Heard of Parcel Motel?? It's their birthday!

Well, I should say that it WAS their birthday last month but I'm still running a tad behind after my lovely break away in July and working non-stop since getting back!

Anyhuuuuu, (Nightline) Parcel Motel are a delivery service that launched in the Republic of Ireland July 2012. Unlike the usual delivery companies we are accustomed to where you have to wait around for the delivery guy to call to your house and sign for the package, with Parcel Motel, YOU collect the package yourself but it's not a pain as you can choose whichever parcel motel is closest to you and you collect it at your own leisure. 

Like in the picture above, it's like a huge row of different size lockers where your packages are securely stored until you come along with a code you get off of the website and phone-number to unlock your 'door' and collect your parcel!

You can see here on the website how it works but basically after you register on the website and choose your closest Parcel Motel storage centre, you get a unique user number.

Then when you do a little online shopping, rather than give your own address, you give your name and the unique Parcel Motel number you were allocated when you registered and choose one of two parcel motel addresses. One in Dublin or one in Antrim (Northern Ireland).

From there the package will be sent to your chosen Parcel Motel location for collection. You will be sent a pin-number when the parcel is delivered to the 'Motel' which you use to release the locker!

The really cool thing about this is that with the Northern Irish address, we in the Republic can avail of free UK delivery! This could save us a bomb in some cases and all you have to pay for the service is €3.50 per use.

There are now 100 of these guys dotted around Ireland (4 in Galway but 40 in Dublin!!!!) with 9 depots in Ireland.

I only heard about it relatively recently after complaining politely online that I couldn't get my hands on the Bobbi Brown BBU online exclusive palette as the website doesn't deliver to the Republic of Ireland and couldn't find it anywhere else. A few of you guys very helpfully told me about Parcel Motel and how it's perfect for that exact problem! We in the Republic needn't have to worry about companies not delivering to 'our part of the country' anymore, huzzah!

All other information is available on the website at http://www.parcelmotel.com/

Have any of ye used this yet?

Chat soon,

Shiv.

xx