The post office

[ateallthepies]

Bit of a rant really but today I goes in my local post office to post 2 small parcels. Me and a lady get to the window at the same time so I let her go first, just us two in there mind.

After she posts a couple of letters she wanted to post a large parcel and she was quoted a silly amount of £18 so I said to her to try myHermes as the size and weight of her parcel would have been £4.20 COLLECTED from her door!!!

So off she goes and matey behind the counter closes up shop!!! It's ten to one and their lunch is at 1pm? So I asked in my ever polite way what's the deal? This was ignored so I went ballistic and he reluctantly re-opened and took my 2 small parcels-1 minutes work!!

Now suggesting to the lady a better way to post her stuff without being ripped off may have been the cause of posties rudeness but seeing as over the last several weeks I have put well over 70 parcels through their coffers AND changed my way of paying for said parcels by stopping the Paypal/Royal mail pre-pay system and paying at the counter so my local post office gets some royalties from the post, his rudeness seems misplaced??

If his attitude hasn't improved by my next visit I will have to use another post office further away?

Makes me wonder about people sometimes

Steve

 

[Ivan...]

OOH! Don't get me started! I went to my local P.O This morning to weigh and post two books first class to Scotland, not that should make any difference, the rude woman behind the counter told me bluntly to put the parcel on the scales, then carried on talking to her counter neighbour about her fancy dress!

Then without ado, offers up a card with all the things you are not allowed to post, and said is it any of these things? I said no it's books, she says you haven't looked! I said i don't need to they are books (you would have needed 10 minutes at least to read the card)
She huffs and says that will be £6.85!! The books i sold were only a tenner! Anyway a deal is a deal so i handed over my money, and left saying " Just go to the fancy dress as you are, no need to change! You wont pull anyway!) a little uncalled for i know but!

PS the kind fellow who bought the books, is going halves on the postage.

That woman is about as much use as a fart in a collander!

Ivan...

 

[SJStuart]

I no longer use the Post Office. Their prices are hilariously stupid, their staff are almost universally ignorant, and now that Cameron's umbrella corporation owns the majority of shares (refusing to allow people like me to buy any shares what-so-ever, by the way) I don't want to support his untaxed cartel.

 

[dwardo]

Par the course now for the staff to ask "In the interests of safety can I ask what is in the package"
Nothing dangerous was my reply, are you sure was theirs, pretty sure yes, I managed not to injure my self on the way here.
I was pushed again for an answer so I said a pair of garden gnomes. She said it cant be its too small, i replied they are very small garden gnomes.

Its all getting a little silly and tiring sending a package via the PO now.

 

[Dave]

I agree. Post Office staff dont know whats restricted or not, so decide to make up their own rules.
PITA and waste my time, running their own little fiefdoms.

 

[ammo]

Royal mail has become a very expensive, unreliable, joke. I like our local post office staff, but one they've past it on, I have no faith in the service, Royal mail provide sadly.

 

[ateallthepies]

It's a shame that for small items Royal mail is still the cheapest and for overseas as well. I would welcome another company to compete for small package custom, as the new pricing structure at the post office is quite frankly stupid. The jump in price from one size and weight level to the next makes no sense?

I have been reading peoples views on this on other forums and how people can make a profit on small low cost items when P&P is more than the item is worth but is included in the price is beyond me? Bulk discount or shenanigans going on maybe?

Steve

 

[Hagrid]

Bit of a rant really but today I goes in my local post office to post 2 small parcels. Me and a lady get to the window at the same time so I let her go first, just us two in there mind.

After she posts a couple of letters she wanted to post a large parcel and she was quoted a silly amount of £18 so I said to her to try myHermes as the size and weight of her parcel would have been £4.20 COLLECTED from her door!!!

So off she goes and matey behind the counter closes up shop!!! It's ten to one and their lunch is at 1pm? So I asked in my ever polite way what's the deal? This was ignored so I went ballistic and he reluctantly re-opened and took my 2 small parcels-1 minutes work!!

Now suggesting to the lady a better way to post her stuff without being ripped off may have been the cause of posties rudeness but seeing as over the last several weeks I have put well over 70 parcels through their coffers AND changed my way of paying for said parcels by stopping the Paypal/Royal mail pre-pay system and paying at the counter so my local post office gets some royalties from the post, his rudeness seems misplaced??

