Nightline/Parcel Motel Thread Part 2 (post all related questions here)

Muahahaha · 24-11-2022 12:21pm

just to update the thread, the 01 883 5442 number is no longer in service and the voice message redirects you to call 01 5245446 which is UPS (who bought Parcel Motel).

Gave them my tracking number and she said it is going to be delivered this afternoon after 7 days from motel to motel (in the same county). Will see what happens later, hopefully its sorted as I dont need this buyer wrecking my head any more.

And just to note for others- the tracking number I gave her is valid but when entered on the 'Parcel Finder' section of the Parcel Motel website it doesnt recognise it. I could still see the live tracking but the Parcel Finder section wouldnt let me report to customer service that it had been 7 days for a 2 day service because it didnt recognise the tracking and then of course there is no phone number on their website either, its fingers in the ears stuff.

Absolute sh1tshow of a website that is clearly set up to frustrate you. Will be very wary of using Parcel Motel in the future if this is what theyve turned in to, I have wasted a few hours of my time trying to sort this out.

whiterebel · 25-11-2022 11:43am

I don't know why they don't kill off PM/Nightline. UPS have taken over Customer Service(?), domestic deliveries etc.

Poncke · 03-12-2022 2:17pm

Does anyone know how exact PM lockers are?

Medium = 19 × 38 × 64 cm, but my package is 17 × 39 × 65 cm

Would there be a 1cm leeway wide and deep?

Thanks,

Muahahaha · 06-12-2022 3:12pm

My package still not delivered after 19 days, despite being told on day 7 that it would be delivered the following afternoon. According to the tracking it has been on a van 3 times now and still ended back up at the sorting depot in Dublin each time only to get sent out again. It has a parcel motel label and barcode on it so I havent a clue how they are getting it so wrong. On the last call she redirected it to the buyers house & eircode and it was supposed to be delivered to him either Friday or yesterday and that didnt happen either. They are an absolute mess, will be closing down my account when this sh1tshow is over, if ever.

Gally79 · 22-12-2022 12:34pm

There is an alternative to Parcelmotel. Works like a charm. A but dearer but beggars can’t be choosers.

Potential-Monke · 05-01-2023 12:43am

They could open a state of the art centre offering the best value for everything on everyone, and I still wouldn't use them. They damaged a parcel that came from the UK to NI. I have a pic of the parcel en route, and delivered to PM in NI, all good. Then I get the delivery and there's a massive hole going into the box (it was a motherboard) and of course, was dead on arrival. Seller has nothing to do with it as it was delivered in proper condition to PM, and they broke it and even provided me with the picture showing a great big hole in it when they delivered it.

They point blank refused to pay it. They damaged my goods and tried to blame the lack of packaging, even though it came via Air from the UK to them in NI without damage. Crook and criminals is all they are. Hope they go out of business and someone else starts up and hires their then jobless employees. Up there with HUMM/Flexi crowd as dodgy basterds. And before someone says it, I shouldn't need insurance to prevent the delivery company from breaking what is being delivered. That's just BS.

Gazzy14 · 06-01-2023 2:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119963692#Comment_119963692

I really wish I read this thread before making a recent order...I got a belated Xmas gift as a surprise for my other half so didn't want to get it delivered to the gaf, and as it transpires I cannot top up or add a credit card to my account! Keep getting an error message on multiple browsers I've tried, and the 3D-Secure authentication goes through fine. Not sure wtf to do now because I'm not sure I can change the delivery address with the vendor given it has been dispatched. I have a ticket logged with UPS but God knows how long that will take to resolve based on your experience.

up4dabah · 06-01-2023 11:36pm

I generated 3 labels on the 26th and they wouldn't send. I went on holiday on the 27th and had a family member try while I was away. Tried again again today and still nothing. I think this service is gone. I used it to send packages by ups standard at a good price. I'll try and get my money back through PayPal and close my account now as there is no customer service anymore. They no longer respond to the ups/parcel motel email and my PayPal dispute is with nightline which is defunct. They didn't even have the decency to put a message on the website to say they are doing away with these lockers.

ivar the boneless · 07-01-2023 1:05am

Hi

Anyone got an update on this Parcel Motel facility.

