AddressPal from Anpost. Similar to Parcel Motel and Parcel Wizard.

Dan Jaman · 14-04-2016 06:31PM

Well, after my missing parcel was found I've had another couple via the new system - without problem, delay or mishandling.
AP seem to have picked their game up and running well with it now.
The trick will be for a way of getting all senders to use that daft long code - or AP to shorten it significantly. It's absurd, when a simple ABCDE could give every head in Ireland a unique identifier twice over.

Lissavane · 14-04-2016 07:36PM

Dan Jaman wrote: »

Well, after my missing parcel was found I've had another couple via the new system - without problem, delay or mishandling.
AP seem to have picked their game up and running well with it now.
The trick will be for a way of getting all senders to use that daft long code - or AP to shorten it significantly. It's absurd, when a simple ABCDE could give every head in Ireland a unique identifier twice over.

That's very interesting. I don't recall hearing that suggestion for postcodes before. I'm not the best at maths but I checked on a calculator here http://stattrek.com/online-calculator/combinations-permutations.aspx and it seems a 5 letter code from alphabet of 26 would give 7,893,600 unique codes!

The current postcode system is typical of a solution designed by a committee. No interest group seems to be entirely happy with the outcome and for the ordinary Joe Soap, it's a cumbersome and meaningless palaver that they're simply refusing to use.

matchu · 15-04-2016 09:40AM

First time I used the service, there was a one month delay in getting my parcel from UK to Dublin. One email to AddressPal ignored, second one eventually answered. They are slow to respond to queries, giving a bland "we'll check it out and get back to you" answer.
I have a second parcel in the pipeline, was delivered to UK two weeks ago, but still no sign of it appearing in IRL yet. Email query about this has gone unanswered. The idea is great, if only it worked.............

2015LC1 · 18-04-2016 09:26PM

I ordered an item on Amazon and got the free prime trial meaning I could get it delivered the next evening. Anyway, I sent it to the AddressPal address and Amazon said ''customer wouldn't accept''. Just wondering what are the delivery times for AddressPal in the UK and do they accept deliveries than require a signature?

BoatMad · 18-04-2016 10:34PM

Lissavane wrote: »

That's very interesting. I don't recall hearing that suggestion for postcodes before. I'm not the best at maths but I checked on a calculator here http://stattrek.com/online-calculator/combinations-permutations.aspx and it seems a 5 letter code from alphabet of 26 would give 7,893,600 unique codes!

The current postcode system is typical of a solution designed by a committee. No interest group seems to be entirely happy with the outcome and for the ordinary Joe Soap, it's a cumbersome and meaningless palaver that they're simply refusing to use.

Eircode is being used everywhere , have you looked at revenues sites, paypal etc etc

interest group seems to be entirely happy with the outcome

sounds like they got it right then

Eircode isn't a solution for addresspal, as it cannot seperate two seperate account holders at the same address

ordinary Joe Soap, it's a cumbersome and meaningless palaver

I use it all the time as so several people I know

The_Conductor · 19-04-2016 11:46AM

Is Addresspal ok with delicate items.
I've purchased some antique Denby at an auction online and the shipping to a UK address is £20 versus £110 to an EU address. I'd save a fortune on shipping if I can use Addresspal. Weight is only 8Kg- so I'm well under the 20kg limit.

amdaley28 · 19-04-2016 12:06PM

The_Conductor wrote: »

Is Addresspal ok with delicate items.
I've purchased some antique Denby at an auction online and the shipping to a UK address is £20 versus £110 to an EU address. I'd save a fortune on shipping if I can use Addresspal. Weight is only 8Kg- so I'm well under the 20kg limit.

Isn't there a size limit as well over which would cost you another €25.
You could check out DPD Parcel Wizard.
https://www.dpdparcelwizard.ie/HomePage#/

Dan Jaman · 19-04-2016 02:26PM

The_Conductor wrote: »

Is Addresspal ok with delicate items.
I've purchased some antique Denby at an auction online and the shipping to a UK address is £20 versus £110 to an EU address. I'd save a fortune on shipping if I can use Addresspal. Weight is only 8Kg- so I'm well under the 20kg limit.

Like any other package handling system - if you saw the way they were treated en route, you'd hope they were well packed. AP don't really have all that much control over bumps and bangs and if you were to pay for guaranteed soft handling, it would cost a lot.

Tweej · 19-04-2016 02:32PM

Lissavane wrote: »

That's very interesting. I don't recall hearing that suggestion for postcodes before. I'm not the best at maths but I checked on a calculator here http://stattrek.com/online-calculator/combinations-permutations.aspx and it seems a 5 letter code from alphabet of 26 would give 7,893,600 unique codes!

