Hi, I've just come across these reviews and as a courier registered with Shiply I would like to give my opinion. I have been taking work via Shiply since it's establishment and have a 100% feedback. If I placed a bid, which a customer requiring a courier accepted, the deposit paid by the customer went to Shiply. However Shiply preferred customers to believe it went to the courier, not one penny of it does. Obviously Shiply have to earn an income for running the site which on the whole is very good. But if a courier mentioned to a customer that the deposit was kept by Shiply, the courier could be banned from the site. I didn't understand at the time why Shiply wouldn't be open about the deposit, but now that Shiply have quietly introduced the auction service fee I realise why. After a customer accepts a bid I've placed for say £60 they pay a deposit of £7.20 which Shiply keep, they then have to pay the auction service fee of £10.49 which Shiply keep, so the customer actually pays £70.49. Shiply receives £17.69 and I as the courier receive £52.80. In this example Shiply are now taking over 25%, more in some cases, of what the customer pays. They don't want to show how greedy they've got and this is why in my opinion they are very obscure about their fees. Shiply did not inform the couriers/transport providers they were introducing the auction service fee which can be as high as £19.99.
Another problem with Shiply is that anyone can register as a courier/transporter. I pay several thousand pounds each year on proper insurances, one of which is legally required. Shiply make no attempt to verify transporters hold these insurances, I believe they don't actually care as this screening would reduce the number of bidders, therefore bids would be higher so the number of accepted bids lower, which would mean less income for Shiply. I believe many of the transport providers using Shiply do not hold the proper insurances required within the transport industry. If your goods are stolen, destroyed, lost or damaged you may have no comeback . One thing is for certain, Shiply won't want to know, another reason they do not want to be associated with keeping the deposit customers pay.
Shiply is potentially a useful tool to both transport providers and their customers, but Shiply is not alone, if they are interested in the long term and not just a fast buck, they have a few things to think about. read more