Do I need a letterbox

custardy

Errata wrote: »

My understanding was that they didn't want a letter box and couldn't manage to answer the postman's knock on the door of their business. Seemed a sensible solution to me.

in which case they could use the free call & collect service
paying for a PO box is a bit of a waste of money

barnabee

I am a postie too. Your question is 'do we need a letter box?' No you don't, but if you don't have one then don't expect to get any mail delivered to you unless you make alternative arrangements.

Under its licence, Royal Mail is obligated to provide something called the 'universal service'. This means that every working day, they must make at least one collection of mail from every post box and post office and at least one relevant mail delivery to every individual in the UK. However, the licence recognises that, in exceptional circumstances, it may not be possible to provide the universal service.

Royal Mail can be exempt from making daily deliveries to individual premises on either a long-term or temporary basis because of the rule concerning 'Difficulty of Access'
Royal Mail can enforce a temporary suspension of mail if the

Customer does not provide a secure delivery point e.g. no letter box in front door and no alternative delivery point offered

The lockable mailbox suggestion from vikingaero seems the most sensible idea. I fully understand the frustrations of all posties who are really being stitched up at the moment. Royal Mail are using the recession and lack of jobs outside to bleed the posties dry.

BlueAngelCV

Can you imagine how long it would take postmen to do their jobs if they had to ring on everyone's doorbell & wait for them to answer before deliverying the post?!

Freddie_Snowbits

Do I need a letter box, NO. Not only does it stop the Bills, but also stops my b1-tch from having a go at custardy's colleagues.:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

dmg24

Freddie_Snowbits wrote: »

Do I need a letter box, NO. Not only does it stop the Bills, but also stops my b1-tch from having a go at custardy's colleagues.:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

I'll tell Mrs Snowbits you said that about her!

fitshase

Just to clarify, there is someone in the office from about 8am every weekday (we usually don't get post until lunchtime anyway!). The door is downstairs and not in sight of anyone within the office. Therefore, for security, the door is locked but is on a buzzer intercom system to open it.

For the past 4 years, the postie has buzzed and we have answered without fail. The postie then puts the mail on the floor inside the front door and leaves. If it is a recorded/special delivery, we go down and meet him to sign for it.

It is only the past month where we have experienced problems. For 2 weeks in a row we didn't receive any post on a Friday. We phoned customer services and complained. The following week, our post was given to a neighbouring company across the street. They kindly brought it over the next day.

However, since complaining, it seems the manager of the sorting/delivery office has taken offence and has refused to deliver our post unless we unscrew the letterbox. He said it was illegal to have the letterbox sealed and he also said that the postman buzzed but no-one answered (which is a lie) so he is standing firm.

We're reluctant to go through the expense of having a lock box when we have had no trouble for the past 4 years.

I just get the feeling the manager of the sorting office is taking it personally and is being unreasonable.

bap98189

fitshase wrote: »

For the past 4 years, the postie has buzzed and we have answered without fail. The postie then puts the mail on the floor inside the front door and leaves. If it is a recorded/special delivery, we go down and meet him to sign for it.

Your previous postie was doing you a favour, they do not have to ring the bell and wait to deliver mail unless it requires a signature. I'm guessing you now have a new postie who is sticking to the rules. It's not surprising, posties are under considerable pressure nowadays to get deliveries done as quickly as possible. If they have to ring doorbells and wait for an answer, it adds time onto their round. You may think it only takes 90 seconds or so, but imagine they had to do it for 200 houses, that would add hours onto their days work.

However, since complaining, it seems the manager of the sorting/delivery office has taken offence and has refused to deliver our post unless we unscrew the letterbox. He said it was illegal to have the letterbox sealed and he also said that the postman buzzed but no-one answered (which is a lie) so he is standing firm.

It's not illegal, but if you want your mail delivered, you have to provide a post box for them to deliver it through. It's that simple. You don't seem to like this, but it is the way the Royal Mail operates and you are not going to change that by complaining. All you are going to do is get the back up of the people in the sorting office who are now going to stick to the letter of the rulebook and do you no favours at all.

We're reluctant to go through the expense of having a lock box when we have had no trouble for the past 4 years.

Then get a P.O. Box and collect your mail. That is your only other option.

I just get the feeling the manager of the sorting office is taking it personally and is being unreasonable.

You have clearly got his back up, but unfortunately, he has the facts on his side. You have annoyed him to the point where he and his staff are going to stick to the rules and not do you any favours. You think he is being unreasonable, but is just going by the book. More importantly his manager will back him up.

Solomon_Broad

I was under the impression that a business must have some way of having post delivered, but that a non-business residence isn't required to have that. Do I have this wrong?

Mark_Hewitt

On occasion we get Royal Mail trying to deliver our office, which is shared with many other companies. Our receptionist doesn't start until 8.30am yet he was here at 7.30am, how many offices have people in that early?

By chance I was in that early and collected the post, he complained to me that they expect them to deliver to businesses when most of them aren't open.

custardy

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

On occasion we get Royal Mail trying to deliver our office, which is shared with many other companies. Our receptionist doesn't start until 8.30am yet he was here at 7.30am, how many offices have people in that early?

By chance I was in that early and collected the post, he complained to me that they expect them to deliver to businesses when most of them aren't open.

unfortunatly its just not always possible to deliver at certain areas at certain times
unless businesses are paying for timed deliveries then they are just like everyone else and get their mail as the duty allows