Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: powerslinky on 26 May 2015, 15:04:51

Title: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: powerslinky on 26 May 2015, 15:04:51
Just been to PO to get a couple of parcels priced .

Just an air suspension pump wrapped in cardboard etc.     cheapest way from Royal Fail £12.98    :o :o :o :o :o

And same price for well wrapped CDC2006 HU   :o :o :o :o

Been a while since i posted any parcels but crikey I thought that was a bit steep :-\ :-\ :-\
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: Terbs on 26 May 2015, 15:07:29
Not overly sure on this Al.....but I thought my lad sent stuff through Parcel Force....they picked it up and it cost a tenner :-\
Global value cheapest.....but 4 day delivery
http://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-advice/download-our-uk-prices
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: Diamond Black Geezer on 26 May 2015, 15:14:30
Companies like Collect plus are doing the same/superior service for about half the cost. If you go on parceltogo you register, and then get your first parcel sent for free! Worth saving that one up for when you have a pair of front shocks to move, or something else fairly unwieldy. Also Collectplus you get an almost hour-by-hour tracking service. So instead of knowing that your parcel will be here 'today or tomorrow, probably' you know that the van was just over an hour away, about an hour ago, etc.. Used them many times myself, never had issue.  :)
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: Diamond Black Geezer on 26 May 2015, 15:21:05
Oh, and in my experience, the PO are buggers for me going in, saying I need this sending, cheap as poss, how much please. They weigh, give a price, when I stand a bit exasperated or debating, they then turn round and say something like 'oh, unless you'd like it to go 2nd class?' or similar - well, yes!!! Hence 'cheap as poss' 'ohh, well, that will be blah blah price then'

Also worth knowing a few bits like you're covered up to £35 (I think) under a normal stamp - well let's say you have something that's worth £36. When asked the value of the contents you blindly say 'it's worth £36, yes" "Ohh, well, you best have it insured, then, sir" "Oh, had I? Oh, thank you fine Post Office Employee" you are taking a gamble - but  don't bother paying the extra lump (and it will be a fair whack) for having it insured. Ok, so it may get lost - but if it does you'd be a £1 down only - and there's 99.9% probability it won't. You can save a fair bit doing that every week.

 :)

Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: deviator on 26 May 2015, 15:21:56
I've had nothing but problems with 'Parcels2Go Missing'. They lost a set of G cams I posted out. So I sent the second set I had out, the first set turns up 6 weeks later. I get them back thanks to honest buyer. Get them home, one of the lobes was chipped. Brilliant.

I now use UPS through www.interparcel.com I drop the parcel off at any number of shops I happen to be passing that day.

Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: powerslinky on 26 May 2015, 15:26:16
From 5 - 10 kg with hermes £7.28  dropped by me at the shop 250 yards away   ;)

2-5 Kg     £4 odd . . . gotta get my scales out ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: Diamond Black Geezer on 26 May 2015, 15:27:11
Ahh, should clarify - parceltogo are a sort of umbrella site, of various courier and postage services. By any chance was it via MyHermes or Yodel? They're legendarily bad.

Anyone remember this story?

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world-war-1/540888/Tower-of-London-poppy-Yodel-courier-throws-parcel-Twitter-broken-damaged (http://www.express.co.uk/news/world-war-1/540888/Tower-of-London-poppy-Yodel-courier-throws-parcel-Twitter-broken-damaged)
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: humbucker on 26 May 2015, 15:36:19
I wouldn't bother going to the Post Office for deliveries tbh. It has become a very expensive way of sending parcels. 99.9% of the time I use http://www.interparcel.com (http://www.interparcel.com) to get Hermes or UPS to collect. Insured, trackable deliveries for peanuts, and you don't need to leave the house. Hoorah!
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: Diamond Black Geezer on 26 May 2015, 15:37:39
Final tip - none of the courier people take the weights particularly seriously and there isn't the forensic checking like the Royal Mail do. (they've now clamped down on people re-using stamps  :o oooh, that must have put the mockers on all four of the OAPs who reuse the odd stamp, thus saving the Post Office possibly as much as £5 a year. Stingy sods!)

Anyway, I digress, so if your parcel is 6kg, you''ll easily get away with it in the <5kg category. is what I'm saying, and so on.
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: deviator on 26 May 2015, 15:42:45
If the parcel is light, then PO isn't that bad. I sent a HDD away at the weekend, cost £4.41 I think for signed for.
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: humbucker on 26 May 2015, 16:55:08
In my experience, couriers are concerned with overall size (rather than weight). After all, they need to ensure that all the boxes fit in the van!
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 26 May 2015, 17:05:54
I would agree with the above. Post office are pricing themselves into oblivion (hopefully), Parcel2go have the worst customer service in the known universe. Interparcel are the best option.  :y
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: tunnie on 26 May 2015, 18:49:08
I was surprised at the low cost recently, I just sold some Sony LTX 400g backup server tapes. I had a box of 5 of them, wrapped up not that light. But only £2.80 to post.

Guess it's size that is the issue?
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: TheBoy on 26 May 2015, 18:52:35
I was surprised at the low cost recently, I just sold some Sony LTX 400g backup server tapes. I had a box of 5 of them, wrapped up not that light. But only £2.80 to post.

Guess it's size that is the issue?
Nicked from Rupert :o ;)

If you get any more, feel free to donate to OOF, as long as they haven't had too many writes. Existing tapes are getting towards end of service life :(
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: tunnie on 26 May 2015, 18:56:03
I was surprised at the low cost recently, I just sold some Sony LTX 400g backup server tapes. I had a box of 5 of them, wrapped up not that light. But only £2.80 to post.

Guess it's size that is the issue?
Nicked from Rupert :o ;)

If you get any more, feel free to donate to OOF, as long as they haven't had too many writes. Existing tapes are getting towards end of service life :(

Actually from my previous job. Been sitting in a box for about 3 years, only just found them.

I thought I did offer them once, but they were the wrong type?

They were brand new as well  :(
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: tunnie on 26 May 2015, 18:56:32
I've got a shed load of old ram too, if you want it  ;D
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: TheBoy on 26 May 2015, 19:00:07
I was surprised at the low cost recently, I just sold some Sony LTX 400g backup server tapes. I had a box of 5 of them, wrapped up not that light. But only £2.80 to post.

Guess it's size that is the issue?
Nicked from Rupert :o ;)

If you get any more, feel free to donate to OOF, as long as they haven't had too many writes. Existing tapes are getting towards end of service life :(

Actually from my previous job. Been sitting in a box for about 3 years, only just found them.

I thought I did offer them once, but they were the wrong type?

They were brand new as well  :(
400g sounds like LTO3, which is what is used here.  Maybe I should upgrade to newer technology, but decent drives are £1500, and tapes £30 a pop :(
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: tunnie on 26 May 2015, 19:02:32
This was them....

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/803897/Sale%20Items/Tapes/2015-05-20%2018.38.51.jpg (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/803897/Sale%20Items/Tapes/2015-05-20%2018.38.51.jpg)
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: TheBoy on 26 May 2015, 19:03:41
This was them....

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/803897/Sale%20Items/Tapes/2015-05-20%2018.38.51.jpg (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/803897/Sale%20Items/Tapes/2015-05-20%2018.38.51.jpg)
Bugger. Would have been ideal.
Title: Re: Postage costs . . shocked !
Post by: tunnie on 26 May 2015, 19:06:20
I'll have another look through the box of 'stuff' that made it's way into my possession.

Don't think I have any more  :(