# Royal Mail rant



## Mike.S (5 Aug 2014)

My father had posted me a birthday card last Friday week, by 1st class post, to reach me by the following Monday (28 July). Didn't arrive, but yesterday we received a card from the Post Office saying mail - with postage underpaid - awaited me at my local sorting office. I'd need to pay 11p postage plus £1 handling charge to get it.

Recognising the red envelope as containg the missing card I paid up. The postie explained that it was overweight, hence the first class stamp was insufficient. Got it home, popped the card on the digital kitchen scales and found it weighed 41g versus the max permitted weight of ....40g :evil: 

Bearing in mind the envelope had a post office sticker on it, pointing out the transgression, one wonders what tiny weight excess some jobsworth had decided made it worthy to delay the delivery and cause extra work/expense for all parties. Not sure whether I feel anger or despair at such pettiness.


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## dc_ni (5 Aug 2014)

I'd imagine it doesn't involve a human beyond the PICNIC* that programmed the system. If it was a human sorting/weighing i imagine they would let most go through. I know that won't make you any less annoyed or frustrated though, because i know it doesn't make me.





* *P*roblem *I*n *C*hair *N*ot *I*n *C*omputer


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## Harbo (5 Aug 2014)

I had a similar problem with a slightly oversized Christmas Card ( about 5mm longer on one side!) Not only had to pay the fee but also meant a 6mile drive each way!!
And it was Christmas - a bit of spirit missing I think?

Rod


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## dickm (5 Aug 2014)

"Royal Mail" is a private company now, so they need to cover their costs ....................


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## Baldhead (5 Aug 2014)

dickm":3dwcswim said:


> "Royal Mail" is a private company now, so they need to cover their costs ....................


Time they dropped the 'Royal' bit of their name then.

Baldhead


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## doorframe (5 Aug 2014)

This gets my goat.

There must be a set figure of 11p + £1 rip-off.

Here's the reply I gave an ebay seller recently when I purchased some tropical snails for my fish tank and 1 week later Royal Mail were 'decent' enough to inform me they didn't deliver because....

*Turned out to be 11p short on postage. They held on to the package and charged £1 for admin. About 12 snails were still alive.*

These were live animals that would otherwise have arrived safely and alive.


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## Phil Pascoe (5 Aug 2014)

I had an A4 envelope this morning, very neatly folded right through the "Please do not bend".


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## MIGNAL (5 Aug 2014)

I've got an idea. To avoid such problems, in future simply make sure the letter/parcel conforms to the weight that your particular stamp covers. :roll:


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## doorframe (5 Aug 2014)

MIGNAL":umcha2az said:


> I've got an idea. To avoid such problems, in future simply make sure the letter/parcel conforms to the weight that your particular stamp covers. :roll:



Rather presumptuous of you to assume the postage paid was wrong. In fact, more rude than presumptuous. 

In the case of my ebay seller, the package was posted over a Post Office Counter, and the sender paid the amount demanded. (I won't be rude enough to put the 'rolling eye' smilie)


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## Vic Perrin (5 Aug 2014)

I sent a letter to our County Council and after not hearing from them I contacted them and they explained that the documents that I had sent were more than likely to be over the size limit for a first class stamp and understandably they will not pay the excess postage charge. They told me to contact their local Royal Mail office as the letter may still be held their. I contacted the Councils Local Royal Mail Office in Stafford and they informed me that they only hold the oversize mail for a short time and that the letter had more than likely by now had been sent to the Regional Office in Stoke on Trent. Another call to Stoke on Trent and I was informed that the letter had been forwarded to Belfast as this is the only centre that can open mail to return to sender. Some weeks later I got a letter through the door postmarked Belfast! Upon opening the letter it contained the original documents that I had sent to the Council . I was not charged anything for the return of my mail and the sticker on my original envelope indicated an excess charge of 11p.

I know it was my fault for under estimating the original cost of posting but blimey how much did it cost for the journey that it made.

Vic


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## marcros (5 Aug 2014)

doorframe":3uhijl22 said:


> This gets my goat.
> 
> There must be a set figure of 11p + £1 rip-off.
> 
> ...