Based on their advertising, Just singed up to it for UK retail delivery to NI and on to Dublin but they seen to lack any virtual address for NI for GB retail delivery, but depot in Belfast is nightline are these the same crew What going on !!! is website out of date

Tks in advance

Caranica · 07-01-2023 2:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120077051#Comment_120077051

The UK facility ceased with Brexit. Thought everyone knew that. Addresspal still works but expect to pay customs and collection charges

greasepalm · 07-01-2023 3:15am

I was chatting to a M8 earlier and this was mentioned and he said UK gone and so is Northern Ireland.

Maybe use a foreign Euro site which might be cheaper

Getting a gift from USA and customs want over 14 euro for a gift.

GSBellew · 07-01-2023 3:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119190018#Comment_119190018

Evading tax is, getting a parcel delivered to a virtual address in NI for onward transportation to Ireland with the intention of bypassing customs would be evasion, which is illegal.

Poncke · 07-01-2023 9:57am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120077245#Comment_120077245

What does it matter if it is a gift? If there was no duty on a gift, then the whole country would be exported as a gift.

greasepalm · 07-01-2023 12:26pm

Post Office say either way you will pay to receive or will be posted back to sender.

Poncke · 07-01-2023 12:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120077786#Comment_120077786

Talking to me or GSbellew?

Muahahaha · 07-01-2023 4:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120073726#Comment_120073726

yeah they are an absolute mess these days and I'll never use them again after it took them more than 3 weeks to deliver a package from one motel to another- in the same county. Wasted hours of my time trying to sort it out and was told it would be several times. CS are useless and will just tell you anything to get you off the phone but I got it sorted in the end on the 4th attempt.

If I were you Id ring them with the phone number I posted further up the thread, at least someone answers that. I got no response from them by raising a ticket.

Gazzy14 · 10-01-2023 4:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120078470#Comment_120078470

Farcical stuff altogether...called that number a few times and spoke to a few reps without much joy. First directed me to the other number which tells you to log a ticket or call the number I was on to lol Second chap gave me a number for UPS's site technical support and when I rang them they told me they've no idea why they keep getting calls because they do not look after the PM website...Trying to see if I can re-direct it via An Post but I'd say it's too late as it will likely be out for delivery soon. Reckon I'll need to wait it out until it ends up back at the depot undelivered and get it delivered to my home address at that point.

ivar the boneless · 11-01-2023 2:20am

PARCEL MOTEL UPDATE

According to them Closed for any UK collections to Irl, told by staff Ireland only

You think they would update their website re UK retail

Muahahaha · 11-01-2023 6:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120090540#Comment_120090540

yeah I dont know whats going on with them, its like UPS bought Parcel Motel in its prime and then its market collapsed due to Brexit and now it is on life support. But instead of just closing it down they are still taking money off people and then not delivering parcels and causing huge frustration when things go wrong by not sorting it out immediately.

Its a shame really because with their network of lockers there was still a market there for them post Brexit for Irish e-commerce from small businesses. I often sold things on Adverts and used Parcel Motel becasue most buyers were used to it and it was almost half the price of sending the same item via An Post. If the shipping was only 4.50/6.50 Id bundle it in for 'free' in the price of the item and that would help sell items a lot quicker as people always want free shipping.

whiterebel · 11-01-2023 9:49pm

UPS actually bought it after Brexit, which makes it even harder to understand what they have done to it.

VG31 · 11-01-2023 10:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120096097#Comment_120096097

They actually bought the courier Nightline rather than Parcel Motel. Parcel Motel was set up by Nightline so UPS took it over as it was part of Nightline's operations. I doubt they would have been interested in acquiring Parcel Motel by itself.

MerlinSouthDub · 11-01-2023 11:41pm

I hadn't ready this thread recently and I innocently tried to send a parcel via Parcel Motel. It didn't work, of course, and no luck in trying to contact them. I had topped up by PayPal, so raised a Paypal dispute and got the money back straight away.

As per other posters, I don't get why they don't just shut the service.

whiterebel · 12-01-2023 4:21pm

Apparently staff in Ireland have been told there are no more UK retail parcels to Ireland. I don't know who would use that service? Once Newry closed it seemed pointless. The thinking when UPS bought Nightline was that it for the parcel lockers, as that is the same service as they offer in other countries. They had their own vans and drivers for the UPS business, so the Nightline business didn't make sense, still doesn't.

