Since the demise of Parcel Motel and the slow build up of OohPod a viable pickup option has been sorely lacking. Well An Post have a possible solution and even better it’s totally free.
An Post Parcel Lockers are lockers often placed at Lidls around the country. They offer an easy 24/7 option to safely pickup parcels that you don’t want delivered to your home address. I tried it over the weekend and it worked a charm.
To use this service you must be registered with An Post entering your home address and mobile and email address. Without registration you will not see the messages to use the Parcel Locker.
Now when you are due to receive a parcel from a store that uses An Post (like PlayBlue) you will receive a SMS telling you that a Parcel is due for delivery. It also offers a link to choose alternate options. These options are to choose an address or location that parcels can be left or Parcel Locker pickup.
I was due to receive a parcel last Thursday and receive this message. I choose to collect my parcel at the Parcel Locker at my local Lidl store. The delivery was then delayed a day as I assume it was in the delivery van and needed to then be redirected. On Friday morning I received a message with a Pin number to use in collecting my Parcel I had 48 hours to collect it. If you fail to collect it, your parcel will be available for collection at the local An Post depot for 5 days. After that it is sent back to us and we’ll contact you to figure out what to do next.
I popped over to Lidl and found the collection process is really easy to use. The touch screen at the locker offers collect a parcel or deliver a parcel. I selected collect, it then asked for my Pin. Once entered a locker popped open and voila my parcel.
It worked great and was totally free. There are a couple of improvements I think they could make like letting me enter the locker as the address when ordering on a website so it automatically goes to the locker without any intervention by me. Also it would be easy to miss the option to get the parcel sent to a locker as it arrives while the delivery van is on the road. But all in all I like the service and at no charge it is a really cool addition to the delivery service PlayBlue offers.
I should state in Dublin the vast majority of parcels are shipped using the GRAB Delivery service which is a same day 7 days a week service and not An Post. So this service is generally not available in Dublin as the delivery we offer is just too good in Dublin.
I just checked the Parcel Locker locations and they are well spread out through most of the country. Not everywhere and really only in urban areas but if you happen to live close to one they are a great additional free delivery option.