Recommend courier to send lens for repair

[Deleted member 89409]

Totally agree with what you say about Parcelforce. I'm a postman and when I collect a Parcelforce item I only give the customer a crappy bit of carbon paper has a receipt. Then I took it to the depot. Then it goes to ParcelForce and only then it is scan/enter in there system for the first time. I found this very poor.

If I have to collect a royal mail item then I do not give any bit of carbon paper but I scan the parcel immediately in the system and can be tracked instantly.

Thanks for confirming this:

It was just that I didn’t know what the hell had happened and it took about 3 visits each to the PO and DO to sort it out.
Nothing whatsoever against RM or PF - I use both often but it is a glitch. The lens was going to an ebay buyer in Italy so I found it difficult to explain what was happening. Arrived safely eventually.
richard

 

[KIPAX]

If you are a pro tog wouldn't your professional insurance cover you?

Depends who you are with.. Aaduki for example that a lot on here use dont cover in transit... some do some dont... its something I always double check before I insure.

 

[Mr Badger]

Since DPD has been mentioned, I have to say this is my favoured courier for delivery... if I see that the item I've ordered is to be delivered by DPD then I'm a happy in the knowledge that I can track the item online and will be sent a delivery time via email (or text if I could be bothered to sign up for the app!) and I can be almost certain that it will arrive within the 1 hour time-slot I've been given. I know regional and personal experience may differ, but I can only speak as I find for the delivery service I've received from DPD round here.

 

[stevewestern]

Another vote for DPD. Used them for door to door shipping many times UK and to far east.
DHL and RMSD also fine .

If you use parcelforce and drop off at PO be sure that you time it so parcelforce pick it up before RM. If RM collect then it will get to the Parcelforce system in a few days but interim hangs around the RM DO and won’t appear on PF or RM tracking systems as I learned to my cost.

MyHermes lost an incoming lens ( have been recompensed by the seller in Holland ) but god knows why he didn’t send it by a decent courier with insurance rather than Post NL. It was a cosina voigt -rare - one of a small run of 1000.

My Hermes are the pits - there is a special place in hell reserved for the Exec board of that outfit - shame - their local couriers are nice people.

UPS tracking system is a typically american morass of multiple meaningless linked sites. I have never got” my choices” to work. FEDEX have had issues but UPS and FEDEX al least haven’t lost a parcel of mine.

Check t&c of couriers and you own camera insurance if you have that.

Yup, I agree with everything you say.
All our local delivery people are great. Except for the new Amazon boys who have twice delivered parcels to the wrong house, in the wrong street, in the wrong postcode. When they are birthday presents how am I meant to know they are even coming, let alone missing!
UPS are loathed here. Yes, I have the app. Yes, I try to get notifications. Yesterday, the parcel I waited in for all day Friday looked to be 'processing' 60 miles away, until a brown van turned up. Soon after I got an email to tell me it would be delivered tomorrow, ie today. Several hours later I got another to tell me it had been delivered. Not very impressive.
DPD for me any day.

 

[Hanley]

I've sent a few cameras and lenses using RMSD and never had an issue. I always ensure I use the right amount of insurance which can push the price up a bit.
I've not got any experience of DPD with camera equipment but for other things they've always been great.

 

[LCPete]

Our local DPD guy is excellent and really friendly,unfortunately DPD don’t cover camera equipment in their insurance which is a shame
It’s looking like UPS

 

[the black fox]

Thanks for confirming this:

It was just that I didn’t know what the hell had happened and it took about 3 visits each to the PO and DO to sort it out.
Nothing whatsoever against RM or PF - I use both often but it is a glitch. The lens was going to an ebay buyer in Italy so I found it difficult to explain what was happening. Arrived safely eventually.
richard

If it’s going to Italy then it’s obviously going to incur higher postal charges ,so why not use e,bays global shipping program GSP ..you just send to a local u.k depot and they then do all the rest for you including tracking updates sent cameras and lenses all over the world with them with no problems

 

[Deleted member 89409]

Probably a good idea.
Certainly worth checking out. I have only used global shipping once - many years ago - ebay global/Pitney Bowes ?? managed a shipment to usa. Seemed v expensive even taking into account vat, insurance and shipping costs etc.
I usually use DPD/ DHL for shipping, UK and international, I find them to be reliable and inexpensive.