Royal mail consultation on increasing small parcel size

molerat

thebestnameshavegone wrote: »

My local Post Office have been informed that changes to the Small/Medium parcel sizes are afoot too - one of them is off on a training course in a week or so. They've been told informally that 'shoe box size' will quality for small parcel rates 'from some time in October', although don't yet know anything officially. They're very pleased as weren't looking forward to Christmas - so many people only post parcels at that time of year and were in for a shock at the changes introduced in April.

Do hope the cube exemption doesn't get cut - I've just bought 100 of them!!!!

The 160 cube is within the proposed new exemption size, 350 x 250 x 160mm, and is specifically mentioned in the consultation so really is no longer needed as a separate exemption. With the new sizing the "exemption" will really be the old "normal" size, how many under 80mm packages are there compared to the new sizing.

thebestnameshavegone

molerat wrote: »

The 160 cube is within the proposed new exemption size, 350 x 250 x 160mm, and is specifically mentioned in the consultation so really is no longer needed as a separate exemption. With the new sizing the "exemption" will really be the old "normal" size, how many under 80mm packages are there compared to the new sizing.

Thanks for this molerat - had also bought some boxes sized at the current small parcel maximum size (35 x 45 x 8cm), but luckily only have a few of those left.

Suspect Hermes will be unhappy - they've scooped up lots of new business since April, a chunk of which may switch back to RM now.

ballisticbrian

Suspect Hermes will be unhappy - they've scooped up lots of new business since April, a chunk of which may switch back to RM now.

To be honest when Hermes cashed in by scrapping their 1kg slot, I had to go back to RM anyway.

soolin

Any rumours yet about how this consultation is going?

I have the chance of new stock and it is not really suitable to go MyHermes but is fractionally too large for the current RM small parcel rate.

campdave

Can't see it not coming in - consultations are only on things Royal Mail want to do, and I can't see anyone objecting to being able to post larger items for less money.

Only query is when it might come in.

soolin

campdave wrote: »

Can't see it not coming in - consultations are only on things Royal Mail want to do, and I can't see anyone objecting to being able to post larger items for less money.

Only query is when it might come in.

That's my feeling as well, RM usually only 'consult' when they know what the answer is going to be.

I am dithering again though about the new stock...I really need to say yes or no today.

ballisticbrian

Basically, my post office has been told to start telling customers so the cats out the bag.

Two things, I wonder how apologetic Royal Mail feel about all the business that invested in new cardboard boxes unnecessarily. I can really feel their pain on that (NOT)

Secondly, how will Hermes react when they put their prices up and abolished the 1kg slot and in a recent FAQ said they were not "cashing in" due to Royal Mail price changes. Will they show any "knee jerk" reaction to the changes which will show us just how management really run things at Hermes and whether they have any real business strategy of their own.

soolin

ballisticbrian wrote: »

Basically, my post office has been told to start telling customers so the cats out the bag.

Two things, I wonder how apologetic Royal Mail feel about all the business that invested in new cardboard boxes unnecessarily. I can really feel their pain on that (NOT)

Secondly, how will Hermes react when they put their prices up and abolished the 1kg slot and in a recent FAQ said they were not "cashing in" due to Royal Mail price changes. Will they show any "knee jerk" reaction to the changes which will show us just how management really run things at Hermes and whether they have any real business strategy of their own.

My local MyHermes shop appears to be struggling a little. They are not a traditional 'corner shop' so relied a lot on parcel trade as well as the laptop repairs and cheap end of the Iphone case market. They don't sell groceries, only sweets and until recently when they decided to start selling packaging they were very sparse. When MyHermes put their prices up they were completely unaware of it, they even checked online to see if I had misunderstood. They were also a little peeved that the uplift for a home colelction had been abolished as they got a few people saving money by dropping of fin the shop even thugh it was slightly less convenient.

The last couple of times I used them in early summer they were pushing other parcel companies, apparently they can act as agents now for all the major ones plus some I've never heard of. Yet I walk past them several times a week and there is never anyone in the shop apart from the occasional person trying to flog a dodgy phone.

steveE2

The consultation is ongoing until 5:00pm 16/10/2013
Any changes are planned to be introduced 28/10/2013

campdave

Hasn't realised an implementation date had been made available - it's going to go ahead then, there's no way they can wait for the outcome then issue all the post offices with new plastic templates, unless they're going down the wonderful cardboard box templates again.