Penarth, Vale & Cardiff Courier Service

THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE HAS BEEN UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2024. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE BOOKING OUR COURIER SERVICE.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES REGARDING THIS, PLEASE CONTACT US.

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COURIER SERVICE

Cannot get to us? We may be able to deliver & pickup items from you (including donations) using our Courier Service E-Bike & E-Van.


We now deliver & collect from the following locations:

- CF64 (Penarth, Cogan, Dinas Powys, Sully etc.)

- Barry (CF62, CF63)

- Vale of Glamorgan

- Cardiff (County boundary)

More details below.


TIMINGS

PLEASE BOOK ALL COURIER RESERVATIONS BEFORE 10am of that day. Reservations booked after this may get missed!


Timeslots listed on our website are merely an indicator that our courier service is available on that day, and which areas are covered. It does not indicate an arrival time to a booked destination.


Arrival at your location will depend on: Volunteer Availability, No. of stops that day, distances, routes & traffic. We will notify you ahead of time on the day (via text) that the item is on its way and a rough ETA. Please look to respond promptly if you have any issues with this timeslot.


Couriers will look start their routes during store opening hours, though some timings may need to be carried out after closing, depending on volunteer availability. Where possible our courier will leave by 1pm.


Evening & Specified Time Slots

We are currently not offering this as a standard service, however if you would be unable to receive the courier at the time indicated, please CONTACT US before the due date to let us know so we can look to arrange alternative options.


DELIVERY METHODS

Cargo E-Bike - This is capable of carrying small, lightish items. This option will only be selectable on applicable items. Please note that due to weight limits, loans with more than one item may be delivered separately, or via alternative means. We can only deliver within the CF64 area + immediately across the Pont-Y-Werin Bridge as far as Ferry Rd.


E-Van - This is capable of carrying all items except BP-0339 Ladder and will deliver to all listed areas.


Notes

BP-0339 - Ladder (2 Section - Straight) cannot be delivered by E-bike or E-Van due to its length. (~4.5m closed). - On foot delivery/collection possible within Penarth area only OR you will have to supply a vehicle capable of transporting. See listing for details..


DELIVERY ZONES

Notes
The colours mentioned below refer to those displayed on the calendar when making a selection (For Kymin Self-Pickup/Return, select the PINK option). Some options may not be available for some items as we are unable to transport them via all methods or to certain locations. Please see additional information in the item's listing for more details.


CF64 Area (Bike)

ORANGE

WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS

Penarth, Cogan, Llandough, Sully, Dinas Powys., Cardiff (Pont-y-Werin Bridge area bet. Watkiss Way & Ferry Rd ONLY)

Small items capable of being carried using our cargo e-bike only. Notes

- We may substitute the bike for the van (especially in adverse weather). This will not affect the booking process but may affect delivery timings.

- As [almost] all items can be carried on the van, but not all items can be carried on the bike, when creating a reservation that includes Van-only items, please select the Van option on your first item, as this will automatically apply this option to the rest.


CF64 Area (Van)

PURPLE

WEDNESDAYS

All parts of CF64 - Penarth, Cogan, Llandough, Sully, Dinas Powys, Peterson-Super-Ely, Michelson-le-pit (for Cardiff please select Cardiff Courier)

All items except BP-0339.


Notes

Items selected for indicated delivery method may be delivered other means. This separation on the system is to assist us in easier planning what method is needed.

Certain parts of Cardiff are covered by this option 


Barry & Vale of Glamorgan

GREEN

E-Van Only

THURSDAYS

All other parts of the Vale of Glamorgan

Notes

While deliveries on these days are primarily for areas of VoG outside of CF64 area, we may still be able to deliver/collect if things are quiet. Please check with us first.


Usage of the Van to these areas are for items from Benthyg Penarth Only and does not include Benthyg Barry stock.


We are currently not able to offer a collection & return service on their behalf.


If you are having issues with acquiring items from or returning them to Benthyg Barry please CONTACT THEM to discuss these issues and they will contact us if needed.

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CARDIFF

RED

WEDNESDAYS

All parts of Cardiff (County)

Notes

Please note this is the Benthyg VoGC Van service which is separate from the Cardiff Courier Service (see Splott & Ely) for their options.


We are currently not able to offer a collection & return service on their behalf.


If you are having issues with acquiring items from or returning them to the cardiff locations, please CONTACT THEM (ACE, SPLOTT) to discuss these issues and they will contact us if needed.


IMPORTANT CHECKLIST!

BEFORE BOOKING

ARE YOUR ACCOUNT DETAILS CORRECT?

Please ensure that your address is correct and complete on your account, including House/building No. (& Flat No.  &/ Building Name if applicable), street name, town/city, County & Postcode. This will ensure that we can correctly find you. If you have any specific locating instructions, you can add those to your loan reservation using the notes function.


If you need to update your address details, please do so at time of reservation so we have the correct address on file.


