All the latest news and industry updates from myParcelDelivery.com™, the UK's favourite parcel delivery company. myParcelDelivery.com™ 2012 http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog Tue, 16 October 2012 11:10:00 Tue, 16 October 2012 11:10:00 Shaun http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/hub/blog/articles/2012/october/how-to-add-compensation-cover/ Over the past few months, there have been a few customers asking us about compensation / transit cover - what exactly it covers, the cost, what the benefits are - those kinds of thing. So, we thought it pertinent to make a little compensation cover guide here to tell you all about it. What exactly is Compensation Cover? Compensation (or transit) cover, is just like any kind of cover (travel, mobile phone) that protects the value of the contents in your parcel. In the unlikely event that your goods are damaged during transit, adding compensation cover to your order means that you'll receive a payment of the amount you covered up to (subject to our terms and conditions). For most of our services (City Link, TNT, Hermes and Collect+), we provide you with free standard compensation cover with every order, covering between £20 and £50 worth of goods depending on the service you book. For any additional cover, you must add it on to the order yourself - see below for details on how to do this. What Are the Benefits of Compensation Cover? There are many benefits to covering your items, including… Peace of mind when sending valuable goods Pay very little to cover expensive items Takes no time at all to add cover to your delivery How do I Add Compensation Cover to my Order? It's extremely easy to add cover to your order; just follow the steps below when booking: 1. Choose your service as normal by clicking the 'book now' button. 2. We will ask you to tell us the contents and value of your contents on the next page. Fill in these fields and we will automatically calculate the price to fully cover your delivery. Any free inclusive cover will also be displayed.  Please be aware that any items delivered that are on our Restricted and Prohibited items list will be NOT be eligible for compensation cover, and you will not be able to claim on such items. 3. Make sure you keep the 'Full Cover' option checked to add the cover to your order. We will update the order and display the final price on the right hand side of the screen. 4. Click 'Proceed to Review & Pay' to complete your order. It's that simple! But, as always, please don't hesitate to contact us if you need any additional help at all.  http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/october/how-to-add-compensation-cover/ http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/october/how-to-add-compensation-cover/ Tue, 16 October 2012 11:10:00 Shaun http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/hub/blog/articles/2012/august/new-look-and-lower-prices/ If you've visited us in the past, you'll probably have already noticed that our homepage is looking a lot different than it used to - take a look now . Thanks to our great design team, it's now easier than ever to arrange a courier to collect your parcel(s). See our quick guide on how to book (below) for more information. You may also have noticed we've introduced a few more delivery options to choose from when booking with us. We've geared these great new services with price in mind, meaning you can benefit from a first-class parcel delivery service at rock-bottom cost.   The New Services All of our new services come complete with standard compensation cover worth £50, with the option to cover up to a total of £1,000 worth of goods: MPD Next Day Express - from £8.30+VAT MPD 2-Day Economy - from £7.65+VAT MPD 2-Day Large (for bulky parcels) - from £15.90+VAT Time-specific services: MPD Next Day Express by 9.00am - from £22.90 +VAT MPD Next Day Express by 10.00am - from £18.90 +VAT MPD Next Day Express by 12.00pm - from £12.95 +VAT   How to Quote and Book a Delivery The new website interface makes booking a delivery even quicker and easier than it was before. Just follow these three simple steps: 1. Enter your parcel and delivery details into the booking form (found at the top of nearly every page) and then click the 'Get Quotes' button. For multiple parcels, simply select the amount from the drop-down list provided. 2. Choose a delivery service by scrolling through the results pages (shown below). By hovering over the small icons on each option, you can reveal more about that service. 3. When you have selected your desired service, simply enter your payment details to complete the order. We will then send a courier to collect your parcel(s) from your doorstep.   More Help Please feel free to contact us , should you require any additional help with booking a delivery or navigating through our new website interface. http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/august/new-look-and-lower-prices/ http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/august/new-look-and-lower-prices/ Mon, 13 August 2012 13:14:00 http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/hub/blog/articles/2012/june/how-to-post-cd's-and-dvd's/ If you are sending CDs or DVDs through the post or via courier there are a number of steps you can take to ensure that they arrive safely and remain in good condition along the way. There are many reasons you may need to mail such items - you may be sending a film or album to a friend who lives far away, or selling your unwanted items on eBay. Anything sent in a package needs to be packed well and in a way which is going to minimise the chance of damage occurring when a parcel is on the move. When it comes to CDs