Parcelforce

...company recommended by e-Bay was Parcelforce Worldwide, and on comparing their services, simple booking system and prices with those of a couple of other companies, I decided that Parcelforce Worldwide would be my choice.

***A Little Background Information On Parcelforce Worldwide***
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As part of the Royal Mail Group, Parcelforce Worldwide was formed a little over fourteen ...
...courier services in the UK, Parcelforce Worldwide were the proud recipients of the Healthy Workplaces Award in 2006.

***Need To Send A Parcel?***
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Sending a parcel could not be easier, especially when everything can be done online from the comfort of your own home or office. You simply enter Parcelforce Worldwide’s website (address at the end of this review) and all the instructions are right ... more

Over the past couple of years, I have been a registered member of that elite little website (noooo, not that one!) called....e-Bay! Up until now, I have purchased a few odds and ends, and more recently, have been selling a few small items, mainly some of my son’s outgrown clothes, toys etc. Last week, however, I decided to bite the bullet and sell something big – and heavy! Basically, my son is now too old for his playpen – even if he could not manage to open the gate, he could certainly climb over the top – so I thought my best option would be to offer it for sale on e-Bay. However, unlike all the other items I had sold, this would prove a little more difficult than just wrapping it in brown paper, trotting off down to the post office, popping it on the scales and asking ‘how much to send this first class please?’

I needed a courier. And I needed one fast! I had a few companies in mind who I knew were reliable as I had previously used them for deliveries through work. However, the company recommended by e-Bay was Parcelforce Worldwide, and on comparing their services, simple booking system and prices with those of a couple of other companies, I decided that Parcelforce Worldwide would be my choice.

***A Little Background Information On Parcelforce Worldwide***
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As part of the Royal Mail Group, Parcelforce Worldwide was formed a little over fourteen years ago to accommodate businesses requiring a fast and efficient courier service, both internationally and throughout the UK. To help ensure a fast and efficient service to its customers, the company operate a hub and spoke system for collections and deliveries which enables the sender to track their parcel as it makes its way to its final destination. The recipient can also track the parcel, provided of course the sender informs them of the allotted tracker number.

As one of the top five courier services in the UK, Parcelforce Worldwide were the proud recipients of the Healthy Workplaces Award in 2006.

***Need To Send A Parcel?***

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Sending a parcel could not be easier, especially when everything can be done online from the comfort of your own home or office. You simply enter Parcelforce Worldwide’s website (address at the end of this review) and all the instructions are right in front of you. There is no need to register and the site is very easy to navigate.

Before you begin to complete the online details which will enable your parcel to be collected, I would recommend you weigh it first in order that you can check the postage fees. Once you know the weight of your parcel, you are ready to proceed.

(1)Your first step is to select the ‘sending’ option from the website’s homepage.

(2)This will then take you onto the next page with three options: ‘Parcel to Send?’ ‘More Info’ and ‘Need a Price?’ Simply select the ‘Parcel to Send?’ option by clicking on the highlighted ‘Send Now>>>’

(3)This then takes you to the section where you need to select how to pay. At least they get the painful part over with at the beginning! All credit/debit cards are accepted, but you also have the option of using a Franking Meter or paying from your account, if you are registered member. Parcelforce Worldwide recommend you register to become an account holder if you are likely to use the service on a regular basis. For one-off transactions, I would say it is easier to use a debit/credit card. You will find that when you tick your chosen payment box, your choice will not be accepted unless you have opened up the Terms and Conditions section. You are basically confirming that you have read and understand these terms and conditions.

