'Posting' bikes - recommended carriers ?

[Sprunghub]

I am seriously contemplating offering up for sale my Dawes Sardar....the older, "Go to & tour Mongolia" one from the late 1990's, & when I know how the recession is realigning 'values', buying in with the proceeds, a lighter, road 'racing' bike of comparable value.

I want to be able to offer a 'postal' facility with any sale. I also want to potentially be able to organise the 'collection' / couriering of any subsequent purchase back to me ( in South Worcestershire ) from a possibly "reluctant" poster, which will mean I will need to be able to organise the whole deal from my end, without them getting 'jittery'.

Can any one recommend a hassle free 'Pick up & deliver' company who are not going to charge an 'arm & a leg'. I appreciate there are 'Pony Expresses' but I am guessing any 'sale' / purchase will be time constrained, so I will need to go commercial.

 

[EarlofBarnet]

I use City-Link via the Parcelmonkey web site. A typical bike box is approx 130cm x 20cm x 70cm and they'll send this for £5.89 + vat. Prices goes up depending on value. I've just sent a Specialized S-Works insured for £1000 for £32 (incl vat).

 

[Sprunghub]

Thanks for that - I just put some "Guesstimate" dimension's, on the safe side of correct, into Parcel Monkey & it came up very affordable.

Re. a Bike 'box' for packing, are they an item you can 'buy'....or is it a case of trying to 'blag' a 'used' one from Halfords or a Bike Shop ? I did have it in mind, for a reluctant seller, to send them the empty 'packing' & get them to pack it as part of organising the transaction. Persuading them to 'break down' things like pedals, bars etc.....if needs be, would be more of a stumbling block, I fear. Mind you....it might be a "stumbling block" for me yet !

 

[cyfa2809]

Halfords and the like should be happy to supply you with bike boxes.

 

[ringo]

www.senditnow.com

Next day £15 inc VAT, includes £100 insurance. Driver brings labels.

Don't have to put in box dimensions... just state weight as 15 kilos...

Tis is Parcelforces backdoor internet service (to presumably book up unused space on their trunking network...)

 

[ringo]

Halfords happy to give boxes away, as they now have to cut them up into flat two foot squares... saves them work giving them away...

 

[Barneyballbags]

I use www.parcel2go.com - it's much the same as senditnow and the other sites mentioned.

Prices vary depending on the weight, dimensions and value but I can usually get a bike collected and delivered for around £10-11.

Regarding the 'jittery' seller - so long as he's happy to box the bike up for you, then that's literally all he will need to do (apart from perhaps sticking shipping labels to it, which you can send him once you've booked the collection).

I've actually just done this myself. Arranged for a Cannondale Raven to be collected from Lincolnshire and delivered to me in South Wales. The seller is boxing it up and provided me with the collection address, and I did the rest. The whole process took about 2 minutes and cost me £11.01

 

[cyfa2809]

Halfords happy to give boxes away, as they now have to cut them up into flat two foot squares... saves them work giving them away...

How do you know that?

 

[integerspin]

I use bike boxes for any packing I do. I gave up asking if it was OK to take them[from Halfords] years ago, I just drive round the back and pick boxes out of the skip. If the skip is open and the boxes are wet, I bang on the door and ask for a dry box.

I have always cut the boxes down to suite whatever I am sending, I will be arranging for a bike to be sent to me in the next few days, I have sent hundreds of things in old boxes, I have never measured a box.

DHL and the other suspects didn't seem to care about dimensions or weight, I sent a 55kg transformer as 25kg, the driver did comment it was heavy as he struggled to get it in the van. I had some leaf springs sent to me and the clever fellow sending them wrapped them so I got an 8foot long parcel! Both went with DHL without any problems.