If his attitude hasn't improved by my next visit I will have to use another post office further away?

Makes me wonder about people sometimes

Steve

DO NOT, repeat DO NOT use MyHermes they are even worse!! they lose parcels, they break parcels, and in my case they don't even turn up!!!

 

[Dave]

I think I fell upon a method of never paying extra postal insurance, when you use an online retailer.

Thats what bumps up the cost.

You go to a site like www.parcels2.go.com and organise a courier to pick it up from your home.

During your booking, you get to the page where it tells you that you are NOT covered in case of damage or loss of items via post.

So you are offered the option of paying extra postal insurance.

[They attempt to triple or quadruple your postal costs, by trying to get you to buy un-neccesary postal insurance.]

Here's my example:

I had an expensive longbow, which I had to post to the maker to be re-knocked. [Fixed]

It was a very expensive postal quote. £27 each way. So £54 in total to send it to the maker, and then have it returned.

I didnt want to pay that much.

So I called my bank, with whom I have an Amex card, and Mastercard, my credit card providers, and they assured me that even though I had not purchased the bow using my credit card, if I used my credit card, to pay for the postage of the bow, I would be covered for the full cost of the bow, under section 75 of the consumer credit act [1974], if the bow got lost in the post. [LongBow by Chris Boyton cost over £400]

So I booked the collection of the bow, from my house, via parcels2go, and paid with my credit card. Cost just £10.

I didnt pay un-neccesary postal insurance.

I then called the maker, and had him call me when the bow was reknocked.

I then booked a collection from his shop, on my own PC, via parcels2go again, and informed him when the parcel would be picked up from his shop.

This way, I didnt have to pay any extra postal insurance.

So I was able to post the bow and then have it picked up and returned to me for £10 each way.

So £20 in total, instead of £54 postage costs. And according to my bank I would have been insured if it got lost or damaged.

If you are thinking of posting an expensive item, you should call your credit card provider, and check that the above applies to you as well.

And get the name of the person you speak to.

If you dont know and use your rights as a consumer, we'll all end up losing them.

This information should be a lot more widely publicised. These insurance companies must make tens of millions in un-neccesary postal insurance fees.

 

[Paulm]

DO NOT, repeat DO NOT use MyHermes they are even worse!! they lose parcels, they break parcels, and in my case they don't even turn up!!!

I've started using them last few months, probably sent eight or so different parcels of different shapes and sizes and no problems at all so far, I always compare prices with Royal Mail before sending anything and they are often cheaper as well as easier to use being able to drop stuff off at a local convenience store. Maybe it's a local thing with yourself or just bad luck !

Cheers, Paul

 

[woof]

I think I fell upon a method of never paying extra postal insurance, when you use an online retailer.

Thats what bumps up the cost.

You go to a site like www.parcels2.go.com and organise a courier to pick it up from your home.

During your booking, you get to the page where it tells you that you are NOT covered in case of damage or loss of items via post.

So you are offered the option of paying extra postal insurance.

[They attempt to triple or quadruple your postal costs, by trying to get you to buy un-neccesary postal insurance.]

Here's my example:

I had an expensive longbow, which I had to post to the maker to be re-knocked. [Fixed]

It was a very expensive postal quote. £27 each way. So £54 in total to send it to the maker, and then have it returned.

I didnt want to pay that much.

So I called my bank, with whom I have an Amex card, and Mastercard, my credit card providers, and they assured me that even though I had not purchased the bow using my credit card, if I used my credit card, to pay for the postage of the bow, I would be covered for the full cost of the bow, under section 75 of the consumer credit act [1974], if the bow got lost in the post. [LongBow by Chris Boyton cost over £400]

So I booked the collection of the bow, from my house, via parcels2go, and paid with my credit card. Cost just £10.

I didnt pay un-neccesary postal insurance.

I then called the maker, and had him call me when the bow was reknocked.

I then booked a collection from his shop, on my own PC, via parcels2go again, and informed him when the parcel would be picked up from his shop.

This way, I didnt have to pay any extra postal insurance.

So I was able to post the bow and then have it picked up and returned to me for £10 each way.

So £20 in total, instead of £54 postage costs. And according to my bank I would have been insured if it got lost or damaged.

If you are thinking of posting an expensive item, you should call your credit card provider, and check that the above applies to you as well.

