Signing up to Parcel Pro

I need to send my SubC ND to Rolex for some warranty work.
As my nearest Rolex dealer is a 5 hour round trip, I have agreed with Rolex UK to post my watch direct.
The watch is well over the max £2500 value for RMSD, so I am signing up with Parcel Pro, to cover the value of the watch.
My application is going through, but I have been asked......

"Thank you for signing up, can you please give me at least 2 business references (associated watch collectors that you have done business with)"

I need to provide a name and contact phone number.
Is anyone signed up with Parcel Pro, or who I have dealt with on here, willing to give me their details? Any volunteers please contact me by PM.

Thank you, Andrew

One Parcel Pro TZer has passed on his details (thanks Tony), so just need one more please? :eagerness:

Thanks fellow TZers (esp Gary) I have enough information now thanks.

So far I have discovered that Parcel Pro is:
US based
Business orientated
Requires references (which I am sure they don't check?)
Has a large list of details they require from you

They emailed me very quickly regarding what information I did not give them
(not being a business made some Qs irrelevant to me)


I can now provide them with all the details they require, so let's see how it goes from here.

Don't worry: it works like a dream.

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Originally Posted by Mark020

Don't worry: it works like a dream.

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Thanks for the reassurance :thumbsup:

My communication with Parcel Pro (in California) has gone incredibly smoothly so far.
Hope to send a parcel tomorrow, covered by their insurance.

Great to hear mate. If you could let us know the process on setting up, etc and rough guidelines on costs I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one to appreciate it given our 'postman Pat' activities.

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Originally Posted by andrewcregan

Requires references (which I am sure they don't check?)

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Don't worry they do check as i also signed up last week and some kind TZ'ers also came to my rescue and i was advised that they certainly did reach out to those people for references.

Account all set up.
The carriers offered are UPS, DHL and FedEx, but following advice from a fellow TZer, I contacted Parcel Pro, and Royal Mail has now been added to my list.
All communication has been fast and effective.

My first parcel will be posted tomorrow - I intend to:

Post a £4000 watch via Royal Mail Special Delivery
Use Parecel Pro for my insurance
Insurance cover will be taken out for £4000 (or $6500 as will be selected)

I will find out the cost tomorrow . . .

I'm interested in setting up an account but how did you go about setting it up? The web based form is full of not applicable but mandatory boxes.

I simply e-mailed them and explained I was an individual collector and not a business.
They were happy to set up an account for me on that basis without providing refs etc.
I'd be reluctant to make out I was a business when I'm not.

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Originally Posted by Cynar

I simply e-mailed them and explained I was an individual collector and not a business.
They were happy to set up an account for me on that basis without providing refs etc.
I'd be reluctant to make out I was a business when I'm not.

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Good point.
I told them that I was a watch collector, and references were taken from 2 fellow TZers.

Posted my first parcel today, and will update my views when I get home from work tonight.

Are you contacting them by email or calling the US? I'm having no luck setting up an account by email or web-form, I get no reply.

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Originally Posted by Christian

Are you contacting them by email or calling the US? I'm having no luck setting up an account by email or web-form, I get no reply.

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I filled in their online form, and got an almost immediate email response.
Dealt via email since then, with no phone calls.

Thanks - they have been very speedy today at contacting me by email.

I am in the same situation as Andrew - they have asked for names as references.

Would anybody be kind enough to act as reference for me? Please PM me with your details if so!

