Parcel Force are c**ts

That's wank news. I've learnt something though when people use Parcelforce. I always ask for the tracking number from the sender and monitor it everyday online
When it says it's at the depot or words to that effect I always try and go down there and pick it up myself before they have chance to deliver.
Can be a pain sometimes but it saves situations like this, which have happened to me before
But they are indeed useless cunts

Damn right! I check the status of any package I'm expecting delivery of daily. Sometimes hourly if I'm extra excited. Unfortunately delivery guys don't get paid enough to give a shit to leave notes saying where the parcel is sometimes. Simple step but a pretty crucial one when it comes to delivery something. Chumps. It's happened to me a couple of times and I've only worked out something's gone wrong by being a sad bastard and checking online.

I'm sure you'll be fine and it'll work out in the end. Mercian would certainly have insured the frame for loss or damages when using a delivery service. They seem like the sort of people who care about what they do and the service they provide. It wouldn't be in their interest to risk sending something without it being insured. The people that buy their frames are tarts (I mean that in the nicest way possible) so Mercian know just how precious the frames are to the customer. As for the wait for the new frame - I feel for you. It'll be worth the wait though I'm sure.