Boxby and The PODFather, working in Partnership

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Boxby integrates with The PODFather to track delivery of eBay goods

The PODFather, the leading system for field force automation and proof of delivery, has been integrated with Boxby to provide a track-and-trace facility for highlighting damages of goods traded through eBay.

Edinburgh, UK - 14th September 2009 -- Boxby (www.boxby.co.uk) is a new service which connects private customers and businesses, with courier and delivery services. The Boxby eBay application is a new facility which is plugged directly into an eBay sellers page, giving buyers of large items the ability to get a quote for the delivery of goods before they need to commit to purchasing the goods. The buyer can then select the best courier to deliver the goods once the eBay sale has been completed.

The service has been working well for some time, however a recent change to the terms and conditions of eBay has meant items over a certain value must be delivered to the buyer using a track and trace service. This is easy for small items which can be sent in a parcel, however larger items require a one or two man team to move them so are typically restricted to only local buyers.

Sandra Patterson, creator of Boxby, explains, “Thousands of items are listed on eBay every day that are collection only. The market for these items is limited to the local area, putting off many potential buyers. The Boxby collect-and-deliver service changes all that.

“By linking into The PODFather, Boxby is able to post jobs directly into the couriers PODFather account so items can be documented when they are collected at the sellers address, with photos taken if there are any damages listed. When the goods are delivered the process is repeated, meaning that any damages to the item can be identified as being caused by the seller, courier, or buyer.”

Colin McCreadie, Business Development Manager of Valley Technology and The PODFather adds, “The combined service offering of The PODFather and Boxby is ideal for both eBay users and the courier drivers. Couriers can have details of the eBay items sent direct to their PDA to provide full tracability of items from collection to delivery. This in turn gives the eBay users complete visibility of jobs and, most importantly, an audit trail of their goods with photographic evidence of any damages which can be used to resolve buyer/seller disputes.

“The courier is also able to use the rest of the PODFather system for their own business, giving them access to well-established backoffice system to manage their bookings and invoicing.