Free RM Parcel Collect Ends 15/08 (Update - Extended to 2024)

zackary71

Just a heads up Royal Mail's free parcel collect service is due to end next Tuesday. 

"Parcel Collect is FREE when you book online between 00:01 on 30.06.2023 and 23:59 on 15.08.2023. Promotion does not apply to customers with an Online Business Account."

It's been extended before, and it would be a no-brainer to extend it in my view given the traffic it generates...from my end at least. Worth factoring in on postage pricing eg. 16p extra on Tracked service, especially if the days of queuing up behind 5 Senior Citizens getting their pensions returns !!

jon81uk

zackary71 said:

Just a heads up Royal Mail's free parcel collect service is due to end next Tuesday. 

"Parcel Collect is FREE when you book online between 00:01 on 30.06.2023 and 23:59 on 15.08.2023. Promotion does not apply to customers with an Online Business Account."

It's been extended before, and it would be a no-brainer to extend it given the traffic it generates...from my end at least. Worth factoring in on postage pricing, especially if the days of queuing up behind 5 Senior Citizens getting their pensions returns !!

Just as an FYI there are other options besides the post office queue or collection. You can print the label yourself and put it in a parcel post box (use the app to get proof of posting for small parcel), you can use the QR code or print and go to the sorting office desk. Both of these get the cheaper direct with Royal Mail pricing too. Or if you do go to Post Office, use the self-service machine where available to avoid the old biddy queue.

zackary71

Thanks jon81uk - I wasn't aware you actually could get proof of posting on Postbox option. There's 1 located near where I work...so that's useful to know.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

So far they've extended it several times this year, I did wonder if they'd do a period of not being free to make a bigger deal of it being free over the Christmas period. 

Our postman said they can take any mail and scan it as if it's been dropped off at the depot so if booking 1 collection they'd take anything else as well, you wouldn't get a POP email but AFAIK the scan for collection would exist. 

If they are going to start charging a fee it would be good if they did a flat collection fee per day, per pick up address rather than per parcel. 

jon81uk

zackary71 said:

Thanks jon81uk - I wasn't aware you actually could get proof of posting on Postbox option. There's 1 located near where I work...so that's useful to know.

Do note it only works on parcel where there is the tracking, it won't work for large letter. But it is useful having that back up in the app rather than just putting it in the box and relying on it tracking.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

If they are going to start charging a fee it would be good if they did a flat collection fee per day, per pick up address rather than per parcel. 

Yep or at least a set for for up to twenty items or similar, as there will be a point where it does take more time, but the main cost is the postie getting to you to make the collection so it needs to be a large volume before the delay of moving on is greater than the cost to drive to you.

soolin

jon81uk said:

zackary71 said:

Just a heads up Royal Mail's free parcel collect service is due to end next Tuesday. 

"Parcel Collect is FREE when you book online between 00:01 on 30.06.2023 and 23:59 on 15.08.2023. Promotion does not apply to customers with an Online Business Account."

It's been extended before, and it would be a no-brainer to extend it given the traffic it generates...from my end at least. Worth factoring in on postage pricing, especially if the days of queuing up behind 5 Senior Citizens getting their pensions returns !!

Just as an FYI there are other options besides the post office queue or collection. You can print the label yourself and put it in a parcel post box (use the app to get proof of posting for small parcel), you can use the QR code or print and go to the sorting office desk. Both of these get the cheaper direct with Royal Mail pricing too. Or if you do go to Post Office, use the self-service machine where available to avoid the old biddy queue.

None of the machines I’ve ever found in a PO can do receipts for pre paid postage. for me it would be a real time saver as my local post office is now getting out of hand again with queues, 40 minutes is now considered normal. Add to that the fact that my local mail centre now have very short opening times and RM is becoming an issue for me. 

soolin

zackary71 said:

Just a heads up Royal Mail's free parcel collect service is due to end next Tuesday. 

"Parcel Collect is FREE when you book online between 00:01 on 30.06.2023 and 23:59 on 15.08.2023. Promotion does not apply to customers with an Online Business Account."

It's been extended before, and it would be a no-brainer to extend it in my view given the traffic it generates...from my end at least. Worth factoring in on postage pricing eg. 16p extra on Tracked service, especially if the days of queuing up behind 5 Senior Citizens getting their pensions returns !!

Thank you for this reminder , we need to keep this thread bumped as I think the collection service is used by quite a few members on here. 

Money_Grabber13579

zackary71 said:

Just a heads up Royal Mail's free parcel collect service is due to end next Tuesday. 

"Parcel Collect is FREE when you book online between 00:01 on 30.06.2023 and 23:59 on 15.08.2023. Promotion does not apply to customers with an Online Business Account."

It's been extended before, and it would be a no-brainer to extend it in my view given the traffic it generates...from my end at least. Worth factoring in on postage pricing eg. 16p extra on Tracked service, especially if the days of queuing up behind 5 Senior Citizens getting their pensions returns !!

The free Royal Mail parcel collect now seems to have been extended to 31 January 2024. Which is great news!

soolin

Thatis good news, thank you for the update 

tightauldgit

I dont know how much it costs them to do the collect service but doing it for free has certainly meant I've used RM over other options and thats been for what must be more than 100 parcels this year. So i would think it might well be worthwhile for them to keep it for free

jon81uk

soolin said:

jon81uk said:

zackary71 said:

Just a heads up Royal Mail's free parcel collect service is due to end next Tuesday. 

"Parcel Collect is FREE when you book online between 00:01 on 30.06.2023 and 23:59 on 15.08.2023. Promotion does not apply to customers with an Online Business Account."

It's been extended before, and it would be a no-brainer to extend it given the traffic it generates...from my end at least. Worth factoring in on postage pricing, especially if the days of queuing up behind 5 Senior Citizens getting their pensions returns !!

Just as an FYI there are other options besides the post office queue or collection. You can print the label yourself and put it in a parcel post box (use the app to get proof of posting for small parcel), you can use the QR code or print and go to the sorting office desk. Both of these get the cheaper direct with Royal Mail pricing too. Or if you do go to Post Office, use the self-service machine where available to avoid the old biddy queue.

None of the machines I’ve ever found in a PO can do receipts for pre paid postage. for me it would be a real time saver as my local post office is now getting out of hand again with queues, 40 minutes is now considered normal. Add to that the fact that my local mail centre now have very short opening times and RM is becoming an issue for me. 

Yes I meant if you do go to the Post Office to purchase the postage there. I've not tried pre-paid at the post office as the delivery office is closer to me or I use a parcel postbox.