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Help me find a courier that wil ship my bass!


attackbass
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Hi,

Spent hours today looking for a courier to ship a Warwick Streamer I've bought on the marketplace. Was set to use DHL but I've just realised that the dimension are a maximum 120cm and the case/packaging is 128cm!

I've done the usual interparcel etc but the only services i'm getting are parcelforce (dont really want to use them as no insurance at all and bad previous experiences) fed and ups who both say that items being sent must be in a cardboard box or jiffy bag!?

 

Any help, suggestions or ideas appreciated. 

are DHL going to know that the case is 8 cm over their required dimensions?!

 

I could use eurosender but the only affordable option lists shipping taking at 3-7days and I dont want the bass hanging about in a warehouse!

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There's a courier that gives a Basschat discount and properly insures instrument, rather than just taking your money but neglecting to tell you they don't insure instruments. 

I'll have a quick look and see if I can find them. 

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4 minutes ago, attackbass said:

Yes UPS will deliver it in terms of dimensions but they now insist the instrument is in a cardboard box otherwise extra handling fees etc are added or they can refuse to collect it

Yes I believe they've always insisted on the item being in a box, or at least covered in cardboard (for insured it has to be in a hard case too I believe).

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12 minutes ago, attackbass said:

Yes UPS will deliver it in terms of dimensions but they now insist the instrument is in a cardboard box otherwise extra handling fees etc are added or they can refuse to collect it

Are you intending to send a bass without a box? 

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If you're sending it in a hard case, you could wrap the case in bubble wrap and then gaffa tape it in heavy duty bin bags, which I've done a few times. Offers good protection, meets the jiffy bag criteria, and might just keep you under the maximum dimensions limit?

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1 minute ago, attackbass said:

Hi, 

Yes it's in a gator Hardcase. Just spoke to the seller and he's covered the case with cardboard so should be fine to use UPS.

 

I'll try Eurosender again tho I won't hold my breath, got quoted €200 or there aboytathe other day for 24hr delivery

Where is it being sent from / to?

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16 minutes ago, attackbass said:

I'll try Eurosender again tho I won't hold my breath, got quoted €200 or there aboytathe other day for 24hr delivery

Fair enough, I was just going by a post in that linked thread where someone sent a bass in an oversized package to France for £52.

It doesn't make sense, but not a lot does anymore. 

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Think I'll try UPS and hope for the best!

 I would like to use DPD as the drivers who usually deliver to where I'm currently working take care of our parcels and stack the vans sensibly - but it's dimensions are too long!

If only basschat could get a deal with DPD or UPS that would be amazing! 

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I have used Overland Express for my last 3 deliveries and I have sent them from Paisley to various English places. Unlike most couriers, they have real insurance (some say they insure instruments and then in the small print they don`t) and for £27.50 I got next day delivery and really good tracking through APC. The bass was insured up to the value of £1000.

One of the guys on here put me onto them and I haven`t had any problems so far.

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3 minutes ago, jezzaboy said:

I have used Overland Express for my last 3 deliveries and I have sent them from Paisley to various English places. Unlike most couriers, they have real insurance (some say they insure instruments and then in the small print they don`t) and for £27.50 I got next day delivery and really good tracking through APC. The bass was insured up to the value of £1000.

One of the guys on here put me onto them and I haven`t had any problems so far.

Yep, an interesting example of a courier insurance get-out I heard about (so possibly apocryphal) was a dropped tube amp, so being electronic equipment was covered by the policy the guy paid for. But no, the courier didn't pay out because the £200 set of tubes that were shattered, being glass, weren't covered! They can be tricky customers can couriers!  

I'm not going to use couriers any more unless I absolutely have to or unless I can afford to lose the item, period. They're increasingly a law unto themselves, to the point that even if it's 100% their fault that something is lost or broken, and even if they accept this, their T&Cs often give them a get-out. I battled with Interparcel over two cases of trashed gear a few years back, and although I got compensation for both, it didn't make up for the hassle, and I still lost in real terms both times. But then there's the fact that the customer is expected to pay the courier's risk (i.e., despite it being their fault both times, I only received compensation because I'd paid for extra insurance). It a great business model they've got going; imagine you went into a chippy, ordered a portion of chips, and after about 10 minutes they haven't arrived and the chippy's closing. So you politely and reasonably ask for your money back, and the bloke behind the counter says "I can only refund you if you paid for our chip-non-arrival insurance......?"

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5 hours ago, attackbass said:

Hi, 

Yes it's in a gator Hardcase. Just spoke to the seller and he's covered the case with cardboard so should be fine to use UPS.

 

I'll try Eurosender again tho I won't hold my breath, got quoted €200 or there aboytathe other day for 24hr delivery

 Just go for the standard delivery. I've just gone on Eurosender, put in UK to UK, length 129 cm, width 19cm and height  50 , weight 10 -20 kg and its come in at 15 euros, add the insurance if you wish another 12-15. I've sent 2 basses via Eurosender in the last month to UK addresses for less than £30 each insured for £1000. One took 2 days, the other arrived the next day after collection, both by DPD. Oh and there's the Basschat discount which takes around a £1 off the price too. Both my Basses were in hard cases too. They load the next day delivery price hence your high quote!

Edited by yorks5stringer
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8 hours ago, attackbass said:

 I would like to use DPD as the drivers who usually deliver to where I'm currently working take care of our parcels and stack the vans sensibly - but it's dimensions are too long!

Did you mean DHL ?

I sent 2 basses in the last 7 days with DPD. 134 cm x 47 cm x 20 cm.

 

 

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1 hour ago, attackbass said:

Oh really - when i put the dimensions on DPD it either lists no available services or doens't let me book anything due to the size!

Use a broker.

For the bass going to Hungary I booked DPD with Interparcel .£29 no insurance

Following day it was DPD through Eurosender. Bass was going to Wisbech £27.20 including £1000 insurance.

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Strange  I never get DPD showing on interparcel.

I would've used eurosender before when it was 24hr delivery insured for about £27 but since Covid-19 I think they've started to take the fosters and have had some bad reviews on here lately, when it comes to customer service. Didn't want to risk the bass taking 3-7 days hanging around warehouses..  it's bad enough as it is, we recently had a delivery that never showed up on the day it should've and didn't until 2 weeks later... Experienced similar things happen at my current job to. 

I've gone for using UPS through Transglobal express where I was able to insure the value of the bases for £18 on top of delivery... Can to about £44 to deliver to work. I'll see how that works out and update you on here!

 

It seems a lot of people are having issues getting suitable couriers or a decent level of service currently. I don't understand why eurosender etc can use DPD yet booking it on as a general member of the population you can't due to size restrictions.

 I wonder if basschat could get a commercial account with somebody like DPD, work out how many instruments are shipped via the market place sales per week/month and offer it as an option... I don't know how realistic that would be, if it would mean somebody on the basschat actually having to sit and book the orders on I can't see happening haha, I'm sure they have enough on their plate!

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