I Don't Live On A Kerbside...

[LeeAberdeen]

I'm in the market for a new aquarium, but every site I check seems to have the "kerbside delivery" thing. As I don't live on a kerbside and have no intention of setting up an aquarium on one, I'm not sure how that actually qualifies as 'delivery'? I'm not aware of delivery companies doing it with any other product - they wouldn't slap your sofa down on the kerbside and leave it, your new bed, sideboard, washing machine etc.
 
I live in a first-floor flat and humping a 300 litre aquarium up a  flight of stairs on my own is impossible, and it's against the tenancy agreement to leave stuff in the hallway until I can arrange another pair of hands, which could be a couple of days or more. Does anyone know of any companies in the UK that delivery 'properly'? I know ArkPets do good prices and proper delivery, but they don't come up to Aberdeen, unfortunately. I'm quite prepared to pay the extra to have it delivered up the stairs, but all the companies I've checked say it's not their policy and their driver's aren't insured to do it.

 

[Mamashack]

I suppose they are citing health and safety regs?
Are there any other tenants who could help you on the day of delivery or can you try to pin them down to a delivery day and have your helper waiting with you? Or might it be worth bunging the driver a bit extra? Problem is you won't know until you ask whether they are open to a little financial "persuasion".
I've never had a tank so big that it needed delivering so I can't offer any other help.
Hope you manage to find something that works for you.

 

[Baccus]

Could you enquire with house removalists? Not the ones that move entire houses, rather the ones that pack up all your belongings and transport them to your new home. They maybe will and able to help you out with doorway service, and it may even give them a new marketing venture that they hadn't thought of.

 

[LeeAberdeen]

Can't really arrange help like that, because they only give you an am/pm notification, so you have to have someone waiting around for potentially hours and, as it's during the day anyway, everyone I know is working.
 
The last time I had one delivered I offered the bloke some money, but he wouldn't take it and helped me cart it up the stairs anyway, but he didn't have to and there's no way of knowing if they'll do that or not. You could potentially end up with your aquarium sat at the side of a busy road with no way of moving it.

Could you enquire with house removalists? Not the ones that move entire houses, rather the ones that pack up all your belongings and transport them to your new home. They maybe will and able to help you out with doorway service, and it may even give them a new marketing venture that they hadn't thought of.

Never heard of that service, but I'd definitely pay for that if there was one. The problem is you don't have an exact time for a delivery, so they'd just have to wait, and sometimes they don't deliver on the day they're supposed to at all, so you just can't rely on it.

 

[paradiddle]

All I will say is it took 3 people to properly install my 5ft round doorways etc, if your fighting stairs to you will need 3-4 if it's 5ft+ as you'll need lifters and door openers as well as somewhere to place the tank while you get the stand ready.

 

[Fishmanic]

best bet is have an able bodies friend or two  who will wait for the delivery or hire a couple of able bodied big kids in the neighborhood who would be willing to do it.  Some delivery companies will give you instant notification via email when the delivery is made.

 

[LeeAberdeen]

best bet is have an able bodies friend or two  who will wait for the delivery or hire a couple of able bodied big kids in the neighborhood who would be willing to do it.  Some delivery companies will give you instant notification via email when the delivery is made.

As I said, it's during the day and everyone's working. "Instant notification via email when the delivery is made"? - what's the point of that then, whem I'm already there taking delivery? You can only deliver it if the customer's there, in which case they'll already know?
 
"Able bodied big kids" - I'm a bodybuilder, used to bench 350lbs and squat 440 with 19-inch arms, and the last aquarium nearly killed me getting it up the stairs with two of us, so I'm not sure who these 'big kids' are. The point is, these firms need to employ professionals to deliver their aquariums properly, not just dump it on a kerbside and leave the customer to sort it after charging for 'delivery'.

 

[LeeAberdeen]

All I will say is it took 3 people to properly install my 5ft round doorways etc, if your fighting stairs to you will need 3-4 if it's 5ft+ as you'll need lifters and door openers as well as somewhere to place the tank while you get the stand ready.

Absolutely. I see you've got a 450 litre, and that would take at least three for sure. My last one was only 300 litres, but they threw all the gravel and all the other stuff that came with it in with the aquarium rather than packing it separately, so it was well hefty between two of us. They just don't seem to think about the practicalities of delivery, as if the delivery fairy's going to take care of it for them.