and DVDs you should always: Cover sharp edges to prevent the CD from damaging the outer packaging Pad out extra space in a parcel with bubble wrap, polystyrene chips or something similar Use the right sized packaging to restrict movement Padded envelopes can be really useful for sending CDs and DVDs, but these should not be overfilled, as this can put strain on cases and cause items to crack and break in transit. Multiple items If you are packing a large quantity of CDs or DVDs to mail, then you will fit many more in a box if you pack them neatly rather than just throwing them in. Don't forget that extra items can be slotted down the sides in a packed box, which can help to keep things in place and also means you can fit more in a package. Another option is to create stacks and then secure them with masking tape, just make sure any tape you use is easily removed and is not going to damage cases. Packing in stacks will reduce movement and can help protect against cracks and damage. Alternatively, plastic sleeves can provide protection for items being shipped, or loose discs can be packed inside other cases containing CDs and DVDs - just ensure that a piece of card or paper is placed in between discs to prevent scratching. Send your package with myParcelDelivery.com If you are looking to send a package, whether it is going somewhere in the UK or abroad, be sure to visit our homepage to instantly quote and book your door-2-door delivery.   http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/june/how-to-post-cd's-and-dvd's/ http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/june/how-to-post-cd's-and-dvd's/ Thu, 21 June 2012 10:59:00 Shaun http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/hub/blog/articles/2012/may/cheaper-than-the-royal-mail!/ We're Cheaper than Royal Mail Did you know that the Royal Mail have now increased the cost to send a parcel through the post? In some cases you could even be paying up to a huge 70% extra to have your goods delivered by them. Fortunately, myParcelDelivery.com™ provides you with a much cheaper and easier way to send your parcels. Why pay £5.30* to have a parcel delivered by the Post Office, when you can book a door-2-door courier online - from the comfort of your own home - for just £3.99+VAT instead? And not only will you be able to save your hard earned cash when you book online with myParcelDelivery.com™, you'll also be able to take advantage of… Free £20 compensation cover Live customer support facilities Instant online tracking Collection from your doorstep So why waste your time queuing up at the Post Office?  Book online  today with myParcelDelivery.com™! *price based on a 2kg parcel http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/may/cheaper-than-the-royal-mail!/ http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/may/cheaper-than-the-royal-mail!/ Tue, 08 May 2012 09:56:00 Shaun http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/hub/blog/articles/2012/april/hermes-price-drop/ Great news - we've slashed the price of our 3-5 day delivery service with Hermes to just £3.99+VAT for all parcels weighing 2KG or less, and to only £4.99+VAT   for anything weighing up to 5KG! In comparison, that makes us at least 50p cheaper than the Royal Mail's increased prices for 2012, when sending parcel within the UK. And I'm sure you won't need reminding that booking your delivery with myParcelDelivery.com™ also comes with some fantastic added benefits (which you definitely won't find whilst queuing at the Post Office)… £20 free transit-cover on all orders you place Dedicated support team to ensure your parcel's safe and timely journey Instant online tracking with live updates Book online within minutes (no lengthy waits in a queue) Remember, getting your parcel(s) there safely and on time is our number 1 priority, so you can rest easy when you send with myParcelDelivery.com™ - so  Book Online Today! http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/april/hermes-price-drop/ http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/april/hermes-price-drop/ Mon, 09 April 2012 15:43:00 Shaun http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/hub/blog/articles/2012/april/the-penny-farthing-postman/ It's not every day you see a man riding around delivering letters on the back of a Penny Farthing bicycle, but to the residents of Bude - a small coastal town in Cornwall - it's becoming a bit of regular sighting. Not one to sit around and grumble at Royal Mail's latest price hike, Bude based entertainer-come-poet Graham Eccles has decided to take action by delivering the local's letters on the back of a Penny Farthing, at a much more palatable price! Eccles collects mail twice daily from the collection points he's knocked up around the town, and will deliver just about any letter for 25p on the same day - that's 25p cheaper than Royal Mails increased price of 50p for a 2 nd class stamp! It's a great idea - if a little eccentric -which will hopefully save the locals plenty of money and, should the local community support it, offer a much more personal postal service than the Royal Mail (I'm sure even the romantics among us would have a hard time topping the notion of receiving a hand-written letter from a mysterious man on a Penny Farthing). The price to send a parcel via the Royal Mail has also soared in 2012 (by up to a staggering 70% in some circumstances) which, according to a Royal Mail spokesman, "better reflects the cost of handling packets which cannot be delivered through the letterbox". It's a good job then, that myParcelDelivery.com™ - just like the Penny Farthing Postman from Bude - has decided to offer a much more affordable (and convenient) means for people to deliver their goods!  