An Post Parcel Lockers (Like ParcelMotel)

bk · 21-05-2019 2:40pm #1

It looks like An Post are rolling out parcel lockers very similar to ParcelMotel. I saw one in front of my local sorting office today. Though not working yet.

https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/an-post-plans-nationwide-network-of-parcel-lockers-as-online-shopping-soars-37829944.html

I'm delighted to see An Post finally doing this. It was such an obvious move, I've been complaining about it for a long time!

I wonder how this will work. I hope it isn't just for AddressPal.

I hope it works like Deustche Post in Germany. In Germany, you don't even have to sign up to the service, DP will first try adn deliver the parcel to your home, if you aren't home, they leave a miss parcel slip in your letter box and then leave the parcel in your closest locker. You just take the missed slip to the locker and you can use that to open it, with no account, etc. needed. Great setup.

You can create an account if you want and you can even set it so they never try first delivering to your home, instead delivering to a locker of your choice. They have literally thousands of these lockers in rail stations, which are very popular as people can pick up their packages on the way home.

Imagine, Connolly, Hueston, Pearse, Tara, etc. full of lockers like these, would be fantastic and make life much easier for An Post.

These lockers could also be great for rural towns where post offices are being closed. They would help maintain a level of service to those villages.

I'm excited to see what they do with these lockers.

JTMan · 03-11-2019 10:07pm

Is there a list of locations of these lockers available? and instructions on how to get a parcel delivered to a locker? Thanks.

JohnC. · 03-11-2019 10:33pm

The article says they were only planning to contract the installation of lockers this month. Sounds like it will be another while before they are available.

JTMan · 04-11-2019 7:28am

The SBP reported on the lockers yesterday. I think they said that some of the lockers are already installed with more to come. Surprised that there is no reference to locations on the An Post website.

JeffK88 · 04-11-2019 9:38am

There is a set of lockers outside the post office in Newbridge Kildare. They were added after the refurbishment.

bk · 04-11-2019 12:44pm

Well the locker I mentioned above has been in place outside my local package delivery office since last May. And yes it looks to be working now, as in the touch screen is working, with options to collect and send parcels.

However there is no indication of how to use it on the An Post website. So I assume they are either trialling it with a limited number of customers (maybe staff) or waiting for all sites to be installed before rolling it out.

GerardKeating · 04-11-2019 12:48pm

JeffK88 wrote: »

There is a set of lockers outside the post office in Newbridge Kildare. They were added after the refurbishment.

Saw one in Galway yesterday, beside the old Bodkin Point restuarant.

TCP/IP · 05-11-2019 9:51pm

I looked to see how it works but could find nothing online.

bren2001 · 05-11-2019 9:54pm

There was one installed in DCU about 2 months ago. Nothing online about it nor does any information pop up when you play with the touch screen.

MrAbyss · 06-11-2019 11:38pm

AddressPal is a fantastic service by An Post. Delighted to see them going the next level.

bk · 02-12-2019 8:42pm

I just got to use the locker, worked very well.

If you are getting an order from Amazon via An Post, you normally get a text the day before the delivery telling you that a delivery will be coming tomorrow and giving you the option to redirect the delivery.

Well now this redirection includes an option to have it sent to a locker. I did that and it arrived in the locker as expected and I then got a text when it a PIN code, that I simply entered in the locker screen to pop it up.

All easy pesy and no need for AddressPal and no extra charges to use it, nice.

Separately though, there are areas I feel they could improve on. Coincidentally I was having major issues getting another package delivered from Amazon via An Post, but from the Dublin 12 Parcel Hub, rather then my local delivery office which are great. 4 days in a row they claimed they had attempted delivery, but no one called, rang and no missed delivery letter. Cue me having to call customer support three days in a row and spending hours on hold.

Thing is, originally I had gotten the same redirect option text, but once it goes out for delivery, you can't use that link anymore. Surely it would have been easier for everyone involved, if after the first missed delivery, you get another text giving you the option to have it delivered to the locker instead of them just trying over and over again.

In Germany, they first try delivering to your home, if that fails, then they just immediately put it in the closest locker the same day, much better system overall IMO. Hopefully AP eventually do something similar.

Also about those redirection texts and links, if you click it the day of delivery, it just says you can't redirect now. Fair enough, but why not also include a link to the tracking for the package on that page? I think people will naturally go to this page from their texts if they want to see what is happening with the delivery. Instead you have to painfully copy and past the tracking page into a new separate page to do tracking. Painfull customer experience and it would be so trivial to add it.

bk · 02-12-2019 8:50pm

I just logged into AdressPal to check if you could select a locker rather then a Post Office, no luck on that yet, still seems to be just the post offices for now.

