Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

Parcelforce International Hub, Coventry

Posted by Alex Turnbull, Thursday, 7th December 2006

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This is the centre of Parcelforce Worldwide’s UK operations, their International Hub beside Coventry Airport, England.

Why would I link to the Parcelforce International hub? Well, apart from being one of the largest buildings in the UK, as I write this post, this is the current location of my brand new Nintendo Wii!

So good luck to all of you who’ve ordered a Wii from Amazon, as yours is probably in this warehouse too… Here’s hoping you’ll all get them first thing tomorrow! Worringly, in my case it does seem to have a rather long way to come:-(

42 Responses to 'Parcelforce International Hub, Coventry'

  1. koen says:

    Hmm.. I wonder how this Wii will affect post frequencies.

  2. Alex says:

    You mean how wiill this affect post frequencies? ;-)

    I think you’ll be ok koen… James isn’t getting one… yet!

  3. James says:

    Feel free to rub it in, eh? :-(

  4. wirm86 says:

    I’ve been visiting this site for ages now and I have to say this has to be my favourite post yet! i’ve been sitting all night waiting on my parcelforce tracking to change but nothing, at least now i can see where my wii is!

    Lets just hope that I get it delivered tomorrow! Fingers crossed!

  5. wirm86 says:

    Just read the last bit…mine has to travel across water to….here:

    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

  6. Alex says:

    Well you can always come play mine James :D

    wirm86: lol! You must be as desperate as me to get your wii!

  7. cookie monster says:

    Loving this post!
    Doesnt get more nerdy that distribution centres so i’m all for it.
    Here is Amazon’s main UK distribution centre in Bedford

    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

    It won Best Warehouse Building of the Year 2001 dont you know?

    http://www.burksgreen.com/default.asp?mainSectionID=3&nodeID=131&parentID=121

  8. Alex says:

    I saw this great photo in the papers a couple of weeks ago of Amazon’s Milton Keynes Warehouse, but I can’t definitively find an address, so I can only guess that Placemark: this is it / Google Earth.

    Can anyone tell us for sure?

    (Also, I just noticed you can see all the lorry cabs parked to the west of the Parcelforce building which is pretty cool.)

  9. iamjob says:

    where is PS3? which parcel hub?

  10. AndyM says:

    Alex, the Amazon warehouse is a few miles to the North East near the village of Brogborough. I live a few miles up the road from it.

    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

  11. cookie monster says:

    Didnt i just say that?

  12. randall says:

    alex I know how you feel. My Wii was stuck in some DHL warehouse in Ohio over the weekend of the 19th and I kept thinking, “crap I’ll never have it by monday”. but sure enough it was air freighted and at my mailbox by noon that monday.

  13. Lee says:

    Wahey! My home city!
    Woo! We’re good for something!

  14. Alex says:

    Cookie Monster, my powers of English Geography appear to be failing me. I was under the impression Bedford was a completely different place to Milton Keynes…

  15. cookie monster says:

    Alex
    Your powers of English Geography remain intact but the powers of the worlds journalists remain sloppy.
    Some numpty makes a factual error and nobody bothers to check it and throw it into the internet and the whole world thinks Milton Keynes (which is ‘north of London’ apparently according to most news websites) is suddenly in Bedfordshire.

    At least the Grunuiad had the dignity to admit the mistake
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/corrections/story/0,,1956799,00.html

    Dont know what your warehouse in Milton Keynes is but if youve ever been to MK you’ll know its just funny little houses and massive faceless warehouses so it could be anything!

  16. Lee says:

    In all fairness Cookie, you do have a pimpin’ lake and concert arena.

  17. Izzy says:

    Weird. I live in EH8 at Uni and at home I live near Coventry. I bet they fly your Wii up though.

  18. budgie says:

    I work at the National Hub at the time of writing we are doing over 315,000 parcels a day and in the internatinal the smaller building they are doing over 82,000 which may not sound a lot but it is double our normal volume. The security is very tight with over 500 camera’s in each building so I doubt if any parcels get pinched from there, if they go missing it will be from Local Depots as they don’t have the security we have. Hope you get your Wii soon

    • lesley says:

      hi oh can any you guys tell me if you know howwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww longggggggggggggggggggg they keep your parcel at this hubby hole as its said mine has been there in coventry since the 20th may it only took 2 days to get from china lol please please help .

