Charging for additional items.

I'm sure some of you will have some across this, but it is really starting to get to me. 

it's simple when they mention 'ebay' double the price and they normally don't bother!!
it's an idiots force field.

This all depends on how you sell your service,

With us we sell under the pretext that the customer is booking the van whether it's 1 item or the complete vanload.

We only ask that any and all goods are within the weight limit of the van requested.

Are they all going to the same destination?

Mainly these jobs come from auction sites and are either backloads or little extras on way somewhere, but occasionally I do local stuff on it if I'm quiet. 

If you do alot of deliveries from sites such as shiply and anyvan you will generally be a busy idiot so to speak as people want a bargain delivery service to go with their bargain purchase.

i have a bit on my website that states the extra cost for anything extra added to the journey.

That's what's bothering me, I use it to fill dead miles or take a little extra when the van has space.

That's the difference then you are filling space in the van not the van, I'd imagine they do it because the cost will be less and once you turn up your good nature will take over and you cant possibly refuse, the only thing you can do is to reiterate on booking that its space they are buying, more space more money.

As and when i use these sites with my bid i include a list of conditions ie one man and van or 2 men etc and always state its based on the information given and extra items will be charged for, you have to cover your self , and generally these people are getting a good price in the first place. Like anything nowadays you have to cover yourself. 

just quote PROPERLY for 'a Van'

Matters not then if it is just filled with an envelope or 5 pallets !

Yeah I think I will be adding that in for these sites.

When i charge a price its not on whats delivered its the distance.

I came across this quite often when I used to move the ebay stuff all the time.

If it was just an odd small additional item I used to let them get away with it but if it was something large or there was a number of extra items I always used to charge them a bit extra.... £10 - £20

I use to tell them.... Price quoted was to move the items as listed, your paying for space on the van, you don't have sole use of the van, not at this low rate. Any additional items are charged extra!

If they try haggle about it offer them sole use of the van which they can fill up to the back doors if required at Full Standard Rate of ££££.

As for "your going there anyway" tell them to try send 3 boxes through Royal Mail and only pay for 1 because they are going there anyway! 

Any additional collection or delivery location was always charged extra to cover time and fuel if it wasn't disclosed when making the original booking.

Remember, chances are with ebay stuff you'll never get another booking again from at least 95% of these people.

Don't let these people take the pee out of you.   Your doing this to make money!

Sameday work then its for mileage from A to B as long as it fits into the van they've booked....as they're paying for the use of your van to be a dedicated vehicle then whether its an envelope or a pallet the cost is the cost.

Thanks for all the replies guys. 

I had that the other weekend there, from Glasgow to London, Customer insisted all parcels would fit on my SWB Transit.... they didnt and I had to bring in another van along side my own.

Unfortunately that is the problem with a SWB - half the jobs you get offered will go in a SLV ( Berlingo or even an Estate Car) and for the rest you could justify a 3500 LWB which costs little more to run than the SWB.

We don't bother with SWB vans.
Sometimes a customer will ask have you got a SWB van but this is rare.
When a new courier calls and asks for some advice on vans i always say personally would get the biggest small van and the biggest big van i could afford.

we have a Bipper and I know 2 other couriers with same.  great little van . depends on what your customers require and often the little Bipper suits the task adequately. 

I've got an opposite situation tomorrow. Delivering to Exeter in my Transit Jumbo and the load is in the cab! Apparently it was supposed to be a Transit Connect job but when the customer's office girl rang to book, she asked for a Transit. So I'm going all the way there empty and, unless I get backload, all the way back empty too! 

Hi, From experience,  I now state that additional items maybe charged for should a customer not let us know before hand.

 Sometimes you get the odd genuine customer who asks politely, and even offers to pay more, in this instance I usually say its ok, but yes i agree there are people out there who expect 5 items for the price of 10 !

The large couriers and royal mail wouldnt do it so why should we just becuase we are going there!

We also have the same problems when quoting on removals online, the odd couple of boxes, no probs, but on several occasions using other sites, you turn up having quoted for 1 van load, and they have two?! And then you have the embarrassment of negotiating with the customer, as they haven't listed there items correctly, and dont want to pay any more money!?

Some people just expect evrything for nothing!