And LOL, the Google Map they use for displaying post office locations has a big "For Development Use" written all over it :rolleyes:

JTMan · 03-12-2019 7:21pm

Do An Post have a webpage up on this?

ednwireland · 03-12-2019 7:26pm

bk wrote: »

And LOL, the Google Map they use for displaying post office locations has a big "For Development Use" written all over it :rolleyes:

that's because google completely changed the way they charge for their api which means for a site that could get a lot of hits you could expose yourself to massive costs which is why people havent switched to the latest APIs

bk · 03-12-2019 8:51pm

JTMan wrote: »

Do An Post have a webpage up on this?

No, not that I can find.

ednwireland wrote: »

that's because google completely changed the way they charge for their api which means for a site that could get a lot of hits you could expose yourself to massive costs which is why people havent switched to the latest APIs

I know, but it looks very unprofessional.

It doesn't seem to impact the page where you can rearrange delivery, so I'd assume they just haven't gotten around to updating the AddressPal page yet or forgot about it.

loyatemu · 04-12-2019 11:15am

my last few Amazon deliveries I've received a text offering the opportunity to divert the package to an alternative address/day, to a locker or to a "safe place" (just leave it under the hedge bud...)

unfortunately the nearest locker is in Sandyford, I assume they're still rolling them out.

bk · 09-12-2019 5:44pm

So I tried getting a second parcel sent to the locker last week and it turned into a bit of a disaster!

I redirected the parcel, but I got no text message after two days, I checked the tracking and it turned out that it had been in the locker since the day before. But since I got no text, I had no PIN to unlock the locker and get it out!

Fortunately one of the very nice guys in the parcel office was able to retrieve it from the parcel locker. He told me that there have been loads of issues with it and that parcels from Amazon weren't working properly with it. That the IT folks were working on it.

So it seems avoid it for now.

BTW There seems to be only 10 lockers in the whole country. 7 in the Dublin region, 5 inside the M50, non in Cork, etc. So it seems very early days for this. They will need a LOT more lockers then that.

Having said all this, I'm very glad they are doing this, I think it will be great service once issues are fixed, management options improved and more lockers rolled out.

MJohnston · 11-12-2019 12:51am

bk wrote: »

And LOL, the Google Map they use for displaying post office locations has a big "For Development Use" written all over it :rolleyes:

Twas the same deal with Dublin Bus for a good year or two until very very recently!

Question I have, and it's fairly much unanswerable at this point, is how Brexit is going to effect these cross-border systems.

Post-Brexit, we may have to start ordering from one of the Amazon EU sites, rather than the UK one, and I wish Amazon would be a bit more proactive about this.

batistuta9 · 11-12-2019 1:02am

Why would Amazon care where we buy from?
There no need to only use the UK one

Worthwhile checking the other localised sites if buying anything expensive anyway.

MJohnston · 11-12-2019 1:03am

batistuta9 wrote: »

Why would Amazon care where we buy from?
There no need to only use the UK one

There is, because your Prime benefits only apply to the UK site when ordering in Ireland.

un5byh7sqpd2x0 · 11-12-2019 1:06am

batistuta9 wrote: »

Why would Amazon care where we buy from?
There no need to only use the UK one

Worthwhile checking the other localised sites if buying anything expensive anyway.

Because if you order from the UK you'll have to pay import duties.

Darc19 · 11-12-2019 1:08am

A friend works in an post.
Expect hundreds of these lockers rolled out next year. Possibly also in a major supermarket chain.

batistuta9 · 11-12-2019 1:13am

MJohnston wrote: »

There is, because your Prime benefits only apply to the UK site when ordering in Ireland.

They'll probably just stop promising 2 day delivery to Ireland.

You can sign up for any prime though I think, got offered a free trial from .de on black Friday

batistuta9 · 11-12-2019 1:15am

Mohamed Noisy Collarbone wrote: »

Because if you order from the UK you'll have to pay import duties.

Amazon hardly care, you but now from the US & pay your duties

phoenix49 · 13-01-2020 2:31pm

Have an item delivered to a locker in Liffey Valley SC, does anyone know where exactly the lockers are? Can't seem to find any info on their website. Thanks!

plodder · 14-01-2020 9:44am

I got notified over the weekend of a delivery and decided to use this option. So, waiting to see what happens today now it's out for delivery. It's hard to find information about the service on the anpost website though*, which makes me wonder how solid it is. I've always had a concern that this type of service (incl. parcelmotel) would have problems at particularly busy times of the year. There's bound to be occasions when packages back up, waiting for spaces in the lockers to come available. They should have an option to collect at post offices/delivery centres during business hours and then have a number of lockers outside each of them. Post offices are the one advantage An Post has, and they don't seem to utilise them sufficiently imo.

