New RM online postage prices from 7th October

haze23

soolin said:

Goodness, they really are pushing the price gap between online and over the counter prices for parcels.
For example RM48 small parcel up to 2kg is currently £3.39 and at PO it is £3.89. From October online remains the same at £3.39 but PO goes up to £3.95. 

For any sellers using the PO that's 60p a parcel more plus all the on costs (FVFs etc) so will probably end up 70-75p more than those sellers using online post. 

One of my DILs has started selling a few bits on ebay (she already uses Vinted) and it worked out cheaper for her to buy a cheap label printer and print her labels and drop them at the PO or mail centre on her way to work, than it did to go out in her lunch break to get things posted. 

Agree, that online/PO differential seems excessive, wish I were in a position for them to collect and have the label printed free at the lower price!

On a related note, does anyone know definitively which pricing applies for parcels if using stamps? Not purchased online from RM so that pricing doesn't apply. Equally, not necessarily purchasing from PO. Two situations, a) simply put in post box, b) drop off parcel at PO (e.g. because too large for post box) but postage already paid with stamps; does that then attract a different PO 'handling' charge?

If it's a case anything other than an online label is the higher price, stocking stamps isn't necessary a saving...

soolin

haze23 said:

soolin said:

Goodness, they really are pushing the price gap between online and over the counter prices for parcels.
For example RM48 small parcel up to 2kg is currently £3.39 and at PO it is £3.89. From October online remains the same at £3.39 but PO goes up to £3.95. 

For any sellers using the PO that's 60p a parcel more plus all the on costs (FVFs etc) so will probably end up 70-75p more than those sellers using online post. 

One of my DILs has started selling a few bits on ebay (she already uses Vinted) and it worked out cheaper for her to buy a cheap label printer and print her labels and drop them at the PO or mail centre on her way to work, than it did to go out in her lunch break to get things posted. 

Agree, that online/PO differential seems excessive, wish I were in a position for them to collect and have the label printed free at the lower price!

On a related note, does anyone know definitively which pricing applies for parcels if using stamps? Not purchased online from RM so that pricing doesn't apply. Equally, not necessarily purchasing from PO. Two situations, a) simply put in post box, b) drop off parcel at PO (e.g. because too large for post box) but postage already paid with stamps; does that then attract a different PO 'handling' charge?

If it's a case anything other than an online label is the higher price, stocking stamps isn't necessary a saving...

If using stamps it’s just the Post office price regardless of whether you take it to the Po to get a receipt or drop it in a post box. 

haze23

Thanks for the clarification, it's the answer I expected but these days it seems you need to check each scenario to be sure!  For example, RM will issue an online label but then add a surcharge to use the PO but this is not the same price as going to the PO. Neither are mentioned in the price guides that I could see.

soolin

haze23 said:

Thanks for the clarification, it's the answer I expected but these days it seems you need to check each scenario to be sure!  For example, RM will issue an online label but then add a surcharge to use the PO but this is not the same price as going to the PO. Neither are mentioned in the price guides that I could see.

The 16p surcharge which was applied to RM48 and RM24 parcels was dropped last year, there is now no surcharge at all.In fact the surcharge was not applied if you bought your labels through ebay anyway.

Kim_13

MsMoon said:

I see second class stays the same, given that the service is so abysmal - why would anyone pay for first class anyway?

Second class is regulated - they’re not allowed to go by more than CPI annually and only went up in April (but Royal Mail can average the cap between standard and large as they choose which explains the inflation busting 13% on standard 2nds this year.) 

soolin

Just a reminder for anyone adding new listings that might conceivably sell after the new rates come in , remember to increase your postage costs before the date of increase.

talktotheanimals1

re Martin's suggestion of stockpiling a load of stamps to avoid the price increase.
Can we be sure that the stamps will be honoured (and for how long) if the company is sold?

soolin

talktotheanimals1 said:

re Martin's suggestion of stockpiling a load of stamps to avoid the price increase.
Can we be sure that the stamps will be honoured (and for how long) if the company is sold?

I would suggest that there is virtually no chance at all that stamps would not be honoured, regardless of what happens in the future. 

RedImp_2

Can you imagine RM being sold and the owners saying you’ve all got to buy our new stamps (not least of how they would produce new different stamps)!

RFW

RedImp_2 said:

Can you imagine RM being sold and the owners saying you’ve all got to buy our new stamps (not least of how they would produce new different stamps)!

They change their own rules, and Ofcom don't seem to have a great deal of control, but that shouldn't be allowed within the agreements.
It's always possible that they'd come up with a ruse, using fakes as an excuse, but even then they should allow people to exchange their stamps.