Royal Mail

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I think a lot of it depends on where you live and how well you know your postie as well. I lave only lived rurally for the last 20 years; some areas more rural & remote than others (only house down a 1 mile dirt track, or 'if you haven't run out of tarmac, you haven't gone far enough' and nearest neighbour is 4 miles away type places). I know my postie on a first name basis and if he sees me when I am out cycling he will always calls out and say hello. He has my permission to sign for my parcels and leaves them around the back with my bikes - security is not a concern here, you have to have found the place first, then have found my bikes. He will always then put a note through the door to say I have a parcel and will if it is raining ensure that the parcel is covered over or left with my landlady if she is in. (I have given the same permission to various other couriers as I have come across them.) The system works well because they know it is saving them hassle of coming back and with some of the houses I have lived in, the last thing they need is to have to come out specifically to deliver your parcel when it is a 10 mile detour for 1 parcel and chances are you won't be in 2nd time around either.

On one occasion recently I had a whole series of maps delivered to me from an ebayer who wrapped each and every map prior to sale, so sent them all individually. Each one had an excess charge and my postie dealt with all of it for me (I know he was not meant to, but I was housebound at the time due to my asthma). After giving him the cash, he sorted the lot for me and delivered everything including the receipt & change the following day (I subsequently claimed it all back from the ebay seller who claimed it back from their post office etc) but the point is, not all posties are the same - some are really helpful and friendly.
 

MrGrumpy

Huge Member
Location
Fly Fifer
Kinda gets to me all the negativity RM get, I`m an employee, however not a postie and proud of my job. The postman`s walk can be hard depending on what it is and with the new technology being used to ensure a more efficient delivery span, things don`t always go right. For value for money, you just cannot beat it but there are always other competitors whom can also do the same work. There are plenty horror stories about other couriers but you can say the same for all.

Back to the original question about sending parcel/packets through the post. There was a change to stuff that gets flown and if you do not declare certian substances in your items then there is a risk it will even get destroyed. They really have tightend up at the scanners now and if they cannot make out what is in the box it will be rejected and sent by road or rail 2nd class and this is still the same even if you use Special Delivery. To quote other items I have seen in this MC. We have had grenades, guns knives etc all of these items will involve calling the police and they will take a very dim view!

As for the future, privitisation may change things eventually and that is a fear. Oh and just for the record as well 1st class at this time of year is a 2 day delivery rather than a next day. Oh and also we have processed 42 million letters/cards this Xmas in this MC, that does not include packets/parcels!
 

SteCenturion

I am your Father
I get emails off Wiggle to say when an item has been ordered, processed, delivered to my local Collect+ store (with pick up code), and it's been picked up.

I like this much more than text messages (mobile is internet enabled and configured for email) and lets me know where the item is in the chain of getting from Wiggle to me.

Wiggle use someone called Yodel...?
.
& yodel are excellent too ! Wiggle are just ace.
 

rualexander

Legendary Member
............... He has my permission to sign for my parcels and leaves them around the back with my bikes - security is not a concern here, you have to have found the place first, then have found my bikes. He will always then put a note through the door to say I have a parcel and will if it is raining ensure that the parcel is covered over or left with my landlady if she is in. (I have given the same permission to various other couriers as I have come across them.) The system works well because they know it is saving them hassle of coming back and with some of the houses I have lived in, the last thing they need is to have to come out specifically to deliver your parcel when it is a 10 mile detour for 1 parcel and chances are you won't be in 2nd time around either.
.............

That's all very well and sounds reasonable, but, who did you give your permission to? The postie? Signing for someone's parcel is a sackable offence in Royal Mail.
Leaving parcels round the back or in bins etc is also something that a postie can be sacked for. Up until recently leaving items with a neighbour wasn't allowed either.
In Royal Mail's eyes, you are not the customer, the sender is the customer and they have paid extra for recorded signed for delivery, if the item went missing (however unlikely in your personal situation) and you contacted the sender to say it had not arrived, they would contact Royal Mail who would be able to see that the item had been delivered and signed for, which would create a problem for everyone involved.
 

nappadang

Über Member
Location
Gateshead
Not read the whole thread but I have bad experience after bad experience with Royal Mail. Disgraceful service and customer service. I doubt full privatisation will improve matters.
 
That's all very well and sounds reasonable, but, who did you give your permission to? The postie? Signing for someone's parcel is a sackable offence in Royal Mail.
Leaving parcels round the back or in bins etc is also something that a postie can be sacked for. Up until recently leaving items with a neighbour wasn't allowed either.
In Royal Mail's eyes, you are not the customer, the sender is the customer and they have paid extra for recorded signed for delivery, if the item went missing (however unlikely in your personal situation) and you contacted the sender to say it had not arrived, they would contact Royal Mail who would be able to see that the item had been delivered and signed for, which would create a problem for everyone involved.

I know - but I would always check with my postie first if a parcel had gone missing - also my letter box (I'm a tenant so can't change this) won't fit even large letters let alone an parcel, signed for or otherwise. I would also take my postie's word for it. I know he is helping me out. If he said he left it around the back/in the recycling bin etc, I would believe him - life is just different rurally when you have to trust people and know they will help you out when you need it and my postie knows exactly how far I would have to cycle to go and collect any parcel whether it be a RM one or any other company. My local parcel force depot is further away than even my grandfather's home and that is a +60 mile round cycle trip! It all comes down to trust - I trust him to leave it somewhere secure, he trusts me not to get him the sack if a parcel goes missing.

In the rare instances things have gone missing it has not been a RM issue, it has been Parcel Force or another courier company (like the time they left my parcels 1 mile from my old house because they did not want to drive up the 1 mile dirt track hanging off the gate in a black plastic sack - all I found was an empty black plastic sack!. After checking it was not the postie, I kicked up a hell of a fuss over that one - I was only expecting one parcel so it was easy to work out.
 
[QUOTE 2829752, member: 259"]That is, in all honestly, the very first time I've ever heard anyone say that. :laugh:[/quote]
they are getting better - they can actually find my house now, though their ability to check the label for contact details and ring me when they have had the parcel for +1 week in their vehicle still leaves something to be desired!
 
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