Reply With QuoteEddie,
If you open an account, their international contract rates are much cheaper. And their Special Delivery rates too. They'll collect your mail too - save you standing in that queue ;-)
Post offices have this week been instructed to rigidly observe the new rules for international mail. Until the latest price increase on 31 March 2014, international mail was not subjected to the size/thickness rules which applied to domestic mail but now it does. Anything which doesn't pass through the 5mm slot in the size gauge is now classed as a "small parcel".
A couple of straps in a padded envelope will not pass through the 5mm slot so what used to cost £1.47 to Europe and £2.15 to the US and Australia now costs £3.20 and £4.00 respectively. The headlines might have said "First class mail up 2p" but they didn't say "International mail up 100%". I don't understand how this has been allowed or why there hasn't been an outcry.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Eddie,
If you open an account, their international contract rates are much cheaper. And their Special Delivery rates too. They'll collect your mail too - save you standing in that queue ;-)
I have to agree with you, but the reason there's not a lot of outcry is that international mail is such a small proportion of the overall RM business (and therefore by extension, so very few people actually use it often enough to register the full impact of the increase) that it has largely 'slipped under the radar'. And as to why it's been allowed..... because they can. They have a tacit monopoly and they're not shy about using it.Originally Posted by swanbourne
Rob
A friends mother recently sent a boxed pint-sized glass tankard by RMSD to her other son who lives on the south coast, she was charged an outrageous £26 !!!!
I tried to send a leather strap to Romania at the weekend ina padded envelope and was quoted £8.40. I walked away.
It's also worth noting that since the 2nd April, they have discontinued the AirSure service, and the maximum amount of insurance available for all overseas deliveries has been halved from £500 to £250.
The prices all went up though of course.
I suspect this is the thin end of the wedge now that shareholders have to be satisfied.
Rich.
I think its called 'Tracked' now.
International Signed For became 'Signed' and you can have tracking and a signature now too, very originally named 'Tracked & Signed'
It's also worth noting that since the 2nd April, they have discontinued the AirSure service, and the maximum amount of insurance available for all overseas deliveries has been halved from £500 to £250.
The prices all went up though of course.
I suspect this is the thin end of the wedge now that shareholders have to be satisfied.
Rich.That's correct. "Airsure" has simply been re-branded to "International Tracked", and there has been an additional service added which is "International Tracked & Signed" - basically Airsure with a signature on delivery. Prices have gone up, but only marginally from pre-April prices, although the change to size limits Eddie mentioned will hit others more than me (my straps were always sent as "packages")
The issue I've had though is that many countries that used to allow International Signed For no longer do - they now have to be sent Tracked & signed instead, and as was always the case with Airsure this service requires VAT to be paid if the country is in the EU (which International Signed For doesn't), so costs to send straps to countries like Sweden, Republic of Ireland and Italy cost an additional 20% on top of the price rises.
hi, most of my uk parcels i have been using Hermes online, very easy to process and just drop of at my local paper shop,
jim
Yup - another vote for MyHermes. Absolutely brilliant. They come and collect from me :)
I went back with it today in a thinner envelope and it cost £6.20 fully tracked and signed for.
The flip side of that is if you don't live in a numbered house on a signposted street then you've absolutely no chance of receiving your item.
I've just checked for a price of a 500gm package to Germany, delivery within 5 days, insured to £2,500, signed for. last time I sent something similar it was just shy of £40. £120.80 now, jesus wept.
I'll be interested to hear if you are able to track in through the Romanian postal system. I recently sent something to Australia and was warned that it would only be trackable while in the UK and this was indeed the case (it has arrived safely).
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