Service Updates

‍‍‍As a business which has always proudly supported local SME's, we understand the importance of the Christmas season for you and the many thousands of other local businesses.

APC have experienced increased demand for services in the final few weeks before Christmas and overall the service performance has been strong, with very few delays or service issues.

We are, however, aware of service delays of 48-72 hours in the following postcode areas for operational reasons:-


SW6, SW1A, SW1W, SW1X (South West London)
KA1 - 26, KA29, KA30 (Ayrshire)


Our understanding is that service recovery plans are in place, and we anticipate that normal service levels will resume from Wednesday, 27/12/2023.

We appreciate however, that from time-to-time you will have urgent shipments for which you need a more detailed understanding of any delays and anticipated delivery times, in which case you are encouraged to use all of the advanced and accurate online tracking tools at your disposal, or to contact us via customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk if you cannot find the answers you need online.

Last Updated 30/12/2022 11:00am

‍‍We are pleased to advise that all services are operating normally - for details of our Christmas & New Operating Hours please click here

This update applies to customers shipping via APC Overnight

We are pleased to announce that ‘APC Choice’ is now live! 

APC Choice is an inflight solution which allows parcel recipients to choose an alternative delivery option, if they have received a delivery time-window notification which is not convenient to them.

 APC Choice will be enhanced in 2023 with further inflight options being added, but in this first release customers will be able to make the following changes online:-
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 ·        ‍Change Delivery Date - allowsthe recipient to select an alternative delivery date that is convenient for them

 ·        Collect from Depot - allows therecipient to collect from their local depot on a day that is convenient for them

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Please be advised that as in previous years, we will be observing a two-minute silence of remembrance on Friday 11 November 2022.

The two-minute silence will apply across all Priority Express depots between 11:00am and 11:02am.

We would respectfully ask for your co-operation and understanding during the two-minute silence and make your staff aware that telephones across all departments will not be answered during this time, whilst we show a debt of gratitude and respect to all who gave their lives for the good of us all.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your valued business and continued support, which is greatly appreciated.

++++ This Service Update is for Bristol & Frome customers using the APC Overnight services ++++

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We would like to apologise to all customers affected by the unprecedented APC New Horizon outage yesterday.

APC Overnight provide a cloud-based IT system for customers and depots to book and track parcels. The New Horizon booking platform experienced an unforeseen technical issue, relating to the structural design of the database, which resulted in the New Horizon platform being unavailable from 0630 to 1500 on Tuesday, 11 October 2022.

Please be assured that our service providers are implementing system fixes to prevent a problem of this type occurring again and that this was an internal database issue. Your data was safe at all times - there was no security issue, no data breach and no GDPR related issue.


Moving onto today and the recovery plans in place:

• We have additional resources deployed locally to meet increased demand
• Our drivers are collecting earlier where possible, to bring parcels back to our local depots for processing
• The wider APC network has deployed additional resource to assist with the collection, sortation and delivery of customer parcels

We anticipate that due to the significant volume expected to be travelling through the network tonight (as a result of parcels being held over yesterday for despatch today) that delays are possible.  All APC member depots will be working hard to limit any such delays.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and understanding, which is greatly appreciated.
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+++++ This Service Update only applies to Bristol & Frome customers shipping via the APC Overnight network +++++

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We have been advised by APC Overnight that with effect from Monday 17 October 2022, the following postcode changes in delivery zones for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Offshore locations will apply:-‍‍

‍Zone 13 - Scottish Mainland Surcharged
‍FK10 FK11 FK12 FK13 FK14 FK15 FK16 FK7 FK8 FK9 KY99 PH10 PH11 PH12 PH13 PH3 PH4 PH5 PH6 PH7 PH8 PH9 AB36 DD10 DD11 DD8 DD9

‍Zone 12 & 15 - Scottish Borders
‍KA7 KA18 KA19 KA26 KA5 KA6

We would also like to advise customers of the following increases to surcharged delivery areas:-

‍London Surcharge
‍£0.75per consignment

‍Zone 17 – Scottish Mainland
‍£1.50 per consignment

‍Zone 12 & 15 – Scottish Borders
‍£1.50 per consignment

‍Zone 13 – Scottish Mainland Surcharged
‍£2.25 per consignment

‍Zone 8 – Scottish Offshore
‍£3.00 per consignment

‍Zone 2 – Northern Ireland
‍£3.00 per consignment

‍Zone 5 – Isle of Man
‍£6.00 per consignment

‍Zone 6 – Isle of Wight
‍£6.00 per consignment

‍Zone 9 & 19 – Channel Islands
‍£10.50 per consignment

APC Overnight have stated that the increased surcharges reflect the increasing cost of delivery in these areas due to external factors such as high rates of inflation and increasing vehicle and staffing costs.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and understanding during these challenging times.

Customers will be aware that a one-off bank holiday, for the state funeral of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, has been approved for Monday, 19 September 2022.

As a mark of respect, we will be standing down our operations on this day to allow our employees and service partners to pay their respects and commemorate the Queens' life and long reign as our head of state. Next day shipments collected on Friday, 16 September 2022 will therefore be delivered on Tuesday, 20 September 2022 unless a Saturday Delivery has been requested.

In accordance with normal bank holiday protocols our pre-booked same day courier services will be available to our existing customers, to facilitate delivery of any mission critical items.

Please click here for full details of our operating schedule, or email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk for further information or assistance.

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For customers using the APC Overnight service to Northern Ireland, a full BT postcode is required for each consignment.

In accordance with this requirement, the legacy RD1 & RD2 service identifier is being discontinued with effect from 16 September 2022.An error message will be generated if RD1 or RD2 is entered in the postcode field when booking, so we recommend that you update any Northern Ireland customer addresses within your address book prior to this deadline.

If you have any queries relating to this communication or any aspect of our service, please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk or contact your local depot for assistance. In the meantime, we would like to thank you for your continued loyalty and support.

In preparation for the August Bank Holiday, we would like to remind customers that with the exception of pre-booked same day couriers, there will be no collections or deliveries on Monday 29 August 2022.

Consignments booked on our next working day service on Friday 26August 2022 will be delivered on Tuesday 30 August 2022 unless a Saturday delivery option has been selected.

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‍Perishable Items

We would ask customers to carefully consider the impact of the bank holiday closure on Monday 29 August 2022 in respect of perishable products and to consider our Saturday Delivery option.  We would advise against sending perishable items on our standard next working day service on Friday 26 August 2022, as the scheduled delivery date would be Tuesday 30 August 2022.

Live Fish  & Live Coral Services

Due to the bank holiday weekend and the increased parcel volumes expected, we cannot accept live fish or live coral shipments on Friday 26August or Tuesday 30 August 2022. 


If you would like  further information, please click the link below for our full August Bank Holiday schedule, or contact your local depot for assistance.
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2022 CPI Price Supplement

Our business has continue to operate and provide service throughout the pandemic. We have continued to invest in our team, a greener delivery fleet and our new Indigo IT system which will be launched in the coming months. 

The economic environment has become extremely challenging. The CPI rate of inflation is currently 9.4% and we are experiencing unprecedented vehicle, labour and fuel costs. As a result,  we will be applying a 6.0% CPI Supplement for all courier services, with effect from Monday 8 August 2022. 

