How rigorous are the post office on parcel size limits?

cepheus

I guess regular Ebayers will have a great deal of experience of this.

If you can fit a package inside a large envelope of 35.3cm x 25cm x 2.5cm thick it will qualify as a large letter (the cost of postage depends on weight with a 250/500/750 gram limit). How rigorous is this sizing. For example:

a) What happens if there is a bulge in the middle which exceeds 25mm, but the average thickness is less?

b) if a) What happens if it's flexible and if it's squeezed it a bit so the thickness becomes less than 25mm you can cram it though the sample hole for large letters in the post office?

c) What happens if you are just over? Does the recipient receive a bill?

chancesare_2

A. If it exceed then it exceeds. No ifs or buts or bits and pieces.
B. some Po's say if it touches the sides it is too big.
C. If it is sent, you run the risk of your recipient being charged and any associated feedback/INR or defects.


Wrap it appropriately and pay what is due.

soolin

cepheus wrote: »

I guess regular Ebayers will have a great deal of experience of this.

If you can fit a package inside a large envelope of 35.3cm x 25cm x 2.5cm thick it will qualify as a large letter (the cost of postage depends on weight with a 250/500/750 gram limit). How rigorous is this sizing. For example:

a) What happens if there is a bulge in the middle which exceeds 25mm, but the average thickness is less?

b) if a) What happens if it's flexible and if it's squeezed it a bit so the thickness becomes less than 25mm you can cram it though the sample hole for large letters in the post office?

c) What happens if you are just over? Does the recipient receive a bill?

a) The whole thing needs to go through the large letter slot at the PO, if any of it exceeds the limit then it must go as a parcel

b) depends on the Post office, some will squeeze it through others expect it to slide easily.

c) if a large letter goes when it should have been a parcel then buyer will be carded and charged the difference in costs plus £1 handling fee.

The large letter scheme is brilliant, except for when you sell something that is very very light yet exceeds the dimension- as one of my items did. I actually had to stop selling it after pricing in proportion came in all those years ago as it just looked odd for such a tiny thing to have to go as a parcel

cepheus

The parcel sent to me seems to be just within the large letter size in length and width, and I guess the fabric was very flat, but now it's expanded so its probably about 30mm but 10mm if you compress it, so will easily go through the hole but only if you push it.

I've had this problem before on several occasions and I guess what it costs a business can make or break it if they are sending thousands.

I expect the PO makes a fortune out of this ambiguity.

chancesare_2

Buy a PIP box for anything that shape shifts.

campdave

cepheus wrote: »

The parcel sent to me seems to be just within the large letter size in length and width, and I guess the fabric was very flat, but now it's expanded so its probably about 30mm but 10mm if you compress it, so will easily go through the hole but only if you push it.

I've had this problem before on several occasions and I guess what it costs a business can make or break it if they are sending thousands.

I expect the PO makes a fortune out of this ambiguity.

What ambiguity? Your parcel is thicker than 25mm. If you want it to fit, pack it into a rigid box or envelope that will prevent the fabric expanding,

RFW

cepheus wrote: »

I expect the PO makes a fortune out of this ambiguity.

It's not really ambiguous and the Post Offices don't earn that much on the parcels anyway.
I've said a few times that it wouldn't be a bad idea for a Which! magazine rep, or someone similar to take a 100g large letter, at the max size to several Post Offices and see how many different charges they get. Post Offices often upsell services that the customer doesn't really want. I often hear people paying for Special Delivery when they would have been happy to just send second class.

jeffuk

I'd imagine mail is sorted automatically, machinery will be size/weight sensitive, so will be rejected at some point.
Also be careful of items "bunching up" if loose in packaging.
As Soolin says, it could cost your buyer the difference in postal cost plus the £1 surcharge and seriously affect feedback/DSR rating.

RFW

jeffuk wrote: »

I'd imagine mail is sorted automatically, machinery will be size/weight sensitive, so will be rejected at some point.

From what I know it gets sorted in different ways. There's less chance of an underpaid parcel with a Post Office printed label being rejected than one with stamps on or something franked.

mrcol1000

As others have said, it depends on the post office. Some say it needs to slide through the slot easy. Other post offices will squeeze and push it through to accept it.

I wonder how much checking really goes on in Royal Mail. I had something large letter was putting a stamp on. Sent about 50 of them through a local letter box and all arrived no problem. I then discovered to my horror it weighed 170g, over the 100g limit for a normal large letter stamp.

Started using the correct postage from then but 50 of them over the course of three weeks were unpaid and arrived. I have though had to pay for a letter which a company sent (I suspect in thousands) and had under franked.

I fail to believe that everything is automatically checked. If it is then it is not working as I have received plenty of underpaid items and accidently sent a few.

RFW

mrcol1000 wrote: »

I wonder how much checking really goes on in Royal Mail. I had something large letter was putting a stamp on. Sent about 50 of them through a local letter box and all arrived no problem. I then discovered to my horror it weighed 170g, over the 100g limit for a normal large letter stamp.

I've just had a similar thing with a large letter parcel that was between 240 and 250g but always under. The manufacturer recently updated the product and I had no cause to think it was different but I had one that needed going a different post method so took it to the Post Office and found it was 255g, it looks like there's some new packaging that tips it over. I've sent quite a few in recent times with no problems. That was from my own printed postage.