Kantar - Royal Mail Monitoring and Posting Panel

HomingPigeon

I've received a cube that's badly battered, it's the second one that hasn't faired well going through the system, and it's given me an idea.

I regularly have old newspapers so I could fold some up and stuff the box with newspaper. It would at least make the box keep its shape as it goes through the system, and it would add a little bit of weight too. Any thoughts please?

Money_Grabber13579

HomingPigeon said:

I've received a cube that's badly battered, it's the second one that hasn't faired well going through the system, and it's given me an idea.

I regularly have old newspapers so I could fold some up and stuff the box with newspaper. It would at least make the box keep its shape as it goes through the system, and it would add a little bit of weight too. Any thoughts please?

I don’t think they are suffering damage going through the system - I suspect they are suffering damage going into the system, in that if they are sent via parcel boxes, they are too light to tip the counterbalance and so have to be forced (to the point of destruction) into the parcel box. Kantar have been told and as usual, did nothing to rectify it.

HonestJohn

I have had mashed cubes as well recently. Poorly made to start with, by the looks of it. Not much tape used.

kerri_gt

HonestJohn said:

I have had mashed cubes as well recently. Poorly made to start with, by the looks of it. Not much tape used.

I don't understand (except cost) why Kantar don't send out actual parcel tape vs sellotape for the cubes. I always use parcel tape for mine, not only does it hold them better and, look more professional (ie less suspicious) you use less because it's wider so covers the flaps to close without multiple lines of the stuff. 

HonestJohn

kerri_gt said:

HonestJohn said:

I have had mashed cubes as well recently. Poorly made to start with, by the looks of it. Not much tape used.

I don't understand (except cost) why Kantar don't send out actual parcel tape vs sellotape for the cubes. I always use parcel tape for mine, not only does it hold them better and, look more professional (ie less suspicious) you use less because it's wider so covers the flaps to close without multiple lines of the stuff. 

You could put your hand through the gaps in mine and see what is in them. Maybe they are trying to replicate what a normal punter does. A business would almost certainly use parcel tape.

kerri_gt

HonestJohn said:

kerri_gt said:

HonestJohn said:

I have had mashed cubes as well recently. Poorly made to start with, by the looks of it. Not much tape used.

I don't understand (except cost) why Kantar don't send out actual parcel tape vs sellotape for the cubes. I always use parcel tape for mine, not only does it hold them better and, look more professional (ie less suspicious) you use less because it's wider so covers the flaps to close without multiple lines of the stuff. 

You could put your hand through the gaps in mine and see what is in them. Maybe they are trying to replicate what a normal punter does. A business would almost certainly use parcel tape.

I'm a normal punter and always use parcel tape when sending errr..well...parcels   

HomingPigeon

Thanks all. I use my own parcel tape too (or Fragile tape, of which I have a big roll which was left over from a house-move).

On my latest cube one of the flaps had been pushed in and the whole box was barely closed. As mentioned before, probably the sellotape is not man enough for the job. Then it occurred to me that, had the box been stuffed full to capacity, the flap wouldn't have been able to be pushed in (if you know what I mean). The square of polystyrene is not really sufficient, IMO.

kerri_gt

HomingPigeon said:

Thanks all. I use my own parcel tape too (or Fragile tape, of which I have a big roll which was left over from a house-move).

On my latest cube one of the flaps had been pushed in and the whole box was barely closed. As mentioned before, probably the sellotape is not man enough for the job. Then it occurred to me that, had the box been stuffed full to capacity, the flap wouldn't have been able to be pushed in (if you know what I mean). The square of polystyrene is not really sufficient, IMO.

It also depends how the polystyrene is put in - I put mine in standing across the box diagonally so it's pretty wedged and there's two 'triangles' formed inside the box from the box walls and the polystyrene which should make it as sturdy as possible given the available materials. Others I receive have just put the polystyrene in loosely - which allows for max damage. 

HomingPigeon

I glue mine in diagonally, I am a crafter and I always have a bottle of wet glue to hand, it makes the box much more sturdy, but it would seem not all panelists are as thorough as us.

Saetana

I also use parcel tape on mine - no idea why Kantar give us that crappy sellotape to use, its far too narrow for parcels.  I've had cubes arrive in all sorts of states, bashed and battered, too little sellotape or my least favourite - absolutely covered in sellotape which makes it a real pain to get open.  I start on the main panel again next month and am not looking forward to it - every year I say to myself I will say no the next time they ask me back on the main panel but I still find myself agreeing.  I don't even use that many stamps - I put a book of first class in my family's Christmas cards every year and mainly just use the large letter stamps for the occasional parcels I send.  I'd be more enthusiastic if they paid us in points rather than stamps.