Check width of Large Letter in Royal Mail plastic checker

slimfandango

Hi,
I used to use these (some items are very near/at the limit). I went in with a few and the lady said last year that they had to be able to fall through without effort or force.
Then I went and used the same red/grey device to check the size and she told me that the rules had changed, as long as you can pull the item through, it's ok.
Went back today to a backward minor PO and they were insisting on the former interpretation 'free drop'.
Any official word on this? Can't find it anywhere. Cheers.

lesliejack

slimfandango wrote: »

Hi,
I used to use these (some items are very near/at the limit). I went in with a few and the lady said last year that they had to be able to fall through without effort or force.
Then I went and used the same red/grey device to check the size and she told me that the rules had changed, as long as you can pull the item through, it's ok.
Went back today to a backward minor PO and they were insisting on the former interpretation 'free drop'.
Any official word on this? Can't find it anywhere. Cheers.

relative works for Po, and pull it through is correct.

martindow

I think it the luck of the draw how individual staff interpret the rule. Someone (Soolin?) mentioned one that said it had to go through without touching either side.

If you have an ultra fussy PO it may be worth going to another and trying that. Or posting them in a box and take your chances without a CoP.

RFW

It's supposed to fit through the slot, ie go in on one side and come out on the other, it's means of getting there aren't relevant. Small Post Offices are always trying to up their profits, usually for good reason, but that's not the punter's fault.

vacheron

I remember going to a large post office in the city centre with a soft item in a padded envelope to send as a large letter. The counter staff put in in the slot and then held it up to me in that mocking way they do when the item is too large in their opinion.

I explained that it was a soft item and could easily be pulled through. I was told this was not allowed and that it needs to fall through by itself.

In order to further add to the customers humiliation she held the template up higher so that everyone in the queue could see my incompetence and wobbled the template in a final show of superiority, at which point it slid through another inch followed by an achingly slow creep downwards.

I remember telling her "just hold that right there" as the rest of the envelope slid slowly through over the next 10-15 seconds and finally fell with a satisfying thump on to her counter.

Her look of disgust and annoyance as I handed her the large letter money was priceless.

m1kjm

I find that it's the staff in the small post offices around here that are really helpful but for me also it's the large, city post office that takes delight in making sure your letter will not get through the slot.

philatio

Yep.
As per usual with the Post Office you get different rules in different branches. Their staff training is pants.