Royal Mail - buying via Ebay or direct differs

Mutton_Geoff

I noticed recently if you purchase RM 24/48 small parcel postage through Ebay, it doesn't offer you free collection whereas buying direct on the RM website does (and also charges an extra 16p if you want Post Office drop off). 

Lorian

Yes you can get free collection just scroll down through the offers till you see the ones that say collection.

soolin

Mutton_Geoff said:

I noticed recently if you purchase RM 24/48 small parcel postage through Ebay, it doesn't offer you free collection whereas buying direct on the RM website does (and also charges an extra 16p if you want Post Office drop off). 

That was the case until about 4 months ago but as Lorian says open up more options and it is there.

Interestingly you can arrange free collection via eBay for any RM service, even with a letter. After you buy the postage and print the label stay on the same screen and on the right hand margin under the address there is a link to free collection, go through that add your address, choose the day to collect and click the confirmation . 

I have a collection every day I know I am going to be in , all my post is collected, parcels, RM48 , large letters and even letters. 

soolin

Having sung the praises of the collection service it might have just failed in my area now.

booked a collection today, a mix of expensive (for me) RM48 parcels an upgraded RM24 and large letters , the site said collection would be between 8.47 and 12.47 today. Relief postman just tuned up with some junk type mail , knew nothing about any collection and suggested that maybe a van would be round later but wasn’t sure. 

I’m going out shortly, one of these parcels is urgent but the mail centre is now closed. All I can do is try for the mail centre Monday early before I have to go out again.

On various groups I use , there are beginning to be a few mentions of failed collections which is a bit of a worry. For me it wouldn’t have been a problem if I’d known in advance as I could have taken 25 minutes or so and run them to the mail centre myself , but for others it’s a real issue as they book collections due to being house bound, for whatever reason. 

Fingers crossed a van arrives to take my things before I go out.

Lorian

Ill be surprised if anyone has been, mine are always collected by my postie. Hope it's different for you.

I use collection mostly being remote. Once in a blue moon they don't collect but what I find more nerve wracking is when they take the item but forget to scan or collection scan does not work.

On anything collected I only ever see the collection scan then a scan in a sorting office over 50 miles away which is typically they next day. Never a scan at the local sorting office. They always do recover and track to destination.

soolin

Unfortunately my parcels were never collected and about 15 minutes ago I had an email saying I could request a refund on my postage or set up new collection requests for all my items. 

I’m going to try for the mail centre on Monday but I may have to consider turning my eBay sales off earlier than anticipated before Christmas. 

pfpf

i used the collection service for the 1st time this week, just for one parcel to test it out. worked as it should. but i noted if purchased through RM i could have asked them to "bring the label" whereas via ebay i couldn't see there was an option so printed off and readied parcel to be sure.
this was for RM48, did i miss the option? there was no QR code option either.

Mutton_Geoff

I think the RM delivery services are really competitive and with free collection too. Postie told me RM are offering these services below cost to regain market share then prices will go up and charges for collection and hopefully not too many will leave as they get used to the "quality of service".

soolin

I’m not selling at the moment (closed up all online sales until Christmas Eve) so have no need of postage. However the collection service failed twice for me in the past week and a bit. Once with no collection, so my items had to be taken to the mail centre 2 days later (it was a weekend) , and once where items were scanned but not receipted. for the latter I had the usual email saying they apologise my items couldn’t be collected and to claim a refund for any collection costs I paid for, and to either re arrange collection or drop them off myself. As they did go I’m hoping there are no issues with those items as I have no receipts!