When should I use a courier service?
Most of us have grown up instinctively linking the need to mail anything with a trip to the Post Office. Yet the internet is helping to change the rules. The bar's now been lowered on courier service prices, making them accessible to all.
The following questions should help you decide when a web courier service works for you
- Are you sending something weighing more than 2kg?
While Royal Mail is still cheapest for sending cards, letters and packages weighing under 2kg (use its Price Finder), anything heavier will set you back over £6, and that's without tracking and insurance. Yet you can buy a 48 hr service which includes both, for the same price.
- Do you need it there fast?
Courier services are speedy, and most offer same-day collection if you book early enough. So for urgent deliveries, couriers are the most economical option.
- Have you bought something on eBay, with over-priced postage?
If you've bought a big item and the seller charges excessive delivery rates, ask if you can arrange your own postage. Then have a courier pick up the item and deliver it to your house, reversing the usual procedure. Of course, this doesn't always work as some sellers rely on taking a cut of postage rates for profit, but it's worth a try.
However this is less worthwhile when the package's value exceeds £100, as the cost of extra insurance can be steep. Read the full eBay Buying Secrets guide.
What are 'discount courier services'?
This is a hidden way for you to access big courier firms like DHL or Parcelforce, but only pay the amount that large companies do. It works via a series of middlemen, who buy up postage slots in bulk from the big delivery agencies then sell them direct to the public.
You can usually book a pick-up for the next day, depending on how early you email the postage form. However, same-day pick-up is often available too, provided you meet the daily cut-off time; usually between 6 am and midday.
The cheapest place to buy these discounted mail services is via online auction site eBay*, but it can also be done via individual websites. Do remember though, you’ll be dealing with the middleman company, not the courier itself.
How big can my parcel be?
All couriers calculate costs based on the size and weight of items. However, discount courier companies tend to offer flat-rate prices, based on DHL and Parcelforce's standard maximum dimensions:
- DHL: 120 x 60 x 60cm with 31.5Kg max weight
- Parcelforce: 1.5m width & 30Kg
If your parcel outguns these measurements, you'll have to use a specialist courier. Finding one needn't be too problematic mind; website Boxby allows you to compare quotes from the 800-odd on its books, meaning you'll get a decent price almost every time. If the item is particularly huge, it may also be worth considering man-and-van services; check the local classified ads and eBay to find a good deal.
What about the service?
There’s no problem with the delivery service, well no more than if you’d used the big company direct that is; as you’re getting the same delivery as you’d normally pay a lot more for.
The only negative feedback from MoneySavers (see the Courier Services discussion) is that discount courier services can be slow to respond to enquiries and sort out compensation claims (especially eBay-based ones). Usually this isn't for want of trying; they are small operations and find it tough staying on top of things at busy times.
Therefore it’s a question of balance between price and service. This is a decision you need to make depending on what you’re sending.
Get your packaging right
This isn't just for cosmetic purposes, poor packing can void postal insurance and compensation claims, so package goods properly. You never know how much they'll be thrown around in transit, so take the following precautions:-
Measurements.
Be sure to measure and weigh your parcel accurately, when getting a quote. If the package is bigger or heavier than stated then you’ll have to pay a surcharge. Plus, if it exceeds size restrictions it won't fit in the courier company’s depot sorting machines and could be damaged, or just returned to you.
Try sending something weighing over 31.5kg, and it probably won't even be accepted, as Health & Safety laws state goods of this weight should be carried by at least two people. Therefore, you'll need a specialist service; these may be offered, but will cost more.
Note for international shipments only: International delivery costs are often calculated based on 'volumetric weight'. To work out the volumetric weight of your package, the calculations are usually Length x Width x Height in centimetres divided by 6,000. This gives you the volumetric weight in kilos. -
Banned/'no compensation' items.
All couriers have a list of ‘forbidden’ items that they won't deliver, so most couriers will inspect your items on collection. Thus, it's sensible to leave the top of your packing box open until it's been inspected.
Easily breakable items such as china, or antiques, will only be carried by economy courier services on a ‘no compensation’ basis, meaning if they're valuable look elsewhere. -
Packing materials.
All good packing requires is a bit of common sense. Wrap delicate items tightly in bubble wrap. Grab free cardboard boxes from supermarkets, and if you run out of bubble wrap or the item isn't very delicate, pad with screwed up newspaper or even popped popcorn.
If you live near a large Post Office, look inside for packing materials; often, special delivery plastic post bags are available for free. For a full guide to packing parcels, watch this festively themed Royal Mail Video on Youtube.com. -
Delivery forms.
Courier services make you fill in a booking form for each box you send. These can be completed online, or downloaded from the web and printed out. If the form isn’t filled in properly, compensation claims will be invalidated.
Note for international shipments only: To send any items overseas you'll need to fill in a more detailed form for tax purposes. It's fairly straightforward, but if you don't fill it out accurately you risk delaying your package in customs, so be careful. -
Collection/delivery times.
Sounds obvious, but make sure you're going to be in for the whole of the day. If you miss it, you'll likely have to repay and that just isn't MoneySaving! Most couriers will attempt delivery three times at the destination address before returning items to sender, but always double-check.
Do I need insurance?
Since you're getting the equivalent of the courier company’s full price service, you naturally get the same protection; usually around £100 per item.
It does vary, however, so always check. Additional cover is usually available for a small surcharge. Normally you can cover your item up to £500 for an extra £5, and up to £1000 for £10. If you've asked for it, make sure it's included on the order confirmation. If not, you won't be covered, regardless of what other evidence you may have.
