An Post to Install Postboxes for Parcels at homes from 2015

_Whimsical_

This looks like a great idea and a long awaited solution for people who regularly miss packages that arrives during work hours.

An Post is also preparing to transform home delivery. Last July, it sought expressions of interest for the provision of 10,000 new home delivery boxes.

This has gone to full tender, with An Post seeking to extend the number of boxes to 80,000 following trials in Dublin, Galway and Donegal during the spring.

These new home delivery boxes will be installed by home owners and will be designed to hold larger online shopping parcels in a secure, water proof vault. Using these boxes means that the home owner would not have to go to a distribution centre to pick up any packages that could not be delivered because they were not at home when the postman arrived.

It is expected that the tender will be finished by Christmas with the self-install boxes getting to market by early 2015.
- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/an-post-fights-to-feed-growing-online-shopping-habit-30566041.html#sthash.XoeDqDY7.dpuf

Sunny Dayz

They don't have as good a postman as we have. He knows where I work in the town and he visits our estate earlier in the day. If we aren't at home, he know to drop the package to my workplace!

Tow

Here I was thinking An Post already have a warehouse full of letter boxes for every house in the country, from last time they tried something like this.

rubadub

I was recommending these boxes to people before. I don't have one myself but you can get them on amazon.

The idea is you leave it "on the latch", so the postman does not need a key, ttey just put stuff in and close it and its locked shut.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Home-Delivery-Letter-Parcel-Mail/dp/B00JM2VT7A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1410178454&sr=8-5&keywords=parcel+box

seamus

Parcelmotel won't like this. Though it'll still be needed for apartment dwellers and ordering UK-only packages.

_Whimsical_

rubadub wrote: »

I was recommending these boxes to people before. I don't have one myself but you can get them on amazon.

The idea is you leave it "on the latch", so the postman does not need a key, ttey just put stuff in and close it and its locked shut.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Home-Delivery-Letter-Parcel-Mail/dp/B00JM2VT7A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1410178454&sr=8-5&keywords=parcel+box

Something like that actually looks great.Review of that one doesn't sound so promising as the person says it feels like the quality of a filing cabinit. If anyone has experience of this or anything like it please let us know.

I was just thinking the An Post box might not solve all my woes because when you order something you don't really know whether it's coming by An Post or courier service. I presume An Post will have a key to their box but maybe it won't be a workable solution for courier packages... which would make it only a partial solution.

rubadub

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

I presume An Post will have a key to their box but maybe it won't be a workable solution for courier packages... which would make it only a partial solution.

I doubt it would be a regular key, otherwise the postman would need all the keys for all boxes, you could not have a single key or it would be copied and people would rob other peoples boxes. Unless they can have some sort of skeleton key, but if it got copied by a rogue postman they would be screwed.

One problem is if its left on the latch the postman might close it with an unexpected parcel, and then a courier turns up who you have told to use the box and then its closed on him.

debabyjesus

Most stuff requires a signature but still it's a step in the right direction

Yggr of Asgard

DHL Deutsche Post has started with these in Germany for the starting price of 99€ (or starting at 1.99€ a month to rent).

They have electronic keys which are programmed so that only you and the DHL Deutsche Post guys can open it.

It not only offers receiving (with a notification via e-mail or sms), you can also order collection from it.

It only works with DHL Deutsche Post, other couriers or delivery organisations don't hace access to it.

Advantage over Parcelmotel is that its directly in your front yard and that it's a day faster. But still parcelmotel offers a NI address.

_Whimsical_

dublin-texas wrote: »

DHL Deutsche Post has started with these in Germany for the starting price of 99€ (or starting at 1.99€ a month to rent).

They have electronic keys which are programmed so that only you and the DHL Deutsche Post guys can open it.

It not only offers receiving (with a notification via e-mail or sms), you can also order collection from it.

It only works with DHL Deutsche Post, other couriers or delivery organisations don't hace access to it.

Advantage over Parcelmotel is that its directly in your front yard and that it's a day faster. But still parcelmotel offers a NI address.

It'd be a great shame if it were only An Post that had access or if as Rubadub pointed out that it could only be opened by one post/courier person per day. I really hope that An Post has thought of these things themselves.

Slunk

Would be great if you got a unique id like Parcel Motel so you could enter that on your address so all couriers could open your box. E.g

John Smith
0053412
Main street
Big town

Although id say it will just be a basic box and postman will have a master key

_Whimsical_

Slunk wrote: »

Would be great if you got a unique id like Parcel Motel so you could enter that on your address so all couriers could open your box. E.g

John Smith
0053412
Main street
Big town

Although id say it will just be a basic box and postman will have a master key

That's a great idea.You could probably go into the box business yourself with that idea.

