Topic: WHO IS THE BEST TO USE (Read 2801 times)

Fungusface · « **on:** July 10, 2016, 11:31:17 AM »

WHO IS THE BEST COURIER TO USE TO SEND A MELODEON IN BRITAIN ,,HAVE THE GOT TO BE SENT IN CARDBOARD BOX OR CAN I SEND ALONE IN A CASE.

rees · « **Reply #1 on:** July 10, 2016, 12:31:09 PM »

Interparcel.com is the place to go. They give you a choice of couriers.
It's always best to pack the accordion well in a strong cardboard box with plenty of padding.

Andy · « **Reply #2 on:** July 10, 2016, 03:30:36 PM »

Couriers are only really keen to deliver from major population centres to major population centres, preferably in England. Anything above the central belt of Scotland is hard for them to grasp (other than that they instantly see £££££££££££ in front of their eyes). Because delivery often involves a chain of couriers there is a lot of opportunity for things to go wrong. Tracking information often states item has been delivered when all that has happened is that it has been passed on to the next courier.

For hastle free delivery, Post Office every time.

Steve_freereeder · « **Reply #3 on:** July 10, 2016, 05:21:13 PM »

I always use Royal Mail Special Delivery - guaranteed and tracked delivery before 1pm the next day; also insurance up to £2500. I have sent many instruments over the years using RMSD and neither me nor the recipients have had a bad experience at all.

It might be a bit more expensive than some of the other carriers but in my opinion it's worth it for peace of mind. You are talking about sending valuable instrument so it's not worth penny-pinching just to save a few pounds.

http://www.royalmail.com/personal/uk-delivery/special-delivery

Never ever send an instrument just in its hard case; it's asking for trouble. Always (a) pack the instrument inside the hard case with bubble wrap so that it cannot shift about, then (b) load the hard case inside a strong cardboard box with at least 2 inches of space all around. Pack the spaces snuggly with bubble wrap all around - top, bottom and sides.

Theo · « **Reply #4 on:** July 10, 2016, 05:32:10 PM »

For some there is a big advantage in using a courier who will collect from you. If it is difficult to get to a post office then most couriers, including Parcel Force will collect.

rees · « **Reply #5 on:** July 10, 2016, 07:45:12 PM »

I remember Post Offices.

melodeon · « **Reply #6 on:** July 10, 2016, 09:08:13 PM »

I remember Post Boxes

Ebor_fiddler · « **Reply #7 on:** July 10, 2016, 11:15:15 PM »

I remember Post Houses.

Stockaryd · « **Reply #8 on:** July 10, 2016, 11:22:29 PM »

I remember the Post. ?

Broadland Boy · « **Reply #9 on:** July 11, 2016, 12:13:38 AM »

I remember....................Nope forgot it again

As a rural area recipient where the post vans bounce their contents over miles of potholed farm tracks before depositing at ours you can rely on them delivering and on time, can't always rely on inappropriately packed items arriving unscathed.

Conversely the various 'couriers' like UPS or My Hermes tend not to cover the same relentless rounds mileage wise but their 'on time' or signed for tracking is a bit 'Alice in Wonderland' as is the imaginative places they leave things (no one home so left in dog kennel - we were home and don't have a dog

- thankfully a neighbour found the card they put in his letterbox and retreived our parcel from his kennel !)

If it is going to a city or town either should be OK but there is no substitute for substantial packing, bubble wrap if you can get it, crumpled newspaper or a wooly jumper will absorb shocks and a strong carboard box.

Hope it works out OK

Nick Collis Bird · « **Reply #10 on:** July 11, 2016, 07:12:17 AM »

I remember postmen on bikes with peaked hats and a uniform......and that was Norfolk!!!
Anyway Fungus all the above are right. Royal Mail special delivery expensive but good. I've even sent instruments to USA successfully as Grape Ape and PGroff will tell you.

