How late would you leave it to order Day 2 tests?

[MaggieFS]

Heading to Spain in a couple of weeks and I'm holding off ordering the tests just in case all the current fuss about the costs of tests does bring them down.

All I need to complete my return PLF is the reference code which will be provided in the email receipt so I could even order the tests once I'm away, as all I need is for them to be waiting for me when I get home. I don't physically need them before I depart. (I will get the pre return departure LFT done locally while away rather than take those with me).

Most companies seem to say allow 5 working days for delivery, so it seems like a reasonable plan to me.

Any flaws?

I ordered mine when we did our lateral flow tests to come home (48 hours before) in case we tested positive and had to stay longer, however they didn’t arrive until day 3 so I don’t recommend leaving it that late!

@Littleone638

I ordered mine when we did our lateral flow tests to come home (48 hours before) in case we tested positive and had to stay longer, however they didn’t arrive until day 3 so I don’t recommend leaving it that late!

I did the same. Although mine arrived on the day I landed, so I guess it depends on the company.

I ordered mine a day or two before leaving as we weren’t sure what day we were coming home till the last minute. Ordered with Prenetics, they will send them out with DPD for next day delivery if you order before 2pm, or if you want them later you just change the DPD delivery date.

I chose Prenetics because we could control what day they would arrive whereas with companies using royal mail it could be any of a range of days - too early and we wouldn’t be there, too late and it’s past day 2.

does it matter if they arrive early? Can you just order them to arrive before you leave, so that you can then do them when you arrive back? I dont think there is anything that would expire in them in that sort of time frame, is there?

Did the same, hoping prices would come down but in the end we ordered 3 days before returning home. All arrived by Royal Mail before we returned and waiting for us.

Peppermint in our case if they arrived early while we were away, they’d either sit at our royal mail sorting office awaiting collection (it has very limited opening hours at the moment so we might well not be able to collect by day 2) or they’d be left on the doorstep and get nicked or rained on.

If you have a secure parcel box it’s ok. Or maybe if you’re only ordering 1 and it can go through a letterbox - we need 4 so it’s a chunky parcel (arrived today, no way would it have gone through a letterbox).

Oh sorry just realised you are suggesting to order them to arrive before you leave the UK!

Yes we could have I think, but in our case we were expecting/hoping for a rule change so the tests needed would change.

oh I see. I'm hoping to order just one, which should fit in the letter box I guess - or actually I was assuming I could just order it to arrive before I leave, and save it, but I wasn't sure if that would work.

I ordered mine two days before I left Spain

I ordered mine while we were in Spain (Randox). I ordered 21 July, needed them by 27 July. They arrived the night of 27th (so the very end of our Day 2), although TBH, I'm not sure how crucial it really was doing it by end of Day 2? Anyway, I just didn't want to pay out for something until I'd actually set foot on Spanish soil.

We ordered ours after we tested negative on the LFT for the return. Unfortunately the tests arrived the same day we did, but two hours before we arrived at home. As they came via RM Tracked 24, we received the Sorry You Were Out card. And it was a Saturday.

I called yesterday to arrange for redelivery which will be for Wednesday now and that puts us at Day 4. shrug I did a home LFT and haven't been anywhere, but since the new rules on Monday does it even matter anymore?

The point is that you can time this all to align with the Day 2 stars, but there are so many logistical moving parts that it may not happen exactly in the end and, ultimately, its not worth stressing about TOO much.