For those interested, here are a few ideas of costs - remember that this is just for the Parcel Pro insurance, shipping is additional eg cost of RMSD

All prices are in USD

Value ($) - Cost ($)
2500 - - - - 6.25
4000 - - - -10.00
6500 - - - -16.25
8000 - - - - 20.00
10000 - - - 25.00

So for example, to post my watch back to Rolex has cost me

RMSD £6.95
plus Parcel Pro insurance (£4000 watch, so I went for $6500) which is an additional $16.25 (approx £10)

Total £16.95 to post watch RMSD fully insured to £4000

Does that mean you only need the standard RMSD insurance, Andrew? i.e. up to £500

I always wondered whether you'd have to insure the package up to the maximum £2500 then Parcel Pro take over from that point. Obviously, at the normal £500 limit, happy days, the RMSD is cheaper than normal and probably works out a similar total cost for extra peace of mind :smile-new:

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Originally Posted by RossC

Does that mean you only need the standard RMSD insurance, Andrew? i.e. up to £500

I always wondered whether you'd have to insure the package up to the maximum £2500 then Parcel Pro take over from that point. Obviously, at the normal £500 limit, happy days, the RMSD is cheaper than normal and probably works out a similar total cost for extra peace of mind :smile-new:

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Good news Ross - you post everything RMSD to the minimum ie £500

Thanks Andrew for your info/help. Seems very reasonable and a great way to have peace of mind when sending watches over £2500.

Another plea for anyone to act as a reference for me...if you've never traded with me, a quick search of H&V should bring up my flawless history! Will obviously reciprocate if anyone needs a reference.

Has anyone ever had occasion to make a claim with ParcelPro?
They've always seemed very efficient and the charges very reasonable. I'm just wondering if they're as good at paying out.

I have stood as a referee for a fellow member, and I can assure you, that they do indeed check you out.
Which is a good thing :applouse:

Just got myself setup on Parcel Pro and going through their terms and conditions, apart from the double boxing it refers to residential addresses being best avoided, seems to be more of a recommendation though, the question is are you risking being uninsured by shipping to one?

Thanks for the information! I've just emailed them too! I'm in the process of selling my PP Worldtime and I needed insurance to ship out my watch. I hope the set up is as painless as it has been for most of you.

I also considered this approach as I will need to send my watch to Duncan @ Genesis in the new year however after a quick chat with my insurance broker confirmed that I was actually covered by my insurance for "in transit", I have to send my watch RMSD with maximum insurance value (£2500) and should there be a need for a claim then my insurance will cover the remainder upto my insurance valuation.

Just another possibility for people to check out prior to setting up a ParcelPro account

I don't think Royal Mail will pay out at all if the item sent is valued at more than £2,500. It would be wise to check your insurer will take the whole risk.

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Originally Posted by Cannop

I don't think Royal Mail will pay out at all if the item sent is valued at more than £2,500.

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They certainly won’t.

R

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Originally Posted by Cannop

I don't think Royal Mail will pay out at all if the item sent is valued at more than £2,500. It would be wise to check your insurer will take the whole risk.

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Thanks, I will double check.

Surely as far as Royal Mail are aware though the item will only be insured for (worth) £2500 ??

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Originally Posted by clemenry

Thanks, I will double check.

Surely as far as Royal Mail are aware though the item will only be insured for (worth) £2500 ??

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No, that is not how it works. If and when you claim you will need to prove to RM what the insured item is actually worth. This proof will be to their satisfaction. If the item is worth more than their maximum limit of £2500 then they can deny the claim in its entirety.

There have been reports of RM paying out £2500 when the claim was for more but RM are (or were) under no obligation to do so. Do not rely on them doing this.

For full information see this thread (mainly the first two messages): http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...-%A32-5K-in-SC.

I said "or were" in the sentence above because I re-read their compensation Ts&Cs recently (well, in March) and the situation is now ambiguous (whereas previously it was clear that they would entirely deny a claim for an item worth more than £2500).

For the possible change in RM's compensation terms, see this message in the thread: http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...=1#post2645037. However, note that this is a POSSIBLE change in the terms. The wording in the Ts&Cs is ambiguous at best. I have not yet written to RM (as I said I would) to get an explicit determination from them as to whether or not they will pay out any compensation at all for lost or damaged items worth more than their maximum compensation level. Thus DO NOT rely on RM paying out anything at all if the lost or damaged item is worth more than their maximum compensation level. Also, do not rely on anything you are told by a Post Office or Royal Mail employee unless you have it in writing.

