Topic: Postage prices - no lumps allowed

[Digeroo]

I had a couple of small rooted cuttings I was going to send to a fellow A4A member.  It made a very small packet when through the bigger slot.  Even though it was in a bubble pack there was a lump in it, so now seems it must go as a small package.  Cost to send £2.40.

Now now bigger seeds and little bits of twig are too pricey to post.

[grannyjanny]

The cost of postage is terrible now. A friend of my daughter makes jewelery so not big items. She went to post 3 packages & it cost her £27. She didn't feel she could ask for more from customers as she had quoted. No profit on those items, in fact a loss .

I'm sure the A4Aer understands Digeroo.

[tomatoada]

I wanted to order 1 packet of tomato seeds but the postage was more than the seeds.   I have posted birthday cards which were bulkier with a second class stamp.  Surely the seed companyies could vary their postage more.

[grannyjanny]

It's odd really because places like Premier seeds direct on ebay only charge 57p no matter how big the order.

[goodlife]

I'm sure that the price sometimes vary depending who is serving you behind the counter..
In our local post office there is one particular woman who is very picky..I never ever go to her anymore when I'm sending my 'secret little parcels' that has some 'craft materials' like 'beads' in it ..she even has nerve to start squeezing my envelopes on front of me...
And if the envelope doesn't go easily through the slot..you can be sure she will make me pay for the more expensive category..other ladies on counters often use gentle push to fit the envelope into smaller slots.

[gavinjconway]

Hi Goodie - BTW the envelope is supposed to fall through without any pushing..  Yup the new prices are crazy. Especially as there is now a "small parcel" maximum slot of 8cm which most of my vinyl signs in cardboard tubes are bigger than!! Prices gone from £2.70 to £5.50... !! eeeks...

[caroline7758]

My niece sent out 100 or so wedding invitations. Because she had tied pretty string round them they had a bulge in the middle so should have gone "large letter". Rather embarrassing for her when all the guests got a card asking them to pick up from P.O. and pay 19p extra postage plus a £1 handling charge!

[Chrispy]

Hi Goodie - BTW the envelope is supposed to fall through without any pushing..  Yup the new prices are crazy. Especially as there is now a "small parcel" maximum slot of 8cm which most of my vinyl signs in cardboard tubes are bigger than!! Prices gone from £2.70 to £5.50... !! eeeks...

The do not have to fall freely through, you can give a little push. This is the official info from the royal mail, some post office staff will say different.
I have probably sent hundreds of large letters that needed a little push and never had a problem with any.

There are some exceptions as regards to cardboard tubes, may not affect you but worth checking out just in case.

Edit: I am confused about the cardboard tubes, just checked the web site, and although it does say there are exceptions with tubes, the dimensions they gave are no bigger anyway 

[Digeroo]

It was not a problem with the slot, it went through that without problem.  I was told it was the lump and therefore it might get caught in the handling machines. and so it would have to be a package.  Seems this is a new rule. 

I do not understand - seems you can have a card with a badge on it.

I will have a look into a tube.  It will go in a tube easily. Seems a tube has to be a package rather than a letter.

I think companies have different charging rates depending on the quantity.   

[chriscross1966]

It's a problem caused by ebay and Amazon mostly.... 15 years ago most parcels received by individuals were birthday/christmas presents, just a few, from distant rellies.... Now we all get a bunch of them a  month with all sorts of things in them.... there has been little advance in sorting techniques in the recent past and whereas it was always possible to cross-subsidise the parcels with the rest of the post  when there wasn't much parcels, they are now effectivley giving money to the likes of ebay or at least its sellers.... THe cut-throat world of parcel mail in this country can put a hand-sorted and delivered package into your hands for about a fiver..... until something weighs 20lbs or so there's little to worry about with weight  in the sorting process, but the delivery of the mail is generally done by bike..... I'm rather amazed they can do it at all for what they charge (I've worked in despatch, the process is pretty streamlined by all the major companies, RM included)....

chrisc

[steveg1966]

I have started to use myhermes instead of royal mail we buy the postage on line print the labels off and take to our local londis shop and they charge a fraction of the cost last week I sent a large parcel that would have cost around £14 with RM and it cost me £4.40 tracked with myhermes.

[artichoke]

Do they take parcels from UK to Germany? I have a heavy parcel (Kenwood mixer) to send.

[goodlife]

It was not a problem with the slot, it went through that without problem.  I was told it was the lump and therefore it might get caught in the handling machines. and so it would have to be a package.  Seems this is a new rule. 

I do not understand - seems you can have a card with a badge on it.

I will have a look into a tube.  It will go in a tube easily. Seems a tube has to be a package rather than a letter.

I think companies have different charging rates depending on the quantity.

Most of my parcels are lumpy and I've never had any problems with them or anything been mentioned about it?!

[Chrispy]

The actual rule is it has to fit inside an area of 353x250x25.

If it is lumpy, then although it may fit through the slot it may not fit the specs

Think of it like this, if the packet was lying in a flat surface, would any part of it be more than 25mm above the surface?

[Digeroo]

I have been told they have changed the rules and even if it  is smaller than 25mm and it must not be lumpy.  It is in an A5 size bubble pack you really have to prod it to detect the bumps.

Its only a couple of twigs, it weighs hardly anything.

[Ellen K]

Do they take parcels from UK to Germany? I have a heavy parcel (Kenwood mixer) to send.

Try a broker like Interparcel - I've used them quite a lot over several years and they are fine.

[Chrispy]

Well there is nothing I can find on the royal mail website that says anything other than size and weight, except for this video that calls a parcel as 'something a bit lumpy bumpy'.

http://www.royalmail.com/video-top-tips-preparing-your-mail

I would drop customer services a quick e-mail to query it, it certanly does not seem to be right.

[Digeroo]

The lower price is for a large 'letter' and bits of twig are not letters.  Now if I put a card in, then perhaps the bits of twig can go as a badge.

[claybasket]

I'm sure that the price sometimes vary depending who is serving you behind the counter..
In our local post office there is one particular woman who is very picky..I never ever go to her anymore when I'm sending my 'secret little parcels' that has some 'craft materials' like 'beads' in it ..she even has nerve to start squeezing my envelopes on front of me...
And if the envelope doesn't go easily through the slot..you can be sure she will make me pay for the more expensive category..other ladies on counters often use gentle push to fit the envelope into smaller slots.

I said this to OH as two old gits run our village PO and they are just down right nasty!OH sent passports for renewal and both were the same size same everything,one went through the slot and one never OH told the nasty old boot to try pulling a little she said no ! youll pay the extra ! well he kicked off and shouted for the manager, and they did let it through as they were both the same ,we have never gone back there ,we go to the next village and AM sure packages are cheaper! and they are much nicer to there customers,

[Chrispy]

I asked about this when I was in the post office.

No such rule, if it fits the size/weight thats all that matters.