a network of friendly, personal, local services with excellent national infrastructure and their prices are superb (£12 for a bike box under 20kg). The only drawback is I think they're trade-only (i.e. you have to have an account with them before you can use them and they don't open accounts for casual, irregular, users).

Thanks guys

I think one of the snags is you don't know if the cycle is a restricted item or how much extra insurance would cost until after you start the booking process; just poor web design really.
e.g. With Interparcel, a bike scheduled via City Link is a restricted item even though it is not on the restricted list on the City Link site! The restriction is placed by the contractor ( Interparcel ) NOT the courier service itself, which seems annoying.
I got a mail from Interparcel telling me that an item was not insured for damage, only loss, AFTER the item had already been collected.

I book mine through Send It Now.
They use Parcelforce and a bike box up-to 20kg in weight is about £14.00 for a 24hr service.
Sent about 10 bikes and frames, all arrived on time and in good order.

Mmmm. I was let down by Parcel Force this week. Booked online, waited in all day for the collection (too big to drop off at the Post Office apparently). No one turned up despite the email confirming collection by 2pm. Phone around 3pm - `It's definitely going to be collected today'. Phoned at 6pm - apparently it was not on the list of collections!

The next day the driver confirmed he had no record of my needing a collection. Either someone was telling lies, or the processes and systems are flawed. Either way, I wasn't impressed and it cost me wasted day.

Deax":6s4m58bz said:

Mmmm. I was let down by Parcel Force this week. Booked online, waited in all day for the collection (too big to drop off at the Post Office apparently). No one turned up despite the email confirming collection by 2pm. Phone around 3pm - `It's definitely going to be collected today'. Phoned at 6pm - apparently it was not on the list of collections!

The next day the driver confirmed he had no record of my needing a collection. Either someone was telling lies, or the processes and systems are flawed. Either way, I wasn't impressed and it cost me wasted day.

Click to expand...

case 1: yodel delivery totally lost item, spotted on ebay 6 months later...
case 2: yodel sent confirmation of delivery time followed by 3 cards thru box saying they tried to deliver ( all at wrong day / time specified )...had long peeved call to cusomer services cos their website couldn't confirm delivery reschedule ( error message ) delivery rescheduled, confirmed, more cards thru box on days we weren't in and finally had to pick up from depot as they failed to drop parcel on the day they confirmed by phone and text....couldn't make it up...; grumpy, basingstoke :shock:

bikenut2010":3jcvehut said:

Deax":3jcvehut said:

Mmmm. I was let down by Parcel Force this week. Booked online, waited in all day for the collection (too big to drop off at the Post Office apparently). No one turned up despite the email confirming collection by 2pm. Phone around 3pm - `It's definitely going to be collected today'. Phoned at 6pm - apparently it was not on the list of collections!

The next day the driver confirmed he had no record of my needing a collection. Either someone was telling lies, or the processes and systems are flawed. Either way, I wasn't impressed and it cost me wasted day.

Click to expand...

case 1: yodel delivery totally lost item, spotted on ebay 6 months later...
case 2: yodel sent confirmation of delivery time followed by 3 cards thru box saying they tried to deliver ( all at wrong day / time specified )...had long peeved call to cusomer services cos their website couldn't confirm delivery reschedule ( error message ) delivery rescheduled, confirmed, more cards thru box on days we weren't in and finally had to pick up from depot as they failed to drop parcel on the day they confirmed by phone and text....couldn't make it up...; grumpy, basingstoke :shock:

Click to expand...

Funny you should mention Yodel - they've just attempted to deliver (to me) a package meant for house number no 89. I live in number 98.
The delivery man was a lovely old chap, in a raggedy old Barbour, a flat cap and very apologetic.
By that, I'm assuming they use local freelancers to make drop offs?

Yes, Yodel, DHL and HDN (Home Delivery Network) are all basically the same company. Yodel and HDN use any old local freelancer with any kind of vehicle (you see the adverts in their depots if you're unlucky enough to have to go and collect). No need for local knowledge or common sense, apparently. Which explains quite a lot.