I have some items to send by post that are over 2kg in weight. Royal Mail prices are astronomical (over £25) and I am considering using one of the home delivery networks. I've done an internet search and ParcelHero gets very good reviews. I've had stuff delivered by MyHermes and there have been no issues but the on-line feedback is terrible and it seems to depend on the quality of the delivery people.

Anyone able to help with recommendations?

You could try Citylink. I worked for them for a couple of years.
Any courier service is only as good as the drivers doing the deliveries and the staff in their local office.

Allan

If I've wanted something urgently sent out to Spain the I use http://www.parcel2go.com/ they also offer a UK service and are usually a lot cheaper than going direct to the main courier services.

I always used to use the "Parcel2go" for the bigger stuff I've shipped - tunnel dioramas to Scotland, motor cycle wheels to Ireland, Scalectrix to Australia. You do get a wide of courier and have found any of the companies listed to be fine. Never lost a parcel and pick from home have always been fine.

We use parcels2go.com too for larger parcels. Steer clear of DHL though when choosing which courier!

I try to use TNT via parcels2go as they are fast to collect, reliable and reasonably priced.

Citylink, Fedex and PDP have always given us good service

Avoid Hermes Like the Plague....

Quote from: Pengy on October 24, 2012, 10:47:07 AM
I have some items to send by post that are over 2kg in weight. Royal Mail prices are astronomical (over £25)

If at all possible pack them as multiple things under 2Kg with the Royal Mail especially for international stuff.

For parcels I would ask the recipient who delivers reliably to them because most of the companies are a mix of good, bad, incompetent and criminal according to which office you get.

Very late but heres 2 lists from Amazon that might help for next time...
Couriers  delivering/tracking from overseas locations---



Carrier Tracking and Contact Information

Note: Each link below will take you to an external website which operates independently to Amazon.co.uk. If clicking a link to a carriers tracking website doesn't work, try copying and pasting it into your browser's address bar.



Carrier

Tracking Website

Contact Details



An Post

http://track.anpost.ie/track/trackone.html


Phone: +353 (0) 170 576 00



APLE

Track your order via Your Account


Phone: +44 (0) 800 496 2456
(Amazon Customer Services)



Bpost

http://www.bpost.be/


Phone: +32 (0)22 01 23 45



Chronopost

http://www.chronotrace.chronopost.com/chronotrace/external.jsp


Phone:+33 (0) 969 391 391



City Link

http://www.city-link.co.uk/


Phone: +44 (0) 330 30 30 900



CitySprint

https://servicetools.citysprint.co.uk/AmazontrackingSite/Track.aspx


Phone: +44 (0) 845 266 8778



Colis Privé

https://www.colisprive.com/moncolis/Default.aspx


Phone: +33 (0) 805 50 50 10



Deutsche Post

http://www.deutschepost.de/dpag?lang=de_EN&xmlFile=1016933


Phone: +49 (0) 1802 33 33



DHL

http://www.dhl.co.uk/en.html


Phone: +44 (0) 844 248 0844



DHL Poland


Tracking in English, French & German:
http://nolp.dhl.de/

Tracking in Polish:
http://www.dhl.com.pl

When using the Polish website, please enter 2310703 into the SAP code field.


Phone: +49 1805 345 2255




DPD

http://www.dpd.co.uk/forms/track-my-parcel.jsp


Rearrange a Delivery:
+44 (0) 844 824 0505

Automated Tracking System:
+44 (0) 844 556 0560

All other queries:
+44 (0) 871 244 4442




HDNL

http://www.myhdnl.co.uk/


Standard Sized Parcels:
+44 (0) 800 157 7777

Heavy Bulky Deliveries:
+44 (0) 800 015 1509



Hermes

http://www.hermes-europe.co.uk/


You can phone Hermes on the number provided on your calling card



i-Parcel

http://www.i-parcel.com/secure/track.aspx


Phone: +44 (0)208 878 4539



La Poste

http://www.colissimo.fr/portail_colissimo/suivre.do?language=en_EN


Phone (within France):
3631

Phone (outside France):
+339 72 72 12 13



MRW

http://www.mrw-transporte.com/


Deliveries to Spain:
+34 902 500 850

Deliveries to Portugal:
+351 707 236 333



Parcelforce Worldwide

http://tracking.parcelforce.net/

Phone: +44 (0) 844 800 4466



Post AT

http://www.post.at/en/index.php

Phone: +43 8 10 01 01 00



Post DK

http://www.postdanmark.dk/en/tracktrace/Pages/home.aspx

Phone: +45 80 20 70 30



Post NL

http://www.postnl.nl/voorthuis/

You can track your order, change your delivery address and schedule your delivery when you create a free account on the Post NL website.

