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

[LivIoe]

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

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
I cant see that any other couriers have the capacity to step into RM shoes, if they try they they will surely only trash their reputations?

RM said letters aren’t profitable. That seems crazy given Amazon will deliver you anything the day after you order it.
Maybe we need to sign up to Royal Mail Prime.

Maybe it's luck but throughout all of the strikes I haven't noticed any form of delay with letters or packages with them. It seems to be business as usual here.

RM do have my sympathy but I'm fed up now. We're waiting on various things but a tracked parcel is, according to the tracker, in our town waiting to be delivered.

We've had snow this week and live off the main road in the 'country'. The farmer has cleared the road and we are able to get to and from our house (as do others that live in our wee bit).

On the non strike days delivery wasn't even attempted. The message on the tracker was 'address inaccessible'. Twice now. Utter BS. Hasn't stopped DPD, Evri, Amazon and Argos making deliveries this week.

They're clearly overwhelmed and just decided to sack off even trying to deliver to us.

@MeridianB
Also, their comms on the move to barcode-only stamps have been dreadful and so many people will not know this is happening. It seems like a very convenient lack of promotion for RM.

What was that again ? No promotion has filtered down to my rather dense brain yet .But long experience tells me that I'll have stamps that I won't be able to use .

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?

But it's perfectly possible to text phones (mobile and landline) which most people ,even the elderly ,have .

To add to the anecdotal detail - here in SE London yesterday we received a postcard from Greece posted 3 months ago .

Texts to landlines confuse the fuck out of people if they aren't expecting them.

I was just about to write an angry post as I ordered something on 4th Dec that I needed for tonight only.

Anyway it just arrived.....

I certainly won't be ordering any Xmas presents now.

Texts to landlines confuse the fuck out of people if they aren't expecting them

Not my experience .Maybe more common for people who are only used to mobile phones?
And even if it were I'd prefer that to a missed hospital appointment .

@panko it's still possible they will arrive - I received something yesterday that I ordered on 30/11. RM will be making deliveries from now until 22/12 - fingers crossed for you!

i get my medication through the post-im with the strikers but am worried it wont turn up in time

surprised they still use them but guess they cant afford couriers

Medicine is the one thing I wouldn't risk online. As it is where we are so much is not available on the day so you get little owing stickers. I now order two weeks ahead. Have to wait a week to collect,still have to go back for owing there were four of us with owing stickers in the chemist on Wednesday

i am considering switching back to picking it up - previously its been ok

Texts to landlines confuse the fuck out of people if they aren't expecting them.

Landline...

Oh yes, I remember those! I don't bother plugging anything in to the wire in my current house because when I go down to my parents they get a constant stream of cold calls.

Even my grandfather (who died in his eighties many years ago) had a mobile, it doesn't have to be a smartphone.

I am waiting on a parcel my friend sent on Monday 12th December, 24 hour tracked, obviously knew it would take longer than 24 hours but just hoping it turns up next week now.

My postie is a lovely bloke but we have seen no sign of him yesterday and today as no mail (letters or parcels) have been delivered at all! Maybe he's off sick? I am also waiting for the paypoint vouchers for my electricity, the £66 government thing.

Thank you!

I ordered some of my regular skin care in November that was posted on the 25th, so over 3 weeks ago. Even if it turns up now I’ve no idea how it’s been stored (needs to be refrigerated) so it’s useless. The website is now showing out of stock.

To give some hope I made an order on the 25th November and got it yesterday the seller was advised to give 2nd class 15 working days.

Agree I don't know why sellers/companies are using RM though I had murder with a yodel parcel as well recently

I just don't see the point sending a parcel via Royal Mail - I did feel slightly bad using Evri but I posted a parcel on Monday and it was tracked and delivered today

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-63971681
Evri are clearly very polished & professional and will be putting RM out of business very soon....
the BBC found parcels - including clothes and electronics - left in large piles outside one depot....
Workers have said tens of thousands of parcels remained in cages at depots in the region - some dated from just under a month ago.
They said Evri was failing to retain couriers amid high pressure, poor working conditions and abuse from frustrated customers.
One courier, who asked to remain anonymous, said the County Durham depots were unable to cope with the volume of parcels arriving each day.
"Everybody you ask will say it's a mess, it's like a car boot sale on a morning," they said.
workers claimed parcels were being run over by vehicles on a daily basis, while they said their health and safety was being put at risk as cars "weaved" in and out of workers and goods.

Earlier this year, a number of smaller Evri depots in north-east England were closed, with some workers expected to travel further to maintain work.
But workers said Evri had "put all their eggs in one basket" in an attempt to save money, which had put off workers from travelling to the new location.
They said this had further contributed to staff shortages.

"They just can't get the drivers - they've been bringing in taxis."
Couriers were left under pressure to return to the depot after completing two or three runs in order to help clear the backlog, it was claimed.
"What I am delivering in my car, you could get in a seven-tonne truck, it's a lot of stress and pain," another worker said.
They added that many new starters could not cope with the pressure.

The sooner there is a law that says you must be told who the parcel carrier is before you pay for anything ordered online, the better. Companies would switch to the more reliable (or less unreliable) carriers fairly quickly.

Amazon use lots of different carriers.

I received a RM signed for package today that was sent out to me on Tuesday

A parcel I ordered on the 20th November arrived today. It was a ‘Santa’ present so I’m happy it’s finally arrived.

Why? Money.