Whilst we appreciate that price increases are never welcome, we are only taking this action after careful consideration, and to ensure that our high standards of service are maintained. If you have any questions or wish to discuss the CPI supplement, please contact your Account Manager or email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk


Whatever your plans for the coming weeks and the August Bank Holiday, we would like to thank you for your continued loyalty and support and we look forward to serving you in 2022 and beyond.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games are being hosted in Birmingham between 28 July 2022 & 8 August 2022.

Customers are advised that during this time delivery and collection services may be impacted in some areas, due to the restrictions being imposed in and around the event sites. Whilst we have measures in place due to this major event and we expect disruption to be minimal, there is the possibility of local delays due to the following

•             Parking Controls

•             Permit access only roads

•             Road Closures

•             Suspension or relocation of parking  

•             No stopping, waiting, and loading restrictions

•             Diversions

•             Additional security measures / checks upon delivery to some sites

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Impacted Postcodes

Birmingham

B1-B37, B40, B42, B43, B44, B46, B62, B63, B66-B79 &  B90-B92

Cannock

WV1, WV2, WV3, WV4 WV5 & WV11 - WV14

Redditch

B60, B61, B97 & B98

London

E20 & E15

Kidderminster

DY1, DY2 & DY3

Warwick

CV4, CV6, CV32

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Customers may find it helpful to remind their own clients in affected areas that services may be impacted by the Commonwealth Games.

The APC website and New Horizon portal will both have CommonwealthGames links available during this time should you require further information and your local depot team will be monitoring service as always throughout this period and providing updates and assistance where needed.

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Customers are advised that a Red Weather Warning has been put in place by the MET office for Sunday 17 July 2022 through to Tuesday 19 July 2022.

Customers shipping goods that may be sensitive to the increased temperatures, such as Live Fish & Coral, Insects and Bees, Food Products, Plants/Flowers or Pharmaceuticals should be aware of the importance of packaging to protect goods whilst in transit.

However, even with items that are packaged adequately for 48hrs, please consider additional cooling packs and/or extra insulation that isn’t easily compromised over higher temperatures. All customers are respectfully reminded that it is the responsibility of the shipper to package perishables for a maximum transit life of 48 hours.

We'll continue to operate a full range of same day, overnight and international courier services leading up to the May bank holiday weekend and a limited service over the weekend and Bank Holiday Monday.

For full details of our operating schedule, please click here.

Customers are advised that we anticipate high demand for services between Tuesday, 3 May & Friday, 6 May 2022 due to continuing high demand for online shopping and B2C deliveries.

The situation across partner networks in terms of covid-related absence from work and general labour shortages has improved, but remains challenging in some areas. All services are operating normally, but we continue to recommend dedicated and same day courier services for time-sensitive and mission-critical shipments.

If you have any questions or queries relating to our operating schedules, please contact your local depot or email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

Important - this update only affects customers shipping via the APC Overnight service. If this change will have an adverse impact on your business, please contact customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk to discuss alternative carriers or service options for your Northern Ireland shipments.

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As of Friday 24th  March 2022, the APC Overnight next day by Air service to Northern Ireland is suspended for the foreseeable future.
 
Unfortunately, the airline operating this route has suspended their service at short notice due to aircraft availability issues.  APC have not been able to immediately secure an alternative next day by air solution to Northern Ireland. As a result, all deliveries into Northern  Ireland will be a 48 hours services operated via ferry/road.

To limit the impact for customers on the New Horizon booking process,  customers just enter the delivery postcode as normal, and the system will  default to the 48 hour road service. The change to the New Horizon booking  platform will be effective for any new bookings made after midnight Friday 25th March.
 
APC will also place a note on the landing page advising customers of  this change. APC apologise for the short notice and inconvenience this may  cause.

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++++ Please note this change ONLY affects customers shipping via the APC Overnight next day delivery network ++++


In response to the invasion of Ukraine and the associated risk to fuel supplies and increasing costs, the APC network are introducing the following changes with immediate effect and until further notice:

‍
‍Premium Services (next morning by 10am or 12 noon)

The requirement to re-attempt delivery of next morning before 10:00am or 12 Noon shipments which have been carded is being relaxed. This means that if a timed delivery is attempted before the requested deadline and a "We Called" card is left due to no-one being available to sign for the consignment, the driver will no longer be required to return to the address for a second attempt later in the day.

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‍APC Called - Saturday Re-Delivery Requests‍

During the pandemic, consumers were able to request a Saturday re-delivery at no additional charge in the event that a "We Called" card was left due to no-one being home to sign for a parcel. As services return to normal, this features is being removed from APC Called. However, you can arrange to collect from our depots Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) and Saturdays at no additional charge.


Any questions?

If you have any questions or need further assistance please call your local depot or email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

APC Depots & Services Impacted by COVID-19     ++++ Updated 20/12/2021 ++++

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We are sorry to advise that a further four APC depots have been affected by unexpected driver absences due to COVID-19.

We have today been informed by APC that to ensure Christmas delivery is achieved for the postcode areas listed below, the shipping deadlines have been brought forward. This applies to all services and products, including goods of a perishable nature. Services to these areas will be re-instated on the evening of the 24th December for new bookings from Wednesday 29th December 2021.

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‍

‍

‍

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Priority Express will be offering a 48 hour service to the affected postcodes using an alternative parcel carrier, to protect service standards for our customers. We would ask customers to select the following services when booking services to the affected  postcode areas on the New Horizon platform, effective from Monday, 20 December 2021;-

CF & NP - Next Day Local Delivery or Next Day Local AM

DD, KY, PH, SE, SW, SG, AL, EN, WD, EH, DH, NE, DA, ME  - 2-5 Day Oversize Delivery

Customers are advised that deliveries to all other postcode areas are operating normally, and we continue to operate best available services across our complete range of zero carbon local, national same day, UK overnight and international courier services.

Customer importing data into New Horizon or using our API solutions should email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk and a member of our team will call back to discuss solutions. 

We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and also to thank you for your support and co-operation during these unprecedented times. 

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++++ Note - this service alert only applies to Bristol & Frome customers using the APC Overnight services ++++

‍

Customers shipping via APC Overnight are advised that as a result of driver & staff shortages (many of which are being caused by increased COVID-19 infections and track & trace isolation requirements) the network is experiencing delays in the following areas:-

‍

NP Postcode Areas

Delays of up to 24 hours are being experienced with deliveries to these areas.


CF Postcode Areas

We are currently delivering overnight parcels on our own fleet to the CF postcode area due to service issues caused by staff and driver shortages. It is anticipated that APC will suspend service to this area from 9 December 2021 for 48 hours. Customers will be required to use alternative non-APC service codes when booking shipments on the New Horizon platform whilst the APC service is suspended and more details will follow.

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BA Postcode Areas

Delays of up to 24 hours are being experienced in this postcode area due toCOVID-19 related staff and driver shortages. We expect this to be resolvedby close of business on Friday 11 December 2021.

‍

NE, DH1-9 & SR1-9 Postcode Areas

Delays of up to 24 hours are being experienced with deliveries to these areas.

