Courier Recommendations

[Fairyglass]

It's that time of year when we try to get organised for the summer season! With a postage bill of over £30k anticipated this year, I'm looking to reduce costs. Can anyone recommend a courier for lightweight, fairly small parcels on a next day service to home addresses- I'm looking primarily at cost, but of course service is important too.
Thanks!

[Chunkford]

If it's small packages then Royal Mail/Parcel force can't really be beaten on price.
If its service you want, then i can recommend Interlink express. They have just released a niffy service where if a customer gives you their mobile number, you can pass that on to them and they will send a txt to the customer on the day of delivery with an hour time window! e.g. "Your Parcel from companyx will arrive between 10am and 11am). How cool it that. No more waiting in all day for a delivery that comes at 4pm

[Fairyglass]

Thanks Chunkford,

Most of our parcels fall under the "small packets" category and weigh around 2kg. Given that we're sending quite a volume I'm hoping to find a carrier to take them at a similar price but with a guaranteed service. We'll see....

[Golf Tee Warehouse]

Have you looked at 'Royal Mail Tracked' as an option. The delivery is 2-3 days and not next day so may not be fast enough for you.

The cost is likely to be around £3.00 - £3.50 per parcel depending on the weight of your parcels.

[Fairyglass]

Thanks Darren, but as you say it's not quick enough. If we're going to change, I want a next day service. We're known for our speed of service- order before 3pm and we'll post same day- and I want to retain this if possible.

I suspect I already know the answer to my OP, which is to continue as I am, but I thought it worth asking the question in case I'd missed something.

Cheers,
Ben

[Golf Tee Warehouse]

I always found DespatchBay (formally Saletrack) the cheapest around until the introduced a collection surcharge for collections of less than 4 parcels a few month back.
I haven't used them recently, but they always used to use DHL. I am not aware if they have cheaper rates for smaller parcels though which might make them uncompetitive compared to a courier with a special service for lightweight parcels.

[orcahouse]

Hi Ben,

We researched this during the last postal strike and opted to go with SecureDX:

http://www.thedx.co.uk/ourservices/secure/securedx/

They started as a service for legal firms but have expanded to cover allcomers. The only drawbacks we've come across are that they require you to drop off your packages at a nominated local solicitors and they don't deliver to a lot of northern Scottish postcodes. Cost is £3.85 up to 1Kg and £6.85 up to 2Kg for next day by 5pm, all +VAT (only 50p more for delivery by 1pm). They've been very reliable.

[Jan]

We use business post - and the reason we use them is because on the whole, they do seem to be able to deliver the parcels on time.

I would suggest though getting all the big names in and seeing what they can come up with pricewise.

I'll probably be doing the same exercise soon but would need a significant saving to move.

Regards,

[JGLIGHTING]

we did use DespatchBay until they stated charging a lot of large boxes and collection surcharges.

We now use APC and they are cheaper and we been very for happy with them.

[Fairyglass]

I'm speaking to Home Delivery Network, APC Overnight and Business Post next week. We currently use Fastway Couriers, who on the whole are pretty good, and our local driver is excellent which always helps! If I have any significant news, I'll post back here in case it's of use to anyone else- thanks all for your suggestions

[chris ashdown]

We used Interlink for three months last year and they lost 7 parcels, did not inform us they were lost and when we found out said that as they were over 14 days old the insurance was invalid

Before them we used Parcelforce and Packetpost which were great but had to change for the strikes, then went to Interlink and now at DHL who are good and offer two types of service normal 24hour and 48 hour home service which deliver latter in evening
Happy with DHL but would go back to Packetpost and Parcelforce if money was issue

[saucysal]

Our experience

Hello. We have been despatching goods for 20 years, and for most of that time prided ourselves on the fast delivery of items, using Royal Mail First Class packetpost below a certain weight and a next working day carrier service above that weight as it was cheaper and with tracking. However, due to the increased volumes and the more necessary need for tracking of all consignments, we have given in to slower delivery for the lighter items, retaining the carrier above a certain weight. We have not noticed a drop-off in orders because of this, and customers still have the option of the carrier for next working day for a slight increase in charge.

We are currently using 3 services: Interlink for next working day (but telling the customers within 2 working days), HDNL 72 hours and Royal Mail Tracked (2-3 days) telling the customer within 3 working days. We use Royal Mail Tracked for parcels above the weight limit for HDNL 72, parcels going to northern Scotland and islands and northern Ireland, and parcels going to businesses that may not be open in the evenings (HDNL sometimes deliver evenings). There are options with HDNL for 24 hour and for 36 hour, but we do not use these at present as the service with Interlink is more reliable though slightly more expensive.

We have found the service with Interlink is excellent. Royal Mail Tracked is good, but the tracking is not as detailed. HDNL tracking is good. We give our customers the tracking details so they can track themselves.

Sarah

[mje]

I use Fastaway £4.95 plus VAT for up to 30kgs and is mostly next day if in one of their franchised areas. If I have a delivery outside their area I use Interlink Express who charge us £7.95 plus VAT up to 5kg, and £9.95 5kg to 30kg plus VAT they do irritate with a 4.95% fuel surcharge. Fastaway you pay up front, and Interlink by DD at the end of the next month.

I have had no problems with either of them to be fair. We have always passed the exact cost onto our customers and IME people don't mind paying so long as they get what they pay for.

Anything up a mountain, or Northern Ireland and it has to be Royal Mail

If I had to choose one only, it would be Interlink.

[Sean Williams]

Having had an account with UPS for a few months now, I wish we'd done it years ago. 100% top quality customer service, 100% reliable delivery.
Judging by the sound of it, you send lots of stuff a day, so you should be able to get good account rates that may be a quid more than the competition (for residential deliveries there is a surcharge over commercial) but by George it's been worth it.
Love the email system where the customer gets a blow-by blow email saying what's happening with their parcel - meaning we no longer get chased by customers - they know what we know.
Sadly, they don't yet have the 2-hour warning via SMS which DPD and HDN have.
HDN's reputation has improved lately, even before they absorbed DHL UK.

[toolman.co.uk]

We use Fastways £5.95 in their areas, £7.95 out of their areas and can get a lot in their data bags £3.95 (in their areas), but a lot goes out by Royal Mail.
Looking at UK Mail (Business post) we need something a little more digital than Fastways!