Delivery Services

[PetrolTed]

Are there any cost-effective alternatives to Royal Mail?

The PH Shop now sends anything from 100 to 500 items a month now and I'm wondering if any of the courier services can offer an alternative to RM that is affordable...

Advice/experiences welcome.

[Work-Shy-Wanabe]

If there light items, under 1kg I don’t think you can do better than royal mail. You could get a franking machine which would reduce costs by about 10% I think.

I've just signed up with Initial City Link who do a 'city bag' up to 5kg. Phone them and tell them about the volume your sending and they should be able to quote you a lot less the royal mail.

I tried DHL and found them a bit incompetent and slightly more expensive than Initial City Link.

I plan to use City link for items over 1kg and Royal Mail for items under 1kg.

[miniman]

Shitty Link are terrible for not actually delivering things and when you just get a card through the door, it's a hell of a drive to their nearest depot for most people. They may be shite from time to time, but Royal Mail do at least have collection points in every town for those occasions when you can't be home to sign for something.

Their SmartStamp software (print postage direct onto envelopes / labels etc.) is good, too.

[PetrolTed]

Interesting feedback, thanks.

We'll look at streamlining the current operation. This sizing nonsense looks like being a royal pain in the arse though.

That Smartstamp's interesting. Cheaper than a franking machine.

[sb-1]

We use TNT for our next day deliveries.On the whole they have been very good,with only a small % of cock ups.

Steve

[PetrolTed]

Lots of googling and it would seem our current set up of Royal Mail and a franking machine can't be beaten for the type of package/volume we do.

[granville]

With those volumes, definately stick with Adam Crozier's mob and as you say, a franker.

[pdV6]

Also worth considering the fact that as the postage costs are passed on to the customer (or, at least, built into the item price), we the customers don't mind paying it as long as the goods turn up promptly and in good nick.

IME this has always been a major strength of the PH shop (e.g. 2006 calendar arrived in my grubby mits in tip top condition less than 16 hours after I ordered it!). Switching to a courier service such as Shitty Link may reduce the feelgood factor to the customer and actually harm your sales volume...

[PetrolTed]

Yep, fair point. Seemed sensible to review the alternatives - seems there aren't any

[marki]

PetrolTed said:

Are there any cost-effective alternatives to Royal Mail? The PH Shop now sends anything from 100 to 500 items a month now and I'm wondering if any of the courier services can offer an alternative to RM that is affordable... Advice/experiences welcome.

When i was living in Sweden we used DHL and they were brilliant and cheap , maybe a different kettle of Sausages in the UK

[sb-1]

We get a quite a lot of mail via TNT....Ted it doesn't do any harm to get the Reps in for quotes(Don't accept the 1st one!!)

Steve

[Truckosaurus]

...and of course the delivery of TNT's small parcels/letters has been outsourced to the Royal Mail.

[vex]

We find Citylink very good for our area.

However, ANC have just knocked spots off our prices.