DOES YOUR LOCATION HAVE ANY SPECIAL ACCESS DETAILS OR DIRECTIONS?

Please add these to the bottom of your reservation using the ADD NOTE function.


DURING RECEIPT OF ITEM

- Have your payment method ready - Cash (Change will be available), Card/NFC - coming soon! - We also accept TEMPO TIME CREDITS (1 credit=up to £5).

- FIRST TIME BORROWERS - You will be asked to show ID & sign a Borrower’s Agreement & Liability Waiver form - Couriers carry copies, or, if you have printed a copy from the website, please hand over the signed sheet (retain the remainder), or, if you have returned a digital copy, please let the courier know.

- Don’t forget to also check with the courier when the item will likely be collected (Note, timings are either going to be similar or later - due to new deliveries going out before collections are made).


READY FOR RETURN

- Please ensure the item is CLEANED & HAS ALL PARTS!

- Please let the courier know if there are any issues with the item (e.g. something broke, it needs more consumable etc.)

- Don’t forget to also give us any positive feedback on how useful it was for you too!

- If you want to check possible pickup time please CONTACT US (you can text us, or call during opening hours).


ABOUT OUR COURIERS

Our courier service is run by grant-funded staff, and volunteers, who offer their times as and when they can be available. While we will look to keep a regularly scheduled service, this may not always be possible, but we will look to arrange alternatives with both couriers and borrowers to ensure our items are delivered/returned as soon as possible. If you feel we could improve the service by assisting, we welcome volunteers (see this page for more details).


FAQs

Can Items booked be delivered/collected on an alternative day?

This depends on where it is booked to be delivered to/collected from and whether the items are needed the same/next day. 


Can I Pay on Return Pickup?

This may be possible (we sometimes enact it ourselves when it’s easier for us to do so.


What If I want to extend a loan?

You should be able to do this, selecting the next available relevant courier slot… if available. Sometimes however these may not be available on the system due to special circumstances where we are temporarily not running the service (e.g. due to an event), or a fresh booking has been made for that slot. However we may still be able to offer an extension up until that point (as we can often collect the item from one borrower and deliver straight to the next so please CONTACT US to see what could be arranged.


Can I change a loan from one return method to another (e.g. from I return to Kymin to you collect from me?).

Yes this may be possible. You will need to CONTACT US to arrange. Please do so either by email or text BEFORE 10am on day of return so we are aware and can adjust our courier schedule. We will look to get back to you with a likely collection time.


Why doesn't an item appear bookable for delivery/collection?

Two likely reasons:

1 - we have to manually add this option to each item so we might not yet have done so.

2 - That particular delivery / return slot may not be available because there is already an item booked to it, or that we have removed it for whatever reason. Please Contact Us if you have any issues with reserving items.


DELIVERING TO / COLLECTING FROM AN ADDRESS DIFFERENT TO THAT ON YOUR ACCOUNT?

Sometimes you may be using the item at a location different to your registered address. We may still be able to arrange an alternative drop-off/collection point within our courier zones. Please email us prior to the due date (using the account registered email address), or add a note to your loan.

Please also note the following:

  • First time borrowers - we will only deliver to the account holder’s registered address, or the registered account holder who made the reservation at the alternative location (Proof of ID for registered account holder must be provided. Borrower’s Agreement must also be signed).

  • You must CONTACT US at least 24hrs prior to delivery/pickup to alert us to a change of location. Either by email or using the NOTES section on your loan.


Collecting Donations of Items

Please use the form on this page to provide us with details of the items you wish to donate and and the information such as pickup address. Once we have confirmed what we will accept we will look to arrange a suitable collection time. Where possible this will be during our scheduled courier times, though alternative hours/days may be possible - see page & form for more details.


RETURNING ITEMS TO ANOTHER BENTHYG

The Libraries of Things in our network all run independently, though we do often connect with our nearest ones. While each library is responsible for their own stock and methods of borrowing, and prefer said items to be returned to them as per our individual policies, we know that this isn’t always possible.


If you have borrowed an item from us and live outside of Penarth (i.e. Cardiff, Barry, VoGC) and find that you are struggling to return an item to us via our available methods please CONTACT US first so we can see if an arrangement to an alternative drop-off location can be made.

PLEASE DO NOT return the item to another Benthyg without notifying us and confirming with us.


If you have borrowed an item from one of the other libraries, please CONTACT THEM likewise.

ACE - Dusty Forge, Cowbridge Rd West,  Ely - acebenthyg@aceplace.org

Splott - Railway Gardens, Adeline St, Splott - Splott@benthyg-cymru.org 

Barry - ETO Pre-Loved Store, Holton Rd, Barry - barry@benthyg-cymru.org

Please note that our items are unable to be returned to any other Library Of Things (Benthyg Cymru Network or otherwise).


If you have any other queries, please CONTACT US to discuss.

Thank you.

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