Decent Couriers ?

I had a bad experience about a year ago when I sent some rods via City Link couriers, both the rods where broken in several places despite being in a plastic rod tube. The tube had been bent imo deliberatly. Problem was when I contacted city link they said they didn't insure fishing tackle !!! I just had to accept my loss which really p!$$ed me off. I paid them to break my gear up !
Anyhow before I sell my current rods I thought i'd enquire if anyone on FM knows of a good courier service that actually insures precious fishing gear.
My rods i'm selling are 12ft two peice so to long for parcel force.

TNT are awful - i had a rod tube delivered that was shattered to bits (incredibly the rod was OK though) and boxes have shown evidence of very rough handling despite labels.

Parcel Force are great but as you say they have a length limit.

Cant recommend any - just those to avoid (TNT).

TNT have always delivered mine OK, you must have been unlucky.

Get a quote from Interparcel

TNT, hmmm.....let me tell you something about TNT.

If I send a package from Bolton to Dublin with TNT then this is how they get it there. First they put it on a truck and take it to local depot. Then they put it on another truck and take it to Dover. Then it goes on a ferry to FRance. Then the truck drives to the TNT Euroean Hub in Luxemburg where it is dropped off. Then they put it on another truck and take it back to Dover. Then it goes on a ferry to Ireland....

IT IS QUICKER AND CHEAPER BY ****ING TAXI!!!!!

Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC) said:

IT IS QUICKER AND CHEAPER BY ****ING TAXI!!!!!

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Ah, but how does the taxi get to Dublin without going on a ferry? Look Corky, we're just trying to keep our European cousins in work, that's all. If we looked after our own the way we should this country wouldn't be in the mess it is.

I can't get over the fact that there's no decent couriers that'll insure peoples fishing tackle whilst it's in their hands (i'd be happy for the driver to check my fishing rods before taking them). I reckon i'll just have to advertise my rods as pick up only as I ain't having a repeat performance of last time....City link took my money and smashed my rods up...CITY LINK !!!....i'd highly recommend no one use them incase they do the same to your gear. They even admitted to my wife on the phone that they have machinery that may damage fishing rods !

It really depends on the individual delivery driver too.

We had a slightly angry customer phone us at work a few days ago. Under the customer's instructions we had written on the parcel "If no one is at home please try a neighbour either side". Now the clever courier knocked on the door and got no answer. He tried the neighbours and didn't get an answer either. Then, in his infinite wisdom, he had the brilliant idea of putting it safely in the blue plastic container outside the front door.

The blue plastic container just happened to be a recycling bin that got collected 10 minutes later

I too had awful problems with City Link which was put down to the local driver but to be honest this didn't wash as the problems spanned too wide a timescale.

Best i've experienced were DPD: DPD (UK) - Express parcel delivery - Next day UK, European and international parcel delivery services. and the email on the morning of delivery narrowing the timescale down to within an hour was helpful.

I had 2 pole sections smashed by Parcelforce. Best to make sure you pay extra for insurance cover, whoever you use!

Terry D said:

I had 2 pole sections smashed by Parcelforce. Best to make sure you pay extra for insurance cover, whoever you use!

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That's the problem Terry, all the one's I can find won't insure your fishing rods (they have it in the small print)....shows they know how rough arsed they are with peoples propery !

I have had rods delivered in all sorts of containers, I once bought a collectable cane rod and the bloke sent in wrapped in a bin bag and another one came in a length of drain pipe. The only one which was broken on arrival was in a flimsy plastic tube and it was obvious from the state of the back of the truck that something had fallen on it.
When I send rods out I send them in the thick walled cardboard tubes which vinyl floor covering is rolled on, I get them free from the carpet shop and although the postage is a bit more at least they are safe and the price is offset by not having to pay for a tube.
I also invested in a roll of FRAGILE tape which I run down the full length of the tube like a barbers pole.........So far I've been lucky.

Surely it is not the 'Courier Company that is completely bad, moreso the individuals within the company (and most companies have them) that do not behave as they should?

I would logically have thought that, however...

With the problems I had with the particular courier that I mentioned earlier I would add the following, all of which came to a head after not complaining directly to the courier themselves but stating to Marks & Spencer and copying in the courier via email that I would no longer use them whilst their choice of courier continued because:

Driver drove off with a parcel still on van after leaving one when delivery docket clearly stated two (it was only a sack sized bag of catering bbq fuel so easily missed!)... blamed on pre-Christmas ageny driver

Fishing vest ordrered and marked as despatched was not delivered, was told I had been knocked and no reply despite working from home that day and no card left to state attempted delivery. Then told returned to hub and back out for despatch which never materialised either, before then being told it was "lost" and now an insurance issue (never explained but retailer was of the same suspicion as myself, namely that it had been nicked).

Parcel left under bush on front garden for days and only discovered by accident with again no advice note left.

I honestly thought I was rid of them as I always check first to ensure a sender doesn't use them before agreeing any transaction and low and behold I hauled myself out of bed with the flu a few weeks ago having heard a knock at the front door, I opened the bedroom window to see said courier at front door and exclaiming "signature required for delivery please".

Having opened the front door I was met by the courier who then exclaimed "sorry mate, it's not you it's the next street along!".

Priceless... and with various drivers.

terry m said:

Surely it is not the 'Courier Company that is completely bad, moreso the individuals within the company (and most companies have them) that do not behave as they should?

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If you ever post a rod through City link like I did and it gets there the very next day, tube bent in several places and the rod snapped to bits, then you find out they won't pay out for any damage to fishing rods, then they tell your Mrs on the phone they have machines that can damage fishing rods, I reckon you'd blame the courier company.

That's why i'm trying to find a good courier company that is confident enough to insure my fishing rods whilst they're in their hands.