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Best Couriers
If you need important items delivered, you might consider hiring a courier service to ensure a smooth delivery. Find out more about the various services couriers offer and the qualities you should look for when choosing one. Read more…
- Delivery TimeEarly (2,402), On Time (2,883), Late (195), Unacceptably Late (502), Never Arrived (944) and Never Collected (622)
- Delivery Arrived in Good ConditionYes (5,319) · No (595)
Best Courier
Latest review: I was the sender and it was a very quick streamline process. I was very happy with the communication from the driver and the platform as I was notified when the package was picked up and delivered.
- Delivery TimeEarly (194), On Time (250), Late (9), Unacceptably Late (4), Never Arrived (5) and Never Collected (2)
- Delivery Arrived in Good ConditionYes (421) · No (6)
Dogtainers is a pet courier service that gets your furry, feathery, or scaly friend from A to B, keeping your animal happy and healthy while giving you a bit more peace of mind about your move.
- Delivery TimeEarly (25), On Time (391), Late (17), Unacceptably Late (5), Never Arrived (8) and Never Collected (9)
- Delivery Arrived in Good ConditionYes (417) · No (17)
With a proud philosophy of ‘No Limits’ when it comes to delivering your documents, packages or freight, Pack & Send truly delivers on its promise.
- Delivery TimeEarly (1,153), On Time (2,297), Late (189), Unacceptably Late (184), Never Arrived (36) and Never Collected (57)
- Delivery Arrived in Good ConditionYes (3,520) · No (91)
Latest review: Been trying to bring our greyhound home from Australia to NZ, relying on others to get things all lined up whilst we aren't there, Jetpets did absolutely nothing to support the hiccups or the
Latest review: We have been using this company for quite sometime and spent thousands with them for our international freights, One of our parcels have been damaged during freight. When it comes to insurance with
Latest review: Timely and easily accessible pick up service. I will use this option again next time it is available. The package was in good order, tracking was accurate and timely. Thank
Latest review: Great delivery! I was treated like I actually meant something, full respect. The delivery was on time, the item was held for me until I could arrange collection. The fork lift driver was perfect,
Latest review: The item was supposed to arrive a week later. It has been 8 days and it hasn’t even left Australia yet. I could not recommend more that you avoid these people at all costs. I though I was shipping w
Latest review: I recently had Smartsend deliver 2 (Separately Packaged) Studio Monitors which I bought online from Melbourne to Sydney, When the packages arrived, whilst packaged extensively with bubble wrap by
If you’re part of a small or medium-sized business, Sendle picks up parcels from your door and delivers them for you. As a carbon neutral shipping service with a B Corporation Certification, it cuts down on emissions as well as wasted time.
Latest review: Love MailPlus! Brilliant service and very happy customers over here- our courier Ron is always on time and our customers are always so surpised about the quick delivery overnight even in remote
Latest review: First time I've used CTE but I have nothing but praise for the slick organisation by Skye and the admin team, as well as the prompt delivery of our wheelchair accessible vehicle. The car was picked
Latest review: Destroyed one parcel on route. Charged me $69 to return parcel and took 3 months to get it back. Won’t speak on the phone and take 2 weeks to respond to e
Latest review: This freight Forwarder Overcharged me for a Remote Area Surcharge. My postcode is not shown on the Remote Area List! Commgateway refuse to Reimburse me so PayPal to the rescue. After many emails back
Latest review: I would like to thank Jason and Lewis for delivering a PLUSH Carlton lounge suit, these guys did nothing less than a professional job. Very respectful to myself and to my house, very careful in how
Latest review: We got Zac …. He was , highly efficient, early and super nice ! Would recommend anyone who needs stuff picked up and dropped off to use yellow express! Perfect all round ! Thank you and thank you Zac
Latest review: Very pleased with my car shipping experience. I received my car in the promised timeframe and online support was helpful with addressing all my questions. I would definitely use this company
Latest review: Several issues with the delivery of my Emma mattress. 1. Delivered to wrong address. 2. Despite requiring a signature in order to leave the package, no signature was obtained as I was not home and
Latest review: Do Not Use This company or National Car Movers (they are both working together with our cars). Our cars have been sitting at SMB Sydney depot for the last 42days. The ETA is continuously being
Latest review: I sent my Classic Car from Melbourne to Perth and will never use CEVA again. My Car had just come out of a spray booth a few days before departing my location in Victoria. I saw it off on the 4th
- Delivery TimeEarly (2,402), On Time (2,883), Late (195), Unacceptably Late (502), Never Arrived (944) and Never Collected (622)
- Delivery Arrived in Good ConditionYes (5,319) · No (595)
Courier services vs postal services
A courier service is a private company which offers shipping services for parcels and important documents. These companies can specialise in same-day shipping or impress you with a wide network of affordable international shipping services.
What is the postal service? They are common to every country and are government-run and funded. Australia’s government-funded postal service is called Australia Post. They typically don’t offer as many or as prompt of service as couriers do, but in turn, they are more affordable.
