OT: Collect Plus courier service

Hola gang,
Just wanted to share a positive experience I've had with Amazon and it's partner CollectPlus.

I needed to return an item to Amazon and was given the choice of normal postage (via post office) or using their CollectPlus service.

I had no idea what CollectPlus was about so had a quick look.

Basically you can drop returns off at any location from a network of local shops. I whacked my postcode in and found that there were quite a few within 10-15 minutes walking distance from my house. There were also several to choose from near my office.

As I dont have a decent post office near either my home/work I thought I'd give it a go with CollectPlus.

Selected the Collect+ option from the returns screen and printed the label. Popped to my local shop and they scanned it (using the PayPoint scanner thingy), gave me a receipt and that was it. Lovely stuff.

The Collect+ website also says they do normal courier stuff so you can send whatever/wherever. EG 2kg package for £4.

Don't know if you guys have known about this for ages and I've been living in a shock in the middle of nowhere, but I thought I'd share my positive experience.

Great if you don't have a post office near you or if you like to buy oddly branded sausage rolls, foreign ciggies and pron whilst sending packages.

El moss x

You didn't tell them your password did you ?

Errrrrm, about my password.....you couldn't, you know. Again.

I have to agree with you Lord Monkos. I've never used Collect+ with Amazon, but I use it for other retailers all the time. For me, where it really comes into its own is for getting items delivered. I don't know who all these people are that can wait in to have parcels delivered - I work full time and so do all my friends! With retailers that will have their items delivered to a Collect+ store, I normally have them delivered to a store near work and then I can just pop out in my lunchtime - it's so convenient. I just wish Amazon would start allowing their items to be delivered that way, as on my postcode they don't use Royal Mail even for small items (if they did it would be fine as I live close to the sorting office). If I'm not in when my parcel arrives I have little chance of getting it as the courier they use doesn't have a depot for collection. It's so frustrating! Come on Amazon, sort it out and make Collect+ available for delivery!

i m agree this post

Can I just say you were very good in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

I was better in Forrest Gump ;-)

Yemi, can't you have your stuff delivered at work? I've started doing that recently and quite a few other people in the office do too.

I've used Collect+ and it really is a very good service.

It's quite new but hopefully it will grow because in the US theri version also allows you to collect goods from the same stores you can return them to. So if you know you're not going to be at home for a delivery you can just specify that it's delivered to your nearest Wal-Mart or 7/11 and collect it form there.

Hopefully we'll see that over here in future and it'll save me loads of hassle with missed deliveries as I seem to spend eveery Saturday driving to the Yodel depot to pick stuff up at the moment which is miles away!

I'm one step ahead of you there! I always used to have parcels delivered to work but I recently moved to a company so big that it has its own dedicated Royal Mail team to handle the post. This means that they are not prepared to deal with mail that is obviously personal and we as staff are contractually obliged not to use our work address for RM deliveries (when I got stuff sent there I got a right dressing down from the post room)!

Interestingly enough, we are allowed to get stuff sent there if it is not being carried by Royal Mail because it goes to a separate delivery point and does not have to be handled by our RM staff. This makes it all the more frustrating that Amazon uses Royal Mail on my work postcode and couriers such as Yodel and Hermes on my home postcode...if it were the other way around I'd be laughing, but for the time being all I can do is hope Amazon starts offering Collect+ for delivery.

I use collect plus all the time to return stuff. I use my local shop which is a few minutes from my house and they will also receive my deliveries if the seller uses collect plus, a real bonus when you have to go to work. One of the best parts is that you can track your returns without paying a fortune to the post office for a very similar service.

From my experience these people are rubbish. They had a parcel of mine sitting in a depot less than 15 miles away and despite promises to deliver next (several times) it took 9 working days for it to be delivered. Cheap yes, but I'd rather pay another pound and get next day delivery from the post office.

I'm wondering if the stores get paid for offering the service or do they just benefit from the foot traffic??

