Royal Mail £8 Internal Post Handling Fee scam?

custardy

adastra wrote: »

Custardy said:

"Data entry": Staff at port examine package, key in name, house number and postcode and enter address for packages without postcode. Nice shiny white label with all info and barcode gets printed, data sent to central database, later accessed by local office to make charge and cross verified by package barcode. Local office has terminal based form from database with fields for item id, time, date amount and payment method.

Wow, look doc, almost no paperwork. It's so obvious that I would be surprised if most or even all of the above is not already in place.

One other minor irritation: Local office doesn't accept debit cards, so I either have to take cash, or write a cheque.

Neanderthal or what ?...

Regards,

Chris

Neanderthal would be to drag your knuckles along to the office when you could simply pay online,surely?
those staff that are doing the data entry.how exactly do they get the packages?
you think that package then gets dipped in fairy dust and floats to the delivery office?
there would be no admin work at the delivery office either i assume?
no check in place by revenue protection to monitor the packets sent and paid/returned?

adastra_2

Neanderthal would be to drag your knuckles along to the office when you could simply pay online,surely?

Absolutely, just as with online banking or other shopping. They would still need to leave a card, but that could be part of the initial port of entry database process as well. Then printed in bulk at the local office.

Look, my inital whinge was not rm bashing, just that the fees are excessive for low value items. Easy to fix with say, a 4.00 fee for low value and the 8.00 fee for higher. More work to handle a small parcel than a jiffy bag, and the charges should reflect this. The present system is effectively a regressive tax. As you said earlier, pf have a two fee scale, why not rm ?...

Regards,

Chris

custardy

adastra wrote: »

Absolutely, just as with online banking or other shopping. They would still need to leave a card, but that could be part of the initial port of entry database process as well. Then printed in bulk at the local office.

Look, my inital whinge was not rm bashing, just that the fees are excessive for low value items. Easy to fix with say, a 4.00 fee for low value and the 8.00 fee for higher. More work to handle a small parcel than a jiffy bag, and the charges should reflect this. The present system is effectively a regressive tax. As you said earlier, pf have a two fee scale, why not rm ?...

Regards,

Chris

absolutly? like here? https://www.royalmail.com/fee2pay

you are saying its easy to fix a fee @ £4 based on nothing but your own thoughts on whats fair.
why is it fair that an expensive item pays more?
surely the argument should be that admin fees are fixed.otherwise its not fair?

you have yet to answer how those package details get to those data entry people at the 'ports' (BTW they are closing many customs offices at ports to cut costs. so you could have an issue there too)

the PF two tier fee relates to the postal method.so the faster clearing is reflected in the higher fee

KxMx

Anyone thinking of importing anything from abroad should look into these things in advance and decide whether or not it will be worth it. I am bidding on something on eBay.com and it's likely my highest bid will be over the customs limit but I am willing to pay a fee if I have to pay. I am happy to pay eight pounds for RM to not only handle my item but deal with HM Customs on my behalf and do all the donkey work/calculations etc.

Yes it may seem unfair for a small value item, but if you have a huge value item would you complain about an £8 fee? Anything they make (which I am doubtful they do) on a small value item they will lose on a high value.
Trying to do a 2 tier fee system would just end up costing more in the long run!

adastra_2

absolutly? like here? www.royalmail.com/fee2pay

Right, and regularly used for parcels. The local pf office is over 10 miles away. rm is about a mile. Hang on a minute, that means they already have the infrastructure in place *and* they accept debit cards online as well !.

you are saying its easy to fix a fee @ £4 based on nothing but your own thoughts on whats fair.
why is it fair that an expensive item pays more?
surely the argument should be that admin fees are fixed.otherwise its not fair?

Most taxation is based on a percentage of value, otherwise, it's a regressive tax that falls on those least able to pay. Obvious really.

you have yet to answer how those package details get to those data entry people at the 'ports' (BTW they are closing many customs offices at ports to cut costs. so you could have an issue there too)

Yet to answer ?. Packages arrive at port, examined by staff. What's so mysterious about that ?. Isn't that what happens ?.

the PF two tier fee relates to the postal method.so the faster clearing is reflected in the higher fee

Right, ok. So what you are saying is that greater efficiency means a higher price is charged to the end user ?.

Like many businesses, the charges bear liitle relation to the cost of providing the service. As high as the market will stand, more likely...

Regards,

Chris

custardy

adastra wrote: »

Right, and regularly used for parcels. The local pf office is over 10 miles away. rm is about a mile. Hang on a minute, that means they already have the infrastructure in place *and* they accept debit cards online as well !.

Most taxation is based on a percentage of value, otherwise, it's a regressive tax that falls on those least able to pay. Obvious really.

Yet to answer ?. Packages arrive at port, examined by staff. What's so mysterious about that ?. Isn't that what happens ?.

Right, ok. So what you are saying is that greater efficiency means a higher price is charged to the end user ?.

Like many businesses, the charges bear liitle relation to the cost of providing the service. As high as the market will stand, more likely...

Regards,

Chris

well if under your more efficient system.they are all handled by staff (where did your machines go?) then how do you work out the costs?
so basically your new system is the present system but somehow more efficient? Im not sure what your argument of distance to RM/PF offices is. Im sure it will dazzle me when you explain it.

ability to pay? this isnt a life essential we are talking about. its purchase from abroad.very people do this because they cant get the item in the UK.

also Im at a bit of a loss. you touted Fedex as a a shining example of efficiency when they were cheaper than RM. now they charge more you still feel RM charge too much?

shaun_from_Africa

Most taxation is based on a percentage of value, otherwise, it's a regressive tax that falls on those least able to pay. Obvious really.

But the £8 RM charge is not a tax. It is a fee for carrying out a service.

If I am not very well off and buy a TV £200 from a shop and need to get a taxi home (for which I may pay £20), should someone who is far better off and who buys a £500 TV and takes a taxi the same distance be required to pay a higher fare?

If you think that this is a stupid comparison, why?
The taxi fare is for a service being provided for me, as is the service that RM undertake when collecting and paying VAT and duty.
Neither the taxi fare or the RM fee should have any tie in to the value of the goods concerned.

adastra_2

But the £8 RM charge is not a tax. It is a fee for carrying out a service.

Sorry, it's not. The fact that rm have a monopoly on the "service" and won't release the goods without payment means that it is effectively an added tax.

I matters not a jot whether it's called a 'service' or not. All the end user sees is a vastly inflated tax rate on small value items...

Regards,

Chris

custardy

adastra wrote: »

Sorry, it's not. The fact that rm have a monopoly on the "service" and won't release the goods without payment means that it is effectively an added tax.

I matters not a jot whether it's called a 'service' or not. All the end user sees is a vastly inflated tax rate on small value items...

Regards,

Chris

they dont,they have an obligation
the market is open
its just the competitors have no interest in the non/low profit parts of the business
but then that thinking doesnt really fit in with that £8 being a fortune

shaun_from_Africa

Sorry, it's not. The fact that rm have a monopoly on the "service" and won't release the goods without payment means that it is effectively an added tax.

A monopoly apart from DHL, Parcelforce, TNT, UPS, etc.

Even if the item is coming into the country and being handled by RM, you can still opt to do all the customs paperwork and clearance yourself.
All you need to do is to ask the sender to mark the package "‘goods to be customs cleared by importer’."

You will then have to fill out an official declaration and send this to HMCE, who will then calculate any charges that are due and inform you of this.
All you do then is write a cheque and send it to them and once it has cleared they will advise RM who will arrange for your goods to be delivered, and the whole process may take a couple of weeks.

Or you could get RM to do it for you for £8