If you're sending a parcel, Royal Mail will now collect it from your doorstep.

[worraliberty]

Some of you may know this already (in which case ignore me) but Royal Mail can now collect parcels from your doorstep instead of you having to take them to the Post Office. They'll even print and bring the label to you if you need them to.

I've just had a leaflet through the door so thought I'd share. There are very few Post Offices left around my way and the queue during my work lunch break is often enormous.

Link here

Oh, interesting... Is it more expensive than other couriers?

I'm not sure @Johnnysgirl from looking at the link, the prices to post are no different to normal Royal Mail prices but the collection service costs 60p or less.

On the downside, I expect it'll lead to even more PO closures.

That's really handy, thanks for the info!

I wish they'd introduce an alternative to stamps for letters as well (maybe they have and I just don't know?). I'd like to be able to go onto their website, enter the address it's going to, pay for postage and then get a code or something that I can write on the envelope that proves I paid. Bonus points if the code also somehow encodes the address so it can be sorted faster and is less likely to get lost in the post.

That does exist Blurb. You can go to the Royal Mail website and buy postage - you enter the details, pay and then print out a label with a barcode on, and it can then go off in the post.

They've been doing this for two years. I'd be more impressed if they offered defined delivery slots and proof of delivery (nor shove it through the door perhaps, and sign for it themselves) like professional couriers do. Around here they are marginally more efficient than Yodel - sometimes they are worse.

I've used this service a few times (last time I got them to print the label, too) & it's always gone smoothly.

Ahh yes stamps are another thing entirely. I don't always want to pay out for a whole book/sheet because I rarely send letters.

My local newsagents sometimes sell single ones but not always.

Oh I didn't realise they've been doing it for years. The leaflet makes it sound like it's a new thing!

I sent a small parcel from Birmingham to Norwich for £3.60.

They brought the label too as I don't have a printer.

I was just off to the postbox with a return package when the postwoman coincidentally stepped onto the path to my front door, so we just swapped instead. Totally serendipitous timing.

They do this. I expected a parcel on Friday and on Thursday they sent me a two hour time slot.

I bought a collection yesterday for today and again got a 2 hour time slot.

We've done this for a while now at work. Costs 63p for most items and saves messing around trying to find a PO that's open. And it's tracked from the moment they collect it.

It can get complicated if you try and return goods from their tracked items site. The company you bought from give you a return lsbel to print with a number , you have to book a collection from royal mail who give you a different label with a different number , neither numbers were logged on his ipad so my postie wouldnt take the parcel. Twice that has happened now.

I use this service a lot.
It’s 60p per item but so worth it.

On the downside, I expect it'll lead to even more PO closures.

that's what I think.

this is a great service for those who can't get to a post office easily though.

They haven’t done this for 2 years, it is a new service.

It's been at least a year

Our postman will take letters that need posting as well, I just give them him when he calls.

Not around here they don't. At best we get "it will delivered today between 9 am and 2pm (or possibly later, if at all), with the notification arriving by 11am! And that is if it is delivered at all, because it is far from uncommon to have a notice saying something has been delivered when it hasn't, and their "proof" of delivery is that they signed for themselves. On one occasion they delivered the parcel to the rubbish bin - on the outside pavement and on collection day!

Just be aware that Theydon necessarily turn up when you book a collection. Happened to me a few times . Wait around for hours then get an email that its been cancelled. I tend not to use it now because its not particularly reliable

No it isn't. I had a parcel for Canada collected by Royal Mail from my doorstep two weeks after the first lockdown started. It may not have been available everywhere perhaps, but it is definitely not a new service. And I also got the leaflet this morning even though we have had it available for all that time.

And when I use Google there is an article on MSE about the "new" RM parcel collection service that dates from October 2020!

Sounds good.

God, what does it matter whether it's new or not?! I, for one, hadn't heard of it; and will certainly use it.

I've not had any parcels to post for a while but this is potentially very helpful for me as I have a chronic illness and am sometimes not well enough to get to the PO.