Include the numbers 0 - 9 and that goes up to 60,466,176 unique codes.

danjo-xx · 19-04-2016 06:45PM

I need 6 lines but Amazon only have 2. Do I just squeeze everything onto the two lines. I can't see that printing out ok.

The_Conductor · 19-04-2016 07:41PM

danjo-xx wrote: »

I need 6 lines but Amazon only have 2. Do I just squeeze everything onto the two lines. I can't see that printing out ok.

Ebay do 3 lines- just ordered something this afternoon. The shipping confirmation- had the whole address squashed into 3 lines- and dropped my name (it did however have the whole AP code- so I should be fine).

They don't make these things easy.......

James Delaney · 20-04-2016 03:40AM

The_Conductor wrote: »

Is Addresspal ok with delicate items.
I've purchased some antique Denby at an auction online and the shipping to a UK address is £20 versus £110 to an EU address. I'd save a fortune on shipping if I can use Addresspal. Weight is only 8Kg- so I'm well under the 20kg limit.

***********
I don't think Insurance is inc. in APs tariffs.
Best Check.
Let me know how u get in.

James Delaney · 20-04-2016 03:45AM

Dan Jaman wrote: »

Like any other package handling system - if you saw the way they were treated en route, you'd hope they were well packed. AP don't really have all that much control over bumps and bangs and if you were to pay for guaranteed soft handling, it would cost a lot.

***********
Saw under-cover documentary on one of the biggest UK parcel delivery firms.
Packages cleared marked HANDLE WITH CARE / BREAKABLE - thrown around like a rugger ball & worse. Make sure yr packages are insured unless they are soft items.

James Delaney · 20-04-2016 03:48AM

Whats the Up 2 Date on AddressPals Service - Are Delays sorted yet ?

- Any1 have a 50" or 55" tv delivered through the UK with AddressPal ?

- What company did u buy from ?

- Amazon ?

Cabaal · 20-04-2016 02:57PM

Two delivery's and both perfect, local post office were surprised I had the ID card for the second delivery y and didn't really know what it was. Think my two delivery's have been the only two they've dealt with in fairness

20-04-2016 09:59PM

how long is it taking to get stuff from the Uk with this?

Dan Jaman · 20-04-2016 10:59PM

glasso wrote: »

how long is it taking to get stuff from the Uk with this?

So far (on the ones that haven't got lost and found again) about three days from reception at St Albans to my local P.O. I don't expect that will hold true every time though; a lot depends on how fortuitous the timing is, with the parcels catching the first available onward shipment by luck, more than anything else.

21-04-2016 06:31AM

Dan Jaman wrote: »

So far (on the ones that haven't got lost and found again) about three days from reception at St Albans to my local P.O. I don't expect that will hold true every time though; a lot depends on how fortuitous the timing is, with the parcels catching the first available onward shipment by luck, more than anything else.

cheers. have something that I expected to arrive to the centre in UK on Monday no word on it yet. Do you get a notification anywhere about it arriving in the UK centre - definitively would have expected that by now?
if it's "lost" what can you do?

kneemos · 21-04-2016 06:48AM

glasso wrote: »

cheers. have something that I expected to arrive to the centre in UK on Monday no word on it yet. Do you get a notification anywhere about it arriving in the UK centre - definitively would have expected that by now?
if it's "lost" what can you do?

Only notification you get is when it's ready for collection I think.
That about four days on average from what I've read here,so today or tomorrow it should be in your local PO.

21-04-2016 06:59AM

kneemos wrote: »

Only notification you get is when it's ready for collection I think.
That about four days on average from what I've read here,so today or tomorrow it should be in your local PO.

thanks. They should really provide information earlier like parcel motel and parcel wizard do (e.g. when they receive at depot etc). Information is soothing!

the only advantage for me is the UK mainland address.

The other services seem to be a lot quicker overall.

The_Conductor · 21-04-2016 07:02AM

Yes- I got notification of a parcel being signed for at 'Reception' by the UK courier on Tuesday- and logged onto the An Post website this morning- thinking at very least there would be some acknowledgement of receipt of the package on their website- or an indication of where it currently is- but nada......... A little information would be helpful- however- I guess we'd have to pay a premium as it would entail someone (or several someones) over there to be employed to input this data...........

Its a bit of a blind system- its a physical mail bounce- you can guess where your package is- however, its a random guess........

