Parcel Motel Thread (post all related questions here)

nightman

I want to order from a Japanese seller and it seems to be the luck of the draw on wether or not I get stuck with customs charges, but I'm just wondering what's the story with Parcel Motel? If I get the package delivered to them how would I pay customs? Getting the package delivered to my house isn't an option.

Esel

nightman wrote: »

I want to order from a Japanese seller and it seems to be the luck of the draw on wether or not I get stuck with customs charges, but I'm just wondering what's the story with Parcel Motel? If I get the package delivered to them how would I pay customs? Getting the package delivered to my house isn't an option.

If there is customs due, PM will refuse to accept it.

nightman

Esel wrote: »

If there is customs due, PM will refuse to accept it.

How would I go about paying for them then? It says on their site to pay them in advance but I haven't a clue how to do that, usually I just wait for the letter telling me to pay and you just give the money to the postman, and like I said before it just seems to be pure luck in wether or not the post office wants to charge me for duty and I don't want to be seeking out extra charges if I can avoid it.

styron

nightman wrote: »

How would I go about paying for them then? It says on their site to pay them in advance but I haven't a clue how to do that, usually I just wait for the letter telling me to pay and you just give the money to the postman, and like I said before it just seems to be pure luck in wether or not the post office wants to charge me for duty and I don't want to be seeking out extra charges if I can avoid it.

It's only if your Japanese seller has an import duty prepay facility with UK Customs, otherwise PM will refuse to accept anything with duty owing and the item is presumably returned to sender. If you'd get a refund if it makes it back to the seller, are both uncertain - the downside risk of an item stopped by UK customs using PM is substantial.

recipio

Better to use your home address if at all possible. I mistakenly used PM to buy something off Amazon.com ( just forgot to swap addresses ) and it was the devil to pay HM customs. They would not take a credit card unless registered in the UK. In the end I had to do a bank transfer before they would release the item. From experience, small items might get past the Irish customs but nothing escapes HM customs.

nightman

Do you think it'd be easier to use the Irish PM address then? Because shipping costs the same to both countries and I was always planning on using the Irish address anyway. If I dropped PM an email before ordering the item do you think they'd accomodate me and send me on the details for customs if I did end up having to pay them?

recipio

nightman wrote: »

Do you think it'd be easier to use the Irish PM address then? Because shipping costs the same to both countries and I was always planning on using the Irish address anyway. If I dropped PM an email before ordering the item do you think they'd accomodate me and send me on the details for customs if I did end up having to pay them?

If you are using a courier company I have found that the goods arrive - followed by a bill a few days later for customs duty. If you are using the Post Office it will simply arrive and the postman will tell you if customs are due or not. Better to deal with Irish customs than the UK. The only reason for using PM is convenience so yes, I would let them know if you are going to use them.

Collibosher

recipio wrote: »

If you are using a courier company I have found that the goods arrive - followed by a bill a few days later for customs duty.....

Some use this method, others will require payment before releasing goods.

turbodiesel

I had a parcel sent from Mullingar on Monday afternoon and from the tracking I can see it's in the system but still hasn't hit my delivery location in Rathfarnham. Not impressed with the timeframe. Box is about the size of an egg carton.

Esel

turbodiesel wrote: »

I had a parcel sent from Mullingar on Monday afternoon and from the tracking I can see it's in the system but still hasn't hit my delivery location in Rathfarnham. Not impressed with the timeframe. Box is about the size of an egg carton.

I had the same problem - parcel was showing as in depot. I raised the issue on their helpdesk.
Took some reminders from me, then eventually told I did not have enough credit to collect. Topped up, collected the item then complained on the helpdesk that I should not have been charged at all. They claimed they had put it motel earlier in the week (got no notification of this) so were charging me for non-collection.

Eventually refunded. Took six days to get the item.

Get onto the helpdesk.

turbodiesel

Just received a text after submitting a query to them. It's a pity they need to be prompted....... 6/10 for this experience.

styron

It's always going to be leisurely delivery:

1. Not to undercut the parent courier company Nightline.

2. Because you can send up to 10KG to Irish or UK addresses for less than half and almost a third of respective An Post standard rates - its unreasonable to expect otherwise.

Iopu

I'm also waiting nearly a week now for my parcel motel delivery, since recieved from original sender. Wondering if I'll get it at all, considering they claim it happens within 1 working day. Will not use them again.

