I just went to the post office with an eBay parcel - AIBU? Apparently so!

[Piffpaffpoff]

Turns out, according to the lady behind the counter, i may be singlehandedly responsible for 'killing post offices'. I had used the 'print postage online' option so was just handing the parcels in and getting my proof of postage stamped. The lady told me that she made no money out of this and that I was killing her business. AIBU to be slightly hacked off by this, given that I think she herself has killed any chance of me bringing her any other business, either at her PO counter or her attached shop?

there was a thread about this on forums in e bay a few weeks ago and a poster who works for the post office said that as long as the customer puts the parcel through as prepaid the post office you take it to gets the commission from the transaction, i sell items abroad and some of them of them can be high postage so the convienience of printing online outwheighs me skinting my bank account for 5 days till the money transfers, our local post office is quite happy to take our e bay parcels

If you are running a sub-post office you must take the rough with the smooth. And be polite to the customers who bring you the rough. End of.

I don;t understand.

Does this mean that Post offices buy stamps at below cost and make a profit on the stamps?
Does this happen with newsagents who sell stamps and now ebay etc?

I thought that a stamp cost what it cost

our local postmaster is not very nice and does not really encourage further visits
i used to take parcels for a friend who had a partner in some hush hush department of the army - the parcel would have a number on ( in place of a name) and a code
and it always went like this
'what's in the parcel'
sorry have been told not to disclose'
'well I NEED TO KNOW'
'i have been told you have no need to know'
then
'who is this going to - i need a name'
'sorry but the number at the top is all you need to know'
'this is not a regular BFPO number'
'i know, but you just need to send this along with your other forces mail and they will deal with it accordingly - i can tell you it will go via a diplomatic bag'
'i can't send it if you won't tell me who it is for, what is in the packet and a correct BFPO number'
by this time the post office has a long queue all muttering - not about me causing a queue but his obstructive attitude - and not backing our boys abroad
he refuses the parcel - i go to the next village - same parcel guy at post office, 'thanks love, here's a receipt'
Now I wonder why James Bond doesn't have this trouble

Although I think she was rude I think she is right. If you want to keep your local Post Office going you need to use it's services. To use a service (like proof of posting) which they won't make much / any money from when you could have also bought postage for the same hassle is exactly the sort of thing that will finish a Post Office off. I for one would be sad to see their demise.

Hilarious to hear everyone's grumpy post office tales. I'm really lucky that I have about 5 PO's within 10 mins drive so I shall take my non-profit making parcels to the ones where I am welcome (and they will then get the profit from my milk/bread/paper purchases that I generally make, and which grumpy lady missed out on today).

Basically how it works is that subpost offices get paid on what they do. So for example how many pensions they give out (oh that only goes through the bank now), how many car tax they issue (get it online madam) how many stamps they sell (businesses get them cheaper via royal mail as they are two separate companies) how many TV stamps you can save up for (oh you can't buy your TV licence through the post office any more) and so on and so on.

My parents have one and they struggle on. My dad is past retiring age but the pension is shite so he cant afford to retire. That is why you may get some sarky comments - yes not acceptable but they are all bloody frustrated. Time taken up issuing a certificate of posting which they get sod all for when they could be upselling you something which they do actually get paid for ie travel insurance, currency etc etc. Diversification is the buzz word for PO managers.

No excuses really for poor customer service and where they are the lifeline of a village they are cutting their noses off to spite their face but perhaps if the general public understood a little more and the Post Office itself did some decent marketing things may improve on both sides

That;s interesting sharon thank you for explaining it.

I feel for your parents situation.

SharonGless, thanks for your informative post, it is good to hear the view from the other side, so to speak.

Actually, I avoid the post office like the plague, and certainly teh counter staff. I am fed up of the staff trying to sell me a mobile phone top up, insurance or get me to take a credit card. One man told me off for refusing the credit card.

And don't get me started on the postman - well men in our case as we never have the same one twice. They never ring the bell with a parcel - just leave it on the doorstep and we are lucky if we get our post delivered by 4pm. Can be as late as 7pm - bloody wonderful if you are running a business from home.

The main post office where I go actually does itself no favours - it gives the impression of being run by the stupid for the stupid.

Piff - still not an excuse for bloody rude people behind the counter but glad you can see it from the other side.

Interestingly newsagents et al who sell stamps buy them from Royal Mail direct who sell them at discount make more on them in profit than a Post Office.

The world is crazy! I know about competition and they did need bringing into the 21st century but since the Tories split the two companies which are intertwined it has caused nothing but problems!

We have lovely people in our sub post office and our posties are great, too. As a result I always use the sub post office, even if it means going out of my way to bring them my stuff.

Interestingly, the counter staff at our nearest railway station always get me a better price than I can get online or using a machine. So I get there five minutes early to use them.

At my local PO if you can drag the clerk off his playstation long enough to serve you he gets umpty over anything and everything - ebay over the prepay, buying stamps the effort at tearing them out of the book, having to weigh a parcel (oh the effort!!) and god help you if you want to buy car tax.... then there's actually having to count out change, it's so unreasonable having to do that! Then he's back on the playstation before you've zipped your purse up, and he's not a teenager, we're taking grown man here! (Single of course ) We laugh about it as it's part of the character of the village..

The little Post Office we have in the corner of the Co-Op is fantastic - staff are friendly, helpful and actually smile. I wish it did more services as the bigger post office that does car tax and passports is staffed by some very miserable people. Now i know that about the ebay parcels I will make sure I buy postage in the Post Office...unless I'm going to the bigger one

Well, stealthsquiggle, I followed your tip and picked up tickets for my next journey from a machine near my office on my way home from work. Thank you again.

Its bollocks they get paid for taking the prepaid parcels. The same as they would for normal postage parcels.

Shudabinme, you can tax your car on line or by phone, 24/7, in less time than you are likely to spend queueing, let alone getting the job done.

I know it Andrewofgg, but I like to 'support our local post office'