Post Office upsell 20 November 2020 at 8:20PM in Praise, vent & warnings 42 replies 2.1K views

Edi666

I'm extremely annoyed with the Post Office, they must have a policy to upsell. Every single time I go there, which is more often due to the pandemic as our offices are being closed, they try to extract extra money from me. I go there and say I need to send the letter/package "the cheapest option possible" and they start asking whether I want recorded, (no cheapest option), next they delivery (NO, CHEAPEST OPTION). The other day I sent a few C5 sized letters and they charged me for large letters. I thought it was wrong and sure enough when I went home and checked on the internet it's clear C5 is regular size.
Yesterday I asked my partner to send a package and I forgot to explain this to him. Just wanted a bog standard first class delivery. It turns out he had the upsell treatment and ended up paying for recorded delivery which was delivered within 12 hours! I didn't need that. 
Anyone else experienced similar treatment?

Norman_Castle

I've had upselling but as an ebayer I tend to know the price before visiting the PO it doesn't work. Not sure if there is a larger profit margin for them. Ask for a postal prices leaflet.

DiddyDavies

Edi666 said:

It turns out he had the upsell treatment and ended up paying for recorded delivery which was delivered within 12 hours! I didn't need that. 

If by recorded delivery you are referring to signed for, there is no difference in the delivery time between this and standard 1st or 2nd class mail.

Edi666

DiddyDavies said:

Edi666 said:

It turns out he had the upsell treatment and ended up paying for recorded delivery which was delivered within 12 hours! I didn't need that. 

If by recorded delivery you are referring to signed for, there is no difference in the delivery time between this and standard 1st or 2nd class mail.

exactly, that's one of the reason I didn't need any kind of a special delivery option only the cheapest first class delivery. Partner paid over £8 for a smallish possibly medium package. I cannot even find this on the post office price list, they might have fobbed him off with a UK guaranteed next day one as that is the only one that is priced over £8. 
I know that we accepted the delivery option but the way they do it, one has to be very aware of the prices not to fall into this upsell trap.

BethRobinson

Which service got it delivered within 12 hours? Simply not possible.

Edi666

the parcel was given to the post office person around 1pm and it got delivered between 8-9am next morning. I don't actually know exactly which service it was as I asked my partner to send it first class cheapest option. Apparently he was offered tracked and he accepted it not realizing it's like extra cost. The bill came to over £8. I checked the post office prices on the internet and it might be that he was charged for guaranteed next day service, otherwise the prices don't make sense. I am furious because the post office does it all the time and it's so easy to fall for it if you are not actively aware of it.

LadyDee

Somebody else will probably complain that the PO didn't ask them if they wanted a "better" service when their parcel got lost/delayed/stolen.
Others are easily extremely annoyed.

Edi666

LadyDee said:

Somebody else will probably complain that the PO didn't ask them if they wanted a "better" service when their parcel got lost/delayed/stolen.
Others are easily extremely annoyed.

yes possibly.
I suppose extremely annoyed is a little over the top, but it's due to cumulation of these episodes with the post office. They also charged me for large letter when I had standard letter, so it's not just about offering "better" service but trying to extract more money.
Also, this forum is here to vent, so that's just what I am doing. Wont effect my weekend LOL

username

Perhaps if you want to skip the "upsell" you need to be clear and directive in what you would like.
If you had a low value parcel that was not time critical to get to its destination, you would select second class.
As in, I would like to send this second class no signature required etc, rather than "cheapest option possible" which is a vague statement and does not allude to exactly what service level you require.
The guy behind the counter is probably thinking as you are continuously repeating "cheapest option" - Cheapest option with no signature? Cheapest option with signature? Cheapest option for guaranteed delivery next day?
It sounds like he was offered special delivery before 1pm/9am which could explain the cost. I have only ever used special delivery for items which are high in value or needed to be at a certain destination next day guaranteed with a signature.

[Deleted User]

BethRobinson said:

Which service got it delivered within 12 hours? Simply not possible.

I beg to differ. I’ve sent letters, cards, etc to my mum and tend to post between 3 and 4pm and she gets them the next day by noon. Granted she only lives 25 miles away but it is possible as I’ve had it happen frequently. 

KatrinaWaves

MarkN88 said:

BethRobinson said:

Which service got it delivered within 12 hours? Simply not possible.

I beg to differ. I’ve sent letters, cards, etc to my mum and tend to post between 3 and 4pm and she gets them the next day by noon. Granted she only lives 25 miles away but it is possible as I’ve had it happen frequently. 

I mean that’s more than 12 hours 😂