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Talking to the Post Office guy (well, when I say talking, more a debate on whether tubes less than 70cc were classed a s aprcel...).
Apparently "after feedback from customers" in the next week or so that a small parcel is going to be redefined - it was either 45x35x8cm or 16x16x16cm which was fairly restrictive. I can't remember the dimensions but he showed me a fairly large box (bigger than a big shoe box) that is basically going to still be classed as a small parcel.
So hopefully it'll now make it worthwhile again to flog the old junk on eBay.
I would imagine that they have lost a shed load of business. I am one former frequent user of Royal Mail who has since discovered Collect+ (since the price hikes).
I hope they do lose business. I rarely use them and was shocked at what I was charged for a small parcel a couple of days ago.
Yet another national asset sold for the benefit of a few.
Yep, I changed to Collect+ too recently.
Re: dimensions, to quote myself:
It's not a u-turn as such, more a tweaking of the small parcel exception rule.The proposed change would mean the existing small parcel exception rule of the cube [160x160x160mm], would be replaced with a larger, shoebox size, rule. Where the maximum can be 350x250x160mm]
Consultation is ongoing since September, with changes to be made towards the end of October if successful.
I think the general aim is to move most medium parcels into a small parcel classification. I personally think they took an unexpected hiding from the likes of Collect+, Myhermes etc, so are bringing back a comparable priced offering. I could be completely wrong. though.
I sold some wire bead 700c tyres on here recently at a loss cos the postage was more than the £10 I'd sold them for 😯
Collect + means I'm far more likely now to buy clothes and stuff online knowing I can send it back for free and not have to incur ££ from Royal Mail.
Without trying to open up the whole privatisation debate again, it should make them more responsive to customers now as they'll lose revenue if they can't respond to our requests and superior competitors... which for us and for e-comm, has to be a good thing
I was shocked at the price to send things now, £8 to send a pair of shoes. Problem I have is I only have limited time to post things, like 20mins in my lunch hour which I can usually get to the PO and back in. How do the other parcel services work? Do I have to be in waiting for them to knock to pick the items up?
My god, they're listening to us?
Yay for privatisation 😀
Hang on
I hope they do lose business. I rarely use them and was shocked at what I was charged for a small parcel a couple of days ago.
and then
Yet another national asset sold for the benefit of a few.
Make your mind up.
How do the other parcel services work?
With Collect+ they will have a bunch of corner shops, Spars etc near you that you drop the parcel off at. very handy when they're open late, at weekends etc.
Post Office wanted over £20 to return a pair of roadie shoes, by Special Delivery, ie insured. 😯
Anyone know how Collect+ are for dearer items?
don't start me on the royal mail and their parcel price increase last april, it doubled the postage cost of the items i sell (6quid to 12) and i could'nt absorb the cost in my margin so effectively it killed my mail order side of sales. not too mention that i now use couriers as its marginally cheaper, so instead of sensing multiple packets most days from my local post office i now no longer use them at all. and i hear this story a lot from many of the shops i do trade with.
Post Office wanted over £20 to return a pair of roadie shoes, by Special Delivery, ie insured.Anyone know how Collect+ are for dearer items?
£4.50
Thanks plyphon - I did use Collect+ in the end but am keen to hear of any experiences where things go wrong.
Having said that, I've read some pretty awful tales on here regarding Royal Mail.
yes,I too was in the P.O. yesterday,and the very nice Blonde lady,with piercings and them there 'secretary' glasses (OMFG !) showed me her box....
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I was quite excited,as I post a lot of small parcels. 😉
As well as the cost going up dramatically, in our post office they now insist on being told what is in the parcel and then quoting a price for the parcel including insurance which I didn't want.....I'll take a look at collect+.....
Anyone know how Collect+ are for dearer items?
They use the vans with the leather interior 😀
£4.50
Base level is more than that now, add in signatures and insurance, and it goes up again:
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Jamie to the rescue! 😀
I need to send a Gore jacket and Wingnut for repair, not far off £200 I guess. Goodness knows how much it will all cost to post. 😯
Hmmm definitely going to take a look at collect + then. Just sold 10 things on eBay....
Yet another national asset sold for the benefit of a few.
Make your mind up.
Not quite sure I follow your logic there, in that the shares were sold at under market value to mostly private investors.
Seems to be a bit of confusion between Royal Mail and Post Office here. Royal Mail has been sold off, not Post Office, its a completely different company now.
But PO prices and their recent scandalous rises are a joke. I spend time now packaging items to fit in the cheapest postage category, eg: split a headset up to fit as flat as you can, that way it goes as large letter instead of small package 😉
Sold a set of bars recently, RM wanted 11.96 - cheapest, Hermes was 4.20. I'd far rather use RM, but that's just not competitive.
Anyone know if they are Definately changing the size bands so bigger parcels can go at the small parcel tariff?
Ok.. apparently from the 28th October they will be increasing the small parcel size.
Thank gawd. My wife runs an online business selling Christmas decorations and its been a right pain in the arse booking loads of parcels in with myherpes.
cinnamon_girl - Member
Jamie to the rescue!
I need to send a Gore jacket and Wingnut for repair, not far off £200 I guess. Goodness knows how much it will all cost to post.
POSTED 4 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
£11.19 thanks to Jamie
but will they still fill in a "we called but you were out" slip, tiptoe up the path, gently push it through the letterbox and run away whilst I sit not more than 20ft away?
Sold a set of bars recently, RM wanted 11.96 - cheapest, Hermes was 4.20. I'd far rather use RM, but that's just not competitive.
That was the conversation I was having with the post master. Apparently (and unbeknown to him as their offical 'comms' didn't have it on) as long as the handlebars are in a tube (i.e. a bit of rolled cardboard) as long as the length plus 2xdiameter isn't over 104cm then it's a medium parcel and hence it should have been a lot less than £12 -(that'll be the ParcelForce 48hr price).
Give him his dues, he did ring up the central office and check the website and only charged me for the cheaper rate. Plus I'm on his 'platinum support package' so I can leave a bin bag full of parcels and some cash and he'll sort it all out when the PO is quiet so I don't have to wait in the queue or hold anyone else up. I just waltz in sometime later and pick up my change and receipts. 8)
Sent some fork legs to Yorkshire recently, just under £20.
Sent a frame to Denmark for £27, both with Parcelforce.
That's mad. I asked about this and was told it's because international is done on weight only and domestic is to do with size. Is the UK the only country who's main postal services bases prices on size?
As well as the cost going up dramatically, in our post office they now insist on being told what is in the parcel and then quoting a price for the parcel including insurance which I didn't want
My fave was when I tried to post a child's toy as a birthday present.
Postie: What in the parcel?
Me: A childs toy
Postie: Does it have batteries?
Me: Yes - It's a childs toy!
Postie: Sorry we can't post batteries
Me: What?
Postie: Dangerious innit
Me: But I ordered it via Amazon who sent it to me in the post
Postie: Sorry its the rules
So I go to another post office.
Postie: What in the parcel?
Me: A childs toy
Postie: Does it have batteries?
Me: No