HAPPY NEW YEAR from collectmyparcel.com

Great news for the start of 2012 for you as a valued collectmyparcel.com customer. collectmyparcel.com has teamed up with one of the UK’s largest courier resellers, to offer you even more top quality courier services at the best possible prices we can find.

Up to now, you have been booking directly on our website. This has not changed. Please continue to book all your parcel collection and delivery requirements through collectmyparcel.com and we will automatically and safely pass you over to them so they can fulfil your order for you.

The benefits to you are:

• More services (FedEx for international parcels with a next day service to the USA)
• Parcelforce service across Europe
• TNT services Worldwide
• Cheaper prices
• Telephone support on 0844 357 9517 (open from 08:30am to 6:00pm)
• e-mail support

Why not head over to collectmyparcel.com now and run a dummy quote through our site to see how it all works?

If you have any questions, we are still here, still providing the excellent customer service that we have become known for. We are just working differently to ensure the best possible service to you our valued customers. We are still here to help!

Note: Top-Up account users – we will contact you directly with the options available to you.

collectmyparcel.com

Are you a business with freight to deliver?

Then read these ideas for getting your parcels to their intended destination efficiently as well as saving you money.

Perhaps you usually use a courier service and book direct.

But have you considered using a courier middleman?

These on-line courier-booking services enable you to arrange freight collections with a range of different courier providers. What’s more you could save money for two different reasons:

1.  On-line middleman can often offer a price that’s cheaper than going to the direct. That’s because they book collections on behalf of thousands of people and pass some of their bulk-buying discounts back to you.

2.  On-line courier middlemen can book collections with a range of different providers. As you know different couriers offer different prices for different delivery products and specifications. Book with a middleman and you’ll be able to choose which courier company offers the best deal for the freight items you are sending.

In addition on-line middlemen like collectmyparcel.com offer a CVS bulk shipping upload tool.

This simple to use spreadsheet based tool is ideal if you’re bulk posting or despatching lots of parcels with different collection and delivery addresses. It saves you time and you will also be able to check the information in your shopping cart before paying.

So next time you have some freight to send simply visit www.collectmyparcel.com and see what deal you get.

With the doors of the advent calendars into double digits it really is nearly Christmas! But don’t worry if you haven’t packed up all your presents yet because there is still time left to send your parcel.

Here’s an easy way to send a parcel and save money.

1.  Google cheap parcel delivery and click on a parcel middleman service like collectmyparcel.com.

2.  Use the quick quote service. Simply enter your parcel’s collection and delivery details along with the size and weight dimensions of your parcel.

3.  View quotes from a range of big named parcel courier companies like City Link, DHL, Parcelforce Worldwide and Yodel.

4.  Choose your courier provider. By picking the delivery specification and price that best suits your needs.

5.  Book and pay for your collection with the parcel middleman.

6.  Relax! Once your parcel is packed up and ready to go you can sit back and wait for the courier to arrive. The parcel middleman will do the rest for you.

What’s more if you send a parcel with a parcel middleman you’ll save money too. That’s because middlemen book collections on behalf of thousands of people. They qualify for a bulk-posting discount and pass some of these savings back to you. It means you pay less than going direct.

Merry Christmas!

Post Offices are traditionally the place you would think of when it comes to sending a parcel. As a result at Christmas time they become even busier than usual with people visiting to post a parcel.

How would you like to avoid joining that queue?

Well here’s a solution that could save you time and money. Next time you want to ship a parcel try booking a courier collection instead of popping into the Post Office. You’ll find it fast, convenient and perhaps most importantly affordable.

Here’s a four-step guide:

1. Pick a courier.
2. Choose the required delivery specification.
3. Book your collection.
4. Wait at your specified address for the courier to collect your parcel(s) and avoid a trip to the Post Office.

Easy!

Yet there’s more! Couriers offer a range of different products. Choose between Next Day, 48 hour, Sameday, Saturday deliveries and even book collections for items to be despatched overseas.