Yggr of Asgard

Slunk wrote: »

Would be great if you got a unique id like Parcel Motel so you could enter that on your address so all couriers could open your box. E.g

John Smith
0053412
Main street
Big town

Although id say it will just be a basic box and postman will have a master key

You won't need all of that anymore by the time these boxes come arround to everyone, you just get your mail send to your eircode address (example A65F4E2) and the numbers will be you pincode (6542).

Or maybe your box get's it's own eircode address?

ei9go

seamus wrote: »

Parcelmotel won't like this. Though it'll still be needed for apartment dwellers and ordering UK-only packages.

Also soon to launch a parcel motel type service but with delivery

Beano

ei9go wrote: »

Also soon to launch a parcel motel type service but with delivery

any links for this?

the groutch

they should do a deal with someone like SuperValu/Aldi/Lidl to have pacel motel like lockers on their premises (seeing as most of the garages/Tesco are taken)

_Whimsical_

ei9go wrote: »

Also soon to launch a parcel motel type service but with delivery

Would PM with delivery not just be An Post as we know it?

Mind you An Post has gotten awfully expensive. I tried to return a package to a UK store last week and it was going to cost me 20E to return a top I'd paid 30 for. It cost 5.99 to return via PM. An Post are pricing themselves out of the market for these services.

Greenmachine

Am I the only one who doesn't like the idea. Just another reason for an post to increase the already expensive price of postage in this country.

Beano

Greenmachine wrote: »

Am I the only one who doesn't like the idea. Just another reason for an post to increase the already expensive price of postage in this country.

how would this increase the price of postage?

gordongekko

Beano wrote: »

how would this increase the price of postage?

The new post boxes won't be free

Yggr of Asgard

gordongekko wrote: »

The new post boxes won't be free

It is most likley that they ask the people who get a box to pay for it (either a once off or a monthly charge) rather than increasing postal charges. This is how it's done in most countrie where those things exists.

But again this is Ireland so you might be right.

_Whimsical_

dublin-texas wrote: »

It is most likley that they ask the people who get a box to pay for it (either a once off or a monthly charge) rather than increasing postal charges. This is how it's done in most countrie where those things exists.

But again this is Ireland so you might be right.

You definitely have to pay for the boxes, it mentions it in the article.
No doubt though they will raises prices generally anyway. Right now however they are fighting a losing battle with couriers who are cheaper and often more convenient if you are sending something.

rubadub

gordongekko wrote: »

The new post boxes won't be free

I would not expect them to be free, and hope they won't be -since the cost has to come from somewhere and I would prefer the people who decide to get them pay their way.

I was amazed to see parcel motel saying their recent price increase was partly in place to subsidise littlewoods "free" return service. Dunno what their marketing people were thinking.

But anyway Beano was responding to this post

Greenmachine wrote: »

Am I the only one who doesn't like the idea. Just another reason for an post to increase the already expensive price of postage in this country.

I saw no talk of increasing postage prices. If they get increased business by introducing these than they might be able to afford to drop prices.

Beano

gordongekko wrote: »

The new post boxes won't be free

exactly. they wont be free. People who use them will pay for them. probably at a profit to an post. how does this lead to an post raising their prices?

Cabaal

Beano wrote: »

exactly. they wont be free. People who use them will pay for them. probably at a profit to an post. how does this lead to an post raising their prices?

Cause they'll make a loss on other stuff they currently make money on,

For example TV license stuff is going soon to be replaced with the Broadcasting charge which will just be applied to all households across the board.

If they loose stuff like this then they are down money, so prices will go up regardless.

As for these boxes, they'd want to be a low enough price for the avg household to bother with them. Otherwise people will just opt for the much cheaper alternatives like parcel motel.

Beano

Cabaal wrote: »

Cause they'll make a loss on other stuff they currently make money on,

For example TV license stuff is going soon to be replaced with the Broadcasting charge which will just be applied to all households across the board.

If they loose stuff like this then they are down money, so prices will go up regardless.

As for these boxes, they'd want to be a low enough price for the avg household to bother with them. Otherwise people will just opt for the much cheaper alternatives like parcel motel.

The post you quoted said

exactly. they wont be free. People who use them will pay for them. probably at a profit to an post. how does this lead to an post raising their prices?

Your response is absolutely nothing to do with what i said. If they are going are lose (not loose) other stuff then possibly making money on something new can only help their situation?

ei9go

Beano wrote: »

any links for this?

Not yet but will be known as smartpal and will have a virtual UK address like parcel motel