Couriers

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Claim to Frame
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Couriers

Post by Claim to Frame »

Morning all

Just wondering if many people use couriers for supplying frames to customers?

My market is likely to be online ordering, so I'm looking for a good reliable courier.

Am I right in thinking Fragilistics are the go to courier?
Not your average framer
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Re: Couriers

Post by Not your average framer »

I very rarely send anything by couriers, but when I do I use Parcel Force. I like to pack things inside two boxes, one inside the other and a with crumple zone packaging between the two boxes. My favorite internal packaging is crumpled up newspaper and the tissue paper from between sheets of glass. I have not had to send many items, so I've only limited experience to base results up on, but nothing has been damaged so far!
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
Chris_h
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Re: Couriers

Post by Chris_h »

I send frames out every day with Parcelforce and I have to say I am very happy with them. In terms of damage I have had very little problems. Usually less than one damaged a year. I think the last one was around two years ago. In ten years I think they have lost one parcel. Parcels don't always arrive on time though, probably about 95 percent of mine get there on time.

I do like the fact they employ staff rather than constantly getting different drivers on zero hour contracts. The staff always stay the same. My drivers been the same for ten years, all the local depot desk staff always seem the same. Its convenient to drop off item at the local post office along with collections. If I need stuff sending out urgently at short notice I often drop them off at the local depot at 18.55 and they will take them straight down to the lorry and load them on so they get there the next day.
Justintime
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Re: Couriers

Post by Justintime »

Art couriers have been prohibitively expensive when comparing quotes for my jobs.
When I have to ship I use overnight/next day delivery in the hope that it's handled less.
Justin George GCF(APF)
Insta: georgetheframer
Not your average framer
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Interests: Lost causes, saving and restoring old things, learning something every day
Location: Glorious Devon

Re: Couriers

Post by Not your average framer »

I use flat packed cardboard boxes from a local packaging company to post frames. I don't do much of this as I do my best not to get involved with posting items at all. I view the time spent packaging frames as an un-necessary use of my time and an un-necessary expence, so I rather not be doing this. I always pay the extra to get recorded delivery, so that I know that the package got safely delivered. I cut up old cardboard boxes in to strips on my Fletcher Terry 3100 and glue these strips together to make packing pieces to fit inside the inner box. These strps are extremely crush resistant.

The flat packed boxes are not very thick corrogated cardboard and therefore not very strong for larger and heavier items, in such cases I use two boxes one inside the other and fill the gap in between with screwed up newspaper to absorb any bumps and impacts. I also have a coffee machine and it uses pods, which come in thin cardboard boxes. I have a paper shreader which is able to shread bits of these boxes to produce loose fill packaging materials and this being little strips of card is quite resilent and effective protection and it's otherwise only going to otherwise need to be put in to the waste bin anyway, so it's effectively free packaging materials.

I also use the sides of these boxes to write on when working out framing dimensions and then shred them after I have finished with using them, so I get double use from them. Also the thin card gets used for shop window price tickets as I can not buy suitable thin white card anywhere locally and buying it elsewhere and getting it send costs me money. There is no time needing to be spend working out where to buy and order this card, I keep drinking the coffee and the bxes keep coming! Easy peasy!
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
Claim to Frame
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Location: Southwest
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Re: Couriers

Post by Claim to Frame »

Having now seen the price of the specialist courier I will be reverting to using parcelforce :lol: .

I've used them up until now and had no problems but as the size and quantity of frames increases I was thinking it may have been more beneficial to change courier.
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