Page 2 | Post Office - not allowed to post things!

RandomMess · 2020-12-31T13:19:37+00:00

DH has been told in Tier 4 they are for "essential services" only but they would to it today as a one off!! So is returning items ordered before Christmas and only just received within the 14 days allowed not "essential"??

satnighttakeaway · 31/12/2020 14:48

@MushMonster

They better not sell anything non-essential in that post office! Like chocolates or crafts supplies! The world has gone crazy!

There's no such thing as a non-essential item, if the shop's open you can buy whatever they sell in England anyway I don't know about the other nations

littlepattilou · 31/12/2020 14:51

@peppermintteadrinker

Slightly off topic, but I also hate that they ask what is in parcels. I know they have to but they're so loud and officious in our PO. I've started to feel tempted to reply with " sex toys" when they ask. Yes I know I'm being unreasonable but it irritates me

Ooooh, I hate this too. All they need to ask is 'are there any items in there that are on the 'restricted list?' I don't know why it irks me but it just does. As a previous poster said, 'there is always some nosey beggar eavesdropping.'

It's like when checkout operators pick up a magazine I have and start reading it, or comment on what I am buying. Like they're doing no harm, and I am being irrational, but I don't like people commenting on what I buy, or wanting to know what's in my parcel.

I went for a walk the other day, and had picked up some cans and bottles that had been thrown on the side of the road, and I had them in a bag-for-life. A man passing said 'hello, bit cold eh?' I said 'yeah..' Then he said 'whatcha got in the bag?' I just said 'just my purse and a bottle of water.

I thought WTF has it got to do with you?

@RandomMess I believe the jobsworthy individual in the post office was in the wrong!

mabelandivy · 31/12/2020 14:53

I'm Tier 4 and posted 2 ebay parcels this morning.

Persipan · 31/12/2020 14:54

@peppermintteadrinker

Slightly off topic, but I also hate that they ask what is in parcels. I know they have to but they're so loud and officious in our PO. I've started to feel tempted to reply with " sex toys" when they ask. Yes I know I'm being unreasonable but it irritates me

I was once considered as a bone marrow donor - in the end someone else was a closer match, but the additional testing they did involved me going to the doctor's and having two vials of blood drawn. One was immediately whisked away by a waiting courier; the other one had to be posted. So I went to the post office with it and of course they asked what was in it, whereupon I cheerfully announced 'some of my blood!'

lurker101 · 31/12/2020 14:56

That’s hilarious. The Post Office has spent years telling the country how essential they are to villages and towns (I don’t disagree) and now they’re refusing to accept post. For what it’s worth, I have been happily posting in Tier 4 London and judging by the length of queues at all our local post offices, so have many other people!

LetsGoFlyAKiteee · 31/12/2020 14:58

How odd!! Just sent back a shop return parcel and we're Tier 4..think its someone making their only odd call.

viques · 31/12/2020 14:58

I posted three parcels yesterday (presents that couldn’t be delivered because tier 4). Not asked what was in them, all accepted. One was delivered this morning. No post tomorrow so hoping the others get delivered on Saturday. Nothing perishable or explosive and I wrap very securely so even if they are stuck in a sorting office they should be safe. I also bought a few books of stamps since they are going up again from tomorrow.

Annoying my little local post office has stopped opening on a Saturday morning , which they have done since the year dot. Fortunately there is another one close by, bit of a trek but needs must.

StCharlotte · 31/12/2020 15:04

@peppermintteadrinker

Slightly off topic, but I also hate that they ask what is in parcels. I know they have to but they're so loud and officious in our PO. I've started to feel tempted to reply with " sex toys" when they ask. Yes I know I'm being unreasonable but it irritates me

When I ran a village post office we had to ask, as some things can't be posted for safety reasons (e.g. lithium batteries) or have to specially labelled (e.g. nail varnish).

One lady was particularly uppity about telling me the contents of her parcel so I told her I couldn't accept it. After some dramatic sighing, eventually she told me it was fireworks. More dramatic sighing when I rejected it.

JovialNickname · 31/12/2020 15:07

This irritates the crap out of me... if you're obeying the rules and shopping for non essentials online like you're supposed to... how on earth can you be criticised for making a return!!

There are some jobsworths/wankers out there... I suggest repeating the phrase "well it's a good job it is essential then isn't it" if anyone queries the worthiness of your parcel contents!

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 31/12/2020 15:11

Gosh, with the queues at our Post Office I only go there went it is essential even when there isn't a pandemic. I've never gone there just for the fun of it!