Manutd623

Hi, just checked parcel motel and my parcel is in transit since half 4 this evening from Dublin depot, will it arrive tomorrow?

Iopu

Manutd623 wrote: »

Hi, just checked parcel motel and my parcel is in transit since half 4 this evening from Dublin depot, will it arrive tomorrow?

Unfortunately; my parcel has been same since last Saturday. Still no delivery.

Esel

Iopu wrote: »

Unfortunately; my parcel has been same since last Saturday. Still no delivery.

Have you contacted their helpdesk?

hufpc8w3adnk65

Anyone know if they deliver on sats lads? Parcel was checked in at 3pm yesterday in Dublin

joujoujou

It depends. If lockers are in the same town as their depot, they do, I'd say.

georgewickstaff

Seems to be very slow today. Had an item delivered to Antrim this morning.. No sign of it. Usually quite quick. Something delivered on Thursday still not checked in

When it's bad it's very annoying

SeanyMc22

Bit of a dip in their service lately by the looks of it.

I had an item delivered 2 weeks ago today. My PMID was missing but I added it along with all the details to my shopping tracker. Then I got in touch with them and submitted a request to make them aware of it.

I've been chasing this since, was asked for an invoice which I sent them on along with DPD proof of delivery with a signature from their depot up North.

Still no sign of it, they said they would conduct a warehouse search but didn't hear back from them until I reached out again to which they said they'll conduct another warehouse search and if not found they will submit a claim.

Anyone else been through this with PM?

Usually I find them to be excellent, I've had 2 other items sent without my PMID and they were quick to sort it. One thing that I find very irritating is when they reply to your support request they immediately mark it as "solved" regardless of what is happening.

intheclouds

Their customer service is truly appalling. On a par with the mobile phone companies for sheer uselessness.

As a service it's good when it works but due to bad communication and woeful customer service I have used it less and less over the past year and found alternatives.

hufpc8w3adnk65

My package was delivered today on a Sunday which took me by surprise

gandalf

Anyone having issues logging into their site. I am trying to put credit on my account and when I click on login it just sits there trying to connect?

nava

gandalf wrote: »

Anyone having issues logging into their site. I am trying to put credit on my account and when I click on login it just sits there trying to connect?

Yes same issue here looks like the secure part of the website is not working.

moleyv

Anyone else use the milltown spar one?

Packages always seem to take two to three days after check in (as in they send the email with pic).

So say, check in Monday afternoon. In a locker either Tues night or wed night after 10pm.

I've been using it for the last month and that seems to be the norm, different size packages too.

Only once did it get put in a locker the same night.

I'll have to change location for Christmas time :pac:

JG009

moleyv wrote: »

Anyone else use the milltown spar one?

Packages always seem to take two to three days after check in (as in they send the email with pic).

So say, check in Monday afternoon. In a locker either Tues night or wed night after 10pm.

I've been using it for the last month and that seems to be the norm, different size packages too.

Only once did it get put in a locker the same night.

I'll have to change location for Christmas time :pac:

The "Nice" areas are almost always busier & usually take longer to get stored.

NetChat101

Hi I was in the same position as you - trying to set up a NextUk account for a few weeks now using the Parcel Motel details but it wasn't letting me past the address input section. Eventually I phoned the NextUk helpline and said that the site didn't seem to be accepting my NI address - the guy on the phone tried doing it himself and then told me his system was telling him that the address had the maximum number of accounts allowed registered using those details! Obviously there must be quite a number of accounts registered using the PM details and they have decided to block any more people registering through PM.

NetChat101

Jem123 wrote: »

Is it possible to use parcel motel for next.co.uk? I thought it was an issue with their site last week so tried again this morning and it will not let me set up an account using my PM details.

Hi, please see my reply above - sorry, new to boards!

styron

NetChat101 wrote: »

Hi I was in the same position as you - trying to set up a NextUk account for a few weeks now using the Parcel Motel details but it wasn't letting me past the address input section. Eventually I phoned the NextUk helpline and said that the site didn't seem to be accepting my NI address - the guy on the phone tried doing it himself and then told me his system was telling him that the address had the maximum number of accounts allowed registered using those details! Obviously there must be quite a number of accounts registered using the PM details and they have decided to block any more people registering through PM.

Interesting, as PM have a contract with Next.ie for "free" returns.

NetChat101

That returns contract may only be for the next.ie website - the uk site is completely separate with no overlap of accounts, as far as I know.