12-01-2023 5:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120098954#Comment_120098954

What doesn’t make sense about it?😅 UPS didn’t have much of any business in Ireland before they bought Nightline. Seeing as Nightline were absolutely huge they then stood to gain a lot of their contracts and customers. In the time before the only time I ever saw a UPS van at my house was collecting an iPhone being sent back to apple, Nightline vans were around daily, now it’s just UPS vans instead. Nice to see they kept the same staff though, the usual driver is still knocking around.

Parcel Motel would likely not have been part of the equation. Bare in mind DPD’s parcel wizard is also gone the same way. Main difference being they shut down the service whereas UPS seem to be half arsed operating parcel motel. Interesting that An Post still operates AddressPal but I wonder if that’s just due to having the customs side of things sussed away since they act as agents for revenue in this case it’s easy enough for them and basically business as usual.

whiterebel · 12-01-2023 5:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099146#Comment_120099146

UPS don't have much business in Ireland? You might not see them, but go to Finglas, Shannon, Cork for the last 30 years and see how many vans they have at the depots every night, as well as contracted external couriers. Before the roads got so much better they had 3 flights a night in to Ireland and back out. I know from people who use UPS, that they didn't want the domestic business.

Parcel Motel from the UK via NI didn't ever seem part of the plan, but PM around Ireland certainly did. Instead of going to deliver in the back end of nowhere, deliver 15/20 parcels into lockers, saving them deliveries and allowing customer to pick up when it suits. The problems seemed to start when there were lockers removed and under threat of removal due to planning issues. They seemed to completely lose interest after that. Its a pity, because the locker system, when run correctly, is brilliant.

12-01-2023 6:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099375#Comment_120099375

Yeah fair enough I should say they didn’t operate much in my area/locality, so they expand their business to more of Ireland (the whole country really I’m pretty sure Nightline were all over Ireland) as well as one less competitor.

Could have been that Nightline were seeking a buyer also? I have a feeling their business would have been hurt a good bit without PM potentially leaving them in financial trouble.

anyway, point being I can definitely see how the expansion in their overall market as well as one courier for competition would have made at least some financial sense for UPS. I think if Parcel Motel was actually making them money like they wanted (or expected surely they’d have seen the books before buying too) they’d have worked on operating it post Brexit. AddressPal is proof it’s possible & even possible to extend it to the US or more but something about it wasn’t making them money anymore.

My guess is the majority used it for Amazon but they offer free 2-Day delivery with An Post with Prime so why would you use free one day to NI and then pay €3.95 at least to get it to PM 😅

Only makes sense when you won’t be available but An Post always text me and I can ask for it to be left in a safe place, with a neighbour, collect from delivery office or a locker (seemingly only in Dublin though) or have it delivered a different day! All for free.

Might have import deposits but that would be the same for couriers also. Effectively the model died once Amazon and a lot of other UK companies started shipping more readily to Ireland. Remember parcel motel opened up during a time when Amazon for the most part wouldn’t ship to the republic at all! now you’d just be paying 3.95 for the same thing Amazon does for free with prime.

Dodge · 12-01-2023 7:28pm

Large multinationals buying out smaller local operators is standard practice across the globe. It’s something many smaller operators even aim for. UPS buying nightline was definitely for the core business. Parcel Motel was only ever a small part of nightline

Gazzy14 · 13-01-2023 3:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120096628#Comment_120096628

Was your order returned to sender or re-routed back to the depot? Cheers!

Coupon King · 13-01-2023 4:20pm

Just had this sent to me via email:

Dear Customer,

We are writing to inform you of a change that will impact all your Parcel Motel activities. Please be informed that as of January 31st the Parcel Motel services and brand will cease to exist. We are closing all Parcel Motel operations and you can no longer use the lockers for pick-up or deliveries after this date.

‌

Our lockers remain in service until 31st of January, parcels not collected before that date will be moved to the nearest UPS facility for further transportation. For sending and/or using your virtual address we ask you to keep track of these dates, to make sure you can use our services before January 31st.

‌

• January 22, last day to send a parcel to another member of Parcel Motel

• January 25, last day to send a parcel to an address or make a return

• January 27, last day for Irish Virtual Address check in

We thank you for using our lockers throughout the years and for being a valued customer. In the future we refer you to our other shipping and delivery options, please visit ups.com for more information and details.

‌

If you already have a parcel to ship and would like to checkout our online rates, use promocode IEDRIVER for additional 15% off (valid until June 30, 2023).

‌

Best regards,

The Parcel Motel team at UPS

Judge · 13-01-2023 4:24pm

Just got this email:

[quote]Dear Customer,