To think that not getting your mail delivered until 3.45pm is a fucking joke?

[HangingBasketCase]

When I arrived home from work an hour or so ago and saw that there were no letters on the mat I presumed we wouldn't getting any mail today, as it usually comes around 11am or here about. So imagine my stunned surprise when five minutes ago I glanced out of the window to see the unmistakable sight of a postman trudging up the path of the house opposite us, at 3.45pm!. And he hasn't even got to us yet!

It's been getting later and later for years but this really takes the biscuit. It's nearly tea time for Christ's sake. What the fuck is wrong with the Royal Mail these days?! I remember waking up to to the sound of post coming through the letter box, opening your mail whilst eating breakfast. If your waiting for something important to come in the mail you want it ASAP, you don't want to be hanging about till early evening waiting for it!

Nearly 4pm just isn't acceptable is it?

[weeblueberry]

Fewer posties, same levels of mail I suppose...?

[Kab13]

Ours usually comes at 5. Mildly irritating

[Wowthishurtsalot]

They need to get shot of Royal Mail they're shit. Our post doesn't arrive until 4pm, we've had items go missing and days missed entirely with recorded post not delivered until the postman could be arsed to deliver it

The unions have given it a terminal illness, time it was killed off and a new service begun

[youareallbonkers]

I'd like to see how far you could deliver something with the 60p (or whatever it is now) cost of a 1st class stamp If something was that important it should bee either sent earlier or sent special delivery

[mausmaus]

you got your mail so all is well

in our last place we only received mail every other day as the routes were too long for the postie to manage on one day...

[Petallic]

Why not? I can't see the problem myself. As long as they aren't delivering at 9pm at night as I'm not keen on being disturbed once kids in bed like amazon I'm rarely waiting for anything that urgent.

[Wowthishurtsalot]

For me I have had several hospital appointment letters not turn up until AFTER the appointment. It's not acceptable as I got struck off a consultants list due to this and had to start the wait again. Royal Mail just don't give a shiney shit

[BaffledSomeMore]

Ours arrived at 5pm last week.

Oh and I'd take issue with the idea that somehow it's the union's fault. I'm sure they didn't decide to use temporary staff and increase round length etc.

[weeblueberry]

I have to say I can't see an issue either. If something was special delivery and important then it would arrive before 1pm just like normal.

[HangingBasketCase]

I dread the run up to Christmas when they take on extra posties, none of whom seem to be able to read properly. Meaning we will get all our neighbours mail and vice versa.

[DorothyGherkins]

When I was little, we used to get a second delivery before midday, can you imagine that now! Two lots of post in one day! And that was in the day when all posties were on foot or bicycle, none of this van malarkey. How do businesses cope with getting mail late in the day?

[JustAShopGirl]

Ours arrives round 5pm - it is fab since I'm home then and can sign for anything that needs it, or can take in stuff that is too big for the letterbox.

[LovleyRitaMeterMaid]

Thats about the time ours comes every day.

[JoolsSchmools]

As the wife of a postie who is doing 12 hour days delivering your post YABU. Blame the privatisation which has meant that rounds have been increased and delivery times have been cut.
DH didn't get home until 9 last night and was out delivering post in the dark.
As a PP said if you think someone like TNT will deliver it for 60p you've got another thing coming.

[HighwayDragon]

More post - online shopping - less posties mean longer delivery times, who cares when it comes as long as it comes?

[Cherrypi]

Be aware of second class too. Used to be a few days now it's a couple of weeks.

[liquidstatehasrisenagain]

My postie has only just arrived in my cul-de sac (at 4pm). It matters not since he will have delivered my post to the same house number in the next cul-de sac and vice versa - fortunately my childminder lives there.

We never have the same postie each day anyhow...

[HangingBasketCase]

My parents run a business and really need their mail to arrive before midday. They do contract work for the local authority, so it's important they they get their mail as soon as possible.

[Lampy]

I can't really get worked up a out this. Why does it really matter if it comes in the afternoon? It's still the same day.

[Babyleopard23]

It wouldn't bother me in the slightest but that's only because I live at a British forces address overseas and just getting mail within 4 weeks of it being sent makes me happy! I definitely wouldn't be complaining if it's just later on the same day. I guess a lot of people would be at work til tea time anyway!

[ouryve]

Our mail seems to have gone into run up to Christmas mode already, this week. Last week it was arriving before 10. This week it's noon.

It's still getting here, though, and parcels arrive at all hours of the day anyhow. Post tends to have changed, anyhow, as it used to be a means of getting things and information from one door to another, but now it's just a means of transporting things. Most information is conveyed pretty much instantly via email.

What has annoyed me more than mail arriving at any time of day is the sticker that appeared on our post box saying that they'll now collect mail whenever they feel like it. That was updated, last week, so now says any time before 9am on a week day and 7am on a Saturday. That ones a PITA because I don't like the idea of leaving post in the box overnight. It's forcing me to take anything even slightly important down to the post office or take it with me when I go to Durham, or somewhere with a later collection. I'm expecting that, in a year or so, they'll just completely take away the post boxes in residential streets.

[MyOneandYoni]

David Cameron sold off Royal Mail (to his best man, at a greatly reduced price). Not even Margaret Thatcher would have had the brass neck to do that...
The Royal Mail used to belong to all of us. Now it belongs to a few rich people. And the service is worse...

[RedButtonhole]

I'm with Lampy, I can't bring myself to care.

Unless I hace specifically paid for next day or soemthing and it doesn't appear on the day.

Is there really mail that is so time-sensitive that it matters whether it arrives at 4 instead of 11?

[OldBeanbagz]

I work from home too so it's annoying waiting for business mail that doesn't arrive until mid afternoon. However we're moving more and more to sending everything electronically so it's getting less important.

I had an Amazon parcel turn up at 7.30pm last night and i wasn't the guy's last delivery. I was number 135 and he still had a couple more hours to go

[DoJo]

I feel left out now that there is never anything in my post which requires my attention so urgently that it matters. I clearly need a more exciting life!