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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel fucked off at having to describe the contents of my parcels to all and sundry in the post office queue?

150 replies

u32ng · 18/12/2014 12:43

Just returned from a trip to the post office (bad enough at this time of year too!): Anyway, apparently my answer of "chocolates" & "a kitchen gift" were not sufficient explanation for its contents and ended up having to say "chocolates", "trivia game", "kitchen gadget for your pans to stop them from boiling over".

I swear a man in the queue let out a snort of amusement at the last one!Hmm

Proceded to do same with the 2 other parcels I hadBlush.

Why can they not just ask if you're sending anything prohibited or not?! I don't have to itemise the contents of my suitcase at check in so why for my parcels? It feels so bloody embarrassing!

OP posts:
NorbertDentressangle · 18/12/2014 20:38

I once found myself posting something that words couldn't describe, as in it didn't have a name (or if it did I didn't know) and I wasn't sure exactly what it did either or what it looked like as DP had already packed it ready for posting (some part off a mountain bike that DP asked me to post).

I described it along the lines of " erm, it's a thing, not sure what but it goes on a bike I think and it's about this big (holding up package)" Confused

Poor PO person just shook their head in dismay.

tiggytape · 18/12/2014 20:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StilleNachtCarolling · 18/12/2014 20:51

*FYI: For those who mentioned about how useful the pan thing might be, a wooden spoon balanced on top of the pan works a treat...even with pasta!

I have NEVER been asked what's in my parcels. I send several a week as I'm a Royal Mail mystery shopper so have to post random parcels out all the time (they are actually just bits of foam and sheets of A4). Not a single PO has ever enquired about their contents!

StandByYourTesselators · 18/12/2014 21:13

This is absolutely bonkers. What's wrong with making it very clear what items are prohibited, then asking customers to declare their parcels don't contain them?

We now know that all our electronic communication is monitored in this big brother state. I used to use the analogy that it was just the same as standing a policemen next to the post-boxes to read every letter we posted. Imagine how people would feel about that, which is just the same level of intrusiveness into our private lives. But this is no longer just an analogy, but is actually being practiced by post office staff. Wtaf.

Fuck-the-fuck-off you nosey bastards! No you can't know what's in my private parcel that I'm sending privately to my friends/family/proctologist etc.

This has gone too far.

joanne1947 · 18/12/2014 21:32

Do you really think post office staff just do it to be nosey, annoying or identify things to steal? And do you think it would be official policy that all staff are told they must do if this were the case?
It is wrong to pry into my personal life. speaking personally my father fought in WW2 for freedom and now some clerk wants to know if the knickers I am sending through the mail are clean. We all need to stand up for freedom. A simple question "Is there anything dangerous in the parcel?" is all that is needed.

Janethegirl · 18/12/2014 21:48

I tend to say books and chocolates if the parcel is heavy, and kiddy clothing if it's light.
It's just not worth telling the truth.

MidniteScribbler · 18/12/2014 22:06

I had it at the Australian post office a couple of weeks ago.

"What's in parcel?"
"Paperwork"
"What do you mean 'paperwork'? Why would you post paperwork in a padded envelope?"
"The company I'm sending it to said 'send it in a padded envelope'."
"Well what sort of paperwork is it?"
"'Sigh' DNA paperwork."
"What's that?"
"Cheek swabs of DNA being sent to a lab."
"What for?"
"Does it matter?"
"It could be dangerous."
"It's a cheek swab from a dog. The worst thing is the sniffer dogs will get a hint of schmacko and want to investigate."
"Well why would you want to send DNA in the post?"
"Because it costs too much to fly it there personally."
"But why do you need to send DNA to an overseas lab?"
"Because that is where the testing is done."
"It's a biological material, I can't send it."
"Of course you can, it's a bit of cardboard that has been rubbed on the inside of a dogs cheek."
"But I need to understand why you need to send this. It's a safety requirement."
"Because that is where the laboratory that does the DNA testing works from. There is no lab in Australia that does this test."
"But why are you testing your dog?"

And so on it went. Ten minutes of it. I felt like I'd been screwed with my pants on by the time I got out of there.

tiggytape · 18/12/2014 22:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

figgypuddings · 18/12/2014 22:32

lookingforbaubles - I have to know why you send crows.

nocheeseinhouse · 18/12/2014 22:53

Actual, dead crows? They're quite large! Wouldn't have been cheaper if your 'in joke' was mice?!

TonightTonight · 18/12/2014 23:27

Oh gosh not long after I had my first baby, a good friend was also due to have a baby, so partly for a joke and partly to be helpful, I packaged up all the ridiculous stuff I'd bought for my never-opened hospital bag and took it to the busy post office to send it to her. Of course the guy on the counter was determined to extract from me every humiliating detail of the contents of the parcel and in my sleep-deprived new mum state I couldn't think what to say other than the truth: nipple cream; stretchmark cream; piles gel; breast pads; Tena lady pads; disposable pants; nipple shields; tucks hemorrhoid pads; Vaseline...

