Spectos/Royal Mail Monitoring and Posting Panel

Snozzle

From the previous post, can I check if I'm doing something wrong here..... I've been going to the post office with letters that I want to send signed for (tracked). Before going, I work out in advance what it should cost and put the closest 1st class stamp I have on the envelope (or increasingly been using the stamps that have monetary values in the presentation packs). 

I tell them post office person that I want to send the letter 2nd class signed for and they I've put a stamp already on - hoping to only pay the difference. There lady couple of times he's huffed and puffed but done it.

Could he refuse me this service and I therefore lose the value of the stamp I've put on? I've been jokingly saying you've done it before but I wouldn't want to get him into trouble..... Thanks

Snozzle

Or to clarify is there now a difference between tracked and signed for as since COVID the post person now it's a signature (or not occasionally). I think I'm confusing myself. I also give a fair few of the stamps away to elderly neighbours who use them (particularly at Xmas) towards sending their grandchildren parcels. I wouldn't want to be getting them in a muddle putting the stamps on towards the cost and then then getting in a fluster / embarrassed at their local post office.....

womble65

A little help please as I've had no reply to my e-mail I sent to mailagents over a week ago. I've got one of these bags to take to the post office with a blank label on it. What do I put as the docket number and poster number. My posting plan has my participant number a bundle ID number the senders pack ID and on the other sheet I have  an order number/manifest ID and an account number. I can't remember as it's been over a year since I did one with the old provider who were so much better. Thanks for your help

madflower

Snozzle said:

Or to clarify is there now a difference between tracked and signed for as since COVID the post person now it's a signature (or not occasionally). I think I'm confusing myself. I also give a fair few of the stamps away to elderly neighbours who use them (particularly at Xmas) towards sending their grandchildren parcels. I wouldn't want to be getting them in a muddle putting the stamps on towards the cost and then then getting in a fluster / embarrassed at their local post office.....

Trying to put it simply,  you can put stamps on parcels/letters as part or full payment for special delivery and signed for  (compensation is only upto £20 on signed for) and for normal 1st/2nd class letters.
 
You can't use stamps as part or full payment on tracked or tracked with signature. These have compensation up to £150. I checked today at the post office and it is all to do with the labels they have to use. 
Hope this helps.

kt01

Snozzle said:

From the previous post, can I check if I'm doing something wrong here..... I've been going to the post office with letters that I want to send signed for (tracked). Before going, I work out in advance what it should cost and put the closest 1st class stamp I have on the envelope (or increasingly been using the stamps that have monetary values in the presentation packs). 

I tell them post office person that I want to send the letter 2nd class signed for and they I've put a stamp already on - hoping to only pay the difference. There lady couple of times he's huffed and puffed but done it.

Could he refuse me this service and I therefore lose the value of the stamp I've put on? I've been jokingly saying you've done it before but I wouldn't want to get him into trouble..... Thanks

If they are "huffing and puffing" over it they are just annoyed at the fact you aren't giving them money (they get more commission on "sales") - but it is part of their contractual requirement with Royal Mail to accept the item and they are paid a general fee to accept all Royal Mail items.

Signed For is an "addon" to any domestic service that gets a signature on delivery. You can use stamps for signed for against the services @madflower states above, eg 1st/2nd Class signed for.You can't use it for the service known as "Tracked" as they say - you either have to pay the full amount over the counter or buy online (which is cheaper). If you want a "fully tracked" item using stamps, the only way to do this is via Special Delivery, which is a lot pricier.

podmonster

Hi, has anyone recent experience of recieving mail (especially parcels) during booked holiday time?

I've just been invited to rejoin after the resting period but the start date overlaps with a planned holiday. I've raised a ticket to ask would it be an issue to book holiday time from the start but I'm also wary of risking parcels still arriving when I'm away (due to dodgy neighbours I go to a lot of effort to not make it obvious when on holiday).

I've had problems with this previously and Spectos said it had highlighted a problem in their process which they had now resolved, although that doesn't reduce the risk of panelists sending outside of their timetable of course.

silvercar

podmonster said:

Hi, has anyone recent experience of recieving mail (especially parcels) during booked holiday time?

I've just been invited to rejoin after the resting period but the start date overlaps with a planned holiday. I've raised a ticket to ask would it be an issue to book holiday time from the start but I'm also wary of risking parcels still arriving when I'm away (due to dodgy neighbours I go to a lot of effort to not make it obvious when on holiday).

I've had problems with this previously and Spectos said it had highlighted a problem in their process which they had now resolved, although that doesn't reduce the risk of panelists sending outside of their timetable of course.

It failed for me when I gave 3 weeks notice mid survey. Presumably they won’t schedule deliveries to you until you sign up, so you may be ok.

podmonster

Thanks @silvercar. Frustrating that the process still failed for you. Thinking about it, I might ask if they will simply defer my proposed start date otherwise it will be a niggling thought at the back of my mind while away.

podmonster

In case anyone had a similar question about deferring a start date, Spectos have told me they can't defer a start date even just by a week or so because 'the system organises it all'. They completely ignored the question about booking leave at the start of the panel period so I've had to decline this next panel session.

Also had an email today asking if I'd be interested in using the Royal Mail collect parcels from home service (well, no, not if I'm not on the panel!) but sounds like an option that might become available to panelists if enough are interested and useful to those without a parcel box nearby.

HomingPigeon

I too have had an email asking if I'd be interested in using the RM collect parcels from home service, but I've just been rested after six months, so I guess if I am selected I'll have quite a while to wait before I become active again.

Regarding collecting parcels from our home, does anyone know if you are given an approximate timeslot for collection of the parcel?