‍

Our priority is to keep the Priority Express team and customers safe. We will be providing alternative routing options for customers shipping perishable or timed services to these areas until further notice, and would advise that deliveries on our standard next working day services may be subject to delays.

Due to various service restrictions and operational challenges across most of the parcel networks, we continue to recommend our same day services for all time-sensitive and mission-critical shipments. For information or general guidance, please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk or call your local depot.

Preparing for Peak Season

Cyber Weekend is nearly upon us, with online sales predicted to exceed £4.5 billion in the UK.

We generally find that from Black Friday through to the Christmas Holidays, our customers start managing and sending more shipments. We want you to know that you can count on our services and tools to make sure it's business as usual over the coming weeks.

We've prepared a handy guide to our Cyber Weekend Operating Schedule - just click here to download a copy - and our local customer services teams will be on hand as always, to support your business during  peak season.

With delivery volumes increasing in the coming weeks, it's reassuring to know that we're experts in B2C parcel shippingand we can now integrate our services with your online systems, to ensure a fast and convenient delivery process,.

For local 'final mile' and 'only mile' delivery requirements, we're pleased to confirm that our Priority Zero project will be expanding further with the arrival of our brand new eCargo trikes. The new trikes will join our 100% electric eSprinter vans as we work towards a more sustainable delivery operation.

For further information or pricing enquiries, please call your local depot or email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

++++ Update 15/09/2021 13:00 - this work has been completed and all systems are operating normally ++++


We are installing electric van charging infrastructure at our depot today, which means we need to disconnect power between 10:00am and 12:30pm and during this period, we expect some disruption to our telephone and IT systems.

Cardiff customers may find that web booking platform will be down during this period and should email any urgent booking requests to customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

Bristol & Frome customers can continue booking and tracking shipments via the APC New Horizon platform and collections and deliveries will continue as shceduled.

We would like to thank all of our valued customers for their patience and understanding as we move towards a zero emission delivery fleet.

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We are continuing to operate all of our same day, overnight and international services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

‍

We anticipate very high demand between Tuesday 31 August and Friday 3 September 2021, due to a combination of peak operations and continued high demand for online shopping and B2C deliveries. Due to various service restrictions and operational challenges across most of the parcel networks, we recommend our same day services for all time-sensitive and mission-critical shipments.

For details of our operating schedule leading up to - and during - the August Bank Holiday, please visit the downloads section of our website.

Please find below service updates which refer to our Bristol and Bath depots and the APC Overnight network. Our Cardiff depot offers an extensive, multi-carrier solution operated by a number of major UK and international carriers, so for information about any service restrictions please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

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‍UK Overnight Service

We're experiencing high demand for our next day UK collection & delivery services and applying COVID-19 secure policies across all sites. We are also operating a no-contact collection & delivery service. We will continue to operate the best available services at all times, but cannot guarantee delivery times during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

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‍‍‍Leave Safe Service ‍

We are encouraging all customers to ship on a leave safe basis – please visit our downloads page for useful guides to setting up your shipping process, so that parcels can be left without a signature.‍

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Collect From Depot - Limited Opening Times

We are actively discouraging non-essential visits to our depots. In order to reduce visitor numbers during peak hours, our sites will now be accessible for collections and pre-arranged visits from 10:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays, and 09:00am to 12 Noon on Saturdays. We have also suspended the option for customers without an account to call into our depots and pay by debit or credit card. Instead, we would encourage non-account customers to use our web based booking services.

‍

‍International - services are running normally and the vast majority of transit times are unaffected. As usual, we cannot guarantee transit times for international shipments and customers should expect some delays or disruption. When we are made aware of any delays, we will of course inform customers immediately.

‍

‍

We are continuing to operate all of our same day, overnight and international services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

‍

We anticipate very high demand between Tuesday 1 June and Friday 4 June 2021, due to a combination of peak operations and continued high demand for online shopping and B2C deliveries. Due to various service restrictions and operational challenges across most of the parcel networks, we recommend our same day services for all time-sensitive and mission-critical shipments.

For details of our operating schedule leading up to - and during - the Spring Bank Holiday, please visit the downloads section of our website.

Please find below service updates which refer to our Bristol and Bath depots and the APC Overnight network. Our Cardiff depot offers an extensive, multi-carrier solution operated by a number of major UK and international carriers, so for information about any service restrictions please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

‍

‍UK Overnight Service

We're experiencing high demand for our next day UK collection & delivery services and applying COVID-19 secure policies across all sites. We are also operating a no-contact collection & delivery service. We will continue to operate the best available services at all times, but cannot guarantee delivery times during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

‍

‍‍‍Leave Safe Service ‍

We are encouraging all customers to ship on a leave safe basis – please visit our downloads page for useful guides to setting up your shipping process, so that parcels can be left without a signature.‍

‍

Collect From Depot - Limited Opening Times

We are actively discouraging non-essential visits to our depots. In order to reduce visitor numbers during peak hours, our sites will now be accessible for collections and pre-arranged visits from 10:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays, and 09:00am to 12 Noon on Saturdays. We have also suspended the option for customers without an account to call into our depots and pay by debit or credit card. Instead, we would encourage non-account customers to use our web based booking services.

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‍International - services are running normally and the vast majority of transit times are unaffected. As usual, we cannot guarantee transit times for international shipments and customers should expect some delays or disruption. When we are made aware of any delays, we will of course inform customers immediately.

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We are continuing to operate all of our same day, overnight and international services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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We anticipate very high demand between Tuesday 4 May and Friday 7 May 2021, due to a combination of peak operations and extra volumes generated by consumers who are continuing to shop online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to various service restrictions and operational challenges across most of the parcel networks, we recommend our same day services for all time-sensitive and mission-critical shipments.

For details of our operating schedule leading up to - and during - the May Bank Holiday, please visit the downloads section of our website.

Please find below service updates which refer to our Bristol and Bath depots and the APC Overnight network. Our Cardiff depot offers an extensive, multi-carrier solution operated by a number of major UK and international carriers, so for information about any service restrictions please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

‍

‍UK Overnight Service

We're experiencing high demand for our next day UK collection & delivery services and applying COVID-19 secure policies across all sites. We are also operating a no-contact collection & delivery service. We will continue to operate the best available services at all times, but cannot guarantee delivery times during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

‍

‍‍‍Leave Safe Service ‍

We are encouraging all customers to ship on a leave safe basis – please visit our downloads page for useful guides to setting up your shipping process, so that parcels can be left without a signature.‍

‍

Collect From Depot - Limited Opening Times

We are actively discouraging non-essential visits to our depots. In order to reduce visitor numbers during peak hours, our sites will now be accessible for collections and pre-arranged visits from 10:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays, and 09:00am to 12 Noon on Saturdays. We have also suspended the option for customers without an account to call into our depots and pay by debit or credit card. Instead, we would encourage non-account customers to use our web based booking services.

‍

‍International - services are running normally and the vast majority of transit times are unaffected. As usual, we cannot guarantee transit times for international shipments and customers should expect some delays or disruption. When we are made aware of any delays, we will of course inform customers immediately.