Australia Post offers very limited services with added weight, item, time and location restrictions. What you’re paying for with a courier service is peace of mind and ample flexibility.
Services offered by courier companies
Here are just some of the things that courier companies offer compared to the postal service:
Convenient delivery times: There are many courier services that can deliver goods within specific time frames should you require it, with many offering same-day deliveries and after-hours services (such as after business hours or on Sundays). Parcel2Courier and North Coast Freight Service are courier services that offer same-day delivery within the limits of a state.
Unlike the postal service, couriers can guarantee delivery, not just on a particular day, but during a precise time slot, making it a popular and convenient option.
Interstate and international shipping: If you need your parcels delivered a bit further out, fret not as courier services can provide interstate and international shipping at competitive prices. These services may also include customs charges as well as insurance coverage.
Tracking: A common feature included in many services is the ability to see and track your parcels in real-time. Alternatively, you might receive mobile and e-mail notifications in instances where the parcel has been picked up, is en route, 1-2 hours away and another alert after it has been delivered. This makes sure you are not left in the dark about where your parcel is. This service also allows the receiver of the packages to know when the package is arriving so they can organise their day accordingly.
Security: Many couriers automatically require a signature from the receiver of the parcel which ensures your package reaches the right person in the right place. The postal service also offers this service at an additional cost.
In addition, many couriers such as CouriersPlease insure your expensive parcels up to $1,000 for free and offer more extensive cover for an additional cost of $2 for $2,000 and $3 for $3,000. Bear in mind they contain an excess fee of $100, meaning you will have to cover the first $100 of damage out-of-pocket before you can claim their insurance. Australia Post offers free insurance for the first $100 in value of your parcel and you can buy each $100 of insurance for $2.50 each for a maximum total value of $5,000.
Customer service: As opposed to the postal service, a private courier company’s main drawing point is its reliability and responsive customer service. In the case that things go wrong, a courier service is likely to be more accommodating than the postal service.
Easy pick-up: Do you have heavy boxes to ship and no way to transport them to the local post office during business hours? With a courier service, there’s no complicated paperwork or queues, and they can pick it up straight from your house at a time that’s convenient for you.
Pet transport: A service definitely not offered by the postal service is pet transportation. Couriers do offer this service, however, which allows you to move your pets and livestock from one place to another in the case that you move houses or need a new pet transported to you from far away.
Ultimately, if you’re just sending a postcard or letter that is not time-sensitive, then the postal service will very well do the job. However, those with greater, more time-sensitive needs or those looking to ship globally and regularly might want to invest in a great courier service that can provide you with greater security and flexibility.
Courier price comparison chart
Based on the notion that you wish you transport a 10kg 50x50x50 cm box from Sydney to Melbourne, these are the current prices and times you’d be looking at (all days are business days):
| Courier | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Australia Post | $58.35 | 4-6 days |
| Zoom 2u | $193 | 2 days |
| Couriers Please | $66.42 | 2 days |
| SmartSend | $46.72 | 1-2 days |
| Sendle (for small businesses) | $20.70 | 2-7 business days |
Qualities to look for in your courier
If you’re going to pay more for a courier service, then you should keep an eye out for these particular qualities when reading reviews for different courier companies:
Reliability
Of utmost importance is reliability. Have people reported that their packages arrived damaged, late or never arrived at all? If so, that’s not a great indicator of a reliable courier. Many packages contain important items and need to arrive at specific times, such as for birthdays or anniversaries and you want to know you can trust what your courier is offering.
Limitations
Even though courier services offer a wider range of services than postal, they still have their limitations. Many have weight and size restrictions as well as prohibited items - make sure you find a courier service that aligns with your shipping needs.
Delivery timeliness
One of the main purposes of a courier is that they can deliver items at a very precise time or with speed, so if they are not delivering on this front, it’s best to go with a different company.
Value for money
Take time to do some research and see what prices other courier companies are offering to transport the same items and evaluate if it offers good value for money in comparison.
Pick up and drop off options
Some couriers offer at-home pick-ups and drop-offs, with seamless door-to-door delivery. Otherwise, for a more cost-friendly option, couriers can also deliver between post offices or postal lockers.
Problem resolution
In the case that anything goes wrong, how has this courier service handled it in the past? Take a look at how they treat disgruntled customers and if they offer compensation for any mistakes they have made.
Booking process
One of the best things about using a courier service is that you get to skip the queues and forms at a post office. A courier service with an easy to use and simple booking system can save you time and hassle in the long run.
Tracking & updates
The best part of using a courier service, as opposed to the postal service, is that it can come with a very transparent tracking system that lets you know exactly where your items are at all times. They also offer mobile updates which will notify you when the package is being dispatched and delivered for ultimate peace of mind.
Transparency
Look for a company that states its costs up front instead of surprising you with hidden fees later - finding a company that is transparent with its costs and delivery processes is a big plus.
Customer feedback
How you can find out all this information is by reading up on valuable reviews from other customers to see how they rated this particular courier service. You can read reviews on our website on the best courier postal services in Australia today.