And get the name of the person you speak to.

If you dont know and use your rights as a consumer, we'll all end up losing them.

This information should be a lot more widely publicised. These insurance companies must make tens of millions in un-neccesary postal insurance fees.

Thank you for posting this.

Regards,

Rob

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

I've started using them last few months, probably sent eight or so different parcels of different shapes and sizes and no problems at all so far, I always compare prices with Royal Mail before sending anything and they are often cheaper as well as easier to use being able to drop stuff off at a local convenience store. Maybe it's a local thing with yourself or just bad luck !

Cheers, Paul

yep no problems for me either. 10+ parcels now and all have been delivered fine

 

[ateallthepies]

yep no problems for me either. 10+ parcels now and all have been delivered fine

I have sent 23 parcels out with myHermes and all have been delivered safe. I don't know about their past but my experience has been good...so far I'm on first name terms with the pickup lady now

Post office update....

Went back in a couple of minutes ago to post The cumbrians felt, long que behind me by the time I got to the counter. Said Postie was back from lunch and I remarked on his earlier rudeness (for all to hear in the que).

He tried to fob me off with the line that the computer shuts off at 1pm, I said by your clock I was here at the latest 5 minutes to 1pm. He said no.

I then produced my debit card receipt for said earlier transaction which said sale went through at 12:57.....this was after he shut shop, me having a barny at him, him re-opening and processing my parcels!!!

He apologized though it felt contrived.

Steve

 

[Midnitehound]

Par the course now for the staff to ask "In the interests of safety can I ask what is in the package"
Nothing dangerous was my reply, are you sure was theirs, pretty sure yes, I managed not to injure my self on the way here.
I was pushed again for an answer so I said a pair of garden gnomes. She said it cant be its too small, i replied they are very small garden gnomes.

Its all getting a little silly and tiring sending a package via the PO now.

I always say now "Nothing restricted or prohibited". I refuse to be grilled about the contents of my Post by the RM Stazi! I even made an official complaint to RM about this constant automatic infringement of my privacy, them just asking annoys me. I got the usual stock feeble reply.

More people should kick off about their rudeness and asking what is contained in our post all the time, it ain't bloody British. Asking if it contains any prohibited or restricted items and pointing to the poster is one thing, asking you what is in it is none of their bloody business and it should stop. Not that I feel strongly about it of course!

 

[MertzMan]

I use My hermes for the larger stuff and RM for everything else. Can't say a bad word about MyHermes and my local Post Office ladies are very friendly. Shame they're stuck with offering expensive postage. I sent a small block of bog oak the other week, just enough for a single knife handle and it came to £4.10 with RM. Crazy! It's nearly as much as the wood cost me to begin with.

 

[ASHCROFT]

I have to admit the postage prices for parcels are going nowhere but up, smaller packages are reasonable but click and collect and my hermes ect are good value for bigger/heavier items.

 

[Midnitehound]

I have to admit the postage prices for parcels are going nowhere but up, smaller packages are reasonable but click and collect and my hermes ect are good value for bigger/heavier items.

I have an IPOST depot at the top of my road, you get a £1 discount if you drop a parcel in rather than have it collected.
http://www.ipostparcels.com/parcel-delivery/parcel-delivery-rates/

I actually own IPOST and I'm making millions, I wish! No association etc etc

 

[uncleboob]

Unfortunately the post office Isn't what it once was. Really expensive, slow and too unreliable unless you pay lots for a signed for service. I've just had another parcel (3rd in 2 months) go missing so it's myhermes all the way for me from now on.

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mesquite]

Par the course now for the staff to ask "In the interests of safety can I ask what is in the package"
Nothing dangerous was my reply, are you sure was theirs, pretty sure yes, I managed not to injure my self on the way here.
I was pushed again for an answer so I said a pair of garden gnomes. She said it cant be its too small, i replied they are very small garden gnomes.

Its all getting a little silly and tiring sending a package via the PO now.

I'm waiting to be asked this when I come to post a parcel because I so want to say what someone else on the forum does and declare it contains a second hand sex toy

 

[HillBill]

Same here... though they are the first ones i've had ever go missing in nearly 5 years of selling knives. Though one was an Iphone Rach sold on ebay... i expect by a scammer... unlucky for them they live half hour away.

I've just had another parcel (3rd in 2 months) go missing