Couriers...:-(

[Haselsh1]

A week ago I sold my very treasured pair of Audiolab 8000M monoblocks to a guy in Austria as I'd replaced them with a Croft Series 7 power amp. Can you imagine my surprise when I found out from the local post office that they wanted 95 quid for carriage to Austria...? Can you imagine my shock when UPS quoted 102 quid plus tax...? I turned to www.parcels2go.com and got DHL to do it for 60 quid including extra insurance up to 500 pounds. I can thoroughly recommend this site for all of your parcel needs. Save it as a favourite...?

[Mark Grant]

Another parcel company to consider is http://www.pharosparcel.com/
They use UPS.

Never had a problem with them sending stuff to various countries.

That would probably have been cheaper to Austria as shows £24.87 + insurance and VAT for 25 kilos (not sure how heavy your amps where)

Always use the ' standard' service if available as costs less and is only about one day later to arrive than express.

In my experience never send anything heavy or expensive to foreign countries using the post office, unless you want to refund the buyer.:rolleyes:

Mark

[DSJR]

HiFi dave recommends Pharos too and I got a good deal with ParcelForce via Paypal when I had to ship a heavy item a few months ago...

[Mike]

These are worth a look too...

http://www.interparcel.com/

[Spectral Morn]

At the end of the day though ...the quality of the packaging you create or use to enhance the original is one of the key issues. If its not designed to survive WW3 it wont survive the couriers. I know they should take care of what they transport, but thats an ideal world and this is not an ideal world imho/e.

Only problems I have had so far have been to do with poor or non-existent packaging.


Regards D S D L

[Mike]

I think the 'issue' is with the prices some charge!

The packaging quality is entirely down to the sender, the courier will charge the same regardless. Unless it's sent in a massive lead lined cast iron chest of course, they might charge a bit more in that case! ;)

[Macca]

At the end of the day though ...the quality of the packaging you create or use to enhance the original is one of the key issues. If its not designed to survive WW3 it wont survive the couriers. I know they should take care of what they transport, but thats an ideal world and this is not an ideal world imho/e.

Only problems I have had so far have been to do with poor or non-existent packaging.


Regards D S D L

I work for a big global carrier and totally agree with this - your packages are not individually and carefuly loaded and unloaded by cheerful elves or gnomes - they are processed through huge automated sorting machines. All the problems I have ever encountered due to breakages were down to 'optimistic' packaging (or lack of it). As a rule of the thumb if it cannot survive a six foot drop onto concrete it is not packed well enough.

And always ensure that you have the full value insured or you may find you get a £120 back for that £2K valve amp that got smashed/lost.

[Ali Tait]

I'm still fighting the PO over a pair of 845's I send to someone.The valves arrived having been so severely shaken that the anodes and support structures inside were damaged.The packaging was not damaged,so they are saying I have no claim.Meanwhile I'm out of pocket to the tune of £180.

[Spectral Morn]

I'm still fighting the PO over a pair of 845's I send to someone.The valves arrived having been so severely shaken that the anodes and support structures inside were damaged.The packaging was not damaged,so they are saying I have no claim.Meanwhile I'm out of pocket to the tune of £180.

Thats crap Ali...sorry to read that.


Regards D S D L

[Mike]

I'm still fighting the PO over a pair of 845's I send to someone.The valves arrived having been so severely shaken that the anodes and support structures inside were damaged.The packaging was not damaged,so they are saying I have no claim.Meanwhile I'm out of pocket to the tune of £180.

I've had that happen with KT88's... they must have had a bloody game of footy with 'em!

[aquapiranha]

I have always sent things I have sold packaged with the assumption that the courier will treat it with total and utter contempt. I do this because I see various couriers delivering where I work - they open the rear doors on the van, fish about for the parcel and then promptly throw, and I do mean throw it on the floor, lock the van and continue into the loading bay. Now, that is just the last link in a very long and convoluted chain that might include the enemies of all things fragile... airport baggage handlers! and will probably include any number of numpties who handle the parcel with utter disdain, the conveyers waiting to chew it up and the bumpy journey in the back of a transit.

If you want something to arrive with a reasonable chance of being in one piece then I am afraid you have to go overboard with the packaging big time.

[Spectral Morn]

I have always sent things I have sold packaged with the assumption that the courier will treat it with total and utter contempt. I do this because I see various couriers delivering where I work - they open the rear doors on the van, fish about for the parcel and then promptly throw, and I do mean throw it on the floor, lock the van and continue into the loading bay. Now, that is just the last link in a very long and convoluted chain that might include the enemies of all things fragile... airport baggage handlers! and will probably include any number of numpties who handle the parcel with utter disdain, the conveyers waiting to chew it up and the bumpy journey in the back of a transit.

If you want something to arrive with a reasonable chance of being in one piece then I am afraid you have to go overboard with the packaging big time.

I agree 100%.

Regards D S D L

[Rare Bird]

I once bought a pair of Celestion Ditton 22 speakers used, they came all the way from brighton, although they were poorly packed they made it in one piece till the courior plonked them across the threshold where i heard a crunch.I couldnt believe it.I gave the driver the bolocking of his life, he couldnt give two hoots tbh..