Phone: +31 58 2 33 33 33



P&T Luxembourg

http://www.trackandtrace.lu/

Phone: +352 800 23 231



Royal Mail

http://www.royalmail.com/

For Evening Delivery:
+44 (0) 800 072 5225

For all other deliveries:
+44 (0) 8457 740 740




SDA

http://www.sda.it/SITO_SDA-INSIDEX-WEB/index.jsp?ixPageId=235&ixMenuId=101

Phone: 199 113366
(from within Italy only)



Swedish Post

http://www.posten.se/en/Pages/home.aspx

Phone: +46 771 33 33 10



Top Chrono

http://www.top-chrono.fr/

Phone: +33 (0) 1 41 40 22 44



TNT Locker

Track your order via Your Account

Phone: +44 (0)800 496 1081
(Amazon Customer Services)



UPS

http://wwwapps.ups.com/WebTracking/track?loc=en_GB

Phone: +44 (0) 8457 877 877



Yodel

http://tracking.yodel.co.uk/


Phone: +44 (0) 844 248 0555

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside UK collection/delivery






Carrier

Tracking Website

Contact Details



An Post

http://track.anpost.ie/track/trackone.html


Phone: +353 (0) 170 576 00



APLE

Track your order via Your Account


Phone: +44 (0) 800 496 2456
(Amazon Customer Services)



Bpost

http://www.bpost.be/


Phone: +32 (0)22 01 23 45



Chronopost

http://www.chronotrace.chronopost.com/chronotrace/external.jsp


Phone:+33 (0) 969 391 391



City Link

http://www.city-link.co.uk/


Phone: +44 (0) 330 30 30 900



CitySprint

https://servicetools.citysprint.co.uk/AmazontrackingSite/Track.aspx


Phone: +44 (0) 845 266 8778



Colis Privé

https://www.colisprive.com/moncolis/Default.aspx


Phone: +33 (0) 805 50 50 10



Deutsche Post

http://www.deutschepost.de/dpag?lang=de_EN&xmlFile=1016933


Phone: +49 (0) 1802 33 33



DHL

http://www.dhl.co.uk/en.html


Phone: +44 (0) 844 248 0844



DHL Poland


Tracking in English, French & German:
http://nolp.dhl.de/

Tracking in Polish:
http://www.dhl.com.pl

When using the Polish website, please enter 2310703 into the SAP code field.


Phone: +49 1805 345 2255




DPD

http://www.dpd.co.uk/forms/track-my-parcel.jsp


Rearrange a Delivery:
+44 (0) 844 824 0505

Automated Tracking System:
+44 (0) 844 556 0560

All other queries:
+44 (0) 871 244 4442




HDNL

http://www.myhdnl.co.uk/


Standard Sized Parcels:
+44 (0) 800 157 7777

Heavy Bulky Deliveries:
+44 (0) 800 015 1509



Hermes

http://www.hermes-europe.co.uk/


You can phone Hermes on the number provided on your calling card



i-Parcel

http://www.i-parcel.com/secure/track.aspx


Phone: +44 (0)208 878 4539



La Poste

http://www.colissimo.fr/portail_colissimo/suivre.do?language=en_EN


Phone (within France):
3631

Phone (outside France):
+339 72 72 12 13



MRW

http://www.mrw-transporte.com/


Deliveries to Spain:
+34 902 500 850

Deliveries to Portugal:
+351 707 236 333



Parcelforce Worldwide

http://tracking.parcelforce.net/

Phone: +44 (0) 844 800 4466



Post AT

http://www.post.at/en/index.php

Phone: +43 8 10 01 01 00



Post DK

http://www.postdanmark.dk/en/tracktrace/Pages/home.aspx

Phone: +45 80 20 70 30



Post NL

http://www.postnl.nl/voorthuis/

You can track your order, change your delivery address and schedule your delivery when you create a free account on the Post NL website.

Phone: +31 58 2 33 33 33



P&T Luxembourg

http://www.trackandtrace.lu/

Phone: +352 800 23 231



Royal Mail

http://www.royalmail.com/

For Evening Delivery:
+44 (0) 800 072 5225

For all other deliveries:
+44 (0) 8457 740 740




SDA

http://www.sda.it/SITO_SDA-INSIDEX-WEB/index.jsp?ixPageId=235&ixMenuId=101

Phone: 199 113366
(from within Italy only)



Swedish Post

http://www.posten.se/en/Pages/home.aspx

Phone: +46 771 33 33 10



Top Chrono

http://www.top-chrono.fr/

Phone: +33 (0) 1 41 40 22 44



TNT Locker

Track your order via Your Account

Phone: +44 (0)800 496 1081
(Amazon Customer Services)



UPS

http://wwwapps.ups.com/WebTracking/track?loc=en_GB

Phone: +44 (0) 8457 877 877



Yodel

http://tracking.yodel.co.uk/


Phone: +44 (0) 844 248 0555

Copy/ Paste this to a better place as a perminent link if needs be please Mods 

Quote from: Pengy on October 24, 2012, 10:47:07 AM
I have some items to send by post that are over 2kg in weight. Royal Mail prices are astronomical (over £25) and I am considering using one of the home delivery networks. I've done an internet search and ParcelHero gets very good reviews. I've had stuff delivered by MyHermes and there have been no issues but the on-line feedback is terrible and it seems to depend on the quality of the delivery people.

Anyone able to help with recommendations?

I always start by asking the recipient. Most of the couriers (especially the cheap ones) rely on random local labour and franchising at the delivery end. If the local delivery people are good the service is good, if they are morons it's not.

Only someone who gets stuff in the area has a good idea of what their local van crews are like.

Alan