The postal service in our area is rubbish - discuss

[isitsnowingyet]

We don't get any post until 4pm. And whatever happened to Sunday service!! (Okay - showing my age there).

But really, with the cost of stamps going skywards, the actual service seems to be getting worse and worse.

Ideally I would like letters at 8am - it ain't gonna happen

Does anyone get this now? ANywhere?

Please enlighten me

It's great here. I don't see post arriving at 4pm as a problem.

This year I ordered every christmas gift online. I've had no trouble receiving any via Royal Mail. My post comes everyday between 10:30-11:30.

I think what a lot of people that get their post late is for the postie to swap is route around every so often. So that the ones that always get theirs first can be last sometimes and vive versa.

Sorry for the terrible spelling

When we moved into this area around ten years ago our post used to come around 9-10am. It has gradually over the years got later and later. Recently it has been arriving at around 2.30-3pm. I'm quite happy though as I am usually home from work at around 2pm so saves messing around if there's anything to be signed for. I can see that it would be annoying if you are waiting in for something important though.

Why does it matter what time it comes?

Surely no one receives anything of importance by snail mail these days? If it's that urgent then email or fax it.

It hardly changes the outcome of my day whether Aunty Edna's Christmas card comes at 1000 or 1600...

If it arrives at 4.00pm, it's tomorrow's post early

I agree with Nolonger and then lots of others following her.
I think its amazing you can post a letter to anywhere in the country and have it arrive next day (or within 2-3 days with 2nd class) for such a small amount!

Can't see it matters what time it arrives. We have so many other methods of communication now, including things like instant internet banking, that business critical stuff doesnt need to be waiting for a postman. Postal service is for cards, the odd handwritten letter and a lot of junk mail.

Totally disagree with you, OP

Happy with the postal service where I live now, but it's been pretty poor where I used to live and where my brother still is. I avoid posting anything of value to my family there, as there has been a history of theft from cards going back years. Also, on more than one occasion my brother has been in the house when a parcel delivery card has been posted, and on opening the door to ask for the parcel has been told he has to go and collect it from the depot. So, paying for a parcel to be delivered to a recipient's door doesn't always work if the recipient lives in that area. This has not got worse since privatisation.

Our postmen are brilliant. Yes, things changed when they had to sort their own mail, making them later.

Our postman is friendly and helpful. We also take in parcels for half the street as we both mostly work from home. If we are away, we let him know and he either puts stuff in an agreed safe place, or he keeps them at the post office until we get back.

Our postie sorts his mail. Then does his walking round, then comes around again on a parcel round.

We never have any issues with anyone who delivers to us (and we have deliveries from just about every firm at least 2-3 times a week). Our warehouse is about half a mile away from home and on a different postal route, but if we are not there, the postie will deliver it to our house instead.

They all work very hard and long hours, even more so at this time of year. They work in all weathers, when most people would be at home, and don't deserve the grief they get.

Instead of complaining about them, try to foster a good relationship, and whilst you may not get your post any earlier, you may find that you get an even better service.

All our Christmas/birthday cards with lots of money from the inlaws didn't arrive this week (all in the same envelope). Got two phone calls from old estate agents saying they had heard from the local mail office. Went along to the mail office and it was an old address and no sender address. It had been opened but all the money was intact. The sticker had even covered our name. They were just about to be binned when the lady tracked us down - not sure how through the Internet and on the the estate agent.

Can't really complain.

Our postmen are great and work really hard. Your mistake, OP is to think this is a service. The Royal Mail is - thanks to Cameron & his cronies - now a money making machine. Anything that is privatised is that. How can you sell off what we used to own. BT, railways, gas, water, electricity - all in private hands. The NHS will be next and is partly there. Sorry about the rant, but I used to work in a privatised industry, & saw first hand how little the customer really matters in comparison with turning a profit

I haven't had a crap day - yet - and I also think 'DISCUSS' in your title line is stratospherically wanky. I also think you are being insulting to and demeaning of the work done by a group of people who are routinely treated like shit and who, for the most part, do a thankless job in sometimes trying circumstances. I have no affiliation whatever to Royal Mail - but I can appreciate a service that many countries can't hope to achieve including a goodly number of so called 'first world' countries.

Had two cards that had been opened this week.
Both should have had money in for the children.
If I contact the sender it will be embarrassing.
If I contact the PO then how do I know how much money should have been in there? (there should have been some as it was gift cards?)

Also, local postie threw a parcel at me about 2 weeks ago, laughing, saying: 'it doesn't feel breakable'. I was standing in the garden, with my crutch. I tried to catch it but it hit the end of one of my fingers which was sore, I missed it and it hit the rabbit hutch and fell down the back from where my ds had to retrieve it. It wasn't broken but I was still annoyed at the lack of respect both for me and my goods.

Our postie called here at 18.30 - it's pissing down, and he was soaked. He said he was almost finished. Poor bugger.

I cant complain - I sent niece and nephew Xmas presents on Wednesday and my DBro sent me DS' also on Wednesday. They received theirs yesterday and I received DS' yesterday.

We live 270 miles apart.