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Originally Posted by markrlondon

No, that is not how it works. if and when you claim you will need to prove to RM what the insured item is actually worth. This proof will be to theor satisfaction. If the item is worth more than their maximum limit of £2500 then they can deny the claim in its entirety.

There have been reports of RM paying out £2500 when the claim was for more but RM are (or were) under no obligation to do so. Do not rely on them doing this.

For full information see this thread (mainly the first two messages): http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...-%A32-5K-in-SC.

I said "or were" in the sentence above because I re-read their compensation Ts&Cs recently (well, in March) and the situation is now ambiguous (whereas previously it was clear that they would entirely deny a claim for an item worth more than £2500).

For the possible change in RM's compensation terms, see this message in the thread: http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...=1#post2645037. However, note that this is a POSSIBLE change in the terms. The wording in the Ts&Cs is ambiguous at best. I have not yet written to RM (as I said I would) to get an explicit determination from them as to whether or not they will pay out any compensation at all for lost or damaged items worth more than their maximum compensation level. Thus DO NOT rely on RM paying out anything at all if the lost or damaged item is worth more than their maximum compensation level. Also, do not rely on anything you are told by a Post Office or Royal Mail employee unless you have it in writing.

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Thanks for the info, very interesting.

I have just had a read of the RM T&Cs for RMSD and section 4.3 states

"You must not post any package under this agreement which contains any item whose value is more than £2,500 or if the contents are a
prohibited under the scheme. If you do post such items in breach of this clause, then you must indemnify us against all costs incurred and all claims made against us resulting from such a breach"

Think thats pretty clear on their behalf ??

I will have to contact my insurance company to discuss this again, their only stipulation last time was that I sent the item RMSD and purchased the maximum insurance I could from RM (£2500). I also needed to have proof of postage etc...

I need assurances from them that they are happy to cover the whole risk in the event of a claim

Thanks again
R

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Originally Posted by clemenry

Thanks for the info, very interesting.

I have just had a read of the RM T&Cs for RMSD and section 4.3 states

"You must not post any package under this agreement which contains any item whose value is more than £2,500 or if the contents are a
prohibited under the scheme. If you do post such items in breach of this clause, then you must indemnify us against all costs incurred and all claims made against us resulting from such a breach"

Think thats pretty clear on their behalf ??

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Yes, I agree. It makes it clear that items being sent by RMSD that are worth more than £2500 will be in breach of the terms, and thus all bets are off when it comes to relying on anything else under those terms (such as compensation).

Do you have a web link to the RMSD Ts&Cs? Oddly enough, when I last looked in March they were not linked from RM's general Ts&Cs.

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Originally Posted by clemenry

I need assurances from them that they are happy to cover the whole risk in the event of a claim

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Yes, absolutely. This is how ParcelPro works: Although they require the use of RMSD, there is no expectation that there will be any claim on Royal Mail's compensation in the event of a loss or damage. If the claim is successful then ParcelPro will pay out the full amount.

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Originally Posted by clemenry

Thanks again

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Glad to help.

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Originally Posted by markrlondon

Do you have a web link to the RMSD Ts&Cs? Oddly enough, when I last looked in March they were not linked from RM's general Ts&Cs.

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http://www.royalmail.com/sites/defau..._April2013.pdf

Useful Parcel Pro info . . .

Following a couple of emails to their customer services, it is useful to note that you can insure a parcel being delivered to yourself!
eg You buy a watch over £2500, but the seller does not have a Parcel Pro account, you can insure the parcel for them (remembering
to charge the seller the cost! :indecisiveness:)

They just ask that the sender is aware of this . . .