We would like to inform all customers using the APC Overnight services of the following changes, which will take affect from 1 April 2021.

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‍Services to Northern Ireland‍

Following Brexit and the additional requirements for Northern Ireland consignments, APC have reviewed the service offering and will be implementing the following changes effective from 1 April 2021:-

AIR

• We will be combining both of the Northern Ireland zones into one to simplify our service offering.
• Due to the additional handling and administration costs, we are increasing the base rate and the additional kilo rates, please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk for details about these changes.

ROAD

• Due to demand, we will be introducing a new non-conveyable ROAD service to Northern Ireland
• The new service code for this service is RDNC as will be available from 1st     April 2021
• Please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk for details about the new service and prices

AB Postcodes

We will be consolidating the AB postcodes, which are currently split into two zones, into a single zone from 1 April 2021. This means that all AB postcode will now be classed as Scottish Highlands and will be charged accordingly.

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We are continuing to operate all of our same day, overnight and international services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Easter is the second busiest peak operating period each year. We anticipate very high demand due to the a combination of peak operations and extra volumes generated by consumers switching to online shopping, which has been well-publicised  the pandemic. Due to various service restrictions and operational challenges across most of the parcel networks, we recommend our same day services for all time-sensitive and mission-critical shipments.

Please find below service updates which refer to our Bristol and Bath depots and the APC Overnight network. Our Cardiff depot offers an extensive, multi-carrier solution operated by a number of major UK and international carriers, so for information about any service restrictions please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

‍

‍UK Overnight Service

We're experiencing high demand for our next day UK collection & delivery services and applying COVID-19 secure policies across all sites. We are also operating a no-contact collection & delivery service. We will continue to operate the best available services at all times, but cannot guarantee delivery times during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

‍

‍‍‍Leave Safe Service ‍

We are encouraging all customers to ship on a leave safe basis – please visit our downloads page for useful guides to setting up your shipping process, so that parcels can be left without a signature.‍

‍

Collect From Depot - Limited Opening Times

We are actively discouraging non-essential visits to our depots. In order to reduce visitor numbers during peak hours, our sites will now be accessible for collections and pre-arranged visits from 10:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays, and 09:00am to 12 Noon on Saturdays. We have also suspended the option for customers without an account to call into our depots and pay by debit or credit card. Instead, we would encourage non-account customers to use our web based booking services.

‍

‍International - services are running normally and the vast majority of transit times are unaffected. As usual, we cannot guarantee transit times for international shipments and customers should expect some delays or disruption. When we are made aware of any delays, we will of course inform customers immediately.

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++++ Bristol & Bath Depot Customers Only ++++

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As part our ongoing commitment to provide the 'best available service' at all times, we are pleased to confirm that our pre-10:00am next day services will be re-instated with effect from Thursday, 21 January 2021.

This follows an announcement from APC Overnight on 7 January 2021, when we were advised of the need to suspend the pre 10:00 service based on a combination of high parcel volumes and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The APC New Horizon booking platform will be updated this evening so that pre-10:00am services are available to customers with effect from 08:00am on Thursday, 21 January 2021.

As the pandemic continues, there remains the risk that our services can be impacted by COVID-19 for reasons beyond our direct control. In the event that any service charges are required, we will continue to update you via email and via our website.

We appreciate and value your ongoing loyalty and support during this very dynamic situation - and our local customer services teams are always on hand to assist customers during this challenging time.

Neil Havill
Managing Director‍

Following the announcement on 4 January 2021 that there will be a third national lockdown across England, I wanted to write and reassure you that our collection & delivery services are still operating.

We recognise the critical role we play for so many of our customers and along with our service partners, we are implementing contingency plans designed to help us continue to operate and limit any impact to your business. We also understand that your business may need to adapt to the current crisis and we are well equipped to help and assist you with services that can facilitate changes in your supply chain or marketing strategy.

We take the safety and security of our customers and team members incredibly seriously. We are continuing to operate a contact-free collection and delivery service, whilst adhering to the latest government guidelines. We are also monitoring recommendations from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as well as the World Health Organization (WHO).

We are giving our team members facts about COVID-19 and reminding them to follow simple but effective steps to keep them safe. This includes new collection and delivery procedures, which have been amended to meet social distancing best practice and frequent handwashing. We are disinfecting our facilities and equipment as appropriate and as always, we are encouraging our team members to act immediately as soon as there are any signs of illness.

The extra precautions we are taking means that the process of collecting and delivering parcels is taking longer, and we also anticipate that we might need to operate with lower staff numbers due to illness or to adhere to social distancing requirements. These challenges, along with increased demand, means that our service guarantees are suspended until further notice and in common with most of the parcel networks, we will not be able to offer downgrades or refunds for late deliveries during the current crisis. In light of the likely increased pressure on driver resource and depot operations, our partners APC Overnight have made the decision to suspend their pre 10:00am service option for the duration of this current lockdown, effective from new bookings made from 8 January 2021.

We will, of course, continue to provide the 'best available service' at all times and despite higher than expected parcel volumes, all services are operating to a high standard with minimal disruption. For mission critical or time sensitive shipments however, our continued advice is to use one of our dedicated same day services.

We will continue to update you regularly via email and social media on how we’re responding to this very dynamic situation and our local customer services teams are always on hand to assist customers during this challenging time.

Finally, I would like to thank you for your loyal support and to wish you a safe and healthy 2021.


Neil Havill
Managing Director

Shipping to Northern Ireland & the EU

You will already be aware that the Brexit transition period ended on 31 December 2020 and that new trading rules apply from 1 January 2021. This means that all parcels containing items other than documents will require a customs invoice.

If you're already sending non-document items to countries outside the EU, you'll be familiar with customs requirements. We'll need you to provide more details about the contents of your parcel, such as detailed item descriptions, the value of each item and where it was made. You will also need to tell us the reason for sending the parcel, for example, whether it's a gift, personal belongings or for sale. Please find below some detailed information about shipping between various territories following the recent changes.

‍Bristol & Frome depot customers using the APC New Horizon booking platform

If you regularly ship to Northern Ireland or the EU using our New Horizon booking platform, please click here to view a copy of our latest release notes, which includes detailed  instructions for sending parcels following the rule changes. A commercial invoice will be created for you automatically if you are booking consignments using our New Horizon system. 

‍Cardiff depot customers using Priority Web Booker

Customers using the Priority Web Booker platform or booking by telephone will need to complete a commercial invoice for all shipments to Northern Ireland and EU countries from 1 January 2021.


‍We've compiled some general guidance below, which you might also find helpful . . . . . . . .


‍For GB Businesses shipping to Norther Ireland

‍With effect from 1 January 2021, Import declarations will be required, but duties will only be charged if the goods are deemed to be at risk of being moved into the EU single market. We recommend customers provide a commercial invoice with HS tariff codes, goods descriptions and values, and their EORI number. The selected international carrier will manage any import clearance declarations that may be required.

In light of the recent trade agreement no duty payments will be required (subject to conditions) but goods will eventually require “Safety and Security” documentation to transit through customs. The Government has advised it is not yet ready to implement the full solution and has therefore had to put some interim measures in place as detailed below. Shipments without accurate supporting documentation will not be able to travel and will be returned to the sender and any costs recharged.