(4)Onto the next page and you have five small sections to complete. Firstly, you are asked to confirm whether you wish to print the address label yourself, or whether you would prefer the driver to bring the label with him. I found it easy to print my own labels as the only requirement is a printer and a piece of A4 paper. Address labels are eventually placed in a clear plastic wallet, provided by the driver, and attached to the front of the parcels, so there is no need for sticky backed labels. The next field to complete is the number of parcels you are sending, and then you need to insert the total weight of the parcel(s). You are then asked to insert your promotional code if you have one. I have no knowledge of where you would acquire a promotional code as I didn’t’ have one. The final field to complete on this page is an option to send your parcel carbon free. This is basically your chance to do your bit for the environment where you donate 5p for domestic deliveries (10p for international deliveries).

(5)The next page is basically the ‘address page’ where you simply insert your own address as the sender, together with the address of the recipient. Contact numbers are also required for both sender and recipient. You also need to instruct Parcelforce Worldwide of the date you wish the parcel to be collected, together with a time period. I opted for any time between 13.00 to 17.30 which was acceptable to them, however I am unable to comment on whether shorter time periods (say a slot of two hours or so) would be as straight forward, though all time options are available on the site. I assume if certain times are booked up, this will be confirmed to you and you may need to re-select a slot.

(6) If you opted to pay by credit/debit card at the beginning of the process, the next page is a secure page where you complete your card details. You are also sent an e-mail confirming that the fees have been debited from your account.

(7)Last but not least, if you chose the option to print your own labels, the final page brings up an Adobe document which consist of two sections: the first section is the name and address of the recipient; the second section is basically your receipt. I will explain more about this in the ‘My Experience’ section of the review.

So there you have it. A simple, no-frills way of arranging parcels to be sent both nationally and internationally.

***Track Your Parcel***
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In my opinion, this really is a useful option which is available to you and I used it throughout the transaction. Each step of your parcels’ journey is recorded. Simply select the homepage of Parcelforce Worldwide’s website and at the top of the page you will see the option to ‘Track your Parcel’. Once you have completed your initial online request for collection of the parcel, you are allocated a Tracking Number which you enter into the field. Up pops the details of which service you have requested (24 hours, 48 hours, overseas etc.), together with confirmation that the transaction is in progress. Also noted is the date your parcel will be delivered to the recipient. For further details, select ‘Tracking Details’ off this page and you are taken to a step by step account of where your parcel has been, for example, what date and time it was collected from you, when it reached the local depot, when it was on route to the hub etc.) No more wondering if the parcel will eventually reach its destination!

***Delivery Options for UK Deliveries***
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There are six options for parcel deliveries within the UK: Next Day AM Delivery (where you can choose to have your parcel delivered either before 9.00am, before 10.00am or before noon); Next Day Delivery where your parcel is delivered the following day, but with no guarantee of time; 2 Day Delivery which is exactly what it says, but only includes working days; UK Pallet Delivery which covers either the next working day, 2 working days or 3 working days depending on the destination; ServiceMaster which allows recipients to collect the parcel themselves from any depot from 8.00am onwards, and finally, Same Day Delivery, but in order to take advantage of this, you need to open a Parcelforce Worldwide Account and Same-Day Contract.

***Delivery Options for Overseas Deliveries***
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For overseas deliveries, again, you have six delivery options: Express Delivery where parcels are delivered worldwide from the next working day; Scheduled Delivery where parcels are delivered worldwide from 2 working days; Economy Service where the sender has no guarantee of the time it takes the parcel to reach the recipient; International Pallet Delivery which usually takes between 2 and 5 days; International Breakbulk Delivery which basically goes by pallet together with other parcels going to the same destination, and finally, HM Forces which is self explanatory – in this instance, the parcels can only be tracked up to the point where they leave the UK.

***Restrictions On Goods***
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Like all other credible courier services, Parcelforce Worldwide do have various restrictions on items they will carry. These are the usual items such as dangerous goods, including explosives, flammable liquids and solids, radioactive materials and ammunition. Other obvious items include drugs, obscene articles, alcohol, batteries and Christmas crackers. A full list of restricted items is available on Parcelforce Worldwide’s website.