  19. Joanna says:

    Hi.
    I have been trying to track down my parcel sent to me from Poland. Polish post office claims that package had been delivered to the Parcelforce International Hub in Coventry on the 19th of December. Today on the 22 January I spent nearly 7 hours on the phone trying to locate my package or at least person who would be able to do a detailed search for it as the Polish reference number is not recognised. Package is worth around 600 pounds and the attitude I met from Parcel Force and Royal Mail employees is absolutely horrible, unhelpful ignorant people who do not give a damn and want to disconect you as soon as it is possible. In the end I was told that the package is in the International Hub to which the have no contact whatsoever and that all the tracing must be done by the polish postoffice! Polish postoffice by the way has done their work properly, Parcel Force lost the package but thinks that its the polich postoffice’s duty to search for it. This is a discrase! I will keep you informed.
    Joanna

  20. Rob says:

    02476 213486 import parcel force eu countrys
    019242 94283 import parcel force outside eu

    hope these help as ive spent 5 days getting these numbers to find out what happened to my package

  21. Tim Miller says:

    The Amazon warehouse in England is just off the M1 – I’ve driven past it enough times! I’m pretty sure this is it – just in the high definition bit …

    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

  22. Telman says:

    Parcelforce………yuk!
    I have lambusted the sender in the States (they gave me a tracking no..worked Stateside o.k. but..)Parcel force tracking site stated ‘advised but not arrived in the UK yet’ hence can not track …Parcelforce(I found out they change the tracking number once it arrives at Coventry hub…WHAT!)but they don’t tell you (clever or what?) today (20 days later) I get a letter from them.. ‘when am I going to pay the customs fee! ( fer ch…ts sake ! )
    You only know where your parcel is if you don’t pay the customs fee..makes sense ?

  23. Mark C says:

    For the direct dial number for coventry call

    08700 844 559

    the announcment comes over as Coventry Parcel Force, worked a treat for me…..

    I hate automated systems!!!!!

  24. Debbie says:

    I’ve had a nightmare of a day trying to locate an international delivery via Parcelforce, eventually spoke to Coventry depot telephone number is – 08700 844 559, they were very helpful and advised that any problems with locating a parcel can be dealt with via you local Parcelforce depot. They will advise who your local depot is and you can telephone them who will email the International Hub to find out an expected delivery date.
    Hope that helps anyone who’s had the same problems as me!!

  25. Mars says:

    Same as this country, parcelforce worst delvery services ever. The delivery service is so inefficent. my friend send the parcel on monday, the parcel is suppose arrive my door step thursday, but now i have to pay the charges, and they can’t even let me pay the charges because of the parcel isn’t in depot yet and i haven’t got the letter as well. i am not complain about the charges. however, at least they could put the charge number on the company website then i am able to pay the charges without waiting the charge letter arrive or they could at least deliver the parcel to the nearest depot near my home, but they did’t. the people in this country always make uneasy to everyone. and they’re so lazy.

  26. Mike says:

    Hi Alex (Post 8).
    Your Mystery warehouse is a TESCO distribution centre.

  27. MALCOLM PLUMB says:

    I`m waiting for a package from HONG KONG.
    Anyone know what it means when it says `Sent to store, awaiting information` on the tracking site?

  28. bethany says:

    hi,
    i orderd a pair of ugg boots about 4 weeks ago now,
    and i asked the seller where they are and i have now found out that
    on the
    28-11-2008 08:54
    they arrived at the – International Hub
    it now says that the item is – AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
    can you please tell me when my parcel will get too me and what AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING means ?
    Parcel number: EC245085616GB

    please email me on bethh_xo@live.co.uk
    i hope to hear from you soon.

  29. immel says:

    I also got something which was JUST updated as arrived at the International Hub, from Japan. My item is also being delivered to Edinburgh, damn, the world is small some times ^_^.

