Royal Mail final posting dates

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So the final date for 1st class post is 16 December but given the strikes how realistic is it that something posted on 16th will get there before Christmas?
I am posting something tomorrow and I'm not really sure if it'll get there before Christmas. Considering going special delivery.

I completely agree with you, EngTech.

There are plenty of alternatives and, once people have switched, if they're happy, why would they switch back?

Post office branches are closing all the time and re-opening at the back of places like WH Smith's, which only open standard shopping hours; for most of their competitors, you can drop your parcels off at the convenience store a couple of minutes from your house (and often with free parking right outside, no need to schlep to the High Street) from 7am-11pm.

There's an old joke, which I think is starting to ring more and more true now, about the man who refused to ever take any time off work and insisted on going in every single day. His wife asks him if he really believes that they can't manage without him for a day or week here and there, and his reply is "No, I know very well that they can - and I don't want them to find that out!"

I totally agree. We were finished with Christmas cards until my son started school and did the design your own card bit. So I felt I had to buy those. I did this year again, but I am just handing them out to people. It is working out fine. I definitely am finished with posting cards.

I normally quite enjoy sitting down with some Christmas music playing and writing Christmas cards.
Not this year though. I am not posting anything.

We haven't received a regular post delivery for weeks. I am waiting for a present for my daughter which was meant to arrive around 25th Nov.
My brother said he posted his card to me over 2 weeks ago and no sign of it.

By now, my mantlepiece would be full of cards but I have 1 that has been posted. People are either not posting any this year or they are stuck in the system and will arrive,probably in the new year.

Sadly this could be the nail in the coffin for Royal Mail if people are not using their services at their busiest time of the year.

Really @LBFseBrom ? I haven't had post in days (SW London). A postie round here is a rare beast indeed - has been for the last year.
I sent three things first class and weighed at the post office before 8am six days ago and none of the three, to totally different areas (ranging from 20 to 74 miles away) have received them.

I think it's pretty patchy .I'm in SE London and the area has long standing problems with post but recently it's improved and we've had post this week .Non delayed post .

Thanks everyone. I went for special delivery in the end. Hopefully it gets there before Christmas.

I ordered an item last week and for the first time ever was delighted to find that Evri would be delivering it. It arrived today; 3 days earlier than anticipated.

I have one last small package to post today, to my Mum at the other end of the country (I've been waiting for something that is going in it to arrive). Not the end of the world if they don't get it before Christmas but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I posted christmas cards last Tuesday at 5.15. I had messages thanking me the following morning!

It's hit and miss

I'm another who will be switching from Royal Mail to whichever postal company I decide to go with.

Royal Mail workers are making a rod for their own backs with these strikes, tbh. RM has been steadily losing business to rivals for years and those companies must be rubbing their hands with glee right now....🤷‍♂️

I’ve tried not to buy from anywhere that uses RM to avoid this. I couldn’t avoid it with Christmas cards so I just sent those via Moonpig last week, no idea if they’ve arrived yet. I’ve actively tried to steer clear of RM in recent months to avoid disruption.

I’ve tried not to buy from anywhere that uses RM to avoid this.

And how many people will just not bother switching back after the strike action is over? It doesn't take long to get it fixed in your head that RM = lots of strikes and then make alternative arrangements based on that mindset.

I'm impressed with how Royal Mail are clearing the backlogs and trying to deliver all the necessaries by Christmas. I posted nearly all my cards earlier than usual, beginning of December, and have received many so far, also some bigger items sent by Royal Mail. I certainly won't give up on them and hope they achieve better working conditions and pay.

I posted my passport first class signed for on 29 Nov and it hasn't arrived yet!

I posted our cards first class earlier than usual (Mon 5th Dec) - no idea if any have arrived yet, but whereas we'd usually have received quite a few by now, only three have been delivered so far.

We ordered two items where the companies concerned use Royal Mail. Both ordered on 2nd Dec - one came on 12th, the other has yet to arrive. Annoyingly, the latter is something we need to post to someone as part of their Christmas gift. I'm giving it till Friday, then will have to find a local alternative. The parcel was going to go RM as normal, but we'll probably use Yodel or similar now.

I agree that lots of people will a) stop sending cards (DH refuses to do this 🙄) and b) people will vote with their feet with regards to parcels and drop RM in favour of other couriers...after all there's plenty of choice!

Mine arrived yesterday thankfully. Any luck for you?

I wouldn’t bank on it. I’m unable to complete gifts for nieces and nephews as the supplies I ordered and paid next day delivery at start of December are nowhere to be seen.

@YerAWizardHarry glad yours has arrived! Mine is still sitting on 'we've got it' and although I am pleased they are prioritising parcels for Christmas for people relying on it, I would still like my passport before I travel at the end of Feb. Passport office said if it doesn't arrive by end of Dec they will progress the application without the old one, so all is not lost (but I am still stressed!)

You've being ridiculous.
Special Delivery should always be used if sending important paperwork.
There are a million other courier options to send it.
If you think you have the time and petrol - why don't you drive it there yourself and save the £6..... think we all know the answer to that.

Used Yodel Direct yesterday to send two parcels away. Just go on their website, fill in your details, get your barcode and locate your nearest Yodel Drop Off point...easy!

We all know the answer to that? Really? Do you? You have no idea what I was sending or where I was sending it to/from.

Well, it was the final accounts of the estate of my dc's dead grandparent that, as executor, I had to sign and return.

You think that me driving 100+ miles to return those accounts to the solicitor would have been the correct course of action? My time, the environment...? Fuck all of that, you say?

I'm not being remotely ridiculous. Getting the estate finalised gives closure. I want it finalised. Losing the signed accounts would be a nuisance. Not any financial problem or security problem, just a pain - delays the final end (which we've waited over 18 months to get to), costs the solicitor time and wasted effort to re-send etc.

I should have been able to use Royal Mail to send these accounts and first class mail should have sufficed. No irreplacable documents like birth certificates were included. I am not being ridiculous - I expect the postal service to be fit for purpose and it is not. In failing to acknowledge the problem, we cannot possibly fix it.

A parcel due 23rd November still hasn't turned up. And I ordered a cake stencil from Esty at the end of November that hasn't arrived. I emailed the seller whoresponded that basically he's fucked. He cuts and produces the stencils himself and nothing is getting to the customer. He's sometimes up till 1 in the morning dealing with emails and complaints.

I’ve been let down badly by Royal Mail this year and have zero faith in anything I have stuck in the post being delivered for Christmas so I’m bracing for a slew of refunds in the new year if or when the packages get delivered. Distance selling laws are already tough on small businesses and I have no way of legally refusing the refunds.

RM have lost me permanently as a customer. I’ve already been paying for DPD delivery from my own suppliers this month but I’ve suspended all online sales until January whilst I choose a new delivery company for my own sales.

I still need to post parcels but have been sick this week.
I might try Evri. How do you work out the weight?

@sparkle17 if DPD is an option I would recommend them. Have you got kitchen scales?

Are they???? We have had no letters for ten days 🤷🏼‍♀️