21-04-2016 07:07AM

The_Conductor wrote: »

Yes- I got notification of a parcel being signed for at 'Reception' by the UK courier on Tuesday- and logged onto the An Post website this morning- thinking at very least there would be some acknowledgement of receipt of the package on their website- or an indication of where it currently is- but nada......... A little information would be helpful- however- I guess we'd have to pay a premium as it would entail someone (or several someones) over there to be employed to input this data...........

Its a bit of a blind system- its a physical mail bounce- you can guess where your package is- however, its a random guess........

this sort of thing should be standard and automated these days with optical character recognition and use of barcode labels. that's what the other services use I imagine.

kneemos · 21-04-2016 07:18AM

The_Conductor wrote: »

Yes- I got notification of a parcel being signed for at 'Reception' by the UK courier on Tuesday- and logged onto the An Post website this morning- thinking at very least there would be some acknowledgement of receipt of the package on their website- or an indication of where it currently is- but nada......... A little information would be helpful- however- I guess we'd have to pay a premium as it would entail someone (or several someones) over there to be employed to input this data...........

Its a bit of a blind system- its a physical mail bounce- you can guess where your package is- however, its a random guess........

The stuff probably doesn't even get removed from their cages in fairness,off one truck onto another. It's all going to Ireland so there's no need for sorting.

The_Conductor · 21-04-2016 07:21AM

glasso wrote: »

this sort of thing should be standard and automated these days with optical character recognition and use of barcode labels. that's what the other services use I imagine.

I'm not sure OCR is anywhere near as accurate as you imagine it to be (speaking as someone who worked in tech support for an OCR company for a few years). In addition- barcode labels are all well and good- but may just involve someone having to sitdown with a parcel and try to figure its genesis- in order to register it..........

Its not as straight forward as you imagine

21-04-2016 07:22AM

kneemos wrote: »

The stuff probably doesn't even get removed from their cages in fairness,off one truck onto another. It's all going to Ireland so there's no need for sorting.

you're probably right. It still has to arrive at the merlin centre place though - no reason why it couldn't be imaged and id'd using the addresspal code there on the way in?

21-04-2016 07:26AM

The_Conductor wrote: »

I'm not sure OCR is anywhere near as accurate as you imagine it to be (speaking as someone who worked in tech support for an OCR company for a few years). In addition- barcode labels are all well and good- but may just involve someone having to sitdown with a parcel and try to figure its genesis- in order to register it..........

Its not as straight forward as you imagine

fair enough, but parcel motel and parcel wizard manage to do it. (even if I do accept that they are doing sorting there at their locations and an post are not).

The_Conductor · 21-04-2016 07:35AM

glasso wrote: »

fair enough, but parcel motel and parcel wizard manage to do it. (even if I do accept that they are doing sorting there at their locations and an post are not).

Its a case of are we willing to pay a couple of quid extra for the service- or not, really. Personally- if it was only 1-2 Euro extra- I'd pay it. This is something An Post don't really appear to have considered....... Its all well and good cutting frills from a service- but this is like Michael O'Leary selling you a flight to Lisbon for 50 quid- and telling you- there are no seat belts- you may be affected by turbulence- but thats the price you pay for a cheap flight ticket......... I don't think its good enough.

21-04-2016 08:02AM

The_Conductor wrote: »

Its a case of are we willing to pay a couple of quid extra for the service- or not, really. Personally- if it was only 1-2 Euro extra- I'd pay it. This is something An Post don't really appear to have considered....... Its all well and good cutting frills from a service- but this is like Michael O'Leary selling you a flight to Lisbon for 50 quid- and telling you- there are no seat belts- you may be affected by turbulence- but thats the price you pay for a cheap flight ticket......... I don't think its good enough.

parcel motel and parcel wizard don't cost 1 to 2 euro extra though. the difference is 50c for parcel motel afaik.

Ghost Train · 21-04-2016 05:45PM

Wanted to order something and get it delivered to home address in different county. So I order it with my AP details and then go about changing my post office preference. But it turns out when I changed post office it's like signing up again... New AP number and new AP card sent out by post, really not convenient that you cant easily choose where you want to collect. I image what I ordered going to turn up on the wrong side of the country. And I've 2 AP numbers... Not even sure if old one still works or not

Aisling71 · 21-04-2016 10:18PM

I placed my order on5th March. Royal mail tracking has shown delivery on 8th March in St Albans. Still no sign of my package, emailed them about it and was told that most parcels were arriving without AP account details and was asked for full details of package ie contents, Manufacturer and company shipped through. As all of this was in the original email I was left banging my head against a wall. Resent the details and got an email saying they will look into it, the package has been missing for 12 daysnow. I dont think the 1€ saving from parcel motel is worth it. Womt use them again.

AddressPal from Anpost. Similar to Parcel Motel and Parcel Wizard.

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