* there's a link titled "Click and Collect" but it's dead ==> "Oops 404 We couldn't find the page you were looking for."

Darc19 · 14-01-2020 11:28am

plodder wrote: »

They should have an option to collect at post offices/delivery centres during business hours and then have a number of lockers outside each of them. Post offices are the one advantage An Post has, and they don't seem to utilise them sufficiently imo.
"

They do give you an option to collect at a post point (includes post offices)

They also announced a massive upgrade program for offices. The office in Newbridge has been upgraded and has a locker system outside.

New lidl in Kildare Town has a locker too.

bk · 14-01-2020 1:48pm

plodder, once it reaches the locker, you should get a text message say that it is in the locker and giving you a PIN code to unlock the locker. If you don't get a text in a day or two, double check the tracking, it should show where it is.

Dardania · 14-01-2020 1:57pm

MJohnston wrote: »

Twas the same deal with Dublin Bus for a good year or two until very very recently!

Question I have, and it's fairly much unanswerable at this point, is how Brexit is going to effect these cross-border systems.

Post-Brexit, we may have to start ordering from one of the Amazon EU sites, rather than the UK one, and I wish Amazon would be a bit more proactive about this.

Looks like Amazon want to setup shop in Ireland (which will benefit us all massively):

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/amazon-seeking-first-warehouse-in-ireland-to-fulfil-orders-shipped-from-uk-1.4120153

ED E · 14-01-2020 1:57pm

So to confirm there's no locker map at present?

bk · 14-01-2020 2:02pm

ED E wrote: »

So to confirm there's no locker map at present?

When you get a text from An Post saying that you have a package coming, it has a link that allows you to change the delivery location to a post office or one of these lockers. This link has a map for you to select from. However this link only works per user/one off basis, so no general map to lock at, that I can find anyway.

When I looked at the map before Christmas, there was 10 lockers in the country.

ED E · 14-01-2020 2:04pm

bk wrote: »

When you get a text from An Post saying that you have a package coming, it has a link that allows you to change the delivery location to a post office or one of these lockers. This link has a map for you to select from. However this link only works per user/one off basis, so no general map to lock at, that I can find anyway.

When I looked at the map before Christmas, there was 10 lockers in the country.

If I get that text for a Prime order that's pending I'll try and scrape whatever JSON it uses.

EDIT: it's a PM order, not this time.

p_haugh · 14-01-2020 2:21pm

plodder wrote: »

I got notified over the weekend of a delivery and decided to use this option. So, waiting to see what happens today now it's out for delivery. It's hard to find information about the service on the anpost website though*, which makes me wonder how solid it is. I've always had a concern that this type of service (incl. parcelmotel) would have problems at particularly busy times of the year. There's bound to be occasions when packages back up, waiting for spaces in the lockers to come available. They should have an option to collect at post offices/delivery centres during business hours and then have a number of lockers outside each of them. Post offices are the one advantage An Post has, and they don't seem to utilise them sufficiently imo.

* there's a link titled "Click and Collect" but it's dead ==> "Oops 404 We couldn't find the page you were looking for."

ParcelMotel does mention that in December, you could be waiting up to 48 hours for collection due to demand.
Also the past few years, for my local locker anyways, they have set up a temporary pickup point to help cope with demand in the local GAA club(Kilmacud Crokes) that has a lot more capacity than just a locker.

Wheety · 14-01-2020 2:30pm

phoenix49 wrote: »

Have an item delivered to a locker in Liffey Valley SC, does anyone know where exactly the lockers are? Can't seem to find any info on their website. Thanks!

They're just inside the door if you're walking in from Tesco. From inside the shopping centre it's the exit between Dunnes and Costa.

plodder · 14-01-2020 4:00pm

bk wrote: »

plodder, once it reaches the locker, you should get a text message say that it is in the locker and giving you a PIN code to unlock the locker. If you don't get a text in a day or two, double check the tracking, it should show where it is.

Strange. The tracking info says it's been delivered, but not to the place I requested, though that could be saying the message came from the DSU rather than where it was delivered to. It's not that clear. Haven't got a text with a locker PIN yet either. I might call out to the place it was supposed to be delivered to and see if they have it.

