Royal Mail- did you know its cheaper to have home collection!?!?

[DSD9472]

Yesterday, I posted a small package from the post office branch, but thought it seemed expensive. I compared the cost of their online service, where you input the package details on their system and the postman collects it from your home and brings a sticky label.
To have the same package collected from home, would have been £4 cheaper! How can that be? Surely that is a steep charge to use an actual branch? Am I the only one not aware of this?

The Royal Mail and the post office are two seperate companies

So it's cheaper in theory, but getting a postie to actually turn up, ring the bell and take the parcel away seems to be a dark art.

I sell non-stop via eBay/Vinted and have now given up on RM entirely.

Do they guarantee a collection day & time though? It's hard enough getting to a post office when they're open but even harder being in for the postman if they can't be specific on collection times. I think beyond a large letter it's often cheaper to use one of the other delivery companies.

It's because it bypasses the post office so you don't pay their charges. And it's amazing! My postie always turns up, I leave the parcel in the shed in my courtyard and they bring the label and take it away and email me as soon as they've collected it so I can track.

Collection isn't always free but they seem to run regular lengthy offer periods where it's free.

Should add - I use the free collection service for store returns. So convenient.

@countdowntomexico

intried but after 3 attempts gave up and walked to the pist iffuce!!

The problem is in my area royal mail only turn up to collect about 50% of the time, so its a bit hit and miss.

I always buy my postage online and there's a 16p charge to drop off at post office rather than have the postie collect it from home

Are you sure you're looking at a comparative product?

Yes it seems crazy! I posted a small parcel to the US and it was about £5 cheaper to get it collected!!

This is what it looks like when buying online:

I have used the collection service before, and the postman has always collected on the day and time I expect. I just happened to be out and thought I'd use a branch.

@Rosecoffeecup Are you sure you're looking at a comparative product?
Yes. I checked my receipt and inputted the exact same weight, type of delivery etc and it would have been £4 cheaper to have organised home collection. 😕

Same as pps - I use the collection service to send back my Nespresso pods for recycling and I would say they get collected on about the third attempt after Royal Mail cancelling and me rebooking.

As I don't actually care whether they get stolen or not, I just leave them in my porch for when they do get collected - I wouldn't use it for anything I actually have to be in for.

I purchase postage online and then I take it to the post office to be scanned in.
I don't get charged any extra for this and they seem happy to do it🤷🏼‍♀️

So do I, easy!

Yes, although that amount sounds a lot - was it an enormous parcel? I use this service all of the time as I sell a lot on eBay. Works extremely well and saves me a lot of time, energy, and fuel as I don't live near a PO, and I need evidence of postage so can't always use the drop off points.

Are you post, @SpringSprungALeak ? 🥴😁🍷

@Compash am I what?! could I please have some of that wine

yes. But having booked several times and not had them turn up, i always take to the post office now

After the 3rd time the postie failed to turn up I sacked them off

I use the home service and it’s very reliable and convenient.

I have been using it for first and second class letters as well as parcels and have never had an issue.

I’ve found this to be a really reliable service, and a real time saver since our village post office closed a year ago.

was it an enormous parcel? No. It was a small, 290g soft package going to Aus.

I purchase postage online and then I take it to the post office to be scanned in.
I don't get charged any extra for this and they seem happy to do it🤷🏼‍♀️ I once worked out the postage cost at home, then put stamps to that value. When I went to the post office, they made me pay more, up to the cost they charge IN the shop!

Which they most certainly should not have done....I can almost see their point (the ongoing/current PO scandal shows us they are all franchises and not particularly valued ones at that). But the fact is the PO has a contract with RM whether the PO branch likes it or not. If you buy your postage online from RM and then take it to a PO, they are obliged to take it and process it even though they are not earning what they would if you had gone direct to them. I have had a local PO refuse to take my prepaid RM labelled parcels - they have no right to but tbh I found a different PO who were happy to take them. One of the reasons why I decided to start using the collect service tbh, less hassle all round.

@Compash

no I just have a naughty phone, fat fingers & my eye sight is poor due to illness.

no wine due to medication.

but glad you got a laugh out of it.🙄🙄