http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/april/the-penny-farthing-postman/ http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/april/the-penny-farthing-postman/ Mon, 09 April 2012 15:31:00 Shaun http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/hub/blog/articles/2012/april/another-olympic-farce/ The vuvuzelas left over from the World Cup will no doubt be making their way out of the cupboards over the coming months, as the Olympic Games swing into action. But it's a strict code of silence that's been ordered up for UK couriers, as they make their deliveries to and through the capital this summer! Yes, you heard me correctly; couriers making their way through the busy streets of London will be prohibited from honking, whistling or any other form of hooting to attract the attention of shop employees receiving their goods for the duration of the Olympic Games. The code of conduct was issued by Transport for London this week in an effort to reduce congestion and disruption in and around the city centre, as its population threatens to explode come June this year. The move also comes on the back of a joint bid by the Noise Abatement Society and Freight Transport Association, to enforce against anything from preventing Londoners getting a "good night's sleep" during the Olympics. Well, let's hope we're not all still sleeping when the Games start. Still, it's not all bad - the last I heard, there'll be no pending bans on out-of-tune singing, wailing or loutish behaviour, so we'll still be able to keep the nation awake during the Olympics; even if our couriers can't! It's not the first hurdle that couriers will have to jump to make deliveries to and from the capital this summer, either. Earlier this year, Transport for London announced certain roads will be closed down for the duration of the Olympics, meaning some London businesses could struggle to arrange for the collection and delivery of their goods. TfL's Managing Director for Surface Transport, Leon Daniels, has stated that every effort will be made, however, to keep local businesses informed as to when and where roads will be closed during the affected period. And, of course, we'll keep you all updated from our end too…   http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/april/another-olympic-farce/ http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/april/another-olympic-farce/ Mon, 02 April 2012 17:38:00 Shaun http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/hub/blog/articles/2012/february/galaxy-note-proves-size-does-matter-to-samsung/ With a swollen screen size of 5.3", slipping Samsung's new smart-phone into your front jeans pocket is guaranteed to turn some heads - that much is true - but what for its usability as its primary function, a phone? Call me old fashioned, but I always thought a mobile phone should be just that; mobile. I'm not saying you'll need a suitcase to lug around the new Galaxy Note, but it certainly doesn't fit snugly between your fingers an' thumb when it comes to taking a call. Of course, if you have hands the size of King Kong - or don't too much mind holding a slim line brick to your ear - then Samsung's new release may still pique your interest. But the bigger picture (excuse the pun) for me is the direction in which mobile technology is being diverted to create the ultimate hand-held device. No longer is a phone simply a phone. Your phone is your camera, your diary and your alarm clock. It's your music player, portable TV, compass, map and gaming platform. It's your 'get out of jail' card in awkward social situations, your holiday photo-album and your radio; and it's the one thing that you will most likely take everywhere with you for most of your waking days. There's no doubt about it, we've been caught hook, line and sinker when it comes to mobile technology, which is why the likes of Apple and Samsung will do everything they can to lead the race in creating our ultimate personal companions. With this in mind, I can see why Samsung have decided to go large with their latest release. To pack all of its functionality and usability into a smaller sized shell would surely be like cooking truffles in a microwave - a complete waste. And for as long as additional features and benefits are forever pumped into our hand-held devices, I see no reason as to why future smart-phones won't follow suit. So what does all this mean? Well, for those just needing to keep your folks and friends up to date with the odd telephone call, you can go on wearing your skinny jeans, complete with pockets tighter than Scrooge's purse. The rest of us, however - who embrace holding the world in our hands - will no doubt have to invest in a more tailored pair of slacks to comfortably accommodate the future of smart-phones! http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/february/galaxy-note-proves-size-does-matter-to-samsung/ http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/february/galaxy-note-proves-size-does-matter-to-samsung/ Tue, 21 February 2012 15:23:00 Shaun http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/hub/blog/articles/2012/january/welcome-to-the-new-blog!