Radio Times (subscriber copies) - late arrival

Doc_N

Setting aside the usual arguments as to whether anyone actually needs Radio Times any more, any other subscribers finding it now arrives late every week?

Almost never on the Tuesday it should arrive. Often as late as Thursday, sometimes even later.

Diamandis

How are they delivered? There's still delays with delivery services like royal mail due to coronavirus related absences etc. 

Doc_N

Diamandis said:

How are they delivered? There's still delays with delivery services like royal mail due to coronavirus related absences etc. 

Delivered of course by Royal Mail, but they leave the printers via a competitor, Whistl.

Where these consistent delays are taking place isn’t clear, and the publishers claim it’s not a major issue.

Part of the problem, I suspect, is that they still use see through plastic wrappers, and they’re maybe being dumped in heaps as unimportant by Royal Mail, particularly as they don’t have the full contract and can blame Whistl.

Yahoo_Mail

Doc_N said:

Diamandis said:

How are they delivered? There's still delays with delivery services like royal mail due to coronavirus related absences etc. 

Delivered of course by Royal Mail, but they leave the printers via a competitor, Whistl.

Where these consistent delays are taking place isn’t clear, and the publishers claim it’s not a major issue.

Part of the problem, I suspect, is that they still use see through plastic wrappers, and they’re maybe being dumped in heaps as unimportant by Royal Mail, particularly as they don’t have the full contract and can blame Whistl.

Or... maybe it's because there are issues due to Coronavirus...

Torry_Quine

Mine was a Wednesday for ages now it's been mainly Thurs or sometimes Fri
 As long as it comes by sat that's fine.

NBLondon

Two issues failed to appear at all in early summer - phoned up and got a 2 week extension.   Otherwise Tuesday as normal.   Maybe depends on RM in your area?

ssparks2003

Doc_N said:

Part of the problem, I suspect, is that they still use see through plastic wrappers, and they’re maybe being dumped in heaps as unimportant by Royal Mail, particularly as they don’t have the full contract and can blame Whistl.

Do you honestly think that the Royal Mail have the time or resources to sorting 10,000's of items of post into various heaps filling up small warehouses with competitors post, just to delay delivery 24-48 hours. And none of them have taken a cheeky photo or video of this to sell to one of the papers? 

coachman12

ssparks post originates from the real world----thank you. 
Our RT, an interesting magazine regardless of TV/Radio listings, arrives every Tuesday except occasionally on a Monday ( and that has been the case during the worst of early Covid). No problems to be voiced by me.

Doc_N

ssparks2003 said:

Doc_N said:

Part of the problem, I suspect, is that they still use see through plastic wrappers, and they’re maybe being dumped in heaps as unimportant by Royal Mail, particularly as they don’t have the full contract and can blame Whistl.

Do you honestly think that the Royal Mail have the time or resources to sorting 10,000's of items of post into various heaps filling up small warehouses with competitors post, just to delay delivery 24-48 hours. And none of them have taken a cheeky photo or video of this to sell to one of the papers? 

This wasn't just a crazy idea - it came from the publishers themselves who are trying to track down the reasons for these delays.  Some people get RT on time (Tuesday) but many more don't, and it seems to vary according to location.

Royal Mail don't collect these - Whistl are responsible for the first part of transmission, and Royal Mail for the actual delivery.  At some point they'll pass from one to the other, probably in large bundles, and they're very easily identifiable as magazines (unimportant) rather than 'real' mail (important). 

Important and unimportant will vary - some people won't bother provided it turns up by the Saturday.  Others will have their own reasons for wanting it to arrive on time, perhaps to set PVRs.