Post Office is overcharging me !!!!!help

Fatma_W

I sell items on Ebay with Free postage so I always try to calculate how much the postage will be.
And basically to save on postage you have to place item as flat as possible in the envelope so it will be charged as a large letter (1.17 for 200 grams)
If it' s doesn' t fit in the letter box it will be charged as a Small parcel which cost 2.80.
Now I've started packing items in this way if they fit, but at the post office branch they charged me 2.80 straight away without checking if the envelope goes through the letter box.
After the third time they have done that I realised it and I asked : can you put in the letter box? And it went through. The guy just said "oh, sorry, 1.17) . That ' s all.
I ve sent a complaint to royal mail but they just said we will inform the supervisor of the branch (i don' t give a damn about this I was just hoping for free stamps:))
Any idea how I can calculate exactly the cost of shipping and the size of the parcel?I don' t have any scale though ...
It will be hard to calculate each one and then see if price match but I will soon be posting bigger amounts of parcels.
Other cheap shipping methods in uk? My items are normally large letters or small parcels

Listerbelle

You can get your own measuring gadget for free from the post office

Horseunderwater

Buy some electronic kitchen scales - sort with a flat surface & bowl that sits on top. Then you can weigh without bowl in place to get an accurate weight of the item you are selling. Oh and 2nd class LL rate of £1.17 is up to 250grams - next bracket is £1.48 upto 500g.
http://www.royalmail.com/sites/default/files/RM_UK_Stamps_Franking_Wallchart_Mar2014a.pdf

RFW

Fatma_W wrote: »

Other cheap shipping methods in uk? My items are normally large letters or small parcels

Not under 1kg at low volume.

Goldiegirl

Why not just put the stamps on yourself, and post it in the postbox.

I do this for most large letters, and some small packets too, if they'll fit.

You don't get proof of posting, but I'm willing to take this risk for low cost items. In 5 years of regular eBaying, I've had one parcel that didn't get too it's destination. So the risk factor is pretty low.

It saves a lot of time too - less queuing at the post office, and when I do go in, I only have a few parcels for them, not a huge pile of them.

mrcol1000

Agree with the above. Get yourself a plastic large letter guide (you can get them on Ebay for a few quid) and some scales. Look on Royal Mail for prices. I print out my own little guide. Then buy a load of stamps and send yourself or even buy through Ebay. Just take the items bigger than a large letter to the post office.

Failing that change post office. Our local one the staff think they have magical powers and can guess the size. We go to a one slightly further way who check anything that is or might be a large letter. Really it is not in Royal Mail's best interest to take action against the post office when they are overcharging, so you can see why they are not eager to solve the problem.

kalsha

Agree with goldiegirl and mrcol1000.

I wouldn't be without my kitchen scales, tape measure, ruler and the template from RM. Before I got the template, I made one out of stiff cardboard and cut out the openings with a stanley knife. Everything gets tested in this template before I go to the post office.
The kitchen scales are a must - digital ones are very accurate.
I used to go to the PO eveytime to post and get a POP. Now I don't bother with anything under a fiver. In the 2 years I have lost only one small packet.
If you do use the PO, check everything at home first so if they tell you anything different, you can query.
If you are using those mailing bags which go as large letter, you will have to squeeze all the air out so they don't end up going as small parcel. Sometimes I find that I have squeezed all the air out and by the time I reach the PO, it has ballooned again. Now I have started using cardboard from cereal packets. I sandwich my item of clothing in the cardboard and staple or cellotape it tight so that it can't balloon up in the mailing bag. You do have to watch the weight of the packet as the cardboard can add 30-50g depending on the size.

martindow

If you know what it is I would put it on the scales and ask for the actual stamp you want - large letter first class for instance. If the clerk wants to check it you should be shown to be right (assuming you have measured it correctly).

TKPeters

Buy your own large letter gauge & write on the parcels Large Letter, so the PO Clerk will check it

xxdeebeexx

Write the price on the envelope/package as well so that you can't forget.
I tell the PO the price and size I don't wait for them to tell me.


dx

Obviously_the_best

Best thing to do is ask for £1.17 worth of stamps, stick them on in front of the person and then hand it to them asking for proof of posting.