Royal Mail .. Small parcel .. is 165mm too thick

custardy

martindow said:

Going back to the size question, it would be interesting to hear custardy's take on oversize parcels.  He's an expert on here with knowledge of the inner workings of Royal Mail.

Far from an expert and not so up to date these days.
The majority of parcels are hand sorted. Whereas letters/large letters are mainly mech sorted and as such surcharge items are identified, the parcels will often slip through due to staff being primarily sorting focused.
With RM investing in parcel sorting machines/hubs the underpaid items identified will increase

Hexen29

It's galling when you're only just over a certain weight limit when sending items at the Post Office. It crossed my mind to open up my parcel to remove some bubble wrap and get under the weight limit. But I did what I suspect most people do... I just grumbled and paid the extra £2 or whatever! Now I always add on 10% when I'm weighing things at home, just in case!

custardy

Hexen29 said:

It's galling when you're only just over a certain weight limit when sending items at the Post Office. It crossed my mind to open up my parcel to remove some bubble wrap and get under the weight limit. But I did what I suspect most people do... I just grumbled and paid the extra £2 or whatever! Now I always add on 10% when I'm weighing things at home, just in case!

so lets say you add a 10% margin. So the actual allowed size is X+10%. Someone complains they are just outside the +10% size.
Theres always a limit and someone will always be 'just' over it.

ballisticbrian

custardy said:

The majority of parcels are hand sorted. Whereas letters/large letters are mainly mech sorted and as such surcharge items are identified, the parcels will often slip through due to staff being primarily sorting focused.
With RM investing in parcel sorting machines/hubs the underpaid items identified will increase

Custardy if large letters and small parcels are sorted differently, could this explain odd unexplained surcharges on my oba account?

Normally I have 3 sacks a day, if I have a click and drop large letter - a format I hardly use, I stick it in with click and drop parcels and write "all C&D" on the label, all in order to save a sack. Sacks are a scarce commodity here, for Royal Mail it seems.

googler

The counter staff took out the measuring tape and checked the parcel I posted the other day....

And having weighed another at under 2kg, I packed it, put it on the scales, and ....2.05kg. £8.99 was the price of not re-packing it 

custardy

googler said:

The counter staff took out the measuring tape and checked the parcel I posted the other day....

And having weighed another at under 2kg, I packed it, put it on the scales, and ....2.05kg. £8.99 was the price of not re-packing it 

POC has a contract with RM.
Failing that by sending underpaid items has consequences for them.

custardy

ballisticbrian said:

custardy said:

The majority of parcels are hand sorted. Whereas letters/large letters are mainly mech sorted and as such surcharge items are identified, the parcels will often slip through due to staff being primarily sorting focused.
With RM investing in parcel sorting machines/hubs the underpaid items identified will increase

Custardy if large letters and small parcels are sorted differently, could this explain odd unexplained surcharges on my oba account?

Normally I have 3 sacks a day, if I have a click and drop large letter - a format I hardly use, I stick it in with click and drop parcels and write "all C&D" on the label, all in order to save a sack. Sacks are a scarce commodity here, for Royal Mail it seems.

possibly.
How are you sourcing bags. Are you putting in a request via your account?

Norman_Castle

custardy said:

googler said:

The counter staff took out the measuring tape and checked the parcel I posted the other day....

And having weighed another at under 2kg, I packed it, put it on the scales, and ....2.05kg. £8.99 was the price of not re-packing it 

POC has a contract with RM.
Failing that by sending underpaid items has consequences for them.

If the PO decides an item is a large letter or parcel but RM judge it differently are customers penalised? I ask for the postal service I want but never suggest the size.

molerat

Hexen29 said:

It's galling when you're only just over a certain weight limit when sending items at the Post Office. It crossed my mind to open up my parcel to remove some bubble wrap and get under the weight limit. But I did what I suspect most people do... I just grumbled and paid the extra £2 or whatever! Now I always add on 10% when I'm weighing things at home, just in case!

If it is a second class small parcel just overweight it won't be an extra £2 it would be an extra £5.79 !

custardy

Norman_Castle said:

custardy said:

googler said:

The counter staff took out the measuring tape and checked the parcel I posted the other day....

And having weighed another at under 2kg, I packed it, put it on the scales, and ....2.05kg. £8.99 was the price of not re-packing it 

POC has a contract with RM.
Failing that by sending underpaid items has consequences for them.

If the PO decides an item is a large letter or parcel but RM judge it differently are customers penalised? I ask for the postal service I want but never suggest the size.

The size is the size, the weight is the weight. These dictate the price/format There is no 'judge'
Been 14 years since size was an element of RMs pricing yet it comes up like its some new scenario
The item would be surcharged as per underpaid items