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

Ladyinthedark

How does parcel motel work please,if I wanted to order something from England and they won't deliver to Ireland ,how do I get that item here .also what do I need to sign up.

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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

MissShihTzu

silver2020 wrote: »

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?

No - They should keep doing the below...

coylemj wrote: »

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.

I'm a heavy user of PM as as lot of the stuff I use isn't available here as it is at home in the UK. What I don't understand and don't appreciate is the fact they have clearly decided to place a premium on Christmas deliveries. In the middle of a pandemic and subsequent lockdown when people aren't as able to get to the shops. Why would you think that's justifiable?

And NO - it doesn't result in faster delivery. If anything, delivery will be slower because of the volume. In fact - delivery has been much slower for obvious reasons. On the other hand? If people have withdrawn their business because of the cost rise, perhaps you'll get your wish and have quicker delivery? I doubt it though...

dan786

Looks like PM have lost a 1500 Euro parcel on me. I had two of the same items delivered to them at same time Thursday one of which was delivered to me. All parcels from yesterday and today have also been delivered. However the second parcel from Thursday is not even checked into my account.

Thankfully extended the liability to 1500 on Wednesday so they will have to pay it out.

One More Toy

dan786 wrote: »

Looks like PM have lost a 1500 Euro parcel on me. I had two of the same items delivered to them at same time Thursday one of which was delivered to me. All parcels from yesterday and today have also been delivered. However the second parcel from Thursday is not even checked into my account.

Thankfully extended the liability to 1500 on Wednesday so they will have to pay it out.

Good luck trying to get in touch with them. Nightmare

dan786

One More Toy wrote: »

Good luck trying to get in touch with them. Nightmare

I will get my money back for sure. I dont mind waiting. Its a busy period so dont expect them to get back to me straight away.

Doodah7

silver2020 wrote: »

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

On the contrary, Address Pal is my go to service for batteries over Parcel Motel et al. Always guaranteed delivery using AP for such items.

Nigzcurran

dan786 wrote: »

Looks like PM have lost a 1500 Euro parcel on me. I had two of the same items delivered to them at same time Thursday one of which was delivered to me. All parcels from yesterday and today have also been delivered. However the second parcel from Thursday is not even checked into my account.

Thankfully extended the liability to 1500 on Wednesday so they will have to pay it out.

Fair play for getting the extra insurance, this is vital on any expensive items

silver2020

coylemj wrote: »

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.

But many pubs do increase prices after 11pm, hotels increase prices at peak periods, restaurants don't offer "early bird" deals on weekends, airlines increase prices in summer etc etc etc

mgbgt1978

Hardly a fair analogy. Airline and hotel prices are based on demand vs supply.
Parcel Motel can quite easily cope with an increase in demand, and make more money at the same time.
An Aeroplane has a fixed number of seats and if there is a demand surge for a particular flight it makes sense for the airline to increase the ticket price.
Parcel Motel is an entirely different business model.
This increase is simply price gouging.
Parcel Wizard, here I come......

coylemj

silver2020 wrote: »

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.

They hire temporary staff and add 'popup' collection points to deal with extra capacity, it does not result in a faster service vs. the rest of the year. If anything, the quality of service disimproves significantly. I recall a few years ago in Nov/Dec trying to find my package in the dressing rooms in Kilmacud Crokes in Stillorgan, the place was chaotic.

The temporary staff (students in yellow vests) were so overwhelmed that they let the punters look for their packages. Which were scattered all over the place, on the benches and on the floor. I could easily have lifted a carton that was about the right size for an iPhone, taken it and come back the next day for my own package.

silver2020 wrote: »

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

Parcel Motel is operated by Nightline which in 2017 was taken over by UPS. If PM operated on 'wafer thin margins', the day after the takeover UPS would have either jacked up the prices or closed it down. They did neither.

ED E

Their scale increases during this period, economies of scale make things cheaper to run. Instead of sometimes dropping 5 packages sometimes 30 the drivers can be almost guaranteed to always have a full run.

If they weren't dopes they have implemented a rebate policy where if you collect your item in the first 6 hrs you get a small portion of the charge back. That way the motels wont overfill as much and won't see the massive backlogs they always do.

silver2020

coylemj wrote: »

T
Parcel Motel is operated by Nightline which in 2017 was taken over by UPS. If PM operated on 'wafer thin margins', the day after the takeover UPS would have either jacked up the prices or closed it down. They did neither.

UPS bought Nightline primarily for their B2B contracts especially the just in time pharmaceutical contracts that sees daily deliveries to dispensing pharmacies and hospitals nationwide, Parcel Motel was an afterthought, but was considered a nice add-on

ED E wrote: »

Their scale increases during this period, economies of scale make things cheaper to run. Instead of sometimes dropping 5 packages sometimes 30 the drivers can be almost guaranteed to always have a full run.

In many cases that is correct, but it can be turned upside down too. Late pubs are an example - they have to have more security on, pay staff more and probably deal with more unruliness and those extra costs outweigh the business uplift, hence a higher after 11pm price

Same with PM. They will need night and weekend staff who will demand a premium payment, thus costs are up. Each individual package needs handling - this final van journey is just one of many parts of the equation

If having to pay a few cent extra means a reasonable service in the Christmas peak, I'll take that.

If if means a few penny pinchers stop using the service, that's even better

coylemj

silver2020 wrote: »

UPS bought Nightline primarily for their B2B contracts especially the just in time pharmaceutical contracts that sees daily deliveries to dispensing pharmacies and hospitals nationwide, Parcel Motel was an afterthought, but was considered a nice add-on

That may be the case, it doesn't address my point which is that if PM was operating on 'wafer thin margins' as you claim then UPS would have either closed it down or jacked up the prices. You imply that PM is a 'nice add-on'. I don't think that's how a company like UPS sees it. It either delivers a return on investment (via a decent profit margin) or it gets shut down.

silver2020 wrote: »

In many cases that is correct, but it can be turned upside down too. Late pubs are an example - they have to have more security on, pay staff more and probably deal with more unruliness and those extra costs outweigh the business uplift, hence a higher after 11pm price

Same with PM. They will need night and weekend staff who will demand a premium payment, thus costs are up. Each individual package needs handling - this final van journey is just one of many parts of the equation

You cannot compare PM to a late-night pub. Very few people would collect from PM collection points in the early hours so there is no comparison.

A pub has a set customer capacity, they can jack up prices when demand exceeds supply. Lots of office parties means that restaurants can jack up their prices for evening dinner in December. PM doesn't operate to the same economic model.

MissShihTzu

silver2020 wrote: »

If having to pay a few cent extra means a reasonable service in the Christmas peak, I'll take that.

Sorry - As already pointed out earlier in the thread, it doesn't. Especially coming up to Christmas in the middle of a pandemic and lockdown. Last Christmas, there was anything up to a 4 day delay in getting my parcels in Cork. But I had already factored in the wait, so didn't mind. That was BEFORE the events of this year.

silver2020 wrote: »

If if means a few penny pinchers stop using the service, that's even better

It's BECAUSE of the penny pinchers (gougers) at PM/UPS, you will not be getting a better service. They are simply charging a premium and taking advantage of the fact there will be more online shopping at this time of the year. Of course, if you wish to pay more, that's your prerogative.

Personally, I see no reason to pay a premium when there won't be any noticeable uplift in the service I am paying for.