    I’m also praying for mine to be delivered by tomorrow, but most likely would be on Tuesday or Wednesday…

    (Found this post by Googling “International Hub” … haha. I wanted to see how long other people have had to wait since it arrived to there :) .

  30. immel says:

    just 2 years apart lol

  31. jenna says:

    sooo..I’ve been looking for you guys al night!! seriously..how do you handle this??? what can you do? Has anyone dealt with the polish customs office in warsaw?

  32. Lee says:

    My new Radio Control Helicopter is there now in the Coventry hub as i type this :) Im only up the road from Coventry in Nuneaton so lets hope it comes pretty direct here lol Been tracking the parcel all day and have to go bed now so will check again when i wake up :)

  33. Chelsea says:

    Is this in the Midlands?

  34. Jarucha says:

    this is the National Hub in coventry

  35. Emily says:

    I purchased a laptop from America, on the 16th September 2009, and it arrived in the U.K on the 20th, now the parcel force tracking still says awaiting customs charging, I can’t believe it takes this long to decide how much VAT they want to charge you, I have contacted parcel force, and they said they will investigate the matter, but I have a feeling that someone had their eye on it, and they will make out it has got lost or something. This laptop is worth about £800. Why hold on to an item for his long, they are not gaining anything by it? Also what really takes the biscuit is when they do decide how much VAT i need to pay, they will send my laptop to my local depot which is Gatwick, and send me a letter to pay customs fees, plus their handling fee, and I will have to collect it. Well it would be my choice to collect it, but I would open it then and there to see if it is damaged or tampered with. Oh and I paid express international delivery for my item, i should have had it within 4 days.

    • 5um says:

      That pretty bad Emily!

      Im waiting on a parcel too! At the hub awaiting charges. I will be VERY p*ssed off if it takes 8 days to decide this! I too paid express international for a 4 day delivery. If they don’t manage that it will be a complaint i think!

      Good tip Sarlit53!

      I will be doing exactly this tomorrow. I have an express 24 service on this parcel now its in the UK and i don’t want it to be delayed.

  36. Sarlit53 says:

    Hi Guys
    Thanks to the wonderful information on this site I have managed to locate my parcel from US to the UK!! I had waited patiently for a week expecting a letter demanding payment of customs charges etc. I was getting alarmed that I had heard nothing.

    Here are the simple steps I took

    1) made a note of USPS tracking number and the date the parcel went through Parcel Force Coventry hub and customs.

    2) googled to find the nearest parcel force depot to me

    3) phoned them and inquired if they were awaiting payment of customs charges. (they were surprised I had not had a letter!!)

    4) They can use the USPS tracking number to find your parcel, give you the GB tracking number, tell you what customs / postal charges are owing. You can then arrange payment and delivery.

    5) If the depot is not correct they will give you the number of the correct depot, and the option you need when you dial.

    6) phone the correct depot, make payment, arrange delivery.

    Total time taken after reading all the comments on this thread to arranging delivery………. 6 mins!!!

    Brilliant!

    So don’t wait for the letter demanding payment be proactive and get on the phone :)

  37. vkkred says:

    hi im waiting for my parcel its in there with customs awaiting charges

  38. Emily says:

    UPDATE****

    Right it has been a month since my parcel arrived the hub in coventry. The status still says awaiting customs charging. Anyway I managed to get hold of customs in coventry, and the gentleman i spoke with said that my parcel left the same day it arrived into customs, and he even gave me the VAT amount, it was £51.58p. So where is my parcel? Why haven’t I received a letter to go to my local depot and pay charges, anyway after 10 e-mails to parcel force, they finally investigated the whereabouts of my parcel, and their only conclusion is that they have declared it missing/lost. I am sorry, but how can a laptop just go “missing”??? Anyway they are not excepting responsibility, and now i am going through a paypal dispute with the seller, although he did everything correctly. Parcel Force are W*****s. Covering for someone who obviously stole my laptop.

  39. gary says:

    my copy of modern warfare 2 is in that building it has been there for 2 hours now

  40. gary says:

    i have just found out that it has to go to the nearest depot to me which is Stuipd aldershot that over 10 miles away

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