Royal Mail given permission to raise stamps by up to 5p

Mayday

Royal Mail has been given the green light to raise the cost of a first-class stamp by 5p to 46p next April.

This would be the largest increase since first-class postage began in 1968.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11710061

moneypooh

better start stock piling now then

peter_the_piper

If the government had not forced the sale of the most profitable bits I doubt that the price rise would be in the pipeline.

Crowqueen

I don't understand this government, they don't seem to be doing anything that really benefits anyone, as far as I can see.

forgotmyname

Crowqueen wrote: »

I don't understand this government, they don't seem to be doing anything that really benefits anyone, as far as I can see.

That is only because you are not in the government, If you were you would find lots of benefits.

Or your not rich, You would find benefits then as well i guess.

Crowqueen

I bloody regret voting for them, I'll tell you that much. I'm glad I live in Tory Wokingham, so my vote didn't really count that much. I can always spin it as a personal vote for John Redwood though, he's nice in person.

peter_the_piper

Crowqueen wrote: »

I don't understand this government, they don't seem to be doing anything that really benefits anyone, as far as I can see.

I was referring to the previous incumbents but the current mobs plans to sell it off are not good. If they take away the pension deficit to make it attractive, why not take it away to make it profitable?

Alias_Omega

I pretty much buy items which have free postage, i rarely purchase stamps these days as i can do everything through email / telephone.

soolin

Alias_Omega wrote: »

I pretty much buy items which have free postage, i rarely purchase stamps these days as i can do everything through email / telephone.

The point really is though that is the cost of sending a letter is going up it would seem to be a natural conclusion that the postage will go up for the rest of the bands as well. Books for instance used to cost me £1.85 to send a standard paperback, last April it went up to £1.95. This is one of the reason I have had to give up with Amazon as I can't afford to post the blooming things and still make a profit.

As this is a board that discusses ebay and other online sites I don't think it matters so much if we send all our personal letters by email, but more that as selelrs we have to pay to send goods but as buyers as well sellers will need to increase their prices to cover the increase. So although you buy with 'free' postage a seller will still have to increase their prices to cover their extra charges.

moneypooh

The basic stamp is just the start, the other bands always follow and then courier companies increase their prices in line with postage. Over the past few years all prices have increased a great deal. People using electronic means to send things does mean drop in turnover for all these companies and to maintain their working practices they will increase their prices too.

I do send many more items to charity now as ebay isn't worth the effort, people expect cheap delivery but RM is making that very difficult now.
I sent a book the other day and it was a bit heavier than I had calculated and it cost a bit more, I didn't charge the seller, it wasn't their mistake. BUT after it arrived she noticed I had undercharged and sent me the difference via paypal - what a star!

I'll be starting to get some extra stamps over the next few months.

At work, most things are becoming electronic now and I can see that next year that will become the norm.

78mjt

Crowqueen wrote: »

I bloody regret voting for them, I'll tell you that much. I'm glad I live in Tory Wokingham, so my vote didn't really count that much. I can always spin it as a personal vote for John Redwood though, he's nice in person.

Don't blame this govt for trying to claw back the deficit, look to the clowns who got us here in the first place...