OBA users? Where do you drop off your mail?

mrs_sparrow

As per the title really.

Do you drop off ay a Sorting Office or a Royal Mail Counter/Post Office?

I was sure I can use the Post Office but my local one says no, I cannot as it is a different contract. Is this true?

Thanks

celestius

mrs_sparrow wrote: »

As per the title really.

Do you drop off ay a Sorting Office or a Royal Mail Counter/Post Office?

I was sure I can use the Post Office but my local one says no, I cannot as it is a different contract. Is this true?

Thanks

I drop mine off at the local Post Office. You definitely should be able to! The first time I did it the lady behind the counter phoned R.M. to check as she had never done it before...

thebestnameshavegone

My local village Post Office is happy to take mine if it's only a couple of bags, but they don't have the room to store any more. The next nearest (a couple of miles further away) are much more accommodating, and even leave out a big sack full of mailing sacks for OBA users to replenish their supplies!

ravenjet

I take mine to my village PO (friends utility room open 2 mornings a week she gets paid per session regardless of how many transactions), PO within my local Nisa shop and crown PO in town. When I started doing oba I asked them all in advance if they would take the bags (as I would not be buying as much postage from them) and they were all happy so I just drop off at whichever is nearest or open when I pass, never had a problem.

Strapped

Post Office, or sometimes the sorting office if I'm in town.

Ring the PO and complain if your local one refuses your oba mail. (I had one that wasn't keen but now they begrudgingly take it).

mrs_sparrow

Perfect, thank you. There is one walking distance of the kids school, 2 minutes of walking distance and they told me they are not allowed to take them and that one postman refused and it was left there for a week until the lady came in to see where her mail was and it was sitting there.

It is ridiculous that I have to do a 20 mile round trip to the SO instead.

Thank you all. A call to the RM is in order I think!!

custardy

mrs_sparrow wrote: »

Perfect, thank you. There is one walking distance of the kids school, 2 minutes of walking distance and they told me they are not allowed to take them and that one postman refused and it was left there for a week until the lady came in to see where her mail was and it was sitting there.

It is ridiculous that I have to do a 20 mile round trip to the SO instead.

Thank you all. A call to the RM is in order I think!!

I would think a call to the Post Office is in order.

BigJonnyB

Just to clarify - Royal Mail will tell you that you can drop it off at any post office. Post Office Ltd have a contract to accept it with RM.

BUT - it is not stated in branch contracts (i.e. the contract between subpostmasters and Post Office Ltd) that we must accept it (i.e. franking is specified). Post Office Ltd will lean on branches, and get stroppy to those who refuse it. But they can do nothing about it if a branch refuses.

You may ask why a branch will refuse. The reason is quite simply, we aren't paid a single penny. Would you store bags of post securely on your premises at your expense for no pay? So it's great that many branches do accept it - but as a branch that doesn't I can tell you that if a branch digs in their heels then nothing will or can be done. A branch is completely within their rights to refuse it, on the fact that we aren't paid for it, it takes up considerable space and can cause health and safety issues, and we aren't contracted to do it.

The number of customers using this type of postage is massively rising as RM rip off smaller users and PO branch users. But I would seriously question anyone who expects their local branch to in effect subsidise their discounts. i.e. you get a cheaper rate by going direct with RM, but still expect the convenience of a third party who incurs all the premises/ staff expenses etc. I accept it isn't the customers fault - it is both RM and POL for pricing like this, and not paying for acceptance of this post. And for what it is worth, if I was a bulk ebayer/ business poster, I'd use this form of post. But knowing what I know about PO branches I would not expect them to take it, as it is not just reducing their income, but increasing their costs.

So without being too argumentative myself - if your branch takes it, great. If they don't - look at it from their perspective for a minute. Think about what you'd do for your own business, and whether you'd be prepared to do work for nothing/ at an expense before shouting at the branch staff or complaining to POL etc.

celestius

Before I got my O.B.A. I used to post around 10 parcels a day through my local P.O. - they don't care about footfall so when I moved to O.B.A. they were quite happy to let me walk through the shop and leave my bags in the back room.
At most I have 4 grey sacks, they don't take much room up and there are several collections a day.
I still use the P.O. counter and buy from the shop so everyone is happy!

ravenjet

I only use oba for parcels as I do not sent enough letters to qualify so I still buy stamps over the PO counter to still give them some business.