Paypal postage - another nail in the coffin for post offices??

gardnt1

Just had an email regarding paypal postage etc, which has been going a while now, but still prefer to travel to my local post office as postmaster has given me great service over the years.
I don't know how true it is, but i mentioned that you can now print etc through paypal and he remarked that by doing this was helping to put more nails in the closure coffin of post offices as they didnt get a cut even though the parcels were still being dropped to them to process.........

made me think twice about using it.........any thoughts?

apprentice_tycoon

Yes, it's true, they have to handle the parcels without any benefit to themselves.

My PO has a very small office (it's in a convienience store) so all it takes is 3 bags of boxes and they are falling over them.
They get a lot of prepaid business mail and get exasperated with the sheer bulk of it added to the fact that business users don't buy the overpriced jiffys etc while they are there so there is no money changing hands at all

peter_the_piper

I bet there will be a steep rise in the amount of mail not delivered because of not enough postage.

marty1888

this is ebay trying to close down all sections of the Auction market and making money at all points.

I personally hate the fact that they make you use paypal and I certainly wont be using the postage service that they have recently started.

I will continue to use my local Post Office as i prefer the 1-1 service.

windswept

I HATE how the first option on ebay is for prepaid postage, are ebay/paypal trying to take over the world?
I will never use it, don't care how convenient, the P.O. in my village was closed down a few years ago, I don't want the same to happen with the one in the next village.
I feel that ebay is on the long slow decline, I dont see how it can continue after all the stupid changes, not in it's present form anyway.
Even 6 months ago you could make sales without really trying , now it doesn't seem to matter how much cross-promotion, how many combined postage offers, how many deals you have, the buyers don't appear to be there.
even watching my much bigger competitors, their sales are well down and they have items ending every hour of the day and night.

martindow

I am one of the lucky ones who has a very nice local PO within walking distance run by a lovely Indian couple. It's a pleasure to go down there and do my bit in ensuring its future.

Madam_Arcati

All of my local post offices all complain about parcels since they reckon that their payment works out to 1p per item handled.

I don't know how far this is true but I have been told this by four of ours.

neilwoods

Have to admit, have used royalmail'a online postage, but only as a last resort, due to workng hours. But wont use the paypal one. Plus they dont offer the use of second class.

As said, sales are well down, due to the sheer number of dodgy sellers. So many people are getting ripped and it is reported on national tv, ie news and watchdog and numerous other shows, that people are reluctant to use it now.

Feels like our local PO may be on its way out, 4 months ago, they had 3 people working there, now only 1.

greenstreetprince

I like many other's hate the way they've changed the default option in 'my ebay' from mark as dispatched to 'print postage label', its blatant manipulation of their power to influence their users.

i did once check it out, but quickly logged out of it as it didn't offer a second class option, as well as the fact that my brain instantly sent warning sirens ringing through my head telling me that paypal were likely to take the bulk of any payment i was about to make, not leaving much for royal mail whilst at the same time killing my local PO

postingalwaysposting

i dont like this either because again it takes away from independant post offices however, i have a pesonal gripe with post offices anyway because my local will not take more than 3 packages from me... yes its true but i have seen others carrying 20+ in and being served... so i have to pay more petrol to either go to a crown postoffice or a not so local office... but in all fairness its more to do with the lovely :rolleyes: ladys behind the counter

COOLTRIKERCHICK

i was talking about when royal mail started their online postage thing.. and the lady at my local post office was saying even though parcels were being paid for on line they still had to be weigh at the post office to be checked.. and she didnt get any moeny for that... so it must be the same with the ebay/paypal one....

i am a firm beliver in supporting..... local independant shops etc.. and that includes the post office...

they are talking a lot of services away from the p.o. tv licence ..pension books etc.... and next year instead of the card system they got to have their money paid into a bank account... so another big loss for small post offices....

i allways use my local p.o even though she is only open 4 days a week....for posting ebay stuff electric tokens and getting cash......

i personally think its not only paypal to blame but royal mail themselves as they are blatantly trying to cut out the p.o.