JovialNickname · 31/12/2020 15:13

As an aside, I went into nationwide the other day to pay in some cash (£200 in new £20 notes). I went to the counter and the lady said "I'm not touching your dirty money". She refused to take it and made me to pay it in the machine instead (causing a 24 hr delay in it being credited) despite me saying it's an envelope deposit only, someone still has to open it to process it? She said that person will wear plastic gloves. She was wearing plastic gloves.

Ho hum.

JovialNickname · 31/12/2020 15:14

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles

Gosh, with the queues at our Post Office I only go there went it is essential even when there isn't a pandemic. I've never gone there just for the fun of it!

Exactly... who queues at the Post Office for a laugh?

Palavah · 31/12/2020 15:22

@Saltisford

Omg I had a run in at the post office yesterday. I checked online to see if international postage is now allowed again - Royal Mail website had an update on Tuesday to say that it’s fine and items can now be posted abroad again. Well, the chap at the post office would not accept my parcel (after me waiting in a queue for twenty mins) as he had not had confirmation from ‘The Post Office’ and that ‘Royal Mail has nothing to do with The Post Office’???!!!! I checked the website again when I got home and the Royal Mail update links through from the Post Office website!!!! Any ideas on that one?!

Yes, they are separate companies.

Original poster

RandomMess · 31/12/2020 15:26

They've shut ore local one as if today so DH had to go into town.

Yep who queues 10 deep outside if they don't "have" to!!!

OP posts:

awwkkwwaard · 31/12/2020 15:31

'

WhatTiggersDoBest · 31/12/2020 15:34

I can really sympathise with the poor buggers at the Post Office trying to tell members of the Village Green Preservation Society that they can wait to send back the item they didn't need that they bought because they were bored.
Trouble is, there's no way for them to know whose parcels/letters are essential/non-essential so they have to remind everyone that they're only providing essential services.
On the flipside, if we lived in an ideal society where no one was being a twat and sending Covid to every corner of the earth by one-clicking random crap on Amazon for £2.99 + free shipping, I don't think the Post Office could judge people for sending items because they'd all be essential. But we don't. So maybe they should be saying it to people.

WhatTiggersDoBest · 31/12/2020 15:37

@RandomMess

They've shut ore local one as if today so DH had to go into town.

Yep who queues 10 deep outside if they don't "have" to!!!

My in-laws, unfortunately. It seems to be their favourite thing to do, to queue at post offices. We've had a real fight on our hands trying to get them to stop sending us the usual deluge of unwanted cards for non-events and parcels e.g. old clothes that are several years too old for our baby. Unfortunately, prats like them constantly finding loopholes and bending rules have ruined it for everyone else.

TheGreatWave · 31/12/2020 15:40

Oh my goodness I will be hated. I decided that today was the day that I really should send my sister her Christmas presents in an attempt to beat the price increases as of tomorrow. Packed it all up - got to the front of the massive queue and it was 2.096kg therefore a medium parcel and costing £££ and sort of getting into the same price as the value of the items. I took it back off her and decided to remove a couple of items, then queued again to post it. I ended back up at the same counter - luckily she didn't shout at me.

cortex10 · 31/12/2020 15:46

I now only go to the post office if it's a special delivery item or I need proof of posting. Otherwise I buy the postage label online and use the big parcels postbox that's been installed recently not far from us.

TheAlphaandtheOmega · 31/12/2020 15:47

I think with shop returns you can pay 60p and get the postman to collect it for you so you don't have to queue, I think it is 80p for parcels which aren't shop returns, avoids the very long queues this time of the year.

and they sound like a jobsworth.

SirGawain · 31/12/2020 15:50

Is it any wonder that the Post and Royal Mail are both struggling?

RedToothBrush · 31/12/2020 15:51

On the flipside, if we lived in an ideal society where no one was being a twat and sending Covid to every corner of the earth by one-clicking random crap on Amazon for £2.99 + free shipping, I don't think the Post Office could judge people for sending items because they'd all be essential. But we don't. So maybe they should be saying it to people

Sending covid by one clicking? Oh fgs.

Funkypolar · 31/12/2020 15:52

WhatTiggersDoBest - should we all stop buying things online then?

peppermintteadrinker · 31/12/2020 15:52

@StCharlotte yes, you're quite right. I did own up and say I was likely unreasonable.

NecklessMumster · 31/12/2020 15:57

Our post office workers are usually grumpy. I know it must be a hard job but I dread going. There is no customer service, it's like they are doing you a favour, barking at me to hold the parcel up for longer so they can see address, 'what's in your parcel ', no eye contact or smile, one counter only open during lunch hour. If I can get it in the post box I look up the postage online and bung loads of stamps on myself.