Post office!

Pricefamily4

Well I have loads of companies that I would like to nominate on here especially NTL but today I have to put something down about the post office to see if it is just me or are then suddenly incompetant at doing something that has been done well for over 200 years!!

If you don't want to read all this then skip to the bottom

I have for the last 5 weeks had at least 8 documents sent to me by various insurance companies (i'm buying a new house and my car insurance has come up) all of which have failed to reach us, also my friend bought my wife some chocolates from hotel chocolat (doesn't mean anything to me but i've been assured that they are an expensive brand) which also failed to turn up!

we have called the post office (local and sorting office) to be told that we have to have the information of which post it was sent in what class stamp did it have on it and where was it sent from. So after spending hours on the phone at a cost to me (including all the time spent re-arranging the forms to be sent again i'm £25 out of pocket so far) I hand the information over to the post office to be told that "oh it was only sent first class? it's not garenteed for next day delivery"

"I Know that, but it should arrive 72 hours after being sent" (having always belived this and never been proved any different)

"Nah it will probably arrive in the next 7 days that is how long first class takes" the simple sounds phone monkey tells me!

"since when has that been true it's always been upto 72hours later" I exclaim!

"since we've changed our prices" She appears to be quoteing an over used sentence

"So I pay more and get a worst service" I joke

"it appears so" phone goes dead!

So I call again to make a complaint about the last person and just meet brick walls and lots of I'll put you through to the relevant department rubbish for about 10 minutes at which point I'm no better off all my post is still lost and someone is probably walking around with my identity and getting fat off my wifes chocolates!!

Summary:
send everything recorded delivery if you want anything to get there it might cost you more (which is what I believe they want) but you know it's going to get there!! it's terrible that this former powerhouse of standards within this country has gone this way but that is privitisation isn't it!

superscaper

Pricefamily4 wrote:

send everything recorded delivery if you want anything to get there it might cost you more (which is what I believe they want) but you know it's going to get there!! it's terrible that this former powerhouse of standards within this country has gone this way but that is privitisation isn't it!

I have to disagree, recorded delivery tends to be no better, if you really need a guarantee it needs to be at least special delivery. If you are sending something recorded it is down to you and even more the non-recipient to prove the recipient DIDN'T get it if you are claiming compensation. Also it is rife with post not being delivered but mysteriously still being signed for.

Pricefamily4

superscaper wrote:

I have to disagree, recorded delivery tends to be no better, if you really need a guarantee it needs to be at least special delivery. If you are sending something recorded it is down to you and even more the non-recipient to prove the recipient DIDN'T get it if you are claiming compensation. Also it is rife with post not being delivered but mysteriously still being signed for.

Sorry special delivery was what I meant the one in the silver packet thing anyway!! thanks for the correction!

superscaper

Which if you're sending something small is ridiculously expensive. I've been sending a few parcels (ebay sales) of late and it's a complete nightmare working out what postage I should charge, especially with very large items and I have no way of accurately weighing them. My local PO is great and the staff are really helpful and friendly but the PO as an entire organisation is a mess. I always worry I might be missing something important from lost mail but if I don't get it how do I know something was sent to go missing? Not as if you're going to get followup phone calls for every piece of mail someone sends. But some couriers are just as bad, something says "fragile" or "this way up" is almost an invitation for mistreatment. Stark contrast to when we got a plasma tv a few weeks ago, empire direct I think, they don't use couriers they deliver themselves and the guys that delivered it were great, friendly and extremely careful and ensured I had the right contact details if I had any problems.

Pricefamily4

superscaper wrote:

Which if you're sending something small is ridiculously expensive. I've been sending a few parcels (ebay sales) of late and it's a complete nightmare working out what postage I should charge, especially with very large items and I have no way of accurately weighing them. My local PO is great and the staff are really helpful and friendly but the PO as an entire organisation is a mess. I always worry I might be missing something important from lost mail but if I don't get it how do I know something was sent to go missing? Not as if you're going to get followup phone calls for every piece of mail someone sends. But some couriers are just as bad, something says "fragile" or "this way up" is almost an invitation for mistreatment. Stark contrast to when we got a plasma tv a few weeks ago, empire direct I think, they don't use couriers they deliver themselves and the guys that delivered it were great, friendly and extremely careful and ensured I had the right contact details if I had any problems.