They are useless, my parcels kept getting bounced between depot, local shop and hub. There is no process, the explanation was that the parcels had been put in the wrong pile!

Wow, Amazon used to get returns picked up directly from you, especially if they were faulty or in error, but now they've replaced that option with Collect+. What's the + part stand for? Collect + you drop it off somewhere else first. Just had a stainless steel spade delivered (which had a round hole in it) so wanted a replacement as it's a bit pointless having a bit of your spade not coated, unless you like them rusty. Not only have I spent half hour on the phone (the returns on the website was down) but who knows how long and how much parcel tape to try and get a spade looking post worthy again. And now I've got a half hour round trip to drop it off. Brilliant. Why don't they call it what it is - be your own Home Delivery Network Driver. Oh, I forgot. You don't even get 50p for making the trip. I'm sure it's a great service IF you live near one of the collection points...
Draper Expert 19656 Stainless Steel Digging Spade

this company is useless. I am the reciever of a parcel sent buy a seller on here. It was posted tuesday and according to the tracking its still in the shop. Not only that but delivery not due till the 16th next mont5h a whole 28 days after ordering and dispatch. royal mail are quicker. ordered yesterday recieved today.

I tried the Amazon CollectPlus option for a recent order, which turned out to be a big mistake. Amazon sent the package to the CollectPlus shop, but just as a normal delivery, so they basically addressed it to me, at some random shop address. The shopkeeper, on trying to scan the package with his CollectPlus barcode scanner and receiving nothing by way of confirmation, promptly refused the package.

Yodel and CollectPlus are entirely without blame here; however, my attempts to explain this matter to a procession of foreign Amazon Customer Service Representatives who don't even know what CollectPlus is have ended in abject failure; I contacted Yodel and asked if I could collect the package from their depot but they seem intent on returning it to Amazon as it is 'their mistake'. Yodel seem more interested in blaming Amazon and don't appear willing to help resolve what is a very simple matter.

Amazon's robot emails keep turning up, telling me that the order will be cancelled and re-ordered, which I don't want - the item won't be delivered for at least a month and it's just galling to know that the parcel is sat at Yodel's depot, and I am willing to travel there and collect it, but Amazon don't understand the problem and Yodel are more intent on 'punishing' Amazon for their error, it would seem.

All rather a farce, unfortunately. CollectPlus seems like a good idea but it's not got off to the best of starts with me! I'm really disappointed with Amazon's lack of attention and unwillingness to try and sort out the problem too.

My son ordered books from Amazon to be delivered by CollectPlus to a local shop. He went to the shop, the parcel was there, then the shopkeeper asked him for the 7-digit code number. There was no 7-digit code number on the confirmation from Amazon, or anywhere else! He took several items of identification to the shop to try to claim the parcel - which was a birthday present for my grandson - and was told, sorry, must have the 7-digit code number. So where have you hidden it Amazon. It seems CollectPlus is working well, but Amazon are falling down on the paperwork! Can anyone help us find this magic 7-digit code. Oh, the shopkeeping is getting worried as he has 5 other parcels awaiting collection by 5 people who haven't been given the 7-digit code number either...

I've not used Collect+ to receive goods from Amazon, but when I've had them from other retailers I've normally had a text message generated by Collect+ that has the necessary number. Did your son provide a mobile number by any chance?

No he didn't. He gave his landline number, but hasn't had a call.

best he contacts amazon.

Your cousin Richard should start a courier company. Call it Virgin Delivery. The potential for Christmas adverts would be immense.

How? He searched Amazon for Collect+ and it came up 0 results.

It might also be worth checking his email, perhaps in spam. No matter which (non-Amazon) retailer I've ordered with I've always had an email from Collect+ (in addition to the text message) with the number in the subject line. The email is normally generated from the email address: noreply@despatch.net.

One last thing! If you want to speak to someone at Amazon, you should be able to get through on this number: 020 7084 7911.