In addition you could save money by booking through a parcel middleman service – simply Google “cheap parcel delivery” to see what prices are available. In the meantime here’s an example:

City Link Next day courier services are available from just £6.99 + VAT if you book with collectmyparcel.com.

The lead up to Christmas can be stressful. Choosing presents, wrapping them and getting them to their destination on time takes careful planning. Use a courier and you could save yourself a bit of hassle by avoiding those seasonal Post Office queues.

Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for parcel companies as people are busy with their on-line shopping or packing up presents they’ve brought from the high street.

It can be very hectic and dare I say stressful! After all you’re busy battling the crowds, or maybe you’ve spent hours trying to find that perfect present.

So you’ll be pleased to know that once you’ve got all your goodies home and wrapped up you won’t need to face another queue again. That’s because if you choose to send your Christmas parcels by courier instead of posting at the Post Office, the courier will collect directly from your specified address.

Now doesn’t that sound good!

What’s more you might be surprised at the prices that are available.

• You can send a Next Day parcel to most UK destinations with City Link from just £6.99 + Vat.
• Got presents to send to Europe? DHL by Road starts at just £13.64 + VAT.
• Friends and relatives further afield? Use DHL by Air. Prices to USA start at just £19.70 while parcel deliveries down under start from only £26.32.

You’ll even get peace of mind with on-line tracking as well as the option to upgrade your insurance coverage if you’re sending valuable items.

Now that’s a helping hand this Christmas. So ensure you get the cheapest possible price this Christmas for your courier collections and search cheap parcel delivery or visit www.collectmyparcel.com.

Perhaps you’re a small business owner who regularly despatches parcels to customers, or maybe you only send a parcel when a special occasion pops up. Whatever the case which delivery option do you choose?

1.  Perhaps you opt for Royal Mail. Their standard parcel service is conveniently available at Post Office branches, and it’s an affordable option. Actually if you only send parcels on an ad hoc basis you might instinctively choose to use Royal Mail.

2.  Or perhaps you have an account with a major courier like City Link, Parcelforce Worldwide or Yodel. If you’re sending lots of parcels on a regular basis this may be the easiest option for you. Even better the courier collects your parcels directly from you. That saves a job!

3.  Alternatively do you use a local courier? Perhaps you’ve identified a smaller localised outfit that meets your particular needs and your service requirements.

But did you know there is another option?

4.  Have you heard of parcel comparison sites or courier middlemen? These on-line parcel delivery services offer an alternative way to access big named couriers without having to open an account. Perfect for individuals who only post on an ad hoc basis or who want the flexibility of shopping around when they have a parcel to send.

Courier middlemen book collections with the likes of Parcelforce Worldwide, Yodel & City Link on your behalf. What’s more you’ll pay less than if you went to the courier direct. That’s because parcel middlemen pass on some of their bulk buying discounts to you.

Next time you need to post a parcel, search collectmyparcel.com and see if you get a better price. That’s good news with Christmas rapidly approaching.

With less than 8 weeks until Christmas, now would be a good time to start thinking about sending your gifts in advance. It is time to get organised and book a courier collection at your earliest convenience.

We always suggest sending gifts as soon as possible during the run up to the festive period; to avoid the delays and stress of whether the parcel is going to get to its destination in time. In an ideal world we would all be really well organised and get all our gifts bought, wrapped and packed ready to book in with a courier so that they arrive in plenty of time ready for the big day.

Last Christmas (December 2010) the snow and bad weather caused lots of problems and delays for many people sending and receiving gifts within the UK and internationally. The adverse weather in 2010 and the beginning of 2011 affected the lives of many including the courier companies who were unable to collect and deliver parcels because roads were closed and the transportation network hit a standstill. Couriers get really busy in the run up to Christmas and more and more people are using parcel delivery services as they are a safe way to send gifts when you are able to track and trace them on-line.

If you are going to leave it until the last minute, or would like to read more please see our Christmas Parcel Delivery Times & Christmas Delivery Dates 2011

Did you read the recent blogs that explored 10 different questions to use when choosing your courier provider? (Links below). Well as promised this blog will explore an alternative to using a dedicated courier provider – the on-line parcel comparison site.

