Tamebay reader Jim has got hold of some typical prices that Doddle will charge to ship parcels for you. He asks the question “Comparison please?”.
Doddle parcel prices |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Send a parcel | Standard (Max 16kg) 40 x 30 x 10cm |
Large (Max 16kg) 50 x 35 x 10cm |
Extra Large (Max 16kg) 50 x 50 x 40cm |
| UK Next Day | £7.67 | 12.97 | 17.47 |
| Pre 10.30am | £19.67 | 24.97 | 29.47 |
| Pre 12 noon | £10.67 | £15.97 | £20.47 |
| Saturday | £19.67 | £24.97 | £29.47 |
We had a quick look at some of the alternatives. It’s not a direct comparison as Doddle have a generous allowance of up to 16kg for any service, however their height and weight dimensions don’t match those of other carriers.
You can send a Royal Mail small parcel via 1st Class post for £3.20 up to 1kg for and £5.45 up to 2kg. That makes Doddle look expensive. However 1st class isn’t a guaranteed next day service and the weight limits are no where near that of Doddle. For a 5-10kg medium parcel sent 1st Class you’d be looking at a cost of £21.90! For Royal Mail next day delivery, Special Delivery would cost you £8.45 up to 1kg rising to £26.60 for a 10kg parcel.
What about the budget carriers who give low prices but take a couple of days to deliver? myHermes charge £9.78 for a 5-10kg parcel and Collect Plus comes in at £9.29 on a two day service. Both have considerably lower rates for lighter parcels but Doddle don’t.
If you go to Parcel2Go you can get a 10kg Yodel next day delivery for £8.10 or City Link for £11.70 inc VAT. Willing to drop your parcel off at a UPS access point? Then Parcel2Go offer a next day 10kg service for £5.94.
We know that many online sellers will already have courier contracts which with negotiated rates will be cheaper than any of the prices we’ve quoted above. However it’s likely that users of Doddle will be comparing prices with ad hoc couriers which is why we’ve selected them for comparison.
It looks like Doddle isn’t cheap. However Doddle also isn’t expensive. It’s a great price for heavier parcels but if you’re routinely sending light weight packets then alternatives such as Royal Mail, Collect Plus, myHermes and many other companies will offer better price points.
As with all carriers Doddle is an alternative which will suit some people but not others, for some the size won’t fit, others will be grateful for the generous weight allowance, some will love the extended opening hours. For others the size, weight and price options won’t add up. That’s what competition is all about.
However, if most of your parcels are in within the size limitations, then Doddle’s prices, especially their Standard UK Next Day up to 16kg, are pretty competitive and within the range you’d expect.
