I am posting this to let others know about an unfortunate experience that I and a vendor had when using Paisley Freight. They have been recommended by others on the forum as they provide a flat rate for a bike, offer collection and next day delivery and insurance, which would seem to be a good deal.
I bought a Dahon MU SL through the forum, which was sent, insured, by Paisley Freight. It was signed for on delivery as the packaging appeared to be OK. However, after the couriers had gone and I had unpacked the bike - which took about 20 mins. as it had been carefully cable tied and had additional packaging inside the carton to protect it - I saw that the front forks were completely mangled. This could only have happened with real negligence as the bike had been properly packed.
Unfortunately Paisley Freight have refused to recompense the vendor through the insurance, which is a claim for only £70.00 for a replacement fork, not the replacement cost of the whole bike. They are doing this as the package was signed for 'in good condition'.
I was very surprised when the couriers arrived. Instead of a Paisley Freight van as I would have expected it was two guys in a white van with TNT fleeces on over their regular clothes. The van was stuffed to the gunnels with parcels, a large number of which had to be piled on the pavement before they could get to the bike. Once the bike was retrieved the other parcels were just shoved back into the van any old how.
It would be totally unreasonable to expect a courier to wait the 20 mins. it took me to remove all of the careful packaging. I'm sure most people would sign for the delivery if the outer packaging appeared to be sound. It seems to make a nonsense of paying for insurance if the company can just inflexibly quote T&Cs. Also,it seems that Paisley Freight contract out their deliveries to the lowest bidder regardless of their ability to provide a quality service. As the driver himself said to me "They give it to us because it's the cheapest".
Paisley Freight (Couriers for transporting bikes)
Re: Couriers for transporting bikes
They outsource nearly all their work to TNT.
I've had similar experiences. They rarely if ever compensate.
UPS are without doubt the best carriers in the UK now.
A lot of big sellers resell their service.
Try parcel2go.com
I've had similar experiences. They rarely if ever compensate.
UPS are without doubt the best carriers in the UK now.
A lot of big sellers resell their service.
Try parcel2go.com
Re: Couriers for transporting bikes
I had a bike delivered by them yesterday.
Could hear the van coming long before I saw it - as could half the city thanks to the volume of the music he was playing....doesn't make one enthusiastic about the standard of his driving.
It was a white, unmarked van, so I don't know if it was from a company or outsourced to a man-with-a-van.
He opened the side door, dragged the package across the floor, tried to pick it up by the holes in the side of the box, bike then fell through bottom of the box, down the step on the side of the van, and landed in the road. I grabbed it before he could try to do any more damage and took it in.....seems undamaged....but could have been a catastrophe.
Not a company I would recommend!
Could hear the van coming long before I saw it - as could half the city thanks to the volume of the music he was playing....doesn't make one enthusiastic about the standard of his driving.
It was a white, unmarked van, so I don't know if it was from a company or outsourced to a man-with-a-van.
He opened the side door, dragged the package across the floor, tried to pick it up by the holes in the side of the box, bike then fell through bottom of the box, down the step on the side of the van, and landed in the road. I grabbed it before he could try to do any more damage and took it in.....seems undamaged....but could have been a catastrophe.
Not a company I would recommend!
Re: Paisley Freight (Couriers for transporting bikes)
UPS are the polar opposite. They're like a military operation!
Re: Paisley Freight (Couriers for transporting bikes)
I am an ex-courier.
The guys are often from the bottom of the social structure. Normally working on minimum wage, very long hours without breaks. Held liable for damage to the vehicle and parking tickets, while under totally unrealistic time pressures. Many are near to breaking point and not many stay in the job for a long time.
I have seen some DELIBERATE really bad treatment of packages and I have accidentally broken a few myself.
Also a package may pass through half a dozen pairs of hands so it is hard/impossible to say where along the train it was damaged.
You do get some couriers who are experienced old hands with a pride in their skill, however your chances of finding such drivers all the way from pick up to drop off are very slight.
If you love and value your frame dont let it in their hands!
The guys are often from the bottom of the social structure. Normally working on minimum wage, very long hours without breaks. Held liable for damage to the vehicle and parking tickets, while under totally unrealistic time pressures. Many are near to breaking point and not many stay in the job for a long time.
I have seen some DELIBERATE really bad treatment of packages and I have accidentally broken a few myself.
Also a package may pass through half a dozen pairs of hands so it is hard/impossible to say where along the train it was damaged.
You do get some couriers who are experienced old hands with a pride in their skill, however your chances of finding such drivers all the way from pick up to drop off are very slight.
If you love and value your frame dont let it in their hands!
Yma o Hyd
Re: Paisley Freight (Couriers for transporting bikes)
The message here is always to put "unchecked" on the delivery note. I can't see any reason not to.
I used a different courier for my bike (and all went smoothly), but their website is explicit about this : http://www.directcouriersolutions.co.uk/faqs.php#q14
Sorry this is a bit late for you, but hopefully others will benefit.
I used a different courier for my bike (and all went smoothly), but their website is explicit about this : http://www.directcouriersolutions.co.uk/faqs.php#q14
It is vital that in the event of any claim for damage in transit, the goods are signed for as DAMAGED or UNCHECKED.
Sorry this is a bit late for you, but hopefully others will benefit.
