Help/advice on delivering a present

Hi. 
 A friend of mine is studying in Dublin and I would like to send her a present. I tried it once using a site that sells gifts but when An Post tried to deliver it, my friend was out. She goes to school and she has other activities in the afternoon, so she's probably going to be out in the 9 to 5 schedule in which An Post delivers. Since they could not deliver the gift, they took it to a postal office far away from Dublin center, so now my friend's gift turned into the chore of going to this postal office to pick it up. I found out later that I could have asked them to try and deliver the package again, but I wanted it to be a surprise and it's gonna be hard to find her at home. I was really embarrassed by this and I would like to avoid this in the future. 

I was looking into Parcel Motel and other similar solutions but they seem to be restricted to Irish nationals or people living there. Or at least people with credit cards with Irish addresses. 

Basically I'm looking for a way to order something online and have it delivered someplace where she can get it at her convenience. Maybe some store that can hold an order at a physical location or a service that offers some kind of locker. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

Hi Christian, 

It's lovely that you'd like to surprise your friend who is living in Dublin with a present! I totally understand you want this to be a surprise. :)

Have you been in touch with any of the international delivery services yet, like DHL, Hermes or Parcel Direct? They might be able to provide you with different options for delivery slots in the evening and the weekend. Would this be an option? 

Another idea might be Click & Collect, where your friend can come and pick up the package at one of the delivery points close to her home. This way she won't have to travel far out of the city centre. :)

Thanks a lot for your help and your quick response :D

Click & Collect seems like a good possibility. I've been going through some stores that offer this service and I might give it a try. 

Hello Christian,

That's fantastic to hear! :)

• Ilac Shopping Centre Dublin
  
• Arnotts
• Tesco

Thanks for your help, Romina.

The links were very helpful. Now I have more options to choose from. Maybe I can even buy her lunch sometime :D

Hello Christian,

I’m so happy to hear that!

For sure, a lovely lunch surprise sounds like a perfect present for anyone!

Have a fantastic week and keep me posted in case you need anything else.

Cheers! :D

Romina