MyIronLung · 19/12/2014 00:01

Just checked the prohibited goods list

'Living creatures, animals and reptiles
Except certain insects'

Aw crap! Looks like I better unpack the cat that I was going to send to my grandmother Sad

MrsMcRuff · 19/12/2014 00:18

DH took a parcel to the Posy Office

I just love the sound of a Posy Office. I want to work there! Xmas Smile

DragonfliesDrawFlame · 19/12/2014 01:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BigBoobiedBertha · 19/12/2014 04:18

Without anything in writing there is no recording of these conversations so how are they worthwhile? Some people don't get asked the question it would seem, others lie about what was in the package anyway but without a recording of what was said what how can either party be held accountable? it would be better if you had some sort of box to tick or sign like a Customs sticker or maybe a form that goes with a parcel to declare there was nothing prohibited in the parcel then nobody need get the 3rd degree from poorly trained counter staff who don't really know what they should be asking (there seem to be plenty of them by the sounds of some of the questions asked) nor do the counter staff have to worry about being held responsible for parcels when a customer has lied.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the first court case, which must be just round the corner, and whether a verbal conversation is sufficient to apportion blame or liability. I can't remember the exact conversation I had with the woman in the post office this morning and, I realised after I had left, that I had omitted an item when she asked what I was sending. It wasn't anything prohibited but had it have been and something went wrong what I said could have been important. If I was sending several parcels a week from an eBay business or something, I'd never remember the details of them all.

Also I have sent several parcels in the last year since they brought this in and at no point has anybody given me a list of what is prohibited and to be honest I am no more aware of what those things are than I was a year ago. It was news to me that lithium batteries aren't allowed but other batteries are. If you had to fill something in there would be an opportunity to list those things.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/12/2014 05:03

Joanne your repeated use of "some clerk" and " some counter clerk" in a sneering condescending tone is really unnecessary

claraschu · 19/12/2014 05:42

How many plane crashes have been caused by 5 bottles of nail varnish?

Buttercupsanddaisys · 19/12/2014 06:12

I went to have a Jiffy bag package weighed and stamped yesterday, small enough to put in a post box, great for me cos I couldn't find my friend's address before I went out so couldn't leave it with them. Wasn't asked anything about the contents, tho.

The bloke in front of me was, tho. Large cardboard box, said it contained a big ornament for his gran, said it was a tight fit so he was sure it wouldn't rattle around and break. And then he described it.Said it was an angel with wings, , holding the baby Jesus, oh!and he had a halo. And there was a basket of flowers at the angel's feet...

Small but significant pause before the counter man said..."do you think she'll like it?"

Just what I was thinking.

meandjulio · 19/12/2014 06:14

LemonEmma, you said upthread that if the parcel contained a knife, you couldn't send it at all. According to the Restricted Goods list, I can post a knife if it's properly packaged. Is that right?

OP, YANBU. Who knew that the Post Office becoming a PRIVATE company would result in such a huge decrease in privacy. I am going to find out what the minimum legal amount I need to say is, and say that.

nagynolonger · 19/12/2014 06:38

I find this a right pita. Have to lie and say it's a piece of craft work or knitting. It's not of course it's a false package filled with foam and a tracking device. Part of a system for 'checking up' on the Royal Mail. The post office staff are not supposed to know what it is.

Recently they have also wanted a sender name and address on the parcel. When I said there was no need they refused to accept it. So I put the number and the post code of our old house. It was the only way I could get them to take the bloody thing.

RubyBoobies · 19/12/2014 06:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

londonrach · 19/12/2014 07:00

Sorry i have to ask why does a crow get sent with marmite crisps...

GemmaTeller · 19/12/2014 08:28

Recently they have also wanted a sender name and address on the parcel

If an undeliverable package has a return address on, it goes back to the sender within days/weeks.

If it has no return address on it goes to a mail centre in Ireland where they try and try the sender.

Songofsixpence · 19/12/2014 08:56

Without anything in writing there is no recording of these conversations so how are they worthwhile?

Exactly! And if I am sending something I shouldn't be, I'm not going to admit to it anyway. There's no record or anything I've said, it's not like a customs declaration

I got asked. My reply of "dolls clothes" wasn't enough. The clerk wanted to know exactly what dolls clothes and wouldn't accept my parcel unless I listed them. Why?

I've just remembered another occasion - our school do Christmas drawings with the kids which parents can then pay to have them turned into Christmas cards or calendars. I was sending a big box of drawings off to the printers and when asked replied "children's drawings". Again, the clerk wanted more specifics. "What for? What were the drawings of? How many drawings?" and wouldn't accept the parcel if I didn't list exactly how many drawings and what they were of and what they were going to be used for. There were nearly 300 of them, I had no idea, I didn't study them, I just bunged them in a box and wanted to get them in the post ASAP.

None of it was written down in the post office, IMO 'dolls clothes' and 'children's drawings, are all they need to know

BigBoobiedBertha · 19/12/2014 09:57

Seems to me that if counter staff are going to continue with with farce (sp?) then they better training. They are going beyond what is required to make sure that the packages are compliant with their list.

Asking about the pictures, for example, is ridiculous. The extra questions are, I suspect, a way of wringing extra cash out of you. They would have tried to get you to buy registered mail or something.

Clarashu - How many plane crashes have been caused by 5 bottles of nail varnish?

I thought exactly the same thing. I would be interested to know how many people used to get hurt by packages containing things that are now banned and how many parcels are lost or damaged as a result.

Not saying it didn't happen but just wondered if the large scale inconvenience to many people (longer queues, difficult questions, not being able to get somebody to simply do you a favour and take a parcel to the PO, embarrassment etc) was justified by the numbers of people or parcels being damaged.