Parcel Motel Thread (post all related questions here)

finnan1

ABajaninCork wrote: »

You probably are. And your point is what exactly? I know what I'm seeing at the pumps. Petrol's gone up 4c in the past couple of weeks.

Next...

AFAIK most commercial vehicles run on diesel fuel not petrol, like your domestic car fella.
know the facts !

uck51js9zml2yt

If you top up by €35 before the end of August you get €4.50 bonus credit.

ABajaninCork

finnan1 wrote: »

AFAIK most commercial vehicles run on diesel fuel not petrol, like your domestic car fella.
know the facts !

I'm not sure what point you're making. Or why you're making a fuss about 45c. If you don't like it? Set up your own service with your fleet or don't use PM. I don't see an issue here.

finnan1

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I'm not sure what point you're making. Or why you're making a fuss about 45c. If you don't like it? Set up your own service with your fleet or don't use PM. I don't see an issue here.

PM is a clever idea and generally a reliable service, just cant see any justification in the current economic climate for what is almost a 13% increase in costs, thats my point !

Customer service seems slow and uninterested from my dealings with them
Rang them earlier within business hours and no reply, you can only tell it as it is !

podgeandrodge

finnan1 wrote: »

just cant see any justification in the current economic climate for what is almost a 13% increase in costs, thats my point !

This is a valid point. And it is in addition to the fact that Parcel Motel is known to have been a massive success for Nightline. So regardless of petrol costs the success of the model should have staved off a 13% increase.

The Parcel Motel email, announcing the increases stated:

Having kept the introductory prices for two years, we need to implement the new pricing structure due to ever changing operational costs. This will allow us to continue development of our service (e.g. Virtual UK address/Free returns with retail partners including Littlewoods Ireland and JD Sports) as well as add new Parcel Motel locations across the country.


Now that doesn't make much sense to me. "Ever changing operational costs", is blather, the virtual address is already there, and I certainly don't like paying 13% extra to subsidise "Free" deliveries for Littlewoods and JD customers - otherwise I'm simply subsidising their "free" service.

Yes, we all have a choice, and yes, I will continue to use the service, but a 13% increase is not justified, at least not by the vague rubbish in their email.

joeKel73

"podgeandrodge wrote: »

I certainly don't like paying 13% extra to subsidise "Free" deliveries for Littlewoods and JD customers - otherwise I'm simply subsidising their "free" service.

This.

elfy4eva

It's still worth it I guess, but I would hope they'll give customers who already had credit the difference in cost of delivery before they bring this in. eg. If i had 10.50 credit on the basis of 3 deliveries, they should credit a further 1.35 to make up the difference under new pricing.

Not really fair to sting people who've topped up based on deliveries wanted.

Kenjataimu

I'll stick to my usual routine for using parcel motel.

If they are cheaper I'll use them, if they are not I wont.


I have €7 credit left. I'll have to get the calculator out for the next time I top up to make sure I have a multiple of €3.95.


I have spent €100 with parcel motel since January 2013 receiving and sending parcels, it'll be interesting to see if they'll work out cheaper or not from now on.

firestarter51

its still good to use for companies or ebay sellers that wont ship to ireland

jameshayes

I posted this in the bargain alerts thread:

Bad form putting up the price. Especially considering it was probably slightly over priced to begin with.

Don't think I'll continue using it after this, I hate commercial greed.

/edit, just checked my account and since October 2012 I've spent just over €200 on this service..

Kenjataimu

firestarter51 wrote: »

its still good to use for companies or ebay sellers that wont ship to ireland

The extra increase brings the price of packages sent directly to ireland and the price of N.I. postage + PM charge a bit closer.

This change seems to me like PM are trying to squeeze extra cash out of its customers.
The main reason I use them is because postage is cheaper from the UK.
I hope they remain competitive.

firestarter51

i saved 400 euro buying items from asda and tesco using this service last week, they do international shipping but only small items
just use whatever is cheaper straight delivery or parcel motel, no point complaining
i have 40 transaction very happy with the customer care

firestarter51

Proco Jr. wrote: »

The extra increase brings the price of packages sent directly to ireland and the price of N.I. postage + PM charge a bit closer.

