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.

With so many couriers on the market it can be tricky deciding which one to opt for. What’s more because each website it different it can be hard to know at a glance which one to choose.

In part one of this pair of blogs we’ll explore a series of questions that could help you get under the skin of the different companies and decide which one is right for you.

1. What delivery products do you offer?

You might not always want to send parcels by Next Day so it’s useful to know what else is available.

2.  What is your cut-off time for collections?

This is useful for planning, especially if you often have last minute items to send.

3. What does your insurance cover?

Essential if you are posting valuables. You’ll need to know that you are covered in the event of problems occurring within the courier network, or find out what upgrades are available.

4. What happens if the recipient is not at home?

It’s useful to know what the courier’s policy is for handling parcels that can’t be delivered.

5.  Do you offer any bulk posting discounts?

If you are going to be a frequent poster it’s worth finding out if there are any additional savings to be had.

Coming up in part 2…

In part 2 we’ll explore a further five questions to help pin down which courier is right for you. In addition we’ll also explore the benefits of using on-line parcel comparisons sites as an alternative way of selecting your courier provider.

Courier collections are very flexible. When you phone to book your pick up you can specify from where you want your item collected – whether that’s home or at work.

Home collections work well for lots of people. They’re great for stay at home mums who could find a trip to the Post Office a hassle. After all you can’t just pop out with a little one! Instead book a courier to come to your door, save time and crack on with those other important jobs.

Home collections are also a good idea for people who run a retail based Internet business. Instead of taking all your sales to the Post Office you can stack them by the door and wait for the courier to arrive. You might even find it frees up some time to do your paperwork and bookkeeping!

In comparison office collections are perfect for small businesses. What’s more because courier collections can be booked on an ad hoc basis there’s total flexibility. You might only need a collection once a week. Or if an urgent item needs despatching you can book a pick up for the next day, or even the same day if you meet the cut off time.

As well as the convenience of collections from where you need them, couriers also offer a range of different delivery products making it cheap and easy for you to post. Choose from express products like Next Day as well as international deliveries.

That’s another job sorted!

It’s true. Couriers will do all they can to ensure you parcel arrives within the delivery specification. But did you know there are some things you can do to help your parcel along its way?

These three tips apply whether you are sending a Next day delivery, an international parcel service or even an eBay item.

1. Ensure your parcel is clearly labelled.

It sounds obvious but if the courier is unable to read the address, or can’t clearly distinguish the house number, street name or post code your parcel risks being held up. That’s because courier-sorting equipment relies on automated systems that read barcoded address labels as well as human eyes. So before you hand your parcel over to the courier do check for both readability as well as accuracy.

2. Check your item is securely packaged.

If your parcel is not wrapped securely there is a risk that while the item is moving through the courier network it could become damaged or opened. As a result your parcel might arrive incomplete or damaged. To avoid this it’s really important you pack your parcel properly. Consider using a sturdy cardboard box and strong parcel tape.

3. Book in the correct weight and size dimensions.

When you place your collection you will need to reveal the size and weight dimensions of your parcel. Do note if these details are inaccurate and you have not paid enough for your parcel delivery your item could be held up or refused.

Remember parcel carriers do all they can to deliver a fast, efficient, competitive service. You can help you parcel along its way by following these three simple tips.

There are stacks of reasons to use a courier to post your parcels. One of the biggest is couriers will collect from your door. Here are five reasons why this is such an advantage:

1. You’ll save time: The courier will come to you meaning you don’t need to waste time carrying parcels to your car and driving to the Post Office.

2. You’ll save petrol: Why use your petrol when the courier can complete the mileage on your behalf? What’s more with the rising price of fuel this is a real advantage. In fact you could arguably deduct your petrol cost from the courier fee making courier deliveries even more cost effective!

3. You’ll avoid parking charges:If you need to pay and display to drop off your parcels at the Post Office, book a courier collection and save money.

4. You’ll avoid carrying the parcels: OK this is not such a big deal if your parcel is on the small size, but if your item is big and bulky, heavy or an awkward shape you might be grateful that you only have to carry it to your front door.

5. You’ll have time to relax:Now that you don’t need to rush out the door, why not put up your feet and have some “me” time. Read a great book, watch some daytime TV or delve into that gossip magazine. And if you have work to do at least you’ve got a bit more time in which to complete it.

What do you most like about courier collections? Why not leave a comment and let us know.

Do you have some important or time sensitive items to deliver?

Perhaps it’s your mum’s birthday tomorrow and you know her reaction will be bad if her gift is late! Or maybe you have some important documents to send to the solicitor that need to arrive before lunch.

Whether your reasons for posting are business or personal, here are five reasons why opting for a courier service is a good decision.

1.  You get delivery guarantees meaning you can rest assured knowing your item will arrive when you need it to.

2.  You can enjoy choice. There are stacks of couriers and different delivery products on the market meaning you can pick and choose what best suits your individual requirements; whether that’s a Saturday delivery because your recipient is only at home during weekends, or a guaranteed Next Day delivery to keep a customer happy.

3.  You can track you parcel on-line as it moves through the network.

4.  No need to leave the house because the courier will collect from you for free. Meaning you can crack on with all those other important things you need to do.

5.  You’ll get proof of delivery so no guess work needed. You can be 100% sure your item arrived safely, and what’s more you can find out the exact time it arrived and even the name of the person who received it.

That’s five reasons for confident courier posting… What will you send?