Business Mail - Incredibly bad service on PPI

ballisticbrian

Just to clarify the business service I'm using; as a non-vat registered company I save at least 20% VAT plus some further discount for using the Universal Service Obligation (USO) PPI which is code BPL or UNH in the case of large letters. This service once called PPI has a simple bar code and not the 3D tracked type.

This is a different service to Royal Mail 24/48 which is semi tracked.

So I send a lot of untracked mail of low value, and save a shed load of money.

A few weeks ago on TV, there was mention that Royal Mail were posting the Royal Mail 24/48 which is tracked and not the PPI mail with the hint made that the PPI wouldn't show up in the stats so wouldn't matter (their words not mine).

Well at the time I didn't reakll notice it above normal baseline levels but now… I am getting about 5 - 10% of customers ask where their items are, and a small business can't tolerate this because of the knock on effect it will have on their stats (which ever platform you are on, eBay etc). Has anyone else experienced this who use these mail services?

RFW

I've mentioned before that I've stopped using all RM services but Tracked 24 and Tracked 48. The other services were not fit for purpose. I'm still getting problems with Tracked 48 large letters where I'm at about 70% delivery within 3 days. Tracked 24 (parcels and large letters) is near perfect though with very few problems at all, it's very close to 100% on on-time delivery.

Expect bigger changes next year when the 2nd class price limit is under review.

When I first hit these problems I tried a couple of other couriers. Evri were competitive on price but their delivery is erratic and they also 'accidentally' added surcharges that were only recently refunded, 15 months later. So then I ended up back with Royal Mail. I'm VAT registered so the zero rated services won't make much difference.

I don't know what volume you're doing but it might be worth looking at franking which does get treated a bit differently to other mail and could work for you.