This change seems to me like PM are trying to squeeze extra cash out of its customers.
The main reason I use them is because postage is cheaper from the UK.
I hope they remain competitive.

not all people ship here
most sellers on ebay i use do free uk shipping

airboos

Haven't used it since my introductory freebies. Read somewhere that some of the bigger retailers were banning their NI postcodes as they didn't like the idea of PM effectively cutting off their rip off Ireland approach to postage and handling. Is this still going on? Always struck me that its something that could pose a real risk to their business model.

Kenjataimu

firestarter51 wrote: »

not all people ship here

I realise that.
I was talking about the places that do ship here.

It'll be interesting to see how it works out

dashcamdanny

Stopped using them since they moved the Sallins PM away. Was no longer handy. Now with the rate change, I doubt I will be using them again. Been stung by them in the past when I got two A5 envelopes sent by the same seller in the UK containing a ram chipin each. PM put them each in a separate lockers beside each other. Charging 7 euro. Wa*kers was the first word that came to mind.
No time for wankerism these days.

Just get stuff sent to the door or the AnPost sorting office instead .

odckdo

username123 wrote: »

Define "lost"? How long ago was it signed for?

It'd be dead easy for a logistics company to lose a parcel they sign for. They take delivery of 100s of parcels a day, some signed for, some not. They'd be arriving all morning from Royal Mail, couriers etc.. PM would have a big warehouse where Goods In is handled in one specific area. All the stuff that comes in has to be sorted, labelled, load planned and despatched. All the deliveries are different shapes and sizes. Mistakes get made, parcels fall under sorting desks, parcels get stuck on the label of another parcel, parcels end up on the wrong truck etc. Usually mistakes of this nature just end up causing delay because the parcel gets found later by someone.

Logistics is a tricky business prone to human error, and generally warehouse operatives are not treating it with the accuracy of brain surgery. It amazes me they don't lose more tbh!

pk10216 wrote: »

Ordered Moto g phone from tesco online to parcelmotel. Was delivered and signed for at their NI depo and is now lost !!! anyone else experience this ? I mean how can you loose a package that you have signed for?

(I see further down the thread pk10216 does get phone in the end.)

Parcel Motel have lost my Moto E phone from Tesco Direct too and are currently looking for it, atm.

Delivered from Tesco Direct and signed for last Friday morning in Belfast. I was initially told it was in the depot but now it seems it is lost.

Customer service are talking about initiating a claim tomorrow. It takes 2 weeks to process.

BofaDeezNuhtz

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Have you not noticed the cost of fuel alone creeping up?

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I know what I'm seeing at the pumps. Petrol's gone up 4c in the past couple of weeks.

Next...

Parcel Motel say they are raising it due to increasing costs since the 'Introductory' price they set 2 years ago.

In 2012 the Average Diesel price was €1.61
In 2014 the Average Diesel price is €1.47

Stop talking down to people because your talking out yer hole ffs!
Next backatcha :rolleyes:

Cushie Butterfield

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I'm not sure what point you're making. Or why you're making a fuss about 45c. If you don't like it? Set up your own service with your fleet or don't use PM. I don't see an issue here.

Fair enough if it's a casual user making purchases every now & then - 45c won't break the bank, but for people who use the service on a regular basis all these 45c add up. It mightn't be an issue for you, but it is a consumer issue none the less.

Stuxnet

I use PM very frequently, this is a kick in the teeth.
Nothing more then greed surely, PM is a booming booming profitable business Im sure....Ive kicked myself so many times I should of thought of it as an idea and went on dragons den. Its genius.

Was over priced to begin with, very disappointing move.

What % of customers use the "free" return feature, minuscule Id imagine. Rip off Republic, alive and well.

annie.t

Stuxnet wrote: »

I use PM very frequently, this is a kick in the teeth.
Nothing more then greed surely, PM is a booming booming profitable business Im sure....Ive kicked myself so many times I should of thought of it as an idea and went on dragons den. Its genius.

It's not their idea though. Same service in Poland is present for some years now.