The empire direct service is the sort of service that I had come to expect from the PO and I agree that the staff in the post offices are generally very friendly and helpful. I'm just having a rant to get it off my chest!

juno

First class can take up to 15 working days to arrive, ie 3 weeks

Pricefamily4

but since when it has always been virtually next day or the day after that for me! I never remeber hearing anything about 15 workings days when I was a kid or when I was living in germany. If someone sent me something from England first class while I was in Germany it would still only ever take 4 days!! and only 5 when I was in Canada!

isayoldchap

Pricefamily4 wrote:

Well I have loads of companies that I would like to nominate on here especially NTL but today I have to put something down about the post office to see if it is just me or are then suddenly incompetant at doing something that has been done well for over 200 years!!

If you don't want to read all this then skip to the bottom

I have for the last 5 weeks had at least 8 documents sent to me by various insurance companies (i'm buying a new house and my car insurance has come up) all of which have failed to reach us, also my friend bought my wife some chocolates from hotel chocolat (doesn't mean anything to me but i've been assured that they are an expensive brand) which also failed to turn up!

we have called the post office (local and sorting office) to be told that we have to have the information of which post it was sent in what class stamp did it have on it and where was it sent from. So after spending hours on the phone at a cost to me (including all the time spent re-arranging the forms to be sent again i'm £25 out of pocket so far) I hand the information over to the post office to be told that "oh it was only sent first class? it's not garenteed for next day delivery"

"I Know that, but it should arrive 72 hours after being sent" (having always belived this and never been proved any different)

"Nah it will probably arrive in the next 7 days that is how long first class takes" the simple sounds phone monkey tells me!

"since when has that been true it's always been upto 72hours later" I exclaim!

"since we've changed our prices" She appears to be quoteing an over used sentence

"So I pay more and get a worst service" I joke

"it appears so" phone goes dead!

So I call again to make a complaint about the last person and just meet brick walls and lots of I'll put you through to the relevant department rubbish for about 10 minutes at which point I'm no better off all my post is still lost and someone is probably walking around with my identity and getting fat off my wifes chocolates!!

Summary:
send everything recorded delivery if you want anything to get there it might cost you more (which is what I believe they want) but you know it's going to get there!! it's terrible that this former powerhouse of standards within this country has gone this way but that is privitisation isn't it!

Do you get the same postperson on a near regular basis or has there been a change of personnel?Do you speak to your postperson?
I would also ask the companies sending the stuff if they have your exact
address.
Complain in writing to the post office.Also to Postwatch after you receive the PO replies.I realise it takes a few weeks but it should be logged.
They might want to set up your delivery personnel.

isayoldchap

superscaper wrote:

Which if you're sending something small is ridiculously expensive. I've been sending a few parcels (ebay sales) of late and it's a complete nightmare working out what postage I should charge, especially with very large items and I have no way of accurately weighing them. My local PO is great and the staff are really helpful and friendly but the PO as an entire organisation is a mess. I always worry I might be missing something important from lost mail but if I don't get it how do I know something was sent to go missing? Not as if you're going to get followup phone calls for every piece of mail someone sends. But some couriers are just as bad, something says "fragile" or "this way up" is almost an invitation for mistreatment. Stark contrast to when we got a plasma tv a few weeks ago, empire direct I think, they don't use couriers they deliver themselves and the guys that delivered it were great, friendly and extremely careful and ensured I had the right contact details if I had any problems.

I note you sell larger items on ebay.That said ,have you tried the £5.99 inc vat service advertised on ebay by payperdrop.Weights are up to 31.5kg
and dimensions are very good.Service usually is DHL and yes I have used them and for me they have been great.Item very easy to order on line and collected from which address you like.I think the post office may become history for your over £5.99 items and you get a £50 insurance inc.Might be able to increase this.
Don't always need to know the weight just approx to max and get the dimensions to exact plus 5%.:beer:

Pricefamily4

isayoldchap wrote:

Do you get the same postperson on a near regular basis or has there been a change of personnel?Do you speak to your postperson?
I would also ask the companies sending the stuff if they have your exact
address.
Complain in writing to the post office.Also to Postwatch after you receive the PO replies.I realise it takes a few weeks but it should be logged.
They might want to set up your delivery personnel.

I don't know if we get the same one all the time as I'm at work when they bring it round at about 1-2 o'clock (yet another thing that has changed they just get later and later)

so that pretty much answers the question about do I know them lol

I'm just getting a letter together and the companies definately have the right address I checked that everytime I asked them to resend the stuff!

I am sure it must be being stolen but a good feeling about something isn't enough to get any action!

Turning_into_scrooge

first class mail only takes 4 days to get to the person in Thailand max, providing you pay the air fee.