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Original poster

To wonder why Royal Mail are accepting parcels at this point?

140 replies

LivIoe · 16/12/2022 10:36

Surely it’s time to stop, and clear backlog? I’ve had no post on a month, parcels posted in mid-November haven’t arrived.

Social media shows crazy pile ups.

I don’t begrudge the strikers, but surely the company needs to pause at this point?

Im also amazed small businesses are still using them frankly- I’ve had a regular order today dispatched with Royal Mail… I’m not hopeful it’ll arrive

OP posts:
PineConeQueen · 16/12/2022 14:40

Someone I know said they were told they could ‘come in and hunt for their parcel if they wanted but good luck in there’ rather sarcastically when they tried to collect. I only have their word for whether this is true or not. I support the strikers but I agree that it would be a good idea to pop things on hold to sort the back log but then this doesn’t make the shareholders any more money does it? I feel like at this point the shareholders are just taking stuff and if you haven’t paid your insurance etc then it’s your loss if it never gets delivered.

KnittedCardi · 16/12/2022 14:59

Well, I posed two parcels last week, sent on different days, some over strike days, and paid for first class signed for. Both arrived at different ends of the country the next day. So, personal experience only of course, but no issues with those.

DD also received a present today sent special delivery, sent yesterday.

Conversely I have had no cards or mail at all.

MaggieMagpie357 · 16/12/2022 15:16

@justasking111 that's not a possibility for some people. I would usually go and buy stuff from the shops but I've been stuck indoors with illness after illness since the end of November, so I've had to order everything online.

Sartre · 16/12/2022 15:18

I think we have been lucky but everything has arrived so far. Slightly later than expected but arrived nevertheless. I agree that stores shouldn’t be using them for the foreseeable though and they should stop accepting new parcels, of course they won’t because they’d also have to stop accepting money.

MaggieMagpie357 · 16/12/2022 15:20

@Fossie DH and I said the same thing - the strikes plus the cost of stamps will surely end the tradition of Christmas cards. I feel so sad for older people who aren't on social media and probably look forward to receiving cards from friends and family this time of year, and probably think that people just can't be bothered to stay in touch any more.

LovelyLovelyWarmCoffee · 16/12/2022 16:21

I definitely see a turning point. More and more companies are using private couriers. Customers will stop using the companies that insist on using RM only.

Also regarding letters, we already see less and less paper letters, IMO the NHS system of sending a letter to inform people of an appointment is already obsolete - how much longer until it fully moves to email/texts? (As an aside, what a saving it would be for the NHS!)

I’m only sad for people leaving in remote locations as they might have to pay more than they do today. But I guess this is fair? You pay based on how much it costs to deliver to you, so choosing to live in an high density area means cheaper deliveries.

MarshaBradyo · 16/12/2022 16:28

Dailymash · 16/12/2022 14:18

What do you think would happen if they did stop accepting letters and parcels? Return them to the sender? Who is responsible for doing that?

Anyone ordering online from a business - small or large - has internet access therefore they are aware of the strikes affecting post. As a customer I can either take the risk of it getting stuck in the RM system somewhere or request another courier.

RM are digging their heels in on the changes to T&Cs, pay and working plans and basically telling staff that if they don’t like it they can find another job. These are people who have done the job for decades, the same round, they know everyone on their round and take pride in their work. They can do their round quickly, marching along in their shorts, you don’t get cold when you’re carrying 15kg and walking 4mph. They know their round so well they could do it with their eyes closed. They can do it quickly. If they do go and get replaced by agency staff this is the sort of service us as customers would be getting. The agency staff don’t know the round and often don’t give a shit, they just want to get the job done and get paid. The way I see the strikes is that it is an example of what can go wrong when your regular postie stops giving a shit too.

People will complain, “well it’s always been diabolical” - so either it’s got no worse, why are you complaining? Or it actually wasn’t all that shit, the postie was just overworked every day with all of the online shopping junk that people absolutely have to have. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone - this is what it would be like if it was gone.