• Use Packaging Material You need to protect your goods from possible damage, theft, and pilferage, so proper packing material and box strength are very important.
  Your item(s) should be stable (immobile) within the inner box to prevent damage and movement during transit. Bubble wrap, foam peanuts, and paper are all acceptable forms of packing material to prevent shifting during transit. Saving pennies on packaging is NOT worth the extra time and cost needed to return damaged goods and/or lose a sale.
  
• Double Box This is a KEY requirement when shipping precious goods with Parcel Pro! Secure your items in the carrier’s small box, then, insert this small box into the carrier’s medium box. Remember to place the shipping label tracking number as well as shipper and recent information on the inner box, in the event the outer box is damaged in transit.
  The same principles of packaging apply if you are using your own packaging, where new boxes are used and double boxed. Use an inner box no smaller than 10” X 8” X 3”, with the outer box being only slightly larger to increase the protection of your items. The size and dimensions of your packaging must be taken into consideration—the smaller the package, the easier it is to conceal for theft , so do not use a box that is too small.
  Double boxing also gives strength to your packaging, protecting your goods from incidental damage and the possibility of pilferage.
  
• Be Discreet So as not to draw attention to your package, we recommend you use the carriers’ packaging. DO NOT use tape with wording such as WARNING, IF TAMPERED, etc. because this tape attracts attention to your package for possible theft.

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Originally Posted by clemenry

http://www.royalmail.com/sites/defau..._April2013.pdf

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Thank you very much.

I note that clause 5.1, which deals with "liability and compensation", specifically excludes any loss or damage compensation where "the posting does
not comply with the provisions of this agreement and the scheme". In other words, if the sender breaches clause 4.3 (which, as you observed above, states that any item whose value is more than £2500 is prohibited) then RM will not pay out any loss or damage compensation in the event of a claim. That confirms the situation and removes the ambiguity introduced by the RM general Ts&Cs from March. I'll post this information over in the RMSD thread.

Purely as an aside, I note that clause 10.2 states that "This agreement will constitute the entire agreement between us and you in respect of the subject matter of this agreement" which is untrue as far as I know: The Royal Mail general terms and conditions should also apply! Or are they really trying to exclude their own overarching general terms and conditions? I am not a lawyer but I suspect that this is an error[1] and there should instead be a reference to the RM general Ts&Cs somewhere in this document (thus including them by extension in "this agreement"). I have looked and there is no such reference. There are, however, references to "the scheme" which is another binding document which governs RMSD and other RM postal offerings, thus including them in "this agreement".

Clause 10.2 also states that "no prior negotiations, representations or agreements in relation to such a matter will have effect" which I believe is an attempt to exclude any verbal or written commitments given by Royal Mail or Post Office staff. I wonder how this would stand up in court if a consumer did have a written commitment that contradicted something that was in these Ts&Cs...




Footnote:-
1: I have observed that typographical errors in RM terms and conditions documents that should have been found by proof reading are not uncommon. I wonder if this one is a lawyerly proof reading error.

No worries.

Good work with all this Mark, raises the awareness for those (who like me) overlooked this and assumed that you would've been covered for £2500 regardless of if the items value exceeds this limit as this is the service you paid for.

R

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Originally Posted by andrewcregan

