Buying postage online when posting small parcel.

ahfat41

Seems to be cheaper buying postage online to post parcel. Am not sure how to proceed? Printer does not always work. I was also thinking of a collection but a bit concerned if anything goes wrong as I do it the old way take it to the post office and ask for a certificate of posting. £2.85 for a 2 kg parcel online and in the post office £3.35.  Worth doing online but is it a hassle for a newbie.

Spoonie_Turtle

Worth the collection if the system works and your postie turns up to collect it.   There's also an option for them to bring the label with them, a really sticky proper label (brilliant).  When the system works, collections work really well, and you should get an e-mail almost straight away to confirm and that's your proof of postage. 

Some Post Offices and RM customer service points have the facility to print the label from a QR code, which would be sent to you if you chose that option. 

soolin

I haven’t bought parcel postage at a PO now for years, ever since the cost difference became so large. If you buy via the RM site or eBay and your printer doesn’t work you can request a refund, it takes about 8 days to be approved, but they do refund. I just print mine, drop them off with a POP to be stamped at the mail centre, or take them to the PO without a POP as they scan each one and give me a receipt.

If you do enough parcels it might even be cost effective to buy a new cheap printer. 

I haven’t used the collection service as it’s easier for me to drop them off. 

zackary71

I've been doing the pick-up option for awhile now, and it works a treat. Postman brings the label too, so no need for a printer. You can even add collections first thing for the same day if you already have a collection booked. You will need a printer for this though to attach the label. The Postman takes away the end of the slip for the Certificate of Posting, stamps and returns it the following day. Bear in mind the special tracked prices are due to end soon.

KxMx

zackary71 said:

I've been doing the pick-up option for awhile now, and it works a treat. Postman brings the label too, so no need for a printer. You can even add collections first thing for the same day if you already have a collection booked. You will need a printer for this though to attach the label. The Postman takes away the end of the slip for the Certificate of Posting, stamps and returns it the following day. Bear in mind the special tracked prices are due to end soon.

Important point to assume it will end soon, but they have been running quite a few months so far with a couple of expiry dates subsequently being extended.

ahfat41

I was talking to customer service at the post office. I can print the label but do not have  special sticky label so is it ok to use sellotape to secure. She said yes and could bring parcel to counter for proof of posting. I will try collection for bigger parcel. Thanks for all your response

ahfat41

Forgot to ask do you special sticky labels to print and where do you buy and what size pl? Thanks

soolin

ahfat41 said:

Forgot to ask do you special sticky labels to print and where do you buy and what size pl? Thanks

I have a special label printer so it’s different for me. Royal Mail provide my labels free of charge. It’s perfectly acceptable to use ordinary paper though and sellotape, just make sure you don’t cover the bar code and QR code 

My labels are 6 x 4 and work perfectly for eBay, RM, Evri Yodel and Inpost. 

Spoonie_Turtle

ahfat41 said:

Forgot to ask do you special sticky labels to print and where do you buy and what size pl? Thanks

I haven't.  Sellotape has sufficed for us.

I sometimes receive parcels where the person has stuck matte sticky tape in horizontal lines all over the entire label, it is so effective there's nowhere for me to get under the tape to remove the label to reuse the packaging! 

GadgetGuru

Before I purchased a label printer I used to print on paper and sellotape it to the box, using clear tape to cover the entire label in order to protect it from any water drops etc. Barcodes etc can still be scanned perfectly fine. 
Buyers are then able to use a knife to cut around the label, which comes away clean and the packaging can be reused

Now I just use my thermal label printer - much easier, and no wasted tape!