Nightline/Parcel Motel Thread Part 2 (post all related questions here)

thebiglad

Just got email from PM - prices going up from 04 November until year end - surge pricing

Also, large parcels not accepted (they compare to size to that of a wheelie bin, so quite substantial - luckily all the PS5's should be smaller than that or there'd have been a mini riot here on Boards.:D

Please be advised therefore, that effective from 4th November until 31 December 2020, when collecting a parcel a peak season surcharge will be applied to the base price, changing the price from €3.95 to €4.50. All other prices will remain the same.

During this time, we can no longer process very large items measuring more than

95 X 48 X 55cm (roughly the size of a wheelie bin) and such items will not be accepted in our receiving centres in Newtownabbey or Dublin.

Beric Dondarrion

Just received an email from PM saying that from the 4th of November until the 31st of December the cost of collecting a parcel from their lockers will increase from 3.95Euro to 4.50Euro due to the expected increase in volume of online sales ).

I'm betting the price will not revert back after the 31st and I never understood why they didn't offer other incentives for users during busy periods (free stays/credit if you collect within 12 hours etc.


The stick prevails once more over the carrot I suppose....

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Will that increase come with improved customer care? They take ages to respond to queries.

I think not...

Xenji

I find contacting them on Twitter by DM is the best way to get a query answered and acted on.

dan786

If you are ever expecting anything over 150 euros always buy insurance especially this time of the year. I normally buy a lot at same time - 20-30 parcels and they arrive within the 14 day extended insurance period. Then again do that for next batch and pay insurance again. Works out a few cents each parcels which is nothing compared to only getting a 100 back for expensive items.

Trampas

Beric Dondarrion wrote: »

Just received an email from PM saying that from the 4th of November until the 31st of December the cost of collecting a parcel from their lockers will increase from 3.95Euro to 4.50Euro due to the expected increase in volume of online sales ).

I'm betting the price will not revert back after the 31st and I never understood why they didn't offer other incentives for users during busy periods (free stays/credit if you collect within 12 hours etc.


The stick prevails once more over the carrot I suppose....

Just got same. It’s like we don’t want your business as we are getting to much to handle

Seve OB

Trampas wrote: »

Just got same. It’s like we don’t want your business as we are getting to much to handle

seems something like that
they should do a thing where if collected within 12 hours, prices stays the same. 50c extra per 12 hours after that.
would empty the lockers fairly quickly

Trampas

Seve OB wrote: »

seems something like that
they should do a thing where if collected within 12 hours, prices stays the same. 50c extra per 12 hours after that.
would empty the lockers fairly quickly

Unfortunately most companies just think of charging more than coming up with ideas to increase turnaround

mgbgt1978

Just spotted the same email from them. Simple greed, with a p!ss-poor excuse about investing in more workspace to cope with the extra business.

KB22

Any aternative to An Post for a small but heavy car part to UK

floorpie

Wish I hadn't topped up my account by 35 today to get the "free" stay. €3.95 was already a push.

Dtp1979

Wow, a more expensive price to justify the crap service.

SweetCaliber

Stopped using ParcelMotel a while back and mainly use Parcel Wizard now, cheaper and gets delivered right to your door.

FreshCoffee

whizkid9 wrote: »

I need to get a few small items (<5gbp) from amazon which doesn't ship to ROI. Not worth spending 3.95 on each item. Is there any option to aggregate multiple shipments from Amazon to parcel motel UK and pay one delivery fee?

If not, any other service which does this? Anpost ?

I haven't tried it myself but Amazon say you can set a preference for combining orders although it doesn't always work if items are coming from different warehouses etc.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_left_v4_sib?ie=UTF8&nodeId=201910450

Nigzcurran

whizkid9 wrote: »

I need to get a few small items (<5gbp) from amazon which doesn't ship to ROI. Not worth spending 3.95 on each item. Is there any option to aggregate multiple shipments from Amazon to parcel motel UK and pay one delivery fee?

If not, any other service which does this? Anpost ?

I havnt found anyway of doing this yet with anyone unfortunately.

Dizraeligears

I ordered items from Japan that would only ship to UK.Ordered early August,tracking number provided by vendor tracked its journey from Japan to Heathrow to NI,arrived in two weeks or so.Grand.Came thru PM in NI with no probs.
Made another order from the same Japan vendor soon after that but inadvertently chose different postage, with no tracking number,I accept that this would take a bit longer, a month according to vendor.
That was two months ago...again coming thru Belfast.
I cant get them to check anything as have no tracking no.
Not too encouraging hearing the horror stories from NI PM

Hogzy

Sort of frustrating as I have credit in my account for 2 more stays at €3.95 per stay. Annoying as there is a €11 minimum top up! :mad:

o1s1n

Hogzy wrote: »

Sort of frustrating as I have credit in my account for 2 more stays at €3.95 per stay. Annoying as there is a €11 minimum top up! :mad:

Yeah same. They also double charged me for one item during the week and still haven't responded to an email (and follow up) that I sent on Monday and Thursday about it.

