Im selling a frame and would prefer collection, however enquiries have all been from a long way off and I’m now looking to post to take advantage of a wider market.

Who have people used for this purpose and what sort of price am I looking at?

Also what have people used for packing?

Thanks

Depends on the frame size. Some couriers have max dimensions (eg in the case of DPD the max length is 100cm) which can affect who you can use.

However, in the past few months I have used both parcelforce and dpd. Dpd was best with regular text and email updates, insured cost was about £30. I think parcelforce was a bit cheaper and perfectly good too.

As for packaging, a large box / two boxes joined together and a world of bubble wrap.

Parcel force via senditnow.com will be around 12-15 quid depending on service.

Insurance cover racks the price up with any courier. I always stick stuff on an AM delivery and ‘self insure’.

I found this lot recently and have used them to send a full bike and a frame in recent weeks.

https://www.postagesupermarket.com/

Both times it was TNT that collected. The frame cost £11, the full bike £20 but that was with extended insurance. They don’t seem to have a length limit unlike some and the 1 to 2 day delivery really is that. The frame arrived before I had chance to send the tracking info!

Definitely Not Hermes.
I used them to deliver a bike and it took 2 weeks and 3 “failed” collections (I was in all day for each one). They also came to collect the bike a second time after they rebooked my slot (based on 2 emails I’d sent a week earlier).
Trying to speak to someone was impossible and I resorted to a LinkedIn search to try and contact the buyer’s local Hermes depot manager (still waiting for a response to the email a month on).
The bike was eventually delivered safely though.

My Hermes demanded extra payment (for giving incorrect measurements, which I hadn’t) and wouldn’t deliver until I paid up. The recipient had received the frame before the email arrived though, so I’m not sure if it was a genuine mistake or they were trying to get extra out of me. I won’t use them again though.

I like parcelforce too. Good tracking and you can drop off at your local post office. I’ve sent a few frames via parcelforce without issue.

As well as bubble wrap don’t forget to brace the rear drop outs and protect the mech hanger.

I posted a frame last month by Parcelforce 48 hour tracked, cost me around £16 to ship

Thanks for the info, I think I’ll source some packaging, weigh and measure then look at some of these options.

I’ve used parcelforce for frames about 5 times, its about £15 large parcel, I just take them to my local post office, If you haven’t got or kept your frame box see if local bike shops have any lying around. I’ve used polystyrene, bubble wrap, pipe insulation, and lots of scrunched up paper fills the box well, I also use a strong cardboard tube like you get with foil or cling film wedged in the box at the back end to strengthen it somewhere between the chain & seat stays just incase the box gets a bit squashed in transit.

Yeah, intend to go to the lbs to see if they have a box. Will do the clingfilm tube trick too, already have one in my bike bag for such purposes.