Regarding letters - the moron CEO wants RM to move away from letters and be a parcel focussed company. So your birthday cards, hospital appointments, HMRC letters, gas bills and postcards will be at the bottom of the priority list. Someone’s cheap clothes from Shein will be prioritised over your sons hospital appointment and a cling film cutter from China will be delivered before your Nan’s birthday card. The future of RM! It’s not just pay and terms and conditions they are striking over, it is the absolute destruction of the job they take pride in.

The problem with seeing letters as better in some way it’s us who have changed what and how we send it - due to technology and other

Plus other companies coming in with parcels

So two main changes which impact RM

roarfeckingroarr · 16/12/2022 17:28

I'm not using RM. Too unreliable with ongoing strikes.

Soothsayer1 · 16/12/2022 17:29

@LovelyLovelyWarmCoffee · Today 16:21
IMO the NHS system of sending a letter to inform people of an appointment is already obsolete - how much longer until it fully moves to email/texts? (As an aside, what a saving it would be for the NHS!)
I agree!!
but afaik most appts are for the elderly, many of whom cant cope with computers?

drpet49 · 16/12/2022 17:30

Janieread · 16/12/2022 10:57

We are a business and we are still using them, because we've had years and years of fantastic service from them. Be angry with the RM bosses, not the system, which is excellent. The courier companies demand a subscription and as we are a seasonal business it would be completely unsustainable.

This. I’ve always had very good service from Royal Mail

panko · 16/12/2022 17:35

Maybe he next strike they could accept no new post for a day or something but try to deliver still

mimi1962 · 16/12/2022 17:35

I am so annoyed right now, have been waiting for an appointment to have a lung scan, potential complications after breast cancer and radiotherapy. It didn't come. I phone the appointments line daily, one person was off so no one could tell me until today if there was an appointment. The appointment was two days ago!

I have no sympathy for the Royal Mail workers, I dated one for a few years, it needs to be modernised. And yes the NHS need to stop using them other than for patients who can't manage emails/messages etc.

Soothsayer1 · 16/12/2022 17:36

telling staff that if they don’t like it they can find another job
well of course they have all the power since there is a large reserve of unemployed people eager to be posties
just like there is a large reserve of unemployed people eager to be nurses and care workers.
Loads of jobless people desperate for work in this country, no businesses are short staffed at all.
(sarcasm obvs)

panko · 16/12/2022 17:36

PurpleButterflyWings · 16/12/2022 13:13

Yeah they need to stop really. Me and DH ordered 6 items between us between 2nd and 8th of December. 3 Christmas gifts for him, (from me,) and 3 Christmas gifts for me (off him.)

So far, all 3 of my packages have come (so all 3 of HIS gifts.) But 2 of his packages (MY gifts) have yet to surface. Sad They show as 'despatched' on 4th and 5th of December, but nothing since. 11-12 days later. I don't think they're coming!

I'd stay hopeful I had a parcel posted 5th today

Unananana · 16/12/2022 17:37

The small business I work for has no choice but to use RM as couriers are too expensive and customers want as cheap a service as possible.

Packages sent by RM48 are taking three weeks to reach our customers at this point and there is literally nothing we can do about it. We upgraded all orders from December 1st to RM24 for free, all tracked. RM haven't even scanned some of them into their system.

Customers being abusive via email and phone because their package didn't arrive during the strikes is horrible. My agents are trying to deal with issues out of our hands. It seems some people are incapable of reading/ watching the news. Customer service agents have no power over RM.

There are no winners here.

uhOhOP · 16/12/2022 20:32

justasking111 · 16/12/2022 13:54

There's an alternative, go to the shops and buy there.

Show quote history

Not all mail is online shopping, though.

Oysterbabe · 16/12/2022 20:35

I ordered some live snails that I think were sent royal mail, dispatched 2 weeks ago. I hope they don't arrive now 😩

uhOhOP · 16/12/2022 20:39

Dailymash · 16/12/2022 14:18

What do you think would happen if they did stop accepting letters and parcels? Return them to the sender? Who is responsible for doing that?