If the worst happens and your parcel goes walkabout, first go to the middleman discount courier. The company should give you a claim form from the main carrier. It's up to them to deal with any enquiries, and as noted above, some times these are understaffed so be sure to chase things up.
BEST BUYS: UK Couriers
Most of the best buys work via online auction site eBay, as this lowers their transaction costs. This makes little difference to you except you need to be an eBay member to pay for it; don’t worry you’re not bidding for the delivery, just buying it straight.
Unfortunately these delivery firms, while they work, do tend to be short lived. MoneySaver TKPeters is doing an excellent job of keeping on top of the very latest deals in the Cheap Parcel Delivery Discussion thread, so it's worth checking there too. If you discover any issues, or services no longer available, please report them to brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com
The Cheapest via eBay:
Parcels delivered in 24hr for £6 via Parcelforce.
The eBay seller Direct Sales Europe sends via Parcelforce's 24hr service for a rock-bottom £6, making it the cheapest option. It'll attempt up to three deliveries, but only one collection before you pay extra. £150 worth of insurance cover's included. Its cut-off time is midnight.
Parcels delivered in 48hr for £6.64 via DHL.
eBay seller Supa Parcels offers a 48hr service for £6.64 inc VAT. It'll attempt delivery three times and collection once before adding a surcharge. It resells mainly DHL services (though you can choose), takes packages weighing up to 31.5kg, 120 x 60 x 60 cms in size, and includes £100 worth of insurance in the price.
The Cheapest on the web:
Parcels delivered in 48hr for £4.95 via DHL.
The grandly titled Pre Paid Parcel Worldwide Express site is currently the cheapest, at under a fiver for a 48hr service, and £5.95 for a 24hr service. As a recent addition to the fold, feedback is limited so please report your experiences in the discussion if you've used it.
Parcels delivered in 48hr for £6.39 via DHL.
PayPerParcel charges £6.39 for 48hr delivery, and feedback has been positive so far.
A 24hr service that can cope with bigger demand for £7.99 (£10.26 with £100 insurance cover).
New start-up company Personalshipper's a little more expensive at £7.99 without insurance for UK deliveries, but promises to cope with more orders (which may make it a top pick around busy times like Christmas).
It also offers a money-back guarantee if it doesn't deliver next-day.
What about the Parcelforce service on eBay?
In a bid to grab its own slice of the online postage pie, eBay's done a deal with the Royal Mail's Parcelforce. Its selling point is convenience rather than price; if you've a printer at home you can print postage labels straight from your auction checkout page, paying conveniently (especially for eBay) by PayPal.
You may also be able to simply drop off the parcel at your local Post Office (before 3pm) rather than have to stay in and wait for the collection (see list of applicable Post Offices).
This convenience comes at a cost though; 48hr delivery costs £10.99, and 24hr delivery £11.99; almost twice the price of the cheapest service above, but still considerably cheaper than going to Parcelforce direct. There is one exception to this though: since Parcelforce considers Northern Ireland part of the UK mainland, it's sometimes the cheapest way to send a package there (re-sellers exclude it and charge a premium), so it's well worth checking out in that stuation.
Have you used these services or found better ones? Leave your feedback and add to the
Discount Courier Services Discussion
BEST BUYS: International Couriers
When it comes to international postage, the Royal Mail is cheapest for small packages, but quickly gets expensive for items weighing over 500g. It's pre-paid C3 sized envelopes for parcels up to 500g can be bought in the Post Office or via the Royal Mail Online Shop for £5.75 for worldwide postage, or £4.49 for postage within Europe. These should be able to take items like jeans and T-shirts, and should be delivered to most countries within two days.
The actual price of sending parcels internationally depends on the destination. Yet the following services are usually the cheapest or amongst them. Below are examples of the type of delivery costs.
- Example 1: Cheapest Europe Delivery - Berlin. 1-4 days, 10 kg
Taking a delivery to Berlin as an example the cheapest service is Pharos International charging £20.57 with £150 insurance cover using its own Hercules service. Next cheapest is Interparcel* at £21.15 using a DHL service, and it's also worth checking out Parcel2Go for finesse. All include full tracking facilities.
- Example 2: Cheapest Worldwide Delivery - New York. 1-4 days, 10 kg
The cheapest is Pharos International which charges £34.71 for express shipping to the US, providing volumetric weight doesn't exceed 10kg. This doesn't include insurance, but £150 of cover is available for an additional £1.50.
Other cheap worldwide delivery agencies include SpecialDelivery, Parcel2Ship and Worldwide Parcel Services. Feedback on these is limited, so if you use one then please let other MoneySavers know how it goes in the discussion.
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You can save more than 75% on a 48hr delivery service just by buying it from the web. Massive savings can be had on international postage too; the example shaved a cool 60% off the cost of Parcelforce's £90 New York service.
Discount Courier Services |
||||
Mainstream courier (1) |
Same service via web broker |
Same service via eBay broker |
The size of the saving |
|
| UK 48hr (25 kg) | £26.99 |
£6.69 (2) |
£5.99 (3) |
£21 |
| New York 5 days (10kg) | £90.30 |
£35 (4) |
£55 (5) |
£55 |
| All prices based on a 30x30x30 cm package and correct as of Feb '07. (1) Parcelforce consumer service (2) MH Direct Couriers (3) eBay seller Home Textiles (4) Pharos International (5) eBay seller International Deliveries. | ||||
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