It is quite disappointing when the package would have been clearly marked "URGENT – LIVING CREATURES - HANDLE WITH CARE" as per the requirements on their website.


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## wizard (5 Aug 2014)

Here in Cornwall most post office scales vary some use very old bathroom scales i only send things if i weigh them myself. If any item is over 2kg it will go with UPS


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## doorframe (5 Aug 2014)

marcros":1sohii6u said:


> doorframe":1sohii6u said:
> 
> 
> > This gets my goat.
> ...



It was clearly marked. He was/is a reputable seller. Also included a heat pack as they were tropical. 

Your tone is sadly cynical. Do you have any idea what you are talking about, or are you just quoting and trolling?


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## Phil Pascoe (5 Aug 2014)

MIGNAL":27dn8bek said:


> I've got an idea. To avoid such problems, in future simply make sure the letter/parcel conforms to the weight that your particular stamp covers. :roll:


It's the mail we receive that's the problem, not the mail we send. :roll:


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## marcros (5 Aug 2014)

doorframe":39eehqs7 said:


> marcros":39eehqs7 said:
> 
> 
> > doorframe":39eehqs7 said:
> ...



Yes I do. But I have better things to do than argue with strangers on the internet. 

If it was clearly marked, then Royal Mail are at fault to delay such a package. I would expect that that is precisely what the marking is to prevent happening, otherwise why would they request that it be done. The trouble is finding somebody who actually cares to complain to when they will assume that it is about the £1.11 rather than the underlying problem.


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## MIGNAL (6 Aug 2014)

doorframe":npn6x5mh said:


> MIGNAL":npn6x5mh said:
> 
> 
> > I've got an idea. To avoid such problems, in future simply make sure the letter/parcel conforms to the weight that your particular stamp covers. :roll:
> ...



The letter was 41g. The limit is 40g. Do keep up!!



phil.p":npn6x5mh said:


> MIGNAL":npn6x5mh said:
> 
> 
> > I've got an idea. To avoid such problems, in future simply make sure the letter/parcel conforms to the weight that your particular stamp covers. :roll:
> ...



See reply above. :roll:


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## Mike.S (7 Aug 2014)

Well, 99% of the time I'd have just swallowed the situation, but this time I complained. Just received this reply:



> Dear Mr S******
> 
> Thank you for contacting Royal Mail.
> 
> ...


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## Phil Pascoe (7 Aug 2014)

MIGNAL":1gttkun6 said:


> doorframe":1gttkun6 said:
> 
> 
> > MIGNAL":1gttkun6 said:
> ...


Yes. It was mail he'd received, not sent.


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## Eric The Viking (9 Aug 2014)

Royal Mail seem determined to put themselves out of business.

They have such an overwhelming advantage in terms of infrastructure, compared to their competitors, and the taxpayer even picked up the pension fund deficit pre-privatization, it amazes me.

How can you not manage to make that operation successful? If it's volume they want, why are they encouraging internet small traders, etc. to find third parties?

I got caught the other day, too. Well Steve Maskery did: I sent him some screwdriver bits, as we'd gone into Toolstation who were completely out of sense* at the time, so I bought some later and posted them on. The packet, containing two screwdriver bits, was apparently "too thick" for first class post.

Wasted his time; made me feel skinflintish (could only find a first class stamp in a rush), angry at Royal Mail for wasting everyone's time, and just ill disposed towards them generally.

Our local posties are less than complementary about the new management too. If RM remember in time that they're selling a service, not a commodity, they might survive, if not people will desert them in droves for more accommodating carriers.

I had a letter arrive last week with an unusual stamp on it, from a bicycle courier service in the city. I intend to investigate further, as it looked really interesting (the service, as well as the stamp).

E.

*they had them in stock (lots of them) but had run out of the sense necessary to actually find them to sell to us.


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## RogerP (9 Aug 2014)

> The packet, containing two screwdriver bits, was apparently "too thick" for first class post.


 ... probably to thick for letter post which has a limit of 5mm but it could have gone "first class large letter" which has a maximum thickness of 25mm.

Here's a useful RM page ... http://www.royalmail.com/personal/help-and-support/Tell-me-about-size-and-weight-formats


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