Getting charged for free BFPO Parcel 26 September 2009 at 12:58PM in UK armed forces MoneySaving 6 replies 8.4K views

chelle23

I have just sent a package to my other half who was deployed to Afghanistan last week. I have confirmed that his address is eligible for the 2kg free postage policy. However, when I went to my village Post Office they were having none of it and I was charged £6.55. His excuse was that his list of eligible addresses doesn't include BFPO 792, although I confirmed on the BFPO website that it is. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I don't want to have to travel 10 miles to my nearest town post office every time I send a package. Is there any way I'll be able to claim my £6.55 back?

Cheers

Trying_to_be_good

Horrible to have difficulties when you must already have enough stress going on.

I just checked the Royal Mail website, and 792 is defintely on their list.
Maybe take a print of this with you next time? http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1?catId=400038&mediaId=58800706

Did you get a receipt for your £6.55? I'd go back to that Post Office with the print and ask for a refund - his list might be out of date, and he can only work on the information he has been given. The free postage comes out on 'FF' printed labels.

philmorgan85

Having just gotten back from BFPO 792 (Bastion) it is free, use the Royal Mail complaints system via their website.

In the village post office, explain that 792 is in Afghanistan and point them towards their own website.

Failing that address it as follows:

24000000 Pte Smith AP
C Coy
3 Blanks
BFPO 792
VIA
BFPO 772

you'll be surprised that the majority of mail hits bastion anyway!

Hope this helps.

blondierm

I had a constant battle with my local PO on several deployments..........the postmaster would insist on needing to know to which country the parcel was going to (which I wouldn't tell him even if I knew - as a RM he was often on ship for months and could have been anywhere in the world for all I knew!), then insisting on charging me the "world airmail" rate, instead of the BFPO rate (which is equivelant to uk inland rate as the post only has to be paid to get it to a depot in the UK then BFPO take over from there), or the free rate if he was in 792. Best thing to do is to keep recipts if they insist on charging you, and then speak to the post office directly about a refund. As the above posters have mentioned, you really need to stick to your guns, take as much info about the BFPO free service in with you as you can, and politely suggest he maybe needs to update his list of eligible BFPO addresses.
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=63400714&mediaId=20000205
If he still isnsists on charging you - I'd just walk straight out of there with your parcel and tell him you will take it elsewhere!

dzug1

It sounds like he doesn't know how to work his computer properly - there is a separate destination option for BFPO which will ask him for the BFPO number and price it as free if it's in the list. If he's consulting a manual list then it's likely to be way out of date even if he hasn't missed the odd update.

If he's pricing it as UK (intending to put in the postage as prepaid) then he's doing it wrong.

Village post offices may well do things wrong - they don't do it often enough to be familiar with the system.

skylight

Took a parcel in to the PO yesterday and I was given 1st class, 2nd class or BFPO Free as my three options! (Going to 792). What difference does it make 1st class or free?

philmorgan85

Doesnt matter, as soon as it hits BFPO it will go snail pace. BFPO all the way!!