What are on-line parcel comparison sites?

In short they are booking agents that organise courier collections on your behalf. They are middlemen between you and companies like DHL, Parcelforce Worldwide, CityLink and Yodel. The agent takes your collection details; gives you a unique barcode tracking number and books your collection with your chosen courier.

But surely it’s better to book direct with the courier?

You’d think so wouldn’t you?

But you may be surprised to discover there are some serious benefits from taking the middleman route. Check out these two.

1. Middlemen are cheaper.

It’s true! The reason is parcel middlemen book collections on behalf of thousands of people. This means they get bulk buying discounts and pass some of the savings back to you. The result – you save money.

2. Middlemen save you time and money.

We’re in a cost-conscious climate. We’re always looking for ways to save money. Parcel comparison sites have user-friendly quoting apps.  They put you in control and enable you to quickly work out which courier provider and product is the cheapest. Just imagine all the effort this will save you. No phoning around for the best price and the confidence you’re getting the best deal.

Next time you have a parcel to courier give the middlemen like www.collectmyparcel.com a go. And to discover 10 questions to ask your courier provider before booking see this link:

http://www.collectmyparcel.com/blog/questions-to-ask-when-choosing-your-courier-provider-–-part-2/1297/

People used to believe courier collections were expensive. However due to the furiously competitive market it’s now much simpler to find a courier product that matches your budget.

What’s more the recent arrival of Internet based parcel comparison sites has made it even easier to get cheap parcel deliveries.

Here’s how collectmyparcel.com can offer courier collections that are cheaper than going direct to the big couriers like City Link, Parcelforce Worldwide, DHL and Yodel.

1.  We buy collections in bulk – thousands of people have trusted us to book and handle collections with the major courier companies on their behalf. You can check out over 400 customer testimonials by visiting TrustPilot at this link http://www.trustpilot.co.uk/review/www.collectmyparcel.com

2.  We pass some of our bulk buying discounts back to you – meaning you benefit from the discounts big shippers get, even if you are only posting one parcel.

3.  You get to choose your courier – Our quote and book service makes it exceptionally easy to find the cheapest delivery service for your parcel. You can chop and choose your parcel courier and delivery product depending on what you want to send. It’s flexibility that saves you money.

And there’s more…

Not only do you benefit from cheaper courier prices, you’ll also get an enhanced customer service. collectmyparcel.com will liaise directly with the courier company on your behalf if there’s a problem. This could save you time and hassle. Again if you’d like to read some examples of customer feedback regarding this service have a look at TrustPilot.

Post with collectmyparcel.com and not only will you save money, you’ll also get a great service. Now that’s parcel delivery made easy!

Following on from the previous blog here are five more questions that will help you choose your courier provider.

1. What time is your end of day?

Essential if you are posting to customers who may chase you if their item hasn’t appeared. You’ll need to know the latest time a parcel can be delivered to see if they are jumping the gun.

2. Do you have a weight limit?

This is important if you are posting heavy or bulky items, as they may need to be despatched on a special service. Often parcels weighing over 30kg need the more expensive 2-man delivery service.

3.  What postcodes are excluded from the Next Day delivery specification?

There are some postcodes in the UK that can’t be delivered Next Day due to their geographical location. Check out if any of your items fall into this category so you know what delivery specification to expect.

4.  Can you track parcels on-line?

Barcodes and scanning through the courier network mean it’s now very easy to work out where your items are. Find out at which points parcels are scanned if high visibility is important to you.

5. What happens if my item is not delivered?

Explore to find out how couriers handle network problems. You’ll probably want a hassle free service that offers a quick solution to any issues.

What answers will you get?

That’s 10 questions to help you choose your courier.

There is an alternative to using a dedicated supplier – booking collections through an on-line comparison site such as collectmyparcel.com. We’ll look at reasons for doing this in the next blog.