Darren Smith´s profile
Reviews (5)
Travelex UK
pre book with Travelex and count the extra cash
Went on a price comparison site for booking my travel currency and up near the top for rates I was surprised to find travelex. Always trusted their reputation and convenience from seeing a desk at every airport I had been to but a good rate? That was news to me.
Although not the absolute best rate the difference was pennies and more than offset by the ability to pick up at the airport rather than wait at home for delivery with other providers.
Pick up was simple, no wait and notes were on low denominations so easier to spend. I couldn't help but check the counter rate at same time. The difference was massive so reputation well founded. Don't leave your currency to the last minute, pre buy online and get a good rate, easy pick up and security of a brand name.
HiFX
easy to use for regular currency transfers
I use HIFX for all my currency transfers between sterling and euros. To be honest, the rate they give is not the best, but I feel secure that I won't lose my money while it is in transit. Website is easy to use, quick and convenient to make transfers and no fees are charged. I don't get pestered by them to make transfers, in fact I don't think I have ever spoken to anyone at all, which is what I want, to be honest.
British Corner Shop
Not just for your typical "Brit abroad" - good quality UK produce delivered to your door
We have lived in N Spain for nearly 4 years now and have been aware of the British Corner Shop for a while. However, always felt it was being a typical "brit abroad" to order stuff from back home as we are very keen to integrate locally as best we can. Now though, having struggled to find staples in British cooking - oxo cubes, self raising flour, cornflour, curry pastes - or buying them in the foreign section of local supermarkets at extortionate prices, we decided to bite the bullet.
Very pleased we did, good choice of stuff, great quality brands and prices not much more than in the UK. Given it includes delivery (to us it was just under £6 if we ordered over £100) it proved very good value.
Wouldn't do our weekly shop but as a grocery top up every so often it is perfect. Our order arrived well packaged, on time, unbroken and complete (but for 1 small item, that we were emailed about and refunded on order).
If you live with other Brits I can see this being a perfect way for a few of you to get together, make the order worthwhile and therefore be able to buy stuff on a regular basis.
My only drawback is that the range of product in UK supermarkets is so vast that anything less is, I suppose a bit of a disappointment, but we are spoiled for choice in the UK, to be honest.
Will use again.
Reply from British Corner Shop
ParcelHero.com
Excellent value for money and service when sending parcel from Spain
ParcelHero got in touch with me on twitter when I left a dreadful review about another parcel company. A bit cheeky I suppose but based on my first time using them I am very pleased they did.
I wanted to send a parcel from Spain to England, not urgently but 3-5 days was okay. They had a budget price based on pick up same day as placing the order, Monday, arriving in England by end of the day Thursday. After the problems I had with another courier I placed the order and crossed my fingers everything would be fine.
I need not have worried, UPS arrived at my home shortly after I placed the order. I was then able to track my parcel all the way as it went from my home to Barcelona, to Paris and into England. Then up north to Sheffield where it arrived around 11am on the Thursday as promised.
For a couple of quid extra I had booked the guaranteed delivery insurance (if not there by Thursday, received compensation) but I needn't have bothered based on this particular drop.
It all seemed so easy, and i suppose it should, but having done a similar posting the previous week with another company (no pick up on day promised, late to drop back to depot, no tracking, late to arrive in England, ran out of time to deliver it so didn't bother! Various phone calls, no returned emails etc) it is easy to forget how easily it can all go wrong and get very stressful.
Will definitely use them again, especially as they don't use DHL, who I have always found to be dreadful when sending anything from Spain.
Well done, thanks for that cheeky tweet!
Interparcel
"Priority? A joke. Service? Non-existent"
Sending a parcel with this company from Spain to England was a disaster, very stressful process with very little communication and no point in using Interparcel at all.
Placed order online with Interparcel on Wednesday for TNT priority express. It stated collection would be from my home on the Thursday and indicated delivery by 6pm Friday.
Thursday - no courier, email late afternoon, tel no. you have given isn't working, it was, they wouldn't phone an English number - why not say that when ordering?, won't pick up without a number. Ok, gave them a Spanish number. TNT call shortly after, to make sure we are in? No, to take all the details we had already entered on the website!?
Revised pick up Friday - couldn't find us (Sat Nav for courier company, maybe?). Eventually picked up that morning. A days delay so expected delivery now by Monday evening.
Monday - no delivery - and according to Interparcel online tracking still not collected! Phoned Interparcel, they would email me back (never did). Tuesday - tracking now "in transit". Late Tuesday - no delivery, phoned up again. This time person more helpful gave us TNT tracking instead (why not do this online?). On inspection, parcel (priority!) had not even got to the depot in Spain util Monday evening! Was now in England though so would be delivered Wednesday, was in depot at Rotherham and only had to get to Sheffield. Person receiving it stayed in and, nothing!
Looked online, "no delivery timed out" Courier ran out of time to deliver my priority parcel due the previous week!!
As I write this still isn't delivered but it is too late now, these were samples but due to the delay the business is loss. In fact, would prefer they lost it so I can claim on insurance. Can't claim for delay as priority overseas isn't guaranteed (not surprised, they would quickly go bust).
So, in conclusion, don't use TNT in Spain. whoever you use, don't use Interparcel, may as well book direct, and if you have no choice but to use TNT don't bother with priority - it isn't.
Darren Smith´s profile
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Many thanks for your review, and we're very pleased you decided to give our service a go. We'd also like to thank you for your positive comments regarding our shipping offer and prices; feedback like this is extremely useful and very much appreciated.
Kind Regards
The BCS Team