NickF · « **Reply #11 on:** July 11, 2016, 08:04:09 AM »

Heavily padded strong cardboard box - if you have an Ikea near you, try using some of their cheap cushion interiors as packaging - cheaper & better than bubble wrap in my experience (plus the buyer gets a bonus!)

Steve_freereeder · « **Reply #12 on:** July 11, 2016, 08:17:38 AM »

Don't forget you can always pass on the cost of postage and packing to the recipient. This is normal practice when sending instruments. So I always use bubble wrap wherever I can in preference to crumpled newspaper which is not so effective, especially if the parcel should get wet for whatever reason (delivery van breaks down in a flood, etc). Bubble wrap is much more effective at keeping out water/damp.

However, I rarely have to buy bubble wrap. I usually save any that I receive and store it in a box in my garage until I need it. Also, quite often it is possible to scrounge some from local shops and stores who are usually quite glad to get rid of it after they have received their wholesale delivered goods.

baz parkes · « **Reply #13 on:** July 11, 2016, 08:27:23 AM »

Quote from: Steve_freereeder on July 11, 2016, 08:17:38 AM

Don't forget you can always pass on the cost of postage and packing to the recipient. This is normal practice when sending instruments. So I always use bubble wrap wherever I can in preference to crumpled newspaper which is not so effective, especially if the parcel should get wet for whatever reason (delivery van breaks down in a flood, etc). Bubble wrap is much more effective at keeping out water/damp

I have used kitchen rolls squashed up....perhaps, on reflection...

Steve_freereeder · « **Reply #14 on:** July 11, 2016, 08:36:34 AM »

Quote from: baz parkes on July 11, 2016, 08:27:23 AM

I have used kitchen rolls squashed up....

Yes, Baz, I know! I am still working my way through the last of them.

pikey · « **Reply #15 on:** July 11, 2016, 10:39:12 AM »

As Steve said, Royal Mail special delivery .

I've had boxes shipped from Germany in their case, and I was lucky, but I wouldn't advise it.

Cheers,
Pikey

Rob2Hook · « **Reply #16 on:** July 24, 2016, 05:09:58 PM »

Interesting! I agree that bubble wrap is unbeatable - especially as it fills all those wierd shaped spaces. I get it from our local corner shop fairly cheaply, judging by the variable width and lengths they have the sense to unwrap their wholesale goods and sell the packaging on. They also sell very good carrier bags for 2p and they make much better waste bags than the ones they sell on a roll which work out at 10p each.

Rob.

Jack Campin · « **Reply #17 on:** July 24, 2016, 05:38:35 PM »

I once spent a summer working in an international postal sorting office. I know what I did to people's mail, and that was decades ago - workers have even less time to take care over the job now.

Ever since, I've packed everything I send on the assumption that it will be dropkicked off the back of a moving truck into an oily puddle.

(I recommend Charles Bukowski's autobiographical novel Post Office. He knew what he was talking about).

Rob2Hook · « **Reply #18 on:** July 24, 2016, 06:02:37 PM »

Yeah, used to be in a sorting office. We sometimes finished early as everyone became expert at lobbing things into sacks from quite a distance and then lobbing full sacks around ready for the trucks. Just before I left, they introduced a 12kg limit for sacks and specifically banned throwing them across the hall. This meant that ew would throw them with even greater gusto to get ahead of the game until a whistle from the loading bay warned of the manager's arrival so the remainder was done "working to rule".

Rob.

Chris Ryall · « **Reply #19 on:** July 25, 2016, 04:34:49 AM »

I sent a Casta Lilly (3kg) to Malmö ealier in the year and it cost me £55 using Royal Mail standard parcels - with £500 cover. Perhaps a bit light there, but is is 30 years old and was well packed. The main risk is a drop and having to refit reeds. All was well, I'm told, so I'll use that route again.

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Author Topic: WHO IS THE BEST TO USE (Read 2801 times)