Update: looks like the package was delivered to home, unsigned for. The tracking info shows:

14 January 2020 10:54
Your item was delivered BALBRIGGAN D.S.U., CO DUBLIN
14 January 2020 05:53
We have received the addressee's request for a change of delivery BALBRIGGAN D.S.U., CO DUBLIN
14 January 2020 05:53
Your item is out for delivery BALBRIGGAN D.S.U., CO DUBLIN
12 January 2020 14:17
We are processing your item in DUBLIN PARCEL HUB, DUBLIN 12
12 January 2020 12:52
Change to delivery requested by customer PARCEL MANAGEMENT WEBSITE,
12 January 2020 10:44
Your item was accepted in DUBLIN PARCEL HUB, DUBLIN 12

So, they received my request for change of delivery, but decided against it

phoenix49 · 15-01-2020 11:17am

plodder wrote: »

So, they received my request for change of delivery, but decided against it

I had a similar story, they indicated that it was delivered to the original address (my office) even though I indicated that I want it to be delivered to a locker. However, they did not actually deliver to my office and later tracking showed it got delivered to a locker, two days later.

Anjunadeep · 23-01-2020 10:18am

How long do An Post leave the item in the locker for?

Since found out they leave it in the locker for 48 hrs

CatInABox · 23-01-2020 11:30am

They just added one at Lidl East Wall. First one I've seen, looks good.

nordydan · 23-01-2020 12:03pm

Looks like something similar being installed outside Lidl Shankill

dam099 · 24-01-2020 7:37pm

plodder wrote: »

Strange. The tracking info says it's been delivered, but not to the place I requested, though that could be saying the message came from the DSU rather than where it was delivered to. It's not that clear. Haven't got a text with a locker PIN yet either. I might call out to the place it was supposed to be delivered to and see if they have it.

Update: looks like the package was delivered to home, unsigned for. The tracking info shows:

So, they received my request for change of delivery, but decided against it

phoenix49 wrote: »

I had a similar story, they indicated that it was delivered to the original address (my office) even though I indicated that I want it to be delivered to a locker. However, they did not actually deliver to my office and later tracking showed it got delivered to a locker, two days later.

I also had some weird tracking details, listed as a failed delivery attempt on the day it was originally expected to my house and then it took another day to actually go into the locker.

Does the DSU bundle up the parcels for the home delivery routes? If they do the locker I chose is right beside the DSU so don't know why it took another day to walk it across to the locker.

BowWow · 26-01-2020 5:42pm

Lidl - East Wall.

ED E · 27-01-2020 7:32pm

This is an interesting one. Useful for the vertically challenged.

ED E · 27-01-2020 7:35pm

dam099 wrote: »

Does the DSU bundle up the parcels for the home delivery routes? If they do the locker I chose is right beside the DSU so don't know why it took another day to walk it across to the locker.

Parcels go from the parcel depots not the DU (unless theyre one and the same).

Alun · 27-01-2020 8:37pm

ED E wrote: »

This is an interesting one. Useful for the vertically challenged.

.. or more likely, people in wheelchairs?

ED E · 27-01-2020 8:44pm

Alun wrote: »

.. or more likely, people in wheelchairs?

If PM is anything to go on the bottom lockers would be wholly inaccessible to a wheelchair user.

Darc19 · 27-01-2020 9:22pm

ED E wrote: »

If PM is anything to go on the bottom lockers would be wholly inaccessible to a wheelchair user.

Have a look at the an post lockers - the lowest locker is about 50cm off the ground at the lowest level

JohnC. · 27-01-2020 9:41pm

Lower doesn't necessarily mean the absolute lowest.

L1011 · 28-01-2020 9:07am

Lidl seems to be a main location partner here as there's one in the Maynooth one also.

ED E · 28-01-2020 12:06pm

L1011 wrote: »

Lidl seems to be a main location partner here as there's one in the Maynooth one also.

API was awkward so I didn't dump it but some are colo with DUs, only benefit is they're 24hrs. Really the product will only succeed if they can get into the last mile.

Are there many lidls with a PM locker?

plodder · 28-01-2020 12:58pm

Personally, I think they need to sort out the service glitches before expanding the range of locations. They need to either commit to delivering to exactly the location requested, or else do it the Deutsche Post way and attempt a home delivery and then use the locker only as backup. I'd sometimes use PM and switch the delivery location to the other end of the country if that's where I'm going to be, which is a really handy service, but if you couldn't rely on it actually working, then it would be disastrous. But, this has the potential to be a great service ..

ED E · 28-01-2020 1:34pm

An Post mail carriers use a paper based inventory system, I hope the parcel division don't but it speaks to how the organisation works. Doesn't lend itself to dynamic routing.

Edit: looks like my locker request was ignored.

An Post Parcel Lockers (Like ParcelMotel)

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