/ Ladies, gents and parcel enthusiasts - I'm proud to announce the long-needed arrival of the new myParcelDelivery.com™ blog! I'm sure there will be many topical annoyances to moan about (as well as a fistful of industry news and company insights to report on) over the coming months, so with any luck I'll soon be breaking 60 words per second on the keyboard! So, what makes a good first blog post? Well, after a quick scout of the internet I'm quite confident of three key ingredients; my yeast, sugar and steam, if you like (used to make bread rise for those not savvy in the art of baking). Anyway, on with cooking up the perfect first blog… Step 1: Add a sprinkle of personality! (In other words, who am I?) Now there's a question I'm sure you've all been wondering since the opening line - so I'll delay no longer! Well - like most superheroes - I lead a mysterious double life. By day I'm a mild mannered digital marketer with an uncanny interest in parcels and writing about them, but with the rise of the moon you'll most likely find me crooning to a power ballad or two in front of the mirror. I think that's just enough about me for now… Step 2: Mix in a little about the company… Great! What kind of an online marketer wouldn't jump at a chance to throw confetti over their own company brand? Well, I won't be raving about our services over and over through these blogs, so I'll give you the whirlwind tour right here and now. In a nutshell, we have 3 core principles: To offer a cost-effective and timely delivery service for anyone who needs to send a parcel to almost anywhere in the world! To provide small to mid-sized companies with the tailored business delivery rates they require! To be the industry leaders in customer service and innovative shipping software! We have a very young and fresh team working between our 4 walls in Manchester, and we're always looking for ways to improve our service for our customers. [/advertising over]! Step 3: Give out free samples and ask for feedback! (How can you get involved?) Okay - this isn't so much an ingredient as a refinement of the recipe! Of course, I'd love everyone reading to get involved in discussions, but I realise this isn't always going to happen over a subject as exciting as the courier industry! Saying that, I'll be trying my best to keep things fun and topical around here, so by all means shout, share or pitch in with your thoughts - I'd love to hear them! So here's goodbye for now from me, the rest of the team and the small parcel action figure that sits on my desk!  http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/january/welcome-to-the-new-blog!/ http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/january/welcome-to-the-new-blog!/ Fri, 27 January 2012 17:20:00 Shaun http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/hub/blog/articles/2012/january/on-sale-now-the-'hi'phone-5/ I've never been sucked into the whole iPhone whirlpool - all I ever want in a mobile is the ability to make and take calls, send texts and snap a cheeky picture every now and then. But, unlike me, it looks as though the rest of the world is buzzing about Apple's latest pipeline release - the iPhone 5. One country that never fails to go bananas over anything Apple is China. You can probably imagine the queues of fanatic fans that will be lining the imperial streets of Beijing to get their hands on the new handset when it's finally released in 2012 - but for some that's a wait too long. Rogue merchants have already starting flogging the new iPhone 5 on one of China's largest online marketplaces, Taobao.com, with only one small hitch - they're fakes. Branded as HiPhone 5 to avoid confusion with the real deal, the fake models have already been snapped up (for as little as about £30) by a few too many unfortunate consumers across China. Of course, I hate the 'fake' market and everything that goes with it. But, call me presumptuous, anyone duped into buying one of "Apple's" hottest products for the cost of a garden gnome deserve exactly what they get! Okay, they don't deserve it, but boy they need to wise up. Still, its times like these when I'm perfectly happy with my brick-sized phone and its 4 pixel camera! Over and out. http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/january/on-sale-now-the-'hi'phone-5/ http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/january/on-sale-now-the-'hi'phone-5/ Wed, 25 January 2012 11:46:00 Shaun http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/hub/blog/articles/2012/january/google-lay-it-on-the-counter-with-trusted-stores/ Online retailers beware - you could soon find yourselves in the dock facing cross examination from Google, should its new incentive, Trusted Stores, prove to be a hit in its current beta stage ! Currently, according to Google, consumers face an arduous task finding a respectable and legit website to purchase goods from. Personally, I always thought typing 'company xyz scam' into Google was a sure-fire way of measuring a stores' credibility, but apparently this caveman tactic just doesn't cut the mustard anymore. To combat all this consumer-confusion Google have once again come to the rescue, this time with their latest release - Google Trusted Stores. The program, should it take off, will see Google gain access to online retailers' delivery service stats, as well as other customer service metrics in order to assess the trust-rating of the website. No doubt, along with a fancy Google badge to flaunt on their websites, those retailers deemed to be more trustworthy may find themselves creeping up the search ladder towards page one. As for those who don't - well, they could wind up staring down the barrel of an 'o' at the tail end of the Gooooooooo o gle results. It's times like these that I feel I should stress the importance of a good, reliable parcel delivery service - and you won't find one better than myParcelDelivery.com™ , no matter how many pages of Google you trawl through. http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/january/google-lay-it-on-the-counter-with-trusted-stores/ http://www.myparceldelivery.com/hub/blog/articles/2012/january/google-lay-it-on-the-counter-with-trusted-stores/ Wed, 25 January 2012 11:20:00