In summary, there is an extended transition period in place for Northern Ireland, which means we can continue shipping as before, apart from capturing the additional data at the point of booking. We will continue to monitor this situation as it evolves and keep you informed of further changes.


For GB Businesses shipping to Southern Ireland (Eire)

‍Your goods will need a customs declaration, a commercial invoice and associated data, and will be subject to any applicable EU tariffs. Our booking platforms have been updated to facilitate preparation and submission of the required paperwork.


For GB Businesses shipping to EU Countries

‍With effect from 1 January 2021, your goods will need a customs declaration, a commercial invoice and associated data, and will be subject to any applicable EU tariffs. Our booking platforms have been updated to facilitate preparation and submission of the required paperwork.


Will there be any delivery delays to the EU?

Our transit times will remain the same, but they do not include time in Customs. You can help to minimise any potential Customs delays by ensuring your Customs information is complete and accurate. 

We will do everything we can to maintain 'best available service' at all times.  As professional couriers,  we’re already in a strong position, with a successful network of international courier specialists and dedicated customer service teams on hand to assist you.

If you require further information or support with your offshore and international shipping, please don't hesitate to contact your local depot or email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

++++ Normal Service Resumed 29 December 2020 ++++

You will already be aware that due to fears about the spreading of the latest variant of coronavirus, travel links between the United Kingdom and several EU countries including France have been suspended.

Ferry ports and the Eurotunnel service have been closed and our service partner DHL has advised us that this has an immediate impact on our road services between both the UK & the Republic of Ireland, and all other continental destinations. As a consequence road services both into and out of the UK have with immediate effect been suspended, with the exception of the road service between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, which will continue until further notice.

Our international air courier services will continue to operate, despite the limitations placed on passenger aircraft, as there is no impact on cargo flights at the present time. This is of course subject to continuous review as the situation is fluid and authorities might impose tougher restrictions.

As we are expecting a surge in air courier volumes and total available capacity is limited, it is important to note that delays are possible. Similarly, customers are reminded that there are differences between what can be accepted as road based shipments and shipment by air, for example the shipping of lithium batteries and dangerous goods, etc.

Please contact us via customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk if you require additional information on any of the above. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and update you if anything changes.          

++++ Normal Services have resumed to all areas (including Tier 4) with effect from 29 December 2020 ++++

Following the news over the weekend that London, the South East and Wales have moved into Tier 4, we have seen a significant increase in bookings to the affected areas.

For all time-sensitive or mission-critical deliveries, we advise customers to use our dedicated same day services. Quotes can be obtained by emailing customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk or calling your local depot.

Our service partner APC Overnight has now stated that to avoid specific depots in Tier 4 areas becoming overwhelmed and consignments not being delivered by the required deadlines, new bookings to the postcodes below will be suspended until Thursday 24 December 2020, to allow for collection on 29 December 2020. In the interim, customers will be able to book same day or non-APC services via the New Horizon platform to these areas.

Please note that this update does NOT apply to our Cardiff-based customers, as we have a multi-carrier service at this location. Cardiff customers will be able to obtain quotes and arrange deliveries to all areas at the present time.

Please find below a list of the affected postcodes, if you would like a copy in Excel format please contact us via customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

We're doing all we can to assist our customers during these challenging times, to minimise disruption and provide you and your customers with the best possible collection & delivery service.


‍‍‍We are continuing to operate all of our same day, overnight and international services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to various service restrictions and operational challenges across most of the parcel networks, we recommend our same day services for all time-sensitive and mission-critical shipments.


UK Overnight Service

We're experiencing high demand for our next day UK collection & delivery services and applying COVID-19 secure policies across all sites. We are also operating a no-contact collection & delivery service. We will continue to operate the best available services at all times, but cannot guarantee delivery times during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Please find below service updates which refer to our Bristol and Bath depots and the APC Overnight network. Our Cardiff depot offers an extensive, multi-carrier solution operated by a number of major UK and international carriers, so for information about any service restrictions please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk


Before 10:00am Service Suspended Until 30 December 2020

We have experienced higher than expected volumes in recent weeks and this has resulted in later inbound trunk arrivals at depots, and later driver departure times on their delivery routes. As a result, drivers have found it increasingly difficult to achieve pre-10am deliveries. We are aware of the need to manage customer and consumer expectations sensibly as we progress throughout the coming weeks and with this in mind, APC Overnight have taken the decision to temporarily suspend the pre 10:00am service until input from Wednesday 30th December 2020.

We have tested alternative carriers for pre-9am and pre-10am services but based on the data we have received, it is our view that these services are not performing well and we have therefore decided not to offer this solution to our customers. As always, we are able to provide a timed delivery service utilising our same day fleet and quotes can be obtained by calling your local depot or emailing customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk 

There are no changes planned for the pre 12:00 service.


‍‍Leave Safe Service ‍

We are encouraging all customers to ship on a leave safe basis – please visit our downloads page for useful guides to setting up your shipping process, so that parcels can be left without a signature.‍

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Collect From Depot - Limited Opening Times

We are actively discouraging non-essential visits to our depots and in order to reduce visitor numbers during peak hours, our sites will now be accessible from 10:00-16:00 Monday to Friday and 09:00-12:00 on Saturdays. Customers are encouraged to advise their own clients that this service is currently available only during these times. Notices will be posted at all depots with immediate effect.‍

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Suspension of Same Day Pick-Up Requests‍

To ease the pressure on delivery drivers, we will be suspending same day pick-up requests (PUR’s) with effect from Wednesday 25 March 2020. Customers are advised that we will be implementing a change to the New Horizon booking platform and in the interim, all customers are advised that all PURs are for next day collection only.

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‍Non-Account Customers‍

To decrease the number of visitors to our depot, we have suspended the option for customers without an account to call into our depots and pay by debit or credit card. Instead, we would encourage non-account customers to use our web based booking services. Please call your local depot for more details.

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International - services are running normally and the vast majority of transit times are unaffected. As usual, we cannot guarantee transit times for international shipments and customers should expect some delays or disruption. When we are made aware of any delays, we will of course inform customers immediately.

We are maintaining a series of measures in response to COVID-19 to ensure we protect our customers and the Priority Express team.

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Service Status

‍We are operating all services as normal during the latest lockdown, which took effect in England from 5 November 2020. Our current service status is as follows:-

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Same Day - all services running normally. Same Day is the recommended service for all time-sensitive and mission-critical shipments‍

International - services are running normally and the vast majority of transit times are unaffected. As usual, we cannot guarantee transit times for international shipments and customers should expect some delays or disruption. When we are made aware of any delays, we will of course inform customers immediately.

