"Post by the end of" on Royal Mail labels

Cartimandua

Can anybody point me at a definition of the "Post by the end of" that appears on Royal Mail labels generated from Ebay?

I've just been turned away at 5:30 by my local sub post office as the last post goes at 5:00, even though they are open until 6:00, so my parcel won't be "posted" until tomorrow.
My argument was that they've scanned the item so it's "posted" even if it's not collected.
Anybody know the official policy - I've tried to find something on the Royal Mail site but nothing's turning up.

theonlywayisup

Go somewhere else, preferably a delivery office.

soolin

I suspect your PO is being awkward , as long as it is handed in before date on label then it's fine. However finding that on the RM site is going to be near impossible.

However, for the purposes of a late defect you may struggle as your delivery date is what matters, so if you routinely technically post a day 'late' you may find people marking you down, also any parcels with delivery confirmation will automatically give you a defect if they scan as delivered late.

The cut off point affected quite a few sellers on New Years Eve as POs and RM were operating a scaled down Saturday service and many of us who dropped packages off in the morning found we had already missed the last collection.

Cartimandua

Thanks Soolin - I have my despatch time set very generously to allow for this so the parcel's not due for delivery until 11/1. I'm not a business seller so it's not been an issue.
I was just exasperated that the staff in the PO kept saying a. they'd never come across this before and b. I was definitely wrong.
My Hermes next time!

Lorian

Did they take your parcel or are they expecting you to go back in the morning with it? I post things plenty of times after the last post van have left.

Cartimandua

They wouldn't take it - I'll need to buy a new label tomorrow and I'll go back to a different post office.

claire07

That doesn't seem very helpful. I posted an item Monday new year's eve at 1pm to find that they were operating Saturday service and the last collection was 12.30.

However although it wouldn't be collected until the Wednesday they were very apologetic and happy to take the parcel rather than make me return with it.

martindow

My PO has a fairly early cut-off time but will take post although it will not be picked up until the next day.


What I don't understand is why the OP printed out the labels so long before they went to the PO. When I print out labels the post before date is the following day. If the postage had been done the same day there would have been no issue at the PO.

lindens

Cartimandua wrote: »

They wouldn't take it - I'll need to buy a new label tomorrow and I'll go back to a different post office.

I wouldnt bother, all my LL items i just bung in the post box. sometimes on the date on the label so technically it wont go until the next day

ballisticbrian

I assume the date is set to limit the number of times you could try to re-use it?

soolin

ballisticbrian wrote: »

I assume the date is set to limit the number of times you could try to re-use it?

I don't think so, as it is all supposedly scanned now anyone trying to defraud have a very good chance of being picked up quickly.

I just assumed it needs a cut of time for some sort of book keeping purposes. Having said that it is a pet peeve of mine that with the business click and drop the last posting date is the date the label is printed, not the next day, so when I work I have to get up mega early and print all my labels - when I used the standard click and drop I could have it all bagged and finished the night before ready to be dropped round first thing in the morning.