Getting parcel picked up from boat? Anyone done this

[Doodlebug]

Hi everyone, I have just sold a battery charger on ebay and need to send it asap.

 

I am on the boat at the moment as is the battery charger, my trolly is with my parents (3 hours away) and so to take it to them means 3 hours to get the trolly, three back then three taking the battery charger to them.

 

Not ideal.

 

Looked at the post offices charges and they want £20 to send it. Yodel want £5 for it.

 

Problem is that it involves them coming and picking it up. I could go and moor on the 24 hour moorings at a pub on the day they would collect it, and could put my address as 'the little blue narrowboat opposite the pub'

 

Do you think it will work?

 

I'm stuck for ideas!

 

Thanks

 

Dodlebug

[Paul C]

Personally nope (I doubt it would work) but it may be worth a try. More reliable would be to take it to one of their parcel collection points. Potentially you'll be waiting all day at the location, and then even if they do, it might have just been luck. I've sold a bunch of stuff on eBay recently and with royal mail's price rises, ditched them. I tried getting parcels picked up from a boring, normal, has-postcode, easily-findable house and its somewhat haphazard to say the least! So on a boat, I'd not fancy risking it.

[churchward]

I doubt they will come to a pickup point as you describe they will need an address and postcode I think.

 

As suggested above you could use one of the parcel companies that have local pickup points in shops such as news agents. Hermes for instance do this. May not be helpful of course if there is no pickup point nearby.

 

try this website for options

 

http://www.parcel2go.com

[bigste]

Yodel have shops all over, have a look at collect+ on yodel.

[Arthur Brown]

The pickup driver will ONLY use a satnav so you need to be at a place with a postcode. The driver will arrive soonish -well maybe the day he says maybe the next, so you will need to sit and wait for them.

 

My experience of Yodel was poor -over a week later than the delivery estimate -maybe it was value for the too cheap price.

 

IIRC Staples and Cartridge World will act as a handler for DHL a couple of local shops will act as collection points for other couriers.

[Lady Muck]

Yes, take it to a drop off point, or ask them where their depot is and take it there. One of my clients uses DPD to send me samples, I have them sent to the nearest depot where I collect them.

[Arthur Brown]

MyHermes only send to and pick from a postcode and street number -that's all they use!

[churchward]

MyHermes only send to and pick from a postcode and street number -that's all they use!

They offer a drop off service too now.

[onionbargee]

if you moor up next to a building with a postcode you can use that as your address for courier pick up, but the post office / parcel force will not have it if it's not on their computer. Other couriers like city link will make an effort to find you.

 

Hermes have a parcel drop off at local corner shops now as well, i just sent a 4.5 kilo parcel for exactly half the price the post office wanted. (That tells you not to buy shares in royal mail.)

[Doodlebug]

Thanks for all the replies. I have decided to do it by dropping it off at a local petrol station which is a collect+ depot. I hadn't realised that they paid the small businesses to provide this service. I'm a little out of date obviously!

 

Cheers,

 

Doodlebug

[Poster girl]

DHL collect/deliver from Homebase.

[DaveC]

Why not make a phone call to the carrier of your choice - they would tell you the answer to your question.

 

 

Dave

[Morat]

Try paisley freight or one of the other established pallet carriers. They may well have a lorry passing close and they'll find you. Just be ready to move very soon after you place the call!

[sassan]

Why not moor next to the pub the night before, have a couple of drinks and ask the landlord "if some guy comes in tomorrow to collect a parcel, could you please send him out to my boat?"

[WJM]

UPS vans almost never turn right, in this country. Their routes are planned by computer to heavily favour left turns because they are quicker.

 

Factoid of the Day!

 

 

So a location like 'boat on a canal' is going to throw a computer error!

Why not moor next to the pub the night before, have a couple of drinks and ask the landlord "if some guy comes in tomorrow to collect a parcel, could you please send him out to my boat?"

Because if you get into a dispute over the delivery and it goes legal, the pub could find itself with a CCJ against it!

[Grace and Favour]

I've used courier collections from many of the country's couriers. I make a point of mooring at a recognisable location (Pub, shop, etc) provide a post-code, and I've never had a problem... I'll nearly always use an on-line agency called Interparcel (they handle loads of couriers) and always book on-line. Never have a problem