Useful Parcel Pro info . . . Following a couple of emails to their customer services, it is useful to note that you can insure a parcel being delivered to yourself! eg You buy a watch over £2500, but the seller does not have a Parcel Pro account, you can insure the parcel for them (remembering to charge the seller the cost! :indecisiveness:) They just ask that the sender is aware of this . . .[*] Use Packaging Material You need to protect your goods from possible damage, theft, and pilferage, so proper packing material and box strength are very important. Your item(s) should be stable (immobile) within the inner box to prevent damage and movement during transit. Bubble wrap, foam peanuts, and paper are all acceptable forms of packing material to prevent shifting during transit. Saving pennies on packaging is NOT worth the extra time and cost needed to return damaged goods and/or lose a sale.[*] Double Box This is a KEY requirement when shipping precious goods with Parcel Pro! Secure your items in the carrier’s small box, then, insert this small box into the carrier’s medium box. Remember to place the shipping label tracking number as well as shipper and recent information on the inner box, in the event the outer box is damaged in transit. The same principles of packaging apply if you are using your own packaging, where new boxes are used and double boxed. Use an inner box no smaller than 10” X 8” X 3”, with the outer box being only slightly larger to increase the protection of your items. The size and dimensions of your packaging must be taken into consideration—the smaller the package, the easier it is to conceal for theft , so do not use a box that is too small. Double boxing also gives strength to your packaging, protecting your goods from incidental damage and the possibility of pilferage.[*] Be Discreet So as not to draw attention to your package, we recommend you use the carriers’ packaging. DO NOT use tape with wording such as WARNING, IF TAMPERED, etc. because this tape attracts attention to your package for possible theft.

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Yes, a member on here did the same thing when he bought a watch from me. He requested I insure up to £500 as normal and then took the tracking number down- et voila! It was covered. Word of warning though- make sure the tracking number is correct or I gather it isn't covered.

So using the carriers packaging is a 100% must??

e.g. Royal Mail box (double boxed)?

I dont know if its legal around here to link to other forums, but i suggest you search for "My experience with Parcel Pro" on watchuseek. A guy whom did NOT get coverage on his claim when his parcel disappeared! I don't know the circumstances, just a warning to all of you using Parcel Pro !

A quick Google found this from 2012. The problem was that the person using Parcel Pro used a carrier that Parcel Pro said not to use.

As Der Amf says you have to specify an approved carrier. If the carrier isnt showing you can ask them to add it to your options. RMSD wasn't shown by default when I registered.

Is Parcel Pro still the preferred method for insuring watch postage and is it available for private individuals?

I don't think that they take new individual accounts anymore. Mailboxes inc seem to have filled some of the parcel pro void from what I can work out.

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Originally Posted by chrisparker

Is Parcel Pro still the preferred method for insuring watch postage and is it available for private individuals?

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No longer available to private individuals.

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Originally Posted by verv

I don't think that they take new individual accounts anymore. Mailboxes inc seem to have filled some of the parcel pro void from what I can work out.

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Do you mean Mailboxes Etc, I checked with them this week and they said if over £2,500 they need to use FedEx/UPS and in transit insurance was 3% of value.
DHL sems to be 1.5% within UK.

I am signing up with Parcel Pro.
I know my post number is low but I am genuine. Is it possible I can have two reference name please?

Regards,
Lin

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Originally Posted by TBKBABAB

DHL sems to be 1.5% within UK.

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From DHL's T&C's:

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Prohibited items

• Jewellery, costume jewellery, watches and objects constructed of precious metal and/or stones with a value in excess of £4,000 per waybill

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R

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Originally Posted by verv

I don't think that they take new individual accounts anymore. Mailboxes inc seem to have filled some of the parcel pro void from what I can work out.

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Yes they do there was a post I saw from the chap that works for parcel pro stating nothing changed

http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?t=392973

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by ralphy

From DHL's T&C's:



R

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yes just so happens the value would have been £4,000

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Originally Posted by bokbok

Yes they do there was a post I saw from the chap that works for parcel pro stating nothing changed

http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?t=392973

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

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That was a guy who used to work for Parcel Pro and now set up his own company IFS

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Originally Posted by TBKBABAB

That was a guy who used to work for Parcel Pro and now set up his own company IFS

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Ok I see so non starter

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by bokbok

Ok I see so non starter

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

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Believe they offer the same insurance as Parcel Pro but cost and details behind the new company
I am not sure of.

Parcel Pro wants three reference which I've still not managed to obtain.

However, I have signed up with IFS as I managed to get help from Jeroen who is an ex-Parcel Pro. First time using it, so far so good, easy and straight forward.