Click & Drop vs Drop & Go

booter

I recently sold 20 or so items on eBay (quite a lot for me!)
I've been using Royal Mail's click and drop - mainly cos it's slightly cheaper, although I like the fact that I print postage + address + return address all at the same time. My only bugbear is that my local P.O. won't stamp the printed certificate of posting - they insist on printing out a certificate of posting (as would happen if I paid at the post office). So I don't save any time at the counter.

The P.O. is trying to persuade me to open a Drop & Go account. Their words - "to support your local post office". I'm guessing that the prices are the same as over the counter? But it would perhaps save time at the P.O. - although not necessarily at home as I'd still have to address each item.

Am I missing something either with C&D or D&G?!! How else can I get proof of posting with C&D? Do you trust your Post Office with D&G? Is it worth it?!

steviebabes

Collection by Royal Mail is free at the moment, you get a proof of postage emailed to you soon after the postie collects. Much easier than queuing up at the post office and listening to all the poor and often incorrect advice they give you.

soolin

steviebabes said:

Collection by Royal Mail is free at the moment, you get a proof of postage emailed to you soon after the postie collects. Much easier than queuing up at the post office and listening to all the poor and often incorrect advice they give you.

It's limited to 5 items a day though isn't it? 

steviebabes

Yes it is limited to 5 items a day but as Saturday is included that's 30 items a week so with a bit of planning most private sellers could manage with that.

mrcol1000

I used to use Drop and Go a few years ago. I don't know if it is changed or improved but basically you fill in a form and list how you want each parcel to be sent. Drop off all the parcels with the form and leave it with them. They do all the postage and they then stamp that form as your proof of postage. 
Then when you drop off the next lot, you get your receipts and proof of postage. I stopped using it as you still had to queue to hand all the parcels over and top up your account so the money was there to pay for it. 
I personally use My Hermes or Collect Plus. I know they have a bad reputation but I rarely have problems and send loads through them. If they are small parcels it is cheaper and you get full tracking. It also is a local shop which has little or no queue to drop off.

Drop and Go info:
https://www.postoffice.co.uk/dropandgo

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

steviebabes said:

Collection by Royal Mail is free at the moment, you get a proof of postage emailed to you soon after the postie collects. Much easier than queuing up at the post office and listening to all the poor and often incorrect advice they give you.

You can also download the Royal Mail app and get the COP given on this, it will work without a collection but the COP is only given once it's scanned somewhere in the network. If you book a collection the postie needs to scan the parcel to get the open collection off the PDA.

jon81uk

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

steviebabes said:

Collection by Royal Mail is free at the moment, you get a proof of postage emailed to you soon after the postie collects. Much easier than queuing up at the post office and listening to all the poor and often incorrect advice they give you.

You can also download the Royal Mail app and get the COP given on this, it will work without a collection but the COP is only given once it's scanned somewhere in the network. If you book a collection the postie needs to scan the parcel to get the open collection off the PDA.

The app seemed to imply this only works with parcels, not large letter or letter?

steviebabes

You still get a COP for letters/large letters if collected but no ref. number as with parcels.

booter

Click and drop does print a COP along with the label, but it requires a rubber stamp from the P.O. to validate. My P.O. won't stamp them, only do a print off.

Collection for 5 items is great, but when I take advantage of the £1 FVFs I tend to list way more - so if I pushed back delivery, limiting to 5 a day, stars would take a hit. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

steviebabes said:

Collection by Royal Mail is free at the moment, you get a proof of postage emailed to you soon after the postie collects. Much easier than queuing up at the post office and listening to all the poor and often incorrect advice they give you.

You can also download the Royal Mail app and get the COP given on this, it will work without a collection but the COP is only given once it's scanned somewhere in the network. If you book a collection the postie needs to scan the parcel to get the open collection off the PDA.

Thanks for this - I'll take a look!