Post Office Refusing Pre Paid Mail

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CLEARANCE_FEE
CLEARANCE_FEE Posts: 63 Forumite
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in Ebay, auctions, car boot sales, post & parcels
I have a small eBay business and have an online business account (OBA) with Royal Mail which saves me a lot of time and book keeping. When I delivery my items to the post office if it is the owner serving me they complain that I use the OBA and try to get me to pay in store next time which is not practical and it's not happening. The post master says in the next few moths they will stop taking pre paid mail. Can they do this?

I think from now on I'm going to drop the mail at the delivery office. Any one else had problems with pre paid mail?
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  • shaun_from_Africa
    shaun_from_Africa Posts: 12,858 Forumite
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    CLEARANCE_FEE wrote: »
    Any one else had problems with pre paid mail?
    Not personally but a quick search on Google shows that this appears to be a fairly common problem:
    www.goo.gl/ln32o0

    It might be worth submitting a complaint here:
    http://www.postoffice.co.uk/contact-us-complaint
    and see what they say.
  • 19lottie82
    19lottie82 Posts: 6,027 Forumite
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    I don't think they're obliged to accept these parcels, which is understandable if you're asking them to process quite a few, as they don't make any money from them.
  • CLEARANCE_FEE
    CLEARANCE_FEE Posts: 63 Forumite
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    19lottie82 wrote: »
    I don't think they're obliged to accept these parcels, which is understandable if you're asking them to process quite a few, as they don't make any money from them.

    I sympathies with them however it is in there contract with Royal mail as far as I'm aware. They agreed to do it. The reason I'm asking is because the postmaster I was talking to still seemed to think Royal Mail was government owned and they themselves raised several questions that they didn't know the answer to so they struck me as clueless. Could they be getting paid for these parcels but just not know it?
  • RFW
    RFW Posts: 10,021 Forumite
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    CLEARANCE_FEE wrote: »
    I sympathies with them however it is in there contract with Royal mail as far as I'm aware. They agreed to do it. The reason I'm asking is because the postmaster I was talking to still seemed to think Royal Mail was government owned and they themselves raised several questions that they didn't know the answer to so they struck me as clueless. Could they be getting paid for these parcels but just not know it?
    Privately owned/franchised POs don't get anything for handling prepaid parcels as far as I know. I saw some stat a while back that said that they actually lose money for each one as they take up their time when they could be serving profitable customers. That said it isn't your problem.

    If you have a Crown Post Office around they're a little more accommodating, even better would be a Royal Mail depot.
    .
  • ballisticbrian
    ballisticbrian Posts: 3,937 Forumite
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    even better would be a Royal Mail depot.
    The Royal Mail depots around here are changing to half day opening. I don't even know where to take my mail now if my vehicle breaks down on the way to the post office at 5.00pm.
    Warning: any unnecessary disclaimers appearing under my posts do not bear any connection with reality, either intended, accidental or otherwise. Your statutory rights are not affected.
  • RFW
    RFW Posts: 10,021 Forumite
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    ballisticbrian wrote: »
    The Royal Mail depots around here are changing to half day opening. I don't even know where to take my mail now if my vehicle breaks down on the way to the post office at 5.00pm.
    Ah. Mine does half day but it's 2-6pm, it's a bit out for me so I usually end up dropping off at a Post Office. I do try to be super friendly and try and occasionally find a service to use.
    I've worked in retail and really sympathise with the Post Office staff. They're usually under staffed and have customers shouting at them for having to wait, often for a service they didn't need to be in the post office for.
    .
  • soolin
    soolin Posts: 72,207 Ambassador
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    I'm lucky with my mail centre, open from 6.30am-7pm Monday- Friday and until 2pm on Saturday but they only accept post between 7.30-6 weekdays and up to 12 on a Saturday.

    Lovely people as well, I just dump my stuff straight into the cages and queue up for my manifest to be stamped.

    My local crown PO is terrible, they change the rules every time I go in and now ask that I just leave my stuff on the drop and go counter as they will no longer give me any receipt.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • custardy
    custardy Posts: 38,365 Forumite
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    ballisticbrian wrote: »
    The Royal Mail depots around here are changing to half day opening. I don't even know where to take my mail now if my vehicle breaks down on the way to the post office at 5.00pm.

    Really? Thats the opposite of the general trend in RM to extend callers office hours.
  • ballisticbrian
    ballisticbrian Posts: 3,937 Forumite
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    Really? Thats the opposite of the general trend in RM to extend callers office hours.


    God knows. Maybe I'm unlucky with my local office.
    Why are post offices so bothered about people dropping franked mail etc? Surely they are contracted for it? And isn't most of it at business close / end of day?
    Warning: any unnecessary disclaimers appearing under my posts do not bear any connection with reality, either intended, accidental or otherwise. Your statutory rights are not affected.
  • custardy
    custardy Posts: 38,365 Forumite
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    ballisticbrian wrote: »
    God knows. Maybe I'm unlucky with my local office.
    Why are post offices so bothered about people dropping franked mail etc? Surely they are contracted for it? And isn't most of it at business close / end of day?

    Well would you want extra work for no/little pay?
    Many POs are closing simply because the money isnt in it.
    I know of one PO that closed and the local shop over the road simply wanst interested. Postmistress offered £10K as a golden hello (apparently she would have got a payout for keeping the operation running) to the shop,but no interest.
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