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Post office, Postal Order Fees and Refunds
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Probably because a lot of complainants are just wrong and also show a surprising lack of knowledge/common sense of how businesses function, well illustrated by this particular case. As already pointed out, costs have been incurred in supplying a service which someone has to pay for.
Costs are incurred any time you buy a product, don't use it then return it. The vast majority of large companies, appreciating the importance of good customer service, will not charge a fee on returning unopened items. Indeed, many large retailers will let people return opened items (even if there's nothing wrong with the product) without charging a fee - John Lewis will even cover the postage for perfectly fine items which have been opened, used and returned! (EDIT: And for all you pedants out there, they will do this outside the distance selling statutory period. This is a business decision, not something they're made to do). For most big retailers, returns are an accepted cost of doing business.
The Post Office has no reason not to refund the admin fee - and the idea that over £8 worth of administration is involved in issuing a postal order then refunding it is ludicrous.0 -
Costs are incurred any time you buy a product, don't use it then return it. The vast majority of large companies, appreciating the importance of good customer service, will not charge a fee on returning unopened items. Indeed, many large retailers will let people return opened items (even if there's nothing wrong with the product) without charging a fee - John Lewis will even cover the postage for perfectly fine items which have been opened, used and returned! (EDIT: And for all you pedants out there, they will do this outside the distance selling statutory period. This is a business decision, not something they're made to do). For most big retailers, returns are an accepted cost of doing business.
The Post Office has no reason not to refund the admin fee - and the idea that over £8 worth of administration is involved in issuing a postal order then refunding it is ludicrous.
No reason from your view.0 -
A postal order is a service, the cost is for use of the system not in the value of the physical product, which is negligible. The full service of issuing and cashing has been provided, albeit to only one party. The same costs - cashier time, cash handling, IT, etc. have been incurred regardless of who cashed it.Costs are incurred any time you buy a product, don't use it then return it.
Not comparable. This is more akin to taking a train, staying on at the other end to come straight back and then wanting a refund.For most big retailers, returns are an accepted cost of doing business.0 -
A postal order is a service, the cost is for use of the system not in the value of the physical product, which is negligible. The full service of issuing and cashing has been provided, albeit to only one party. The same costs - cashier time, cash handling, IT, etc. have been incurred regardless of who cashed it.
It's ok, you don't have to explain what a postal order is to me, I understand what they are. The full service of issuing and cashing likely should't have been provided. My suspicion here is that the counter clerk made an error in cashing the postal order and that the postal order administration people are finding it easier to just tell the customer that the postal order has been cashed and that that's the end of it.
I would be interested to know from the OP - was it a blank, uncrossed postal order or did you have it crossed? If it was an uncrossed postal order I'm guessing the counter clerk just cashed it as normal, meaning you didn't get your admin fee back. If it was crossed then their only option would have been to carry out a reversal, as it's impossible to cash a crossed postal order in a Post Office. This would have resulted (I think, again it may have changed since I worked at the Post Office) in you getting the full amount you paid back, including the administration fee.
I'm thinking they either made a mistake, cashed the postal order then found that it was impossible to undo that so tried to get rid of you by saying the fee was non-refundable; or they just couldn't be bothered following the reversal procedure as it's a pain in the !!! to reverse postal orders.0 -
In the good old days, the 'admin fee' was called 'Poundage' and was the cost of issuing (and redeeming) the Order. My first one was for 2/6d and the poundage was 3d. Then, the deal was to cash it you would get the full face value. If it was the purchaser who wanted it refunded, even if a payee was named on the front it would be paid out only if the counterfoil was presented. Again, the face value was paid, nothing more.
Spin forward 60 years and the PO has changed somewhat - the paper order has no value. They are all worth precisely £0.00. When you buy one the serial number is scanned and validated to confirm it is worth the value printed on its face. It still has no value (unlike notes) the value is retained in the PO's computer. At encashment, or returning the serial number is checked and the value the computer system states is paid out - no more no less.
The staff time is one consideration, but the back office system that held your credit and paid out meant you used the service to the full and the charge is correct. Next time, send a cheque which costs you virtually nothing until it is cashed by the recipient.
You have an unrealistic expectation of costs, and the PO counter clerk was quite correct. You hare not entitled to a refund, only the face value of the order.0 -
the idea that over £8 worth of administration is involved in issuing a postal order then refunding it is ludicrous.they just couldn't be bothered following the reversal procedure as it's a pain in the !!! to reverse postal orders.
So there is significant admin involved in refunding then?0 -
The vast majority of large companies, appreciating the importance of good customer service, will not charge a fee on returning unopened items. Indeed, many large retailers will let people return opened items (even if there's nothing wrong with the product) without charging a fee - John Lewis will even cover the postage for perfectly fine items which have been opened, used and returned!
Do you truly believe that John Lewis and other large retailers are providing a return service free of charge? If so, you need to think again. Anything and everything they do is paid for by customers, always. John Lewis & Co have just chosen to work their total costs and overheads into their prices, so all customers pay a bit extra for all products. Thus you do pay for returns at John Lewis even if you never make any. I wouldn't be surprised if we all paid eye-watering amounts, too.
The Post Office has far fewer products than a firm like John Lewis, so have a lot less room to distribute their costs and overheads across all their products, and they have chosen to collect return costs & overheads on an actual return basis.0 -
If I worked in customer services then customers like the OP would be quite right to call me dismissive, rude, and belligerent. I'd also probably get fired for telling such customers that I had more important things to do than argue about refunding services that the customer has received and that worked perfectly.
The postal order was ordered, the fee agreed upon, and they then delivered exactly what they promised i.e. the value of the postal order in cash over the counter. The customer agreed the fee, and then decided who cashed the postal order.0 -
Now, surely this is part of her job and part of her salary pay and customers should not need to pay extra for this - am I out of order thinking this?
It took her less than 5 minutes to do so this works out at about £90 to £100 an hour - I think this is absolutely outrageous and something should be done about it.
I've just paid a solicitor £120 for discussing something with them in their office for about 30 minutes, so this works out at about £240 an hour - I think this is absolutely outrageous and something should be done about it.
Now, surely this is part of their job and part of their salary pay and customers should not need to pay extra for this.
However, I can't get the same service anywhere else for less, so I have no choice if I want to use this service.
Do you see a pattern here?0 -
I've just paid a solicitor £120 for discussing something with them in their office for about 30 minutes, so this works out at about £240 an hour - I think this is absolutely outrageous and something should be done about it.
Now, surely this is part of their job and part of their salary pay and customers should not need to pay extra for this.
However, I can't get the same service anywhere else for less, so I have no choice if I want to use this service.
Do you see a pattern here?
£240 an hour ?! Wow well I definitely should consider a career as a solicitor!0
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