AddressPal & Lockers - An Post's Parcel Service SEE MOD WARNING FIRST POST

loughrey2887

I have an item coming from the US and the tracking information is stuck on "ITEM DESPATCHED FROM NEW JERSEY" since the 10th October. Is that generally how it works with the US tracking as they give an An Post tracking number rather than a USPS one? I was led to believe you could track it all the way to Ireland but I haven't a clue where it is now for the last 7 days or if it has left New Jersey at all.

Dan Jaman

loughrey2887 wrote: »

That's probably because for home delivery they allow a length of 150cm but with post office delivery it's 72cm. Any overweight items I'd definitely go with Parcel Motel though as their oversized charges are a lot less than the Addresspal penalty.

For items I know will be over-sized I now go with DPD Parcel Wizard, as they will carry almost any size at no extra cost, the only limit is 20kg afair.
On their site the limit is 40 x 40 x 60cm, but a few things I've had have been over that in length, and the driver confirmed to me that size isn't really an issue, just the weight.

loughrey2887

Have to say I had a very positive experience with the USA Addresspal for my first time. It only took 5 working days to arrive in Ireland from the date the item landed in their New Jersey warehouse. They contacted me for the value of the item and added it correctly on the form. It somehow avoided customs even though I was expected to pay at least 30 bucks. Just 16 Euros for 5-day shipping to Ireland is a great deal and I saved 150 euros on the item compared to how much it is here. Some people claim to have horror stories about Polar Express but I have to say my experience has been a positive one. Seems An Post have chosen a professional company to handle our parcels.

Rd96

SNIP - User warned. Read Mod instruction as per thread title.

crasy dash

<SNIP> User warned. Read Mod instruction as per thread title.

Cork Boy 53

Is anyone having any issues with AP on late deliveries to post offices since the storm last week? A parcel was delivered to St Albans on the 13th October, which didn't arrive at my local PO until the 20th October. Also I am now waiting on another parcel which is showing as being delivered to St Albans on 16th October and still no sign of it arriving at the PO.

Doltanian

Yes I think it definitely had an effect on them as I had an item last week which arrived 10 days after being posted in the UK but I don't know when it was delivered (not tracked) to St. Albans, however I had a tracked item delivered on Thursday to St. Albans and it was in my local PO Monday morning.

I suppose ferries were cancelled for two to three days and then there was Storm Brian also but ferry cancellations would effect the other transhippers too like Parcel Motel and Wizard.

I recently ordered an item to Parcel Wizard and DPD UK were the courier and the Address was Newtownabbey, Antrim, Ireland and it looks like it came into Dublin first before being shipped to Newtownabbey and then back down to Dublin and onwards to me in Kerry by DPD Parcel Wizard.

LionelNashe

I've just ordered 6 second hand books from a US seller who would have charged €90 to ship to Ireland but is able to ship to the UK for €21. I presume they must have a container going over every couple of weeks or something. It's my first time using Address Pal - keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully they don't send 6 different packages costing me 6 Address Pal fees as well, but that wouldn't be the worst outcome.

Blitz17

How long usually does it take from the day it's signed for in St Albans to my post office ?

I just signed up and tried it so just wondering.

Dan Jaman

Blitz17 wrote: »

How long usually does it take from the day it's signed for in St Albans to my post office ?

I just signed up and tried it so just wondering.

Two to four days, depending on luck, ie, where it lands in relation to the next shipment out, whether it just misses a truck to x y or z, etc.

Blitz17

Dan Jaman wrote: »

Blitz17 wrote: »

How long usually does it take from the day it's signed for in St Albans to my post office ?

I just signed up and tried it so just wondering.

Two to four days, depending on luck, ie, where it lands in relation to the next shipment out, whether it just misses a truck to x y or z, etc.

And I don't get any sort of notification yolk ins actually in the post office to collect it ?

gipi

Blitz17 wrote: »

And I don't get any sort of notification yolk ins actually in the post office to collect it ?

You will get an email and a text when your parcel is ready for collection. You have 5 working days to collect.

fox0512

loughrey2887 wrote: »

I have an item coming from the US and the tracking information is stuck on "ITEM DESPATCHED FROM NEW JERSEY" since the 10th October. Is that generally how it works with the US tracking as they give an An Post tracking number rather than a USPS one? I was led to believe you could track it all the way to Ireland but I haven't a clue where it is now for the last 7 days or if it has left New Jersey at all.

