The seamlessly integrated system is already being used every day by thousands of customers of the UK’s online and home shopping company, Shop Direct Group, home to brands such as Littlewoods.com, very.co.uk and Woolworths.co.uk.

The NetDespatch platform connects customers dropping returned goods and collecting parcels at their neighbourhood stores to the powerful NetDespatch Velocity web booking and tracking applications. Collect+ stores include members of symbol groups such as Londis, Spar, Nisa Today’s and Best-One.

Parcel tracking for Returns starts with a scan at the in-store PayPoint terminal and continues through the partner parcel system right back to the goods-in department at the retailer.

Customers of companies such as major catalogue firms can arrange to have their parcels delivered to their local store for collection at any time during store opening hours. There is even a service for individual consumers, who can use the www.collectplus.co.uk website to follow step-by-step instructions to find their nearest Collect+ store, and then choose a Collect+ store for the recipient to collect their parcel. Payment is made online using the secure PayPoint.net credit/debit card processing system.

The NetDespatch Velocity platform links the whole Collect+ system together; XML integration for retailers, web-site booking and label production, credit/debit card payment through PayPoint.net, point of sale integration with PayPoint in-store terminals, systems integration with retailers including signature capture, and fully detailed tracking of parcels; automatically collating and storing the data and providing an electronic trail for full end-to-end traceability, as well as operational and accounting reports.

Users of the Collect+ systems are able to choose to be kept informed through automated alerts by email or SMS text message at every stage of the process. Both sender and recipient receive an alert when a parcel is first processed, and then again when it is delivered to its destination store. The system even reminds the recipient several times to collect the parcel, and then sends a confirmation once the collection is made.

For shippers, NetDespatch has created ground-breaking security systems for Collect+, ensuring that a parcel is collected and electronically signed for by the intended Collect+ recipient. A shopper collecting a parcel at a PayPoint terminal in-store must provide a ‘secret’ Collect+ number. In some cases further proof of identity is also required and recorded.

The NetDespatch solution for Collect+ is based on their standard Velocity platform, and uses a number of highly configurable Velocity web services. This means that the Collect+ system can be readily extended to incorporate specific requirements for new customers.

Becky Clark, NetDespatch CEO, said: “Using our advanced web-based systems and services, Collect+ breaks new ground in parcel collection, delivery and returns services. Collect+ not only revolutionises the way in which we send parcels to one another, it also opens up new opportunities for traditional and online retailers as well as eBay traders. Many well-known on-line and catalogue retailers are already using the service for both returns and deliveries, and we expect to see significant take-up of the service during 2010. Driven by our web software, there are no technological barriers to who uses Collect+, making it an excellent proposition for new businesses who want to offer alternative shipping and returns system with advanced booking and tracking to their customers.”

Source: NetDespatch

Tags: Collect+, NetDespatch, PayPoint, UK