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The Mechanic
- Posts: 1922
- Joined: 23 Jul 2010, 1:38pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: Paisley Freight (Couriers for transporting bikes)
I may be wrong but I seem to remember this coming up in the past. IIRC the general concensus among consumer advice sources is that expecting someone to check the contents of a delivery is totally unrealistic and any T&Cs that insist on this are not enforceable. I would consult your local consumer advice people before giving up.
Cancer changes your outlook on life. Change yours before it changes you.
Re: Paisley Freight (Couriers for transporting bikes)
rfryer wrote:The message here is always to put "unchecked" on the delivery note. I can't see any reason not to.
I used a different courier for my bike (and all went smoothly), but their website is explicit about this : http://www.directcouriersolutions.co.uk/faqs.php#q14It is vital that in the event of any claim for damage in transit, the goods are signed for as DAMAGED or UNCHECKED.
Sorry this is a bit late for you, but hopefully others will benefit.
Agree totally. If it's something that could possibly be damaged and the courier can't/doesn't want to wait (I can tell they are in a hurry) I always now put this or "contents not checked" or similar.
Had a very bad experience as a student- my mum send a suitcase by British Rail courier - I went to pick it up at Euston and the three or so guys standing around at the collection point sent out clear vibes that I was a right pratt for wanting to check it before signing the disclamer. They said something along the lines that it was just a formality, what's the problem. Bullied by them I gave it only the briefest of looks. Signed. Walked away - had a look - saw immediately that it had a great crack along a seam - went straight back (a matter of yards) to point this out and they laughed in my face. And went back to their nattering or whatever.
This story is no reflection on couriers but just a cautionary tale about not signing away your protection.
Thanks for the caution about that company gohughes.
Sweep
Re: Paisley Freight (Couriers for transporting bikes)
meic wrote:I am an ex-courier.
The guys are often from the bottom of the social structure . Normally working on minimum wage, very long hours without breaks.
Well yes in today's society people on minimum wage are considered to be at the bottom of the social structure by many. There's are ways other than income to decide a person's worth though.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
Re: Paisley Freight (Couriers for transporting bikes)
Having just received full compensation from PF with all costs for a loss where my item was damaged, readers should remember that whatever PF say, or any other company for any service provided, they are required in law to do work with reasonable care and skill and to a reasonable standard.
PF maintained from the outset that they would not pay compensation, or rather insurance, quoting various reasons in their T&Cs, packaging, restricted items etc. I maintained that they had not taken reasonable care and skill in providing the service, and after submitting a small claim summons the issue was fully settled with costs out of court by PF.
If you find yourself in a compensation situation I would advise visiting Citizens Advice website for pro forma letters and general advice and the Courts Advice Service to see where you stand. Both services are free and will assist you with a compensation claim.
PF maintained from the outset that they would not pay compensation, or rather insurance, quoting various reasons in their T&Cs, packaging, restricted items etc. I maintained that they had not taken reasonable care and skill in providing the service, and after submitting a small claim summons the issue was fully settled with costs out of court by PF.
If you find yourself in a compensation situation I would advise visiting Citizens Advice website for pro forma letters and general advice and the Courts Advice Service to see where you stand. Both services are free and will assist you with a compensation claim.
Re: Paisley Freight (Couriers for transporting bikes)
It's good to hear that you got a resolution, but bad that you had to take things so far to get it. These days I generally sign as 'uninspected' for anything fragile, and always where packaging is damaged.
One company I use for work wraps every parcel in layers of bubble wrap and then literally cocoons every inch of said wrap in a continuous spiral of brown tape. Once I had a delivery from them where the really excelled themselves - they had split it into 14 parcels of various sizes from 50" long down to about two feet long (only 11 of which arrived first time round as the remaining 3 had been left leaning on a pillar at the warehouse by mistake) it took me about two hours with a Swiss Army knife to unwrap and check the order, and the place looked like a bomb had landed afterwards, you couldn't move for bubble wrap and bits of tape were sticking to everything.
).
To be fair, everything was in prefect condition when it emerged from the packing.
However, even with the best packing, bad handling can break things - even when the packaging appears undamaged from the outside, unfortunately. I once saw a carrier use a parcel to stand on in order to unlatch a neighbour's gate to leave a parcel round the back - I'd happily have taken it in if he'd asked.
It's also only if problems get reported and followed through to a claim (and reported on sites like this one) that senders will change their carriers. Too many carriers appear to be using overworked and underpaid staff these days. I'm beginning to think that some regulation may be needed.
One company I use for work wraps every parcel in layers of bubble wrap and then literally cocoons every inch of said wrap in a continuous spiral of brown tape. Once I had a delivery from them where the really excelled themselves - they had split it into 14 parcels of various sizes from 50" long down to about two feet long (only 11 of which arrived first time round as the remaining 3 had been left leaning on a pillar at the warehouse by mistake) it took me about two hours with a Swiss Army knife to unwrap and check the order, and the place looked like a bomb had landed afterwards, you couldn't move for bubble wrap and bits of tape were sticking to everything.
).To be fair, everything was in prefect condition when it emerged from the packing.
However, even with the best packing, bad handling can break things - even when the packaging appears undamaged from the outside, unfortunately. I once saw a carrier use a parcel to stand on in order to unlatch a neighbour's gate to leave a parcel round the back - I'd happily have taken it in if he'd asked.
It's also only if problems get reported and followed through to a claim (and reported on sites like this one) that senders will change their carriers. Too many carriers appear to be using overworked and underpaid staff these days. I'm beginning to think that some regulation may be needed.