Next Day - we are experiencing high demand for our next day UK collection & delivery services. We are applying COVID-19 secure policies across all sites, along with
no-contact deliveries. Increasing volumes of heavy and large items to residential addresses are taking longer to sort and process so some delays are to be expected. We continue to operate the best available services at all times, but cannot guarantee delivery times during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Please find below service updates which refer to our Bristol and Bath depots and the APC Overnight network. Our Cardiff depot offers an extensive, multi-carrier solution operated by a number of major UK and international carriers, so for information about any service restrictions please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

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‍Leave Safe Service ‍

We are encouraging all customers to ship on a leave safe basis – please visit our downloads page for useful guides to setting up your shipping process, so that parcels can be left without a signature.‍

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Collect From Depot - Limited Opening Times

We are actively discouraging non-essential visits to our depots and in order to reduce visitor numbers during peak hours, our sites will now be accessible from 10:00-16:00 Monday to Friday and 09:00-12:00 on Saturdays. Customers are encouraged to advise their own clients that this service is currently available only during these times. Notices will be posted at all depots with immediate effect.‍

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Suspension of Same Day Pick-Up Requests‍

To ease the pressure on delivery drivers, we will be suspending same day pick-up requests (PUR’s) with effect from Wednesday 25 March 2020. Customers are advised that we will be implementing a change to the New Horizon booking platform and in the interim, all customers are advised that all PURs are for next day collection only.

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‍Non-Account Customers‍

To decrease the number of visitors to our depot, we have suspended the option for customers without an account to call into our depots and pay by debit or credit card. Instead, we would encourage non-account customers to use our web based booking services. Please call your local depot for more details.

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‍We're doing all we can to assist our customers during these challenging times, to minimise disruption and provide you and your customers with the best possible collection & delivery service. We hope that you and your loved ones stay safe and well.‍

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Remembrance Day – Two-Minute's Silence 11.00am Wednesday 11 November 2020

We would like to advise customers that we will be observing a two-minute silence of remembrance on Wednesday 11 November 2020 at all of our depots, along with the the National Sortation Centres in Cannock and Essington.

We would ask for your co-operation and understanding during the two-minute silence and make your staff aware that telephones across all sites will not be answered between11:00am and 11:02am.

We invite all customers to join us for this anniversary of the Armistice and show a debt of gratitude and respect to all who gave their lives for the good of us all.

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We're doing all we can to assist our customers during these challenging times, to minimise disruption and provide you and your customers with the best possible collection & delivery service


Cardiff Customers

‍There are no service updates or changes for Cardiff customers at the present time.


Bristol & Bath Customers

‍Whilst there are no changes to our same day or international services, APC Overnight are making some important changes with effect from Monday, 19 October 2020.

As the UK's largest independent overnight parcel network, APC needs to adapt to the changing needs of our customers. As consumer demand and volumes increase, £1m has been invested at our National Sortation Centre to provide additional capacity. The APC network is committed to supporting customer growth and has identified increasing volumes of heavy and large freight, which is not an ideal fit due to limited handling capacity at depot and the National Sortation Centre.

To limit the impact on service for the majority of our SME customers, it is necessary to refine the size and criteria of product that we can best serve. This will represent challenges for some customers, but we will work with all affected clients to keep within the product profile revisions. The New Horizon booking platform will be updated with the new rules from the go live date and will apply to all customers booking via the New Horizon Platform, via the API, or via the APC importer system.

The most important change is that from 19 October 2020, there will be a maximum number of two items on all NC & XS services. Additional information and changes are as follows:-
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Non-Conveyable (NC) Items - if an item falls within the NC dimensions but is unboxed, it must be shipped on the XS service.

Poly Boxes - cant ravel on the next day parcel (ND) service if they meet the product dimensions and all lids are securely sealed and taped. If items are not sealed and taped they will be considered NC and charged for accordingly.

Tote Boxes – can travel on the next day parcel (ND) service if the lids are secured with cable ties at both ends. However, if the boxes are not secured, these will be considered NC.

Cool Boxes - if items contain any liquid they will need to be shipped on the Liquid (LP) or Limited Quantity (LQ) service, The fragile ND service must be selected for all other cool boxes. It is vital that the lids are sealed securely to avoid the risk of opening in transit.

Liquid (LP) Limited Quantity (LQ) and parcels travelling on the Security or Fragile Services - will need to be boxed and correctly labelled.

Bags / Sacks / Suitcases / Linen / Sports Bags - products in bags or sacks which are within next day parcel (ND) dimensions such as animal feed, grains, seeds or compost will need to be manifested as XS unless they are boxed.

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As always, please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk or call your local depot if you would like further information or assistance relating to the changes being implemented by APC Overnight. We have a number of service options available to our customers and will work with you to find a solution. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers for their continued loyalty and support during the COVID-19 pandemic. We really do appreciate your support, understanding and co-operation during these challenging times.

Our dedicated same day delivery services are operating as normal and we recommend this service for all time-critical items.

We are observing social distancing and following Government COVID-19 Risk Management Guidelines and on occasions, this may lead to delays within our overnight and international delivery operations.

We have adopted no contact collection & delivery practices for the safety of customers and our team and we are still experiencing higher volumes of deliveries than normal. We are continuing to deliver your parcels using best efforts during this time, and we have also had to suspend some of our services and our service guarantees to ensure we keep you, our customers and our people safe. As always, we are committed to providing the best possible service that we can in these extraordinary circumstances.

We would like to thank you as a business for your continued support, patience and understanding and hope that you and your loved ones remain safe and well.
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Our dedicated same day delivery services are operating as normal and we recommend this service for all time critical items. We have adopted no contact collection & delivery practices for the safety of customers and our team.

We are still experiencing unprecedented volumes in our overnight network and whilst we are continuing to deliver your parcels using best efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also had to suspend some of our services and our service guarantees to ensure we keep you, our customers and our people safe. As always, we are committed to providing the best possible service that we can in these extraordinary circumstances.

Whilst efforts are underway to relax the lockdown in some areas and it may appear that things are returning to normal, we are still facing challenges delivering your overnight and international parcels. On occasions, you may experience delays to deliveries of your shipments and we thank you as a business for your patience and understanding. Although our depots are open, we are focusing on ensuring that our deliveries are made on time, so please only use them where absolutely necessary in order to protect both our people and you our customers as much as possible.

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We would like to thank all our customers for your support at this challenging time and we really do appreciate your loyalty.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is currently impacting on the service standards being provided by our overnight parcel delivery service partners. As a result, we are experiencing service delays for domestic shipments to some areas of the United Kingdom. We are working hard to reduce these delays, but due to increased volumes and surge in demand for B2C and non-conveyable consignments, please be aware that service times may be impacted. Customers are also reminded that our same day services are available for time-critical shipments across the United Kingdom and EU.

We’re Here to Help

In these challenging times, we hope you’re staying safe and well and are able to continue with your business activities.

Our ongoing services and the functioning of our network and service partners is critical to moving these essential items and supporting the incredible work being done to combat the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We will continue to update our customers on a regular basis providing the latest information on impacted services and delivery operations.


May Bank Holiday Operating Schedule

Our customer services team will be available as follows over the May Bank Holiday Weekend. For full details of our operating schedules please check the downloads section of our website:-

 Friday 22 May 2020 . . . . . . . . . . 08:00 – 18:00

 Saturday 23 May 2020 . . . . . . .  08:00 – 12:00

 Sunday 24 May 2020 . . . . . . . .  Closed

 Monday 25 May 2020 . . . . . . . . Closed

 Tuesday 26 May 2020 . . . . . . . .08:00 – 18:00

Keeping Everyone Safe

The safety of our team and customers is our absolute priority. We want to assure you that across all Priority Express sites, this is taken extremely seriously. Our people are asked to maintain a social distance, use hand sanitisers and practice good respiratory and hand hygiene. We are also providing all operational staff with protective equipment to use at their discretion.