***How Do Prices Compare With Other Courier Services?***
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As I mentioned earlier, I had never personally used the services of Parcelforce Worldwide before so needed to compare prices with some of the other couriers before I made my final choice. To give a general idea on price comparison, here are some of the basic services provided by three of the larger courier companies:-

PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE
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(parcel weighing 5kg)

Parcelforce Worldwide 24hr = £18.99
Parcelforce Worldwide 48hr = £14.99
Parcelforce Worldwide by noon = £19.99

(parcel weighing 15 kg)

Parcelforce Worldwide 24hr = £24.49
Parcelforce Worldwide 48hr = £18.99
Parcelforce Worldwide by noon = £27.99

DHL
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(parcel weighing 5kg)

1-2 day delivery schedule = £22.00

(parcel weighing 15kg)

1-2 day delivery = £30.00

LYNX
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(parcel weighing up to 10kg)

Next working day = £14.00 plus £0.55 per additional kg
Next working day before noon = £19.95 plus £0.60 per additional kg
2/3 working days = £13.00 plus £0.46 per additional kg

***My Experience Of Parcelforce Worldwide***
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My experience of Parcelforce Worldwide could not have been more straight forward. I completed all the relevant details in the ‘Sending’ section of the website and printed off my address labels and receipt. I immediately received an e-mail from Parcelforce Worldwide confirming my transaction, together with an e-mail confirmation that the funds had been debited from my credit card account. I was then instructed to retain the address label and receipt but NOT attach the address label to the parcel as the driver would bring a clear plastic wallet with him when he called to collect it. The receipt itself was very clearly set out with the Tracker Number noted at the top of the page, just above the section where the driver would complete the collection date and time, the number of parcels he was taking, and his signature. There was also a contact number if I needed to cancel the collection. The rest of the receipt was basically confirmation of the order details, i.e. collection date, collection address, delivery address, delivery option (48 hours in this case) and the weight of the parcel.

I completed my online order on the Thursday and had requested that the parcel be collected between 13.00 and 17.30 on the Friday. I found it particularly helpful having the option of selecting the time of day, as we all know there is nothing worse than having to wait in all day for someone to call, only for them to turn up at the end of the afternoon when you are making the tea!! I don’t need to say how impressed I was when, at 15.30, the doorbell rang and there was Mr Parcelforce asking if I had an item for collection. He took the paperwork from me and duly signed the receipt. As promised, he had brought with him the plastic wallet for the address label and dealt with this himself. He then took the parcel and all my work was done.

Later in the evening, I checked on Parcelforce Worldwide’s website to track the parcel and it had already been logged as being collected from the sender, and was currently at the depot. The following morning, I checked again (this was a bit of a novelty factor for me as you can probably tell!) By now, it was on route to the hub. To be honest, the novelty had worn off by the Saturday evening so I haven’t checked what happened to it after that, but needless to say, it arrived at its destination on the Tuesday – exactly 2 working days following collection from me.

All in all, this was a very simple way of sending a larger item that could not possibly have gone from my local post office, and which was dealt with in an extremely fast and efficient manner.

***Contact Details***
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Parcelforce Worldwide
Principal Office
Solaris Court
Davy Avenue
Knowlhill
Milton Keynes
MK5 8PP

Website Address: www.parcelforce.com

Tel. (Customer Services) 08708 501150

***Finally, Would I Recommend?***
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Absolutely. As one would expect, it is a little pricey sending such large parcels even within the UK, not to mention internationally, but as can be seen from the price comparisons earlier in the review, Parcelforce Worldwide is fairly competitive and you do get your money’s worth insofar as the service you receive, reliability and peace of mind that your parcel will reach its destination intact. In this day and age, it makes quite a refreshing change to be able to put your trust in a company who puts its customers’ needs first. As I mentioned earlier, I found the process of arranging collection of my parcel to be very straight forward and quick, and I would imagine even the many technophobes out there with the one finger keyboard skills would have no problems in arranging a delivery through Parcelforce Worldwide.

Thank you for reading. 

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