Kenjataimu

dashcamdanny wrote: »

Stopped using them since they moved the Sallins PM away. Was no longer handy. Now with the rate change, I doubt I will be using them again. Been stung by them in the past when I got two A5 envelopes sent by the same seller in the UK containing a ram chipin each. PM put them each in a separate lockers beside each other. Charging 7 euro. Wa*kers was the first word that came to mind.
No time for wankerism these days.

Just get stuff sent to the door or the AnPost sorting office instead .

To be honest if I received two separate parcels from someone I'd expect Parcel Motel to charge me twice.
Happens a lot with Amazon, they'll send multiple separate packages rather than combining them .

ABajaninCork

Suzuki_TL1000R wrote: »

Parcel Motel say they are raising it due to increasing costs since the 'Introductory' price they set 2 years ago.

In 2012 the Average Diesel price was €1.61
In 2014 the Average Diesel price is €1.47

Stop talking down to people because your talking out yer hole ffs!
Next backatcha :rolleyes:

How long did it take you to think of that insightful reply? :rolleyes:
I feel sooo much better having read that...

username123

If only An Post allowed you to rent a PO box at a reasonable price yearly that could be accessed at any time of the day or night.

I think different people use PM differently. I don't really use it to avail of cheaper UK postage but because the sorting office isn't handy for me and I'm gone to work every day between 8am and 6pm so it's just not practical for me to get to it. I use PM regularly because of this, even if the parcel would cost the same to post to my house. This hike in price is going to hit me reasonably hard alright.

Plus, there's no special offer for those of use who don't prepay the account. The money just gets taken directly off my cc, I emailed about it but only if I prepay the account do I get the special offer. Smells like BS to me.

ABajaninCork

:P

Cushie Butterfield wrote: »

Fair enough if it's a casual user making purchases every now & then - 45c won't break the bank, but for people who use the service on a regular basis all these 45c add up. It mightn't be an issue for you, but it is a consumer issue none the less.

I agree with you. But I still think the 45c raise is better than paying the rip off charges retailers (including Amazon) charge to send here. If they bother at all. That's what PM are relying on. And to give less than a week's notice of a price hike is unreasonable.

And yes - you're right again. Rip off Ireland's alive and kicking!

Furp

I'm disappointed in this increase too, the only way they may reconsider is to complain, or get onto on twitter, I think the service is great and the primary reason I use it is the convenience of collecting a parcel any time day or night, rather than having the take time off and chase down my local sorting office that is only open certain hours and is a pain to get to.

I also find PM faster sending to NI then onto me rather than an post, it would actually be interesting to compare order two items that are the same send one to PM NI and the other Normal mail and see which one arrives first I suspect the PM one.

Any time Parcels are sent to me via an post they seem to take ages to get from Dublin to Navan, heck even bills I receive seem to arrive a week after the issue date.

foggy_lad

They have recently included more retailers in their returns and delivery services and it looks like their bread & butter customers are being milked to sweeten the deals offered to the likes of littlewoods JD Sports etc and also to subsidise people sending parcels to the UK or to other parcel motel users.

Only used it once myself and it was easy to use but can't see myself paying €4 for delivery to a local garage when most online retailers will deliver to your door for a few euro more.

username123

It baffles me that An Post cannot see the opportunity to make easy money by providing 24/7 accessible PO boxes to individuals at a reasonable yearly cost. They already have all the logistics in place.

PeterDuggan

PM's increase doesn't just affect your future use of the service. It devalues credit you previously ordered and paid for in good faith.

Those of us who received free or complimentary "stays" - don't forget to ask that your PM credit be increased according to the increased value PM are now assigning to stays. That's only fair. PM might not like it but you were given stays - not a fixed amount of credit.

Those of you who "topped up" your account - it might be worth asking to see how PM will respond. I suspect though that they have screwed you and there's probably nothing you can do about it.

franer1970

Landon Attractive Trigonometry wrote: »

If you top up by €35 before the end of August you get €4.50 bonus credit.

So if I was to top up by €105 I'd get a bonus of €13.50, meaning I'd effectively get my next 30 deliveries for the old price of €3.50 - correct?

30 would last about a year for me - is there any expiration date on top ups? Don't want to be throwing money away here.