We are encouraging all customers to use our Leave Safe service for lower value goods and have also adopted a contact-free service for all deliveries. This means that our drivers stand at least 2m (6 feet) away from the recipient at all times, with a digital record kept of the release details, removing the need for contact between couriers, scanners and parcel recipients.


Finance & Customer Accounting

We appreciate that this is a difficult time for all businesses, however we need to request that you adhere to your usual payment terms please.

Our business has been adapted to meet government guidelines, including social distancing and contact-free delivery. Safeguarding our team and our customers whilst meeting high demand is only sustainable by applying strict payment terms, and where applicable advance payment for customers hipping higher volumes.

Standard payment terms are 30 days from date of invoice, with invoices issued on a weekly basis.  As always, we are unable to offer extended credit terms and regret to advise customers that non-payment will result in immediate suspension of credit facilities.


Thank You

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers for their continued loyalty and support during the COVID-19 pandemic. We really do appreciate your support, understanding and co-operation during these challenging times.


Neil Havill
Managing Director

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We're doing all we can to assist our customers during these challenging times, to minimise disruption and provide you and your customers with the best possible collection & delivery service

We’re Here to Help

In these challenging times, we hope you’re staying safe and well and are able to continue with your business activities. The safety of our people and customers is our absolute priority. It’s also incredibly important that we continue to provide our usual high standard of service, as we know many customers are dependent on us for the truly essential items we carry, including medical supplies, personal protective equipment and supplies for remote workers.

I would like to update you on how Priority Express is adapting our usual working arrangements to continue serving you and your customers during this time.


Supporting our NHS Heroes

Please be advised that we will be observing a minute’s silence today at 11am to remember those NHS and Key Workers who have made the ultimate sacrifice whilst working on the front line to fight the Coronavirus pandemic. We would ask for your co-operation and understanding during the minute’s silence and make your staff aware that telephones and enquiries across all departments will not be answered between 11:00am and 11:01am.


PEX 24-7

As part of our continued development, we are planning to launch a same day courier service which will operate outside normal office hours. This dedicated service will operate between the hours of 6pm and 8am Monday to Friday, weekends and Bank Holidays and customers will have access to a special 24-7 number for service around-the-clock. If you would like further information about this service, please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk and a member of the team will contact you to discuss your requirements.


Customer Services During the Covid-19 Pandemic

We'd like to remind you that our customer service teams have been quickly mobilised to work from home where possible and we are continuing to operate with customer services staff working remotely and at your local depot.

We are still able to take phone calls as usual of course, but during these busy and challenging times, we would really appreciate it if you could track your consignments online before contacting our customer service team. We have a variety of ways for you and your customers to track parcels and check for status updates - just call us at any time if you require any further assistance or guidance with booking or tracking online.


‍Is it safe to handle packages shipped with Priority Express?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has already confirmed the handling post of parcels is 'low risk' and this is supported by HM Government. We are, of course, continuing to adopt no contact collection & delivery services, whereby couriers stand at least 2m away the shippers and recipients of parcels at all times. However, as an added precaution we would recommend that recipients of parcels recycle or dispose of all external packaging and then wash their hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds after handling packages regardless of the source.


We hope that you and your loved ones remain safe and well, please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time for further information or assistance.


Neil Havill
Managing Director
 

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We're doing all we can to minimise disruption and provide you and your customers with the best possible service.

Bristol & Bath Depots


Live Fish

Due to service disruption at a small number of depots, we are sorry to advise that we cannot accept live fish for transit via the APC Overnight service until further notice. For the welfare of the live fish, it is best they remain with the sending customer until such time as we can guarantee delivery within 24 hours to all areas of the UK Mainland. If you wish to ship live fish please call your local depot for further assistance.

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Overnight & International Service Disruption

Due to the enforcement of social distancing measures at Priority Express and service partner depots, and increased volumes of fragile, perishable and liquid consignments, we are experiencing delays to some consignments.

The majority of overnight and international shipments are being delivered on time, however we are experiencing sporadic service issues in some areas. Our same day services are unaffected and remain the most efficient and reliable delivery option for mission critical or time-sensitive deliveries. As always, we will endeavour to contact all clients to advise of delays and no further action will be required on your part.

Customers are respectfully reminded that our normal service guarantees are void during the COVID-19 pandemic and no credits or upgrades will be available in accordance with network policy, and we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

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We hope that you are able to stay safe and keep well.

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We’re Here to Help

In these challenging times, we hope you’re staying safe and well and are able to continue with your business activities.

The safety of our people and customers is our absolute priority. It’s also incredibly important that we continue to provide our usual high standard of service, as we know many customers are dependent on us for the truly essential items we carry, including medical supplies, personal protective equipment and supplies for remote workers. The functioning of our service and partner networks is critical to moving these essential items and supporting the incredible work being done to combat the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

I would like to update you on how Priority Express is adapting our usual working arrangements to enable continued support during this time.


‍Operations

We are encouraging all customers to use our Leave Safe service for lower value goods and have also adopted a contact-free service for all business-to-consumer (B2C) deliveries. This means that our drivers stand at least 2m (6 feet) away from the recipient at all times, with a digital record kept of the release details, removing the need for contact between couriers, scanners and parcel recipients.

We are currently experiencing high demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in a substantial increase in online shopping and deliveries to residential addresses. As in previous years, we expect a further increase in demand  during the week following the Easter bank holiday weekend.

Whilst we have additional resources in place at our depots and our partner networks, the need for social distancing and limited space at all operating centres means that we cannot process an unlimited number of consignments. We therefore expect service standards to be challenged for next day consignments shipped between Tuesday 14 April and Thursday 16 April 2020.

Whilst we will continue to accept consignments on these days, we cannot offer upgrades or refunds for late deliveries and as always, would recommend our dedicated same day services for mission critical shipments.

‍Customer Service

Our customer service teams have been quickly mobilised to work from home where possible. We have customer services staff working remotely and at your local depot, and we are still able to take phone calls as usual. However, during these busy and challenging times, we would really appreciate it if you could track your consignments online before contacting our customer service teams. We have a variety of ways for you and your customers to track parcels and check for status updates.

If you make your bookings online using the APC New Horizon platform, this is also the best way to track consignments. Simply use the handy tracking button whenlogged into your account. If you need any help for this, or want to start making your bookings online, please contact us.

If your customers or the recipients want to track parcels, or if you want to get an ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) we recommend APC Pin Point - all you need is the seven-digit consignment number and the delivery postcode.

If you are unable to get the answers you need online, please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk. We will normally respond to your email within 30 minutes during office hours, which are 08:00 – 18:00 Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.

You can also contact us via our website using webforms or live chat, this link also includes the local contact number for your depot where our local customer services teams are available to assist you.

Finally, I would like to make you aware that the Customer Service team will no longer be available on bank holidays. However, our depots will be manned by an operations team and drivers who will continue to make deliveries in accordance with our Easter Bank Holiday Operating Schedule which is available for your reference on the downloads section of our website.


