Just sold a frame on the forum to a guy in Brisbane. Booked a courier through e-go to come and pick up from my work yesterday. Supplied the contact number and instructions to call me on arrival so I can bring it to the ground floor.
Waited all day yesterday and nobody showed. So I emailed and they apologised and somebody would come today.
12pm today I get an email from security saying a courier was at ground floor. Rushed down there (from 1st floor) and he’d gone without a word.
Emailed e-go, who say it would be an extra $22 for him to come back or deliver to the depot. I said I wanted it free or a refund. They say they don’t provide a ‘call service’ and I have arefund but they would charge me admin and ‘attention’ fees. I mentioned he could have given the number to security (they had it yesterday but lost it). So I’ve said I’ll take it to the depot if that’s free. Waiting for a response.
BTW - This is the second time they have failed to collect on the day specified. And didn’t contact to apologise or explain.
E-go is one of the cheaper options so you cant expect world class service. In saying that, ive used them ~10 times and haven’t really had an issue. Once they didnt pick up on the day noted so I left it out the next day and it got picked up.
I think the trick is to make it as simple as possible for the courier to pick up the item. Them guys are under pressure and dont have time to screw around.
I was a courier myself up till recently and if I had a contact number I’d use it, or contact my base and they would call for me. The guy stood there waiting for security to contact me, and didn’t think to mention he had my number.
I think my main issue is they don’t have a contact phone number so you can call them. Or if they had people on phones, they could call you. If something isn’t going to get collected for any reason, they could contact you rather than vice versa. Simple common courtesy.
I recommend e-go, but their customer service is poor which is to be expected for the low price.
Careful with the dimension/weight sizes though- I got done for lying about that- I mean I didn’t lie I may have just rounded down…
I’ve used Auspost before, but it was only just under their limit.
I probably will use e-go again (when I calm down) as they are cheapest, but maybe depot-to-door if possible (although it’s during working hours and I don’t own a car) and under an alias, after the emails I sent them this time.
Trick is to pack so it can’t be cubed. Last frame I sent from S.A to Vic was on 17 odd $$$'s.
if one post office says NO take it to another.
This info was given to me by a respected collector and seller of many frames via ebay. He quotes a max of $25 to post Aus wide in his listings.
It’s kind of incorrect. All that matters is that the girth doesn’t exceed 140cm (that’s 2 sides + top + bottom) and no one length exceeds 105cm. Easily checked my wrapping a tape measure around it’s widest point (which is what they do at the Post Office). Large frames are tricky (60+ cm seattube’s are really gonna be tough to get down to size) and you do need to reinforce all corners, end and bottom bracket. The frame does get thrown around, jams or falls off conveyor belts and other things will fall and get steckaedon top of it.
You have to cut out a custom box to the specific shape of the frame. It’s not hard but not easy either - trace a frame on cardboard and add flaps then make a copy of that one for the other side. That way you’ll end up with double carboard on the perimieters. You’ll need a stanley knife, lots of good tape, a texta and some extra materials for wrapping and padding the frames inside. Alays wrap the frame in newspaper or something so sticky tape won’t peel off the paint or decals. It does take time, you really have to work it to fit within the size limits.
It’s a lot easier to put it inside a box, but you’ll never send a frame overseas for reasonable coin unless through Oz post and packed like pictured below. All the cardboard, tape and packaging does ad a lot of extra weight - figure around 7.5jg’s for the average bare frame and fork. Oh …the fork: it fits around the seat tube with the fork ends going along the chainstays and the steerer and crown sitting inside the main triangle. Note … you have to reinforce the seat tube where the fork wraps around it, otherwise any side knock and you’ll dent the seatube. That part is really important, as is reinforcing the dropouts (I cut a section of wood or dowel).
I should add that I have no problem charging punters for taking the time and $'s to pack the frame right and I always insure the frame (take pics before you send it and also of the packing if you need to make a claim - they’ll try to fuck you). I quote $40 for the east coast - costs me about $30 with full insurance and materials and the other $10 goes to a longneck of Cooper’s after a job well done. O/seas costs between $80 - $150 depending on where it’s going.
Fuckwits on eBay (some of you are here) regularly try to pinch pennies and say my mate posted one and it cost only $17 … my response is fine, let your mate pack it and send it for you and take the responsibility of doing it properly - saves 2 hours of my time and when it’s squashed, bent or broken I don’t have to deal it.
good advice spirito. i’ll come back and take a closer look when i need to ship a frame.
as for e-go, i’ve posted it before, and i’ll post it every time they are mentioned. dishonest bastards. one time they didn’t arrive to pickup for 5 days in a row, which was a huge inconvenience to the sender. in the end, i organised through another courier, and the consignment notes were changed, and then e-go arrived and collected my package (which didn’t have their consignment note!), resulting in me having to pay twice for a courier. its bad enough that they wasted a whole heap of our time, but they also lied to explain the situation, and then the owner (mark his name was possibly) was trolling me when i was pointing out their bullshit. completely dishonest and unprofessional. avoid.
if you ever have the privilege of receiving a spirito packaged frame you will understand the man’s artistry goes beyond the words above. i was astonished so much bike could fit in such a trim package. when i tried to put it all back in to store it temporarily i failed miserably…
