[Closed] Sending e-bay stuff - options other than post office?

Use eBay Shuttle, fully tracked and multiple drop off options.

Collect+ is a popular and reasonably priced service that can be booked through the ebay sales process. Though they do charge an extra pound for getting a signature on delivery.

Otherwise Parcel2Go or P4D should let you compare various courier options, including selecting drop off services only.

Be warned, though, the details can be subtly different, I priced a pair of wheels up, went to book through Parcel2Go only to eventually realise that their size limits were a touch smaller than I'd checked. They wanted £35 to send via UPS, as it was just over the Parcelforce size limits. Booked directly with Parcelforce, the same parcel went next day for £15.

I use the eBay postage. Very easy, takes the money from your winnings and I reckon gives you the best cover with eBay if things go wrong. Lots of drop off options. Mine is the local co-op

Myhermes works for me

For small, lower cost and weight items I always send via RM 2nd class signed for.
Print label off from eBay and drop off at any post office. Easy peasy.

Anything bigger goes via DPD, same process, print off eBay label, and then drop at my local Sainsbury's.

Shutl here, easier to deal if stuff gets lost.

I don't see any benefit to signed for.

No insurance on Shutl though (well, you can pay for it but the exclusions list basically means the only bit that's insured is the box).

I don’t see any benefit to signed for.

Not sure about other companies bu the benefit with Royal Mail is that it covers the item to a higher amount than the standard £20. If under £20 then no point.

Ah yes good point. I'm usually content with the £20 even if stuff is worth a bit more.

Royal mail will give you nothing if your item is worth over £20 unless you insure. You won't get £20 for a £25 item for example.
Does the courier confirmation in place of signed for make paypal happy in the case of non payment dispute?

Interesting Steveh, I can't see that on this page tho:

https://www.royalmail.com/retail-compensation-policy-loss

I find paying extra to insure an item that is being posted via Royal Mail (or other postage companies) an odd concept.

I can't think of many other examples where you pay somebody for a service (their core job), but then have the option to pay them an extra amount incase they mess it up, even though the whole process from the point of handing them the item to it being delivered is entirely within their influence and control.

Surely if they think that there is a significant enough risk that they will not fulfil the service that has been paid for, to the extent that every time they offer the service they encourage you to take out an additional insurance policy to cover their competence, then they should either not be permitted to sell the service, or build the cost of their professional liability insurance in to the overall business cost plan.

If an item is posted via RM without paying additional for insurance and it is lost somewhere in the post, then what have you actually paid for?

(side note, I usually do pay extra for insurance, but do so begrudgingly)

Royal mail will give you nothing if your item is worth over £20 unless you insure.

Signed for insures the item upto £50, and costs £1 more than standard 1st or 2nd class. Special delivery insures for upto £500 as standard and £2500 at additional cost.

Royal mail has the cheapest and most reliable delivery service in Europe.

If an item is posted via RM without paying additional for insurance and it is lost somewhere in the post, then what have you actually paid for?

You've paid for the standard £20 worth of insurance..... If the item is more valuable then you pay more - its the same with any sort of insurance service. Do you pay for Ford fiesta car insurance but actually drive a firrari?

That pretty much sums up my feeling toward RM. A shower. I've tried a few times to use RM to send parcels and be faced with jobsworthing staff that have wasted my time and money in ways I never anticipated.

OP, I'd use the eBay offered options (Collect+). Ticks all the ebay boxes for seller protection, etc. Complete piece of cake to use via the ebay 'print my postage' links. Collect+ is £5 flat rate for most everything I've sold in the last few years.

Thanks all 🙂 Is Collect+ a thing I select when listing, or when the auction is over?

+1 for Collect+ here too. I used to use Herpes, but just got fed up with them damaging or losing things.
I did have an issue with Collect+ unable to deliver, but at least they had a UK number to call, which was answered almost immediately and they were very helpful and it all got sorted.
I do use RM for some items, but over a certain size, they're pretty expensive.

I use hermes- people say they're terrible but I've sent over a thousand parcels with them and I've had literally 4 damaged and 2 lost. Lots delayed by a day or so, I reckon, but that's no biggie.And I like the ebay integration, takes out a lot of the hassle of labels etc.

5% cashback helps too, and if you've got any way to get a student discount then that's 20% off too with unidays.

On a closely related note. The wifey often sells loads of tat on ebay, and posts with RM 2nd class (not signed for or recorded). She keeps the receipt with the postcode and door number printed on it. Recently found out, because of a "non delivery" dispute, that you can track delivery confirmation with the number printed on the receipt

Less than 750g weight and less than 25mm thick: post office.
Other wise cheapest option on parcel2go, I use drop off usually.

Those options are usually myhermes, parcel locker, parcelforce,
depending on weight/size. If you send anything large don't use my
hermes collection, in my experience they have stopped collecting
large parcels and will even refuse to collect them from a parcel shop.