Anyone ordering online from a business - small or large - has internet access therefore they are aware of the strikes affecting post. As a customer I can either take the risk of it getting stuck in the RM system somewhere or request another courier.

RM are digging their heels in on the changes to T&Cs, pay and working plans and basically telling staff that if they don’t like it they can find another job. These are people who have done the job for decades, the same round, they know everyone on their round and take pride in their work. They can do their round quickly, marching along in their shorts, you don’t get cold when you’re carrying 15kg and walking 4mph. They know their round so well they could do it with their eyes closed. They can do it quickly. If they do go and get replaced by agency staff this is the sort of service us as customers would be getting. The agency staff don’t know the round and often don’t give a shit, they just want to get the job done and get paid. The way I see the strikes is that it is an example of what can go wrong when your regular postie stops giving a shit too.

People will complain, “well it’s always been diabolical” - so either it’s got no worse, why are you complaining? Or it actually wasn’t all that shit, the postie was just overworked every day with all of the online shopping junk that people absolutely have to have. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone - this is what it would be like if it was gone.

Regarding letters - the moron CEO wants RM to move away from letters and be a parcel focussed company. So your birthday cards, hospital appointments, HMRC letters, gas bills and postcards will be at the bottom of the priority list. Someone’s cheap clothes from Shein will be prioritised over your sons hospital appointment and a cling film cutter from China will be delivered before your Nan’s birthday card. The future of RM! It’s not just pay and terms and conditions they are striking over, it is the absolute destruction of the job they take pride in.

Royal Mail staff also don't give a shit. Every day I wonder how so many of my colleagues actually manage to keep their jobs.

OutDamnedSpot · 16/12/2022 20:56

I just checked the things I’m waiting on… all Royal Mail. One from 26th Nov, two from early Dec. I’m not getting them am I?

Evri is brilliant here. The local courier has a reputation for being wonderful; she delivered food at the start at the covid lockdowns and during floods etc.

panko · 16/12/2022 20:57

OutDamnedSpot · 16/12/2022 20:56

I just checked the things I’m waiting on… all Royal Mail. One from 26th Nov, two from early Dec. I’m not getting them am I?

Evri is brilliant here. The local courier has a reputation for being wonderful; she delivered food at the start at the covid lockdowns and during floods etc.

Maybe not if its edible.

Baconand · 16/12/2022 21:01

It seems really variable, we are receiving post and parcels fine. Nothing on actual strike days but either side.
I sent a pile of cards all over the country on Monday 2nd class. Almost all have been delivered.
I have one small parcel I am expecting though that isn’t here yet, posted 10th. But it’s not a big deal if it doesn’t arrive.

OutDamnedSpot · 16/12/2022 21:02

One of them was a Rick Astley t shirt. I doubt the foxes would eat it, but maybe Rick rolling is spreading further than I though… 😅

lightisnotwhite · 16/12/2022 21:15

I’m guessing my Biscuit Baron subscription ( gift for a family) won’t be arriving as it was supposed to be with me on the 1st. So disappointing and they are a newish company.

However a personalised photo gift that I ordered Tuesday night arrived Thursday! Literally 2 days and to the flipping Isle of Wight! Two days , just how is that even possible !!

Our Evri driver is on her knees. She’s doing 6 am to 9 pm everyday. She’s just advised the outlying villages that she can’t do them anymore as their aren’t enough hours in the day. She’s great but the system is shocking.

panko · 16/12/2022 21:16

OutDamnedSpot · 16/12/2022 21:02

One of them was a Rick Astley t shirt. I doubt the foxes would eat it, but maybe Rick rolling is spreading further than I though… 😅

I'm hoping their mail bags withstand fox wee. Otherwise that's going to ruin the fudge I was having delivered.

Eekle · 16/12/2022 21:51

All of my RM parcels have arrived around when I expected allowing for the strike days

Meanwhile, I've had an Evri parcel delayed for the last couple of weeks. Irritating, as it's the only thing DC2 has asked for for Christmas (not their main present, but something they really want) and I won't be able to get an alternative - nowhere in-store, and I'm not confident about any deliveries arriving on time right now.