Seriously rethinking using them now. 4.50 is too much on smaller items.

Hogzy

o1s1n wrote: »

Yeah same. They also double charged me for one item during the week and still haven't responded to an email (and follow up) that I sent on Monday and Thursday about it.

Seriously rethinking using them now. 4.50 is too much on smaller items.

Way too much. Parcel Wizard deliver to the door for the same price or to a local drop off. Never had any issues with them either.

MissShihTzu

PM have really shot themselves in the foot, raising the prices 'Just for Christmas'. That's the busiest time, and it would've been smarter to keep the prices as they were knowing that the volume of parcels will go up anyway. I got the mail, and wasn't pleased to say the least.

Sadly, I still have 9.95 left on my account. I'll use that up, then switch to AddressPal on principle. Price gouging doesn't keep my business.

jimmycrackcorm

whizkid9 wrote: »

I need to get a few small items (<5gbp) from amazon which doesn't ship to ROI. Not worth spending 3.95 on each item. Is there any option to aggregate multiple shipments from Amazon to parcel motel UK and pay one delivery fee?

If not, any other service which does this? Anpost ?

I didn't think it was worth getting Amazon Prime except they had the 59 deal but now it's a Godsend for free deliveries. Also, I get a lot of use from the prime videos so I'd consider it a worthwhile bargain at 79. I've saved multiples of that in delivery fees alone.

jameshayes

Just switched to PW because of that email. Like above, I cant stand gouging.

world class wreckin’ cru

Don’t get the hate for PM. I’ve used them for years and never had a problem. Might try parcel wizard though for the next time. Didn’t know you could get stuff to your door.

odyssey06

world class wreckin’ cru wrote: »

Don’t get the hate for PM. I’ve used them for years and never had a problem. Might try parcel wizard though for the next time. Didn’t know you could get stuff to your door.

There's parcel motel for 10 months of the year (mostly grand) and then there's parcel motel in the run up to christmas (a bit overwhelmed)...

spix

They say 'Our priority is to continue providing the best possible service to our customers during the season. ', but if that was true they should have the extra charge as a fine only if collected after 24hrs. They obviously don't mind backlogs, just getting more money.

psicic

Ha-ha! I've been using them for years - since a few months after they started. Hundreds of shipments through them. Only a few minor issues over the years, nothing worth mentioning.

Have had 'oversized' items - but never ordered anything 'very large' until two weeks ago during Amazon Prime. Due to be delivered to PM on 6th November! And it will be over their new (small wheelie-bin) size limits. Groan! :pac:

Absolutely don't begrudge the change - I just wish PM gave more than three business days (5 including the weekend) notice.

coylemj

It's like your local pub announcing a price increase on rugby or soccer match days 'because we'll be busier'.

What they should be doing instead is offering incentives for early collection, either a partial rebate such as a credit of €1 if you collect within 4 hours or entry to a draw for a big TV like they did a few years ago.

silver2020

I just don't understand this backlash.

It will cost me €3.99 for each parcel. (€35 top up + bonus stay = 8.77 stays for €35) Considering that I can avail of free UK delivery and have the parcel in a locker that i can pick up at any time, its worth every cent.

I believe the extra costs is because the are adding a lot of overnight and weekend staff which will cost extra money, but which should see faster delivery.

Considering most of these services operate on wafer thin margins, I think its justified.

Maybe they should have left the cost at 3.95 and withdraw the bonus stay for a €35 top up and people would be happier?

silver2020

MissShihTzu wrote: »

PM have really shot themselves in the foot, raising the prices 'Just for Christmas'. That's the busiest time, and it would've been smarter to keep the prices as they were knowing that the volume of parcels will go up anyway. I got the mail, and wasn't pleased to say the least.

Sadly, I still have 9.95 left on my account. I'll use that up, then switch to AddressPal on principle. Price gouging doesn't keep my business.

be mindful of address pal restrictions on liquids and batteries (amongst others)

MissShihTzu

silver2020 wrote: »

be mindful of address pal restrictions on liquids and batteries (amongst others)

Yes - I know about those, and try not to use AP for them