There is nothing as a good courier service.
All courier services have some good points and bad points as well,be it DTDC, or Professional, or some local courier company.
The buyers have a simple logic: They want the product immediately and claim since they have paid for the product, but they donot understand the difficulties by the seller.
The seller certainly has to compromise on the courier, to make the pricing sustainable for their product for the buyer. Goods are sold at all ranges, from 1/- upwards. Thus the role of shipping is much as important.
I have personally have had good, and bad experiences as a seller, though a new entrant on eBay. I currently have not yet tied up with any courier company since i am myself very unsure about whom i should prefer.
The shipping charges are much important to a buyer and a seller, as i mentioned above.
Also, there are many places, such as towns or villages, where the courier company donot take the parcels/letters, and even if they do, the charges are much way higher.
Many courier companies, book a product at the source, but then we find out that the item is lying at the destination's office, since they cannot deliver to the place as it is very far off, and the buyer had to go to collect the product.
The buyers at times too, donot give full address, thus making it difficult for the courier guys to deliver the product, which i have read on many such threads.
I have quite a few products, which have weight so it is much difficult for me to assertain the shipping charges. It may have at times, that i may have paid more for shipping then i may have collected from the buyer.
Again, if the shipping charges paid is less then what we may have collected from the buyer, it comes as a negative feedback, or it mentions that we have collected more from the buyer, etc.
Here are some experiences that i have faced:
The phone number of the buyer is either wrong, or incomplete.
Professional couriers: good, but once damaged my item.
Flyking : good service, with insurance, but not centralised. Also, no updates on the web about the consignment.
DTDC/BlueDart : Much expensive to send a product
First Flight: comparetively much expensive too.
Speed post: Delivers even to towns and villages, but calculates on the distance. Takes usually 1 day later the the courier, but assures delivery. Online tracking is the best i have found for speedpost.
Maruti Couriers: I like their services currently.
Local Couriers: Nice services depending on the locations.
I have also noticed, and experienced, that if i book from a courier company, he charges me x amt. the same parcel if i send from the same courier company, but located at another place, i'm charged y amt.
I myself, still await for a perfect courier company, till then, i'll keep sending the goods with whom i can feel economical, but at the same time reliable to different parts of the country.
Regards