Packstation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Packstation is a service run by DHL Parcel Germany, a business unit of Deutsche Post's Mail division, in Germany. It provides automated booths for self-service collection of parcels and oversize letters as well as self-service dispatch of parcels 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Packstation started as a pilot project in 2001 and was quickly expanded. By 2007 there were already 900 Packstation automats in Germany. Only ordinary parcels and letters delivered by Deutsche Post can be delivered to Packstation automats. Further, Deutsche Post allows its subsidiary DHL Express Germany to insert a limited number of express parcels.
A major market for Packstation is the increasing number of single people, especially students and time-poor professionals, who purchase products online but are not normally at home at daytime to accept deliveries, or who do not have the time to deposit parcels at the post office during normal opening hours. [1] [2] There are currently 800,000 registered Packstation customers in Germany, and according to Deutsche Post their number is growing by 200,000 every year. [1]
Deutsche Post is planning to set up a total of 2,400 Packstations in Germany by 2009. Its aim is that eventually no customer should need to travel more than 10 minutes to reach a Packstation. [3] [4]
Contents |
[edit] Operation
[edit] Registration
Using Packstations is free of charge both for private and business customers, however prior registration is required. Each customer obtains a magnetic stripe card ("Goldcard") and PIN that can be used to identify the customer at Packstation automats and post offices.
[edit] Addressing
The addressing system used for Packstations is slightly different from standard mail. A customer who wishes to pick up a delivery at a Packstation automat must specify its address according to the following scheme:
John Doe 12345678 Packstation 123 12345 Berlin
or, if there's no room or input field for a separate address line:
John Doe/12345678 Packstation 123 12345 Berlin
where "12345678" is the customer number, "123" is the automat number and "12345" is the traditional postal code for the location of the Packstation. The customer number is permanently assigned to a recipient. Number and location of a Packstation can be looked up online prior to receiving a delivery.
A customer is not tied to a particular Packstation automat but is free to choose a different one for each delivery. This allows for creative use where the destination Packstation automat is not near the customer's home or office. For example, a repairperson could have spare parts delivered to an automat near the site where they are needed.
[edit] Delivery and Collection
If a parcel or letter is addressed to a Packstation, it is delivered directly to the automat specified. If the destination Packstation automat is full, the parcel is diverted to the nearest automat with free compartments or to the nearest post office. It is also diverted to the post office if it is too large to fit into the compartments.
As soon as the parcel arrives at the Packstation, the customer is notified by SMS and/or email. He or she then has seven business days to collect the package. The customer logs in with his/her Goldcard and PIN (or just his/her customer number and PIN) and retrieves the parcel.
The Packstation also accepts Maestro debit cards for collect-on-delivery mail.
[edit] Customers without Packstation cards
Parcels addressed to a house number (instead of a customer number) are diverted to a Packstation if the recipient is not available to sign for the delivery. In those instances, the recipient receives a green card with a bar code and address of the Packstation. The recipient then goes to the Packstation at his convenience, holds the bar code under the scanner, and follows the simple instructions on the screen. The locker with the parcel then opens automatically and the recipient retrieves the parcel. Delivery in this manner does not require advanced registration.
[edit] Despatch
To send a parcel from a Packstation automat, the customer must first buy a Paketmarke (package stamp) at a post office, online or directly at a Packstation automat.
A package stamp purchased online or at the automat is €1 cheaper than one purchased at a post office. However, it can only be used to send parcels through Packstation and Paketbox automats.
He or she logs in with his/her Goldcard and PIN (or just his/her customer number and PIN) and scans the bar code on the package stamp. After the parcel size is specified, a compartment opens where the parcel can be placed. The maximum size for parcels is 60 × 35 × 35 cm.
[edit] Packstation for businesses
[edit] Packstation Inhouse
Since January 2004, DHL has offered in-house Packstations for large businesses (with more than 3000 employees). This service is especially attractive for businesses whose employees frequently receive private parcels at their work address. The Packstation can be a compromise solution that still allows employees to receive parcels without straining the company's resources. The first business to set up a Packstation in-house was SAP in Walldorf (number 801 and 803). Unlike public Packstations, the location of in-house Packstations is not published on the internet. BASF, Siemens, T-Mobile, and T-Online have also set up Packstations on their premises.
[edit] Packstation for Technicians
Public Packstations are often used by businesses to deliver spare sparts to service technicians working in the field, or on the way to the customer.
[edit] Controversies and legal issues
The user of a Packstation must agree to give up his/her right to decline acceptance of a delivery, when registering for the service. A traditional parcel delivery to a home address or for collection at a post office can be rejected by the customer if visible damage has occurred to the packaging, or if it is an unwanted delivery. However, customers have the option of filing a complaint with the nearest post office.
Wheelchair users have trouble using the Packstations because some of the compartments are too high for wheelchair access.
[edit] Similar systems
Österreichische Post, an Austrian postal company, introduced a virtually identical service called Post.24-Station in November 2006. The booths are manufactured by the same company that makes the Packstations, Keba AG. Currently the service is only available in Vienna, where Stations have been erected in supermarkets, petrol stations, and post offices that can easily be reached by public transport.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b Kirchhoff, Petra (2008-04-17). "Die Packstation kann immer" (in German). Frankfurter Allgemeine. http://www.faz.net/s/RubBEFA4EA6A59441D98AC2EC17C392932A/Doc~EA0C42292331640A3AB2AF710FA6D924B~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html.
- ^ Alex Steffen (2008-01-21). "Deutsche Post's Packstation". Worldchanging. http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007854.html. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ "Post stellt mehr Paket-Automaten auf – Konzern will Packstationen flächendeckend einführen – Bis Ende 2009 sind rund 2400 Standorte geplant" (in German). Die Welt. 2007-09-12.
- ^ "Post stellt viele Packautomaten auf – Stationen sollen in zehn Minuten erreichbar sein" (in German). Der Tagesspiegel. 2007-09-12.
|
||||||||||||||||
