Kantar - Royal Mail Monitoring and Posting Panel

HonestJohn

HomingPigeon said:

If you receive parcels from Amazon, why not reuse their packaging for the cube?

In an earlier post I suggested perhaps using old newspaper, or cut-up magazines, if you have any. I might give that a go the next time I have a cube to post. I also have lots of bubble wrap - I might use that too.

I have yet to send my first cube but I was also thinking of this. You would have to make sure it did not increase the weight over what was paid for.

HomingPigeon

I didn't realise they were charged on their individual weight, I thought it was the same as ordinary parcels pricing  - that is, parcels cost the same price for upto 2kgs in weight, only increasing in price if the weight goes over 2kgs. I don't think you could get enough paper/magazines/bubble wrap/polystyrene in the cube to take it to over 2kgs as the empty cardboard box is very light.

It's a good point though. If my memory serves me correctly, there is a weight printed on the label, so perhaps Kantar wouldn't like anything extra added to the box. And particularly so if they were being charged per weight. Might try it at home, see how much paper I can get in the box to keep it under the weight on the label.  :0)

HonestJohn

HomingPigeon said:

I didn't realise they were charged on their individual weight, I thought it was the same as ordinary parcels pricing  - that is, parcels cost the same price for upto 2kgs in weight, only increasing in price if the weight goes over 2kgs. I don't think you could get enough paper/magazines/bubble wrap/polystyrene in the cube to take it to over 2kgs as the empty cardboard box is very light.

It's a good point though. If my memory serves me correctly, there is a weight printed on the label, so perhaps Kantar wouldn't like anything extra added to the box. And particularly so if they were being charged per weight. Might try it at home, see how much paper I can get in the box to keep it under the weight on the label.  :0)

I have received cubes with stamps on valid for up 2kg but postage on account parcels labelled 1st class and 100g.

HomingPigeon

Same here Honest John, but I wonder if they pay just for the actual weight of the cube (100g) or if they pay the same price for up to 2kgs - like we would when posting our own parcel. Can the cube have some added weight, as long as it doesn't go over 2kgs? I think all the cubes say 100g on them.

HomingPigeon

^^^Sorry, I didn't mean ALL cubes, I meant all labelled cubes.

silvercar

HonestJohn said:

HomingPigeon said:

If you receive parcels from Amazon, why not reuse their packaging for the cube?

In an earlier post I suggested perhaps using old newspaper, or cut-up magazines, if you have any. I might give that a go the next time I have a cube to post. I also have lots of bubble wrap - I might use that too.

I have yet to send my first cube but I was also thinking of this. You would have to make sure it did not increase the weight over what was paid for.

I opted out of sending parcels, the reward isn’t worth the hassle factor or time involved in going to the post office.

kerri_gt

At the end of the day, imo, we are sent certain 'tools' for parcel postage and should stick to only using those, even if we wouldn't irl use such poor packaging. 
The RM pay Kantar to supply xyz items and if they are proven to be insufficient, then that's to be addressed between client and service provider, not for us panellists to sort out. 

HonestJohn

kerri_gt said:

At the end of the day, imo, we are sent certain 'tools' for parcel postage and should stick to only using those, even if we wouldn't irl use such poor packaging. 
The RM pay Kantar to supply xyz items and if they are proven to be insufficient, then that's to be addressed between client and service provider, not for us panellists to sort out. 

I am inclined to agree with this. This thread has had a few comments about getting around certain problems which seem to be against what we are asked to do.
To be honest I am not looking forward to sending parcels. Too much hassle for the 'reward'.

silvercar

HonestJohn said:

kerri_gt said:

At the end of the day, imo, we are sent certain 'tools' for parcel postage and should stick to only using those, even if we wouldn't irl use such poor packaging. 
The RM pay Kantar to supply xyz items and if they are proven to be insufficient, then that's to be addressed between client and service provider, not for us panellists to sort out. 

I am inclined to agree with this. This thread has had a few comments about getting around certain problems which seem to be against what we are asked to do.
To be honest I am not looking forward to sending parcels. Too much hassle for the 'reward'.

As I said, you can opt out of sending parcels.

HomingPigeon

I wonder if Kantar are aware of the problems of receiving cubes with inadequate packing inside? When recording received items I can't remember being given the opportunity to let them know about squashed/battered cubes. Mind you, I imagine they know about this forum, so they probably do know about it if they look in. They run surveys for other companies as well as the RM though, so perhaps they don't know?

Do the bigger parcels have the same problem of inadequate packaging? I've never had to send or receive any.