Finance & Customer Accounting

Our Finance and Customer Accounting teams were also quickly mobilised to work from home. We appreciate that this is a difficult time for all businesses, however we need to request that you adhere to your usual payment terms please.

Our business has been adapted to meet government guidelines, including social distancing and contact-free delivery. Safeguarding our team and our customers whilst meeting high demand is only sustainable by applying strict payment terms, and where applicable advance payment for customers hipping higher volumes.

Standard payment terms are 30 days from date of invoice, with invoices issued on a weekly basis.  As always, we are unable to offer extended credit terms and regret to advice customers that non-payment will result in immediate suspension of credit facilities.

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Is it safe to handle packages shipped with Priority Express?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has already confirmed the handling post of parcels is 'low risk' and this is supported by the GOV.UK website which has stated;-

“Staff should continue to follow existing risk assessments and safe systems of working; there are no additional precautions needed for handling post or packages”.

However, as an added precaution we would recommend that all recipients of parcels wipe down packages with anti-bacterial wipes and wash their hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds after opening parcels and disposing of the external packaging.

We want to assure you that across all Priority Express an APC Overnight sites, this is taken extremely seriously. Our people are asked to maintain a social distance, use hand sanitisers and practice good respiratory and hand hygiene. We are also providing all operational staff with protective equipment to use at their discretion.

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We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Easter and a safe and healthy bank holiday weekend from all of the team here at Priority Express and across the wider APC Overnight network. We really do appreciate your support, understanding and co-operation during these challenging times.

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We're doing all we can to minimise disruption and provide you and your customers with the best possible collection & delivery service.

Due to the enforcement of social distancing measures at our depots and National Sortation Centres and increased volumes of fragile, perishable and liquid consignments, we are experiencing delays to some consignments.

We are sorry to advise that a small number of consignments are subject to a 24 hour delay at our National Sortation Centres in Cannock and Essington due to operational issues. We will endeavour to contact all clients to advise of delays and no further action will be required on your part.

Customers are respectfully reminded that our normal service guarantees are void during the COVID-19 pandemic and no credits or upgrades will be available in accordance with network policy, and we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

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We hope that you are able to stay safe and keep well.

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We have implemented a number of measures in response to COVID-19 to ensure we protect our customers and the Priority Express team.

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Service Status

‍We are experiencing high demand for our collection & delivery services at the present time. UK services are operating normally but we are experiencing some delays to international shipments.

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‍COVID-19 Service Updates

Please find below service updates which refer to our Bristol and Bath depots and the APC Overnight network. Our Cardiff depot utilises a number of major UK and international carriers so for information about service limitations, please email customercare@priorityexpress.co.uk

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‍Leave Safe Service ‍

We are encouraging all customers to ship on a leave safe basis – please visit our downloads page for useful guides to setting up your shipping process, so that parcels can be left without a signature.‍

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Collect From Depot Option Suspended‍

To decrease the number of visitors to our depots,we will be suspending the collect from depot functionality within APC Called, re-deliveries can be arranged but not a collect from depot option. Customers are encouraged to advise their own clients that this service is currently not available. Notices will be posted at all depots with immediate effect.‍

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Increase to 3 x Re-Delivery Attempts‍

We are experiencing a higher percentage of succesful deliveries to residential addresses due to increasing numbers of the UK population working from home. As we have temporarily suspended the "collect from depot" option however, we will now be making up to three delivery attempts to help ensure we get important documents and parcels to the consignee. This service feature is being provided at no additional charge to our cleints.

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‍Suspension of Live Fish & Bees Movements‍

With immediate effect we are will no longer beaccepting Live fish / bees for shipping via the APC Overnight network. Customers are advised that we are implementing this as delays may be experienced in this service at the present time.‍

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Suspension of Same Day Pick-Up Requests‍

To ease the pressure on delivery drivers, we will be suspending same day pick-up requests (PUR’s) with effect from Wednesday 25 March 2020. Customers are advised that we will be implementing a change to the New Horizon booking platform and in the interim, all customers are advised that all PURs are for next day collection only.

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‍Consignments for ‘Closed Businesses’‍

Due to the increasing numbers of business closing on government advice, we will now be arranging to return to sender (RTS) any shipments which cannot be successfully delivered. This is to prevent a build-up of shipments on hold at depots.

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‍Non-Account Customers‍

To decrease the number of visitors to our depot, we have suspended the option for customers without an account to call into our depots and pay by debit or credit card. Instead, we would encourage non-account customers to use our web based booking services. Please call your local depot for more details.

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‍We're doing all we can to assist our customers during these challenging times, to minimise disruption and provide you and your customers with the best possible collection & delivery service. We hope that you and your loved ones stay safe and well.‍

Service Status

We are experiencing higher volumes than normal at the present time with some delays.  However, all depots are open and operating normally.

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COVID-19 Service Updates

• Contact free delivery is now our standard process and customers will not be asked to sign our handheld units. You’ll still get full track and trace functionality.

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• We are encouraging all customers to ship on a leave safe basis – please visit www.priorityexpress.co.uk/downloads to find out how to set-up your shipping process so that parcels can be left without a signature.

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• We are creating extra space for drivers to sort parcels and load their vans. This means that our morning process will take a little longer and so we have temporarily suspended our next day before 9am service until further notice.

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• We are making arrangements to re-deploy staff from one role to another as required. For example, couriers who are able to undertake operations roles in depots if required are undergoing additional training and support.

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• Home working is being undertaken for roles that can work from home. We're also introducing rotas for managers and supervisors at our depots to help minimise unnecessary contact and create social distancing for those that do have to come to work.

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• Cleaning has been increased throughout the business as a preventative measure, particularly on hand-rails, door handles, handling equipment and kitchen areas.

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We're doing all we can to assist our customers during these challenging times, to minimise disruption and provide you and your customers with the best possible collection & delivery service. We hope that you and your loved ones stay safe and well.‍

We recognise the trust you place in us when we collect and deliver urgent parcels for your business.

With this in mind, I wanted to write and assure you that our collection & delivery services are still operating. I would also like to update you on the actions we are taking to keep you – and our team members – safe amidst the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

We are giving our team members facts about COVID-19 and reminding them to follow simple but effective steps to keep them safe. This includes new collection and delivery procedures, which have been amended to meet social distancing best practice and frequent hand washing. We are disinfecting our facilities and equipment as appropriate and as always, we are encouraging our team members to act immediately as soon as there are any signs of illness.

The extra precautions we are taking means that the process of collecting and delivering parcels is taking longer, and we also anticipate that we might need to operate with lower staff numbers due to illness. On this basis we have suspended our next morning before 9am service and we are unable to provide downgrades or refunds for delayed deliveries during the current crisis.

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, you may have wondered “Is that package safe to touch?” The WHO has answered that question for us. They’ve made it clear that it is safe to handle a package, even if it comes from a place where the virus has been reported.

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We're doing all we can to assist our customers during these challenging times, to minimise disruption and provide you and your customers with the best possible collection & delivery service. We hope that you and your loved ones stay safe and well.
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