Couriers

Arktik83

I've sent a fair few parcels with a few UK Domestic couriers and I've only really had a real problem with two:

DPD I have not had a singular problem with, When the company I buy the item from give it to the wrong courier I do but with DPD, both drivers have been as sound as a pound.  When dealing with a missing delivery they were very attentive and helpful too.

TNT?  Missed about two collections, despite a family member being in all day on the second attempted collection who they had the audacity to say they 100% tried to collect.  This is coming from a company who, when delivering an item said they driver has taken it back to the depot because he "ran out of time".  Unbelievable!  I understand the courier will only work the hours he's paid but the company should manage his schedule a lot better because they issue it to him in the morning!

Citylink?  I sent a flatscreen monitor to my sister in Newcastle, it was a cheap and cheerful monitor. They picked it up no problem, got it up to Newcastle in a decent time frame but when it arrived at my sisters doorstep it magically turned in to a set of tyres...Needless to say the tyres were sent back and the shipment promptly disappeared.  I was refunded £50 which wasn't really any skin off my back but bloody hell.  Blatant theft at their end methinks.

UPS & DHL are the ones I've never had a problem with.  I sent a parcel to Bratislava via UPS and they got it there completely safe and sound.  I've received parcels from Parcelforce and Hermes/Yodel etc and never had an issue but I wouldn't trust them to send parcels personally.

Sarge

I use MyHermes when a buyer is being an arse and scrimping on delivery etc and never had a problem, in fact the local driver (man in Picasso) is top notch, I answered the door to him one day in an Everton top and we were still there 20 mins later putting the world to rights.
To be fair all the couriers I've used,and thats most of them, have been absolutely fine, the problem is with sellers not packaging the item correctly, I bought a Washburn RS10v a few years back (think I've memntioned this before?) which arrived unboxed,a black binliner wrapped around the body and 2 pairs of baggy jeans(new) wrapped around the neck, not a scratch on it..!

freakboy1610

+1 for Ups. Never had a problem with them.

Flink_Poyd

There's always a discussion about couriers and the pot luck elements of using them.

If you want to send your guitar to the other end of the country for peanuts then it's going to be lumped in with everyone else's stuff, moved around, picked up, put down, stacked, restacked and moved again, etc etc. This goes without saying but pack it well and this still doesn't guarantee complete safety.

So how much would you be prepared to pay for a dedicated courier?

Richardj

I have moved a lot of guitars around by courier and not a single one of them has been damaged in transit. Obviously if they drive a truck over it it won't do well, but in a case, padded, double boxed with air pockets all around it should survive most of the courier processes. Usually it is a flaw in the packing that leads to damage. It takes thought and a bit of effort to do it right. Some people cannot be bothered with this. I would rather give the option of shipping as it opens up more of a market for what you are selling.

close2u

I may need to send some pa gear Which couriers definitely 100% insure for electricals?

Jeremiah

Be careful with TNT; they have in the past refused to let an item be signed for by anyone other than the person named on the address. While in some cases this can be a good thing, it meant I couldn't go to work and let a flatmate, family member etc stay in for the delivery, and also meant it couldn't be delivered to the mailroom at work.