urgent - Help with international carriers

Andy Young2 · 15 May 2009, 14:17

I am in Muscat and trying to get some trailer rollers shipped from Banbury Trailers in UK (http://www.banburytrailers.co.uk) to Muscat. They have been paid for, including GBP 86 for postage, through Danny (01295) 251526 but the shippers are saying they will not deliver to PO BOx in Muscat.

Problem is that in Muscat there are only PO Boxes as there is no home or business delivery service. I regularly receive Fed Ex, DHL deliveries but cannot get the ball rolling from UK

Please can anyone with experience in this area advise parcel is 9kg - 4 x 8" keel rollers with brackets).

Best regards

codprawn · 15 May 2009, 14:29

Have you tried

www.parcelforce.com

They ship worldwide - can do it all online with a credit card.

Jon.esp · 15 May 2009, 14:46

Is it that the carrier wont deliver to a PO Box or is it that supplier wont ship?

If it is the latter then it could be a security procedure that the supplier has put in place for an internet or card holder not present sale and it is more than likely that somebody in the company will have the authority to overrule this and let it go. When I recently oversaw the setting up of a internet shopping site this was an option we discussed with the developers and the staff that were going to be involved with sales and dispatch.

Jon

Andy Young2 · 15 May 2009, 16:10

Gents it is the supplier who is having the difficulty on my behalf

Codprawn I shall take your suggestion forward

Jon the supplier is fine but he appears to be using some type of clearing house to process the order rather than dealing direct with a firm. I shall make contact again based on what the two of you have advised. many thanks

Poly · 15 May 2009, 19:16

Andy, we have that problem with shipping goods to your part of the world (although not to Oman) also. Unless I am mistaken then what our customers do is give an address that "sounds/lools like" Fedex are expecting - missing out any PO box no's. And ensure you provide phone numbers etc. It seems that on arrival in the country FedEx call them asking for local delivery details - one of my customers just goes to FedEx to pick up at that point. I would suggest you call your local FedEx depot for advice if you're still stuck.

MikeCC · 15 May 2009, 19:30

What address do you use for your Fedex & DHL deliveries? Presumably you must have a street address available there? Just because the postal service is based on PO Boxes doesn't mean the other delivery services have to.

Parcelforce won't deliver on a PO Box address - they will need a street address as well.

Andy Young2 · 15 May 2009, 22:46

mike - my work/delivery address is:

Fire safety Engineering College
PO Box 2511
CPO 111
Muscat
Sultanate of Oman

The streets are numbered as 'Way Nos'' ie I live at Villa 3300, Way 4854 but there is no home delivery, instead I have to rent a private PO Box and collect mail from the post office. It is easiest to get mail delivered to work but couriers still have an issue withthe PO Box in the address. It is doubly frustrating as is it is now saturday (UK weekend our weekend thu/fri) and the dealers are shut.

Thanks for all your help I shall try again Monday, all the best

codprawn · 15 May 2009, 23:14

Well I just tried it all on ParcelForce's website and it DID work. You just use the 111 for the postcode.

Not cheap though!!!

Andy Young2 · 16 May 2009, 04:32

Codprawn I am being charged GBP 86 for 9kg 25cm x 20cm x 15cm - is parcel force dearer?

MikeCC · 16 May 2009, 09:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Well I just tried it all on ParcelForce's website and it DID work. You just use the 111 for the postcode.

Not cheap though!!!

Well, all the online systems will let you punch in what you like - just that it might not get delivered! We had that experience with a location in Greenland where the box number was only an internal location and all they had to do was take it to reception. Got as far as Denmark before they decided they didn't like it.
See this info

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Young2

Codprawn I am being charged GBP 86 for 9kg 25cm x 20cm x 15cm - is parcel force dearer?

I think that's as good a rate as you might get if it's with DHL/Fedex/UPS.

For a package delivery outside the postal service. can't you just put the street address? Presumably when you go to work, you don't go to a PO Box?

So just tell them the location where you go, making sure they have a daytime telephone number. Is it here? - 99 Street, Seeb. It's a big enough place to get plenty of deliveries, so guess most of the courier firms must know where it is.