Im in the same boat...Ive used them 6 times now with one problem after another... Item was received at their US address and thats all i know...as for customer service! what a laugh, getting no info back...Ive changed to MyUS.com US shipping...Uk shipping seems to be ok, as for getting stuff through NJ forget about it....Christ knows what going on over there and whos working for An Post for re directing...

ED E

Ordered a time sensitive deal from the US, only now noticed that the US is home delivery only at great expense (and likely to end up in the delivery unit anyways).

Geuze

They should sent a notification when the packages arrive at:

Air Business
4 The Merlin Centre
Acrewood Way, Herts AL4 0JY
United Kingdom

Amazon tell me that my packages arrived there on Monday, but since that I'm in the dark.

Doltanian

Geuze wrote: »

They should sent a notification when the packages arrive at:

Air Business
4 The Merlin Centre
Acrewood Way, Herts AL4 0JY
United Kingdom

Amazon tell me that my packages arrived there on Monday, but since that I'm in the dark.

I imagine everything is bundled together and shipped to Ireland for sorting. Doesn't the Parcel Motel stuff get bulk shipped from Antrim to Dublin for sorting and distribution.

ED E

Doltanian wrote: »

Doesn't the Parcel Motel stuff get bulk shipped from Antrim to Dublin for sorting and distribution.

They do.

dancingqueen

Geuze wrote: »

They should sent a notification when the packages arrive at:

Air Business
4 The Merlin Centre
Acrewood Way, Herts AL4 0JY
United Kingdom

Amazon tell me that my packages arrived there on Monday, but since that I'm in the dark.

Same happened to me and I had to wait 10 days before it was available to pick up at the PO. I'm not using the service anymore. Don't trust it!

Agent_47

Had a pair of sunglasses delivered but it was obvious the package was stood on, lucky for me the case and glasses were undamaged but would be reluctant to use the service again until security and handling improve.
Would have been quite an issue to claim off An Post for damage with the paltry €40 claims insurance. Parcel Motel also have their issues and given this time of year I am not buying online for thieves to enjoy my purchases

konline

Looks like there's a lot of delay by AddressPal. I ordered my first item and it got delivered on 2nd of Nov but still no text msg or email from Anpost here. So it's not here in Ireland yet even after 4 working days. Does anyone know how long it will take?
Thanks.

Geuze

Geuze wrote: »

They should sent a notification when the packages arrive at:

Air Business
4 The Merlin Centre
Acrewood Way, Herts AL4 0JY
United Kingdom

Amazon tell me that my packages arrived there on Monday, but since that I'm in the dark.

Just got an SMS from An Post.

So ordered on Fri, Amazon Prime.
Delivered to Air Business on Monday.
In PO on Thur.

Good enough.

konline

Geuze wrote: »

Just got an SMS from An Post.

So ordered on Fri, Amazon Prime.
Delivered to Air Business on Monday.
In PO on Thur.

Good enough.

Got a Text msg some time ago. Looks alike they send all once a week in one big container

Geuze

I has assumed 3.75 fee, but as Amazon has sent the items in two packages, the fee was 7.50.

It might have been because one item was sold by a third party seller.

ED E

Missed your great posts before.

The_Conductor wrote: »

They are physically opening and repackaging anything they receive- for onward transmission to Ireland.

This is stupidity. Why not process it in the DMC with all other international mail?

Kamili

ED E wrote: »

Missed your great posts before.



This is stupidity. Why not process it in the DMC with all other international mail?

I'd suspect this is because they themselves need to be sure they're not shipping restricted or banned items into the country. At that point it's already in.

Blitz17

Switching back to parcel motel as items taking an eternity through address pal. A text stating its on the way would be good but in the dark all the time.

ED E

Whatever developer created their emailer script is either lazy or incompetent. Jaysus.

The_Conductor

ED E wrote: »

Whatever developer created their emailer script is either lazy or incompetent. Jaysus.

I'd be leaning strongly towards the incompetence status.........

whiterebel

ED E wrote: »

Missed your great posts before.



This is stupidity. Why not process it in the DMC with all other international mail?

Checking for prohibited articles, and getting paperwork and proper description of the items, I'd imagine.

my3cents

Been getting a few items recently via AddressPal and its been working fine and quite quick with Amazon stuff they mostly get it to AddressPal within 2 days so I've been picking things up at the PO a week after ordering but its the PO thats the problem.

Was in town last week and when I got home I saw an email that had been sent at 10.45am saying there was an item to pick up. Today a notification was sent at about 10am. That really is too late to be sending out notifications for stuff that is in the PO when it opens in the morning.