Increase in standard parcel postage rates

We have heard a lot about the increase in postal rates for letters but nothing about the horrendous increase in parcel rates.

I am not too bothered about the letter rate increases as there are alternatives such as Email, Facebook or even fax (yes I still have a working fax machine).

Obviously there is no electonic means of transporting articles. The increase affects all of us who purchase materials and tools from advertisers, classified adverts, ebay etc. Royal Mail appear to have a death wish for the parcel service.

These are the changes in rates:

2Kg Was £4.41 Now £5.30

4Kg Was £7.62 Now £8.80

6Kg Was £10.34 Now £12.30

8KG Was £12.67 Now £15.80

10 Kg Was £13.61 Now £18.80

20 Kg Was £15.86 Now £21.90

Scandalous!

Competition is allowed in the parcels market, so you can use a courier

Many people do nowadays

The letters market is still a monopoly, so it gets more news coverage

I agree. Monday I had to post off forms to Student Finance England, and the cost was £1.10 second class to give them information I have already given them for another daughter!

The courier service MyHemes (no association, just a customer) will collect from your house (living 4 miles fro the nrarest Post Office this is a boon) and the rates are:

up to 1 Kg £3.30

1 - 2 Kg £4.19

2 - 5 Kg £5.99

5 - 10 Kg £7.14

10 - 15 Kg £ 8.30

Huge savings over Royal mail.

I've used these people: http://www.parcelsplease.co.uk/

£7-49 + VAT for 30 kg in mainland UK.

I've used them for deliveries to thz South of France at only £14-50 + VAT for 30 kg.

Russell

I don't think that these prices are over the top,can you take a 20Kg package from Lands End to John O Groats for 20 quid?

Pailo.

Well no but you are missing the point - I don't have to, there are plenty of other businesses that will do it for much less.

If we take your position and use it in another situation where I can do it cheaper myself - for example I could take a 20Kg parcel 10 miles for less - but Royal Mail would charge the same 20 quid. I can drive from home to my office for a cost of about £14 (and I could take 3 passengers) but I go by train and it costs me £36 - not really good value, but apparently better for the planet.

If only "our" suppliers were to stick to the Royal Mail postal charges, I for one would be quite happy. In reality these prices seem to be a crude starting point which are often doubled or trebled by the supplier and charged to the customer under the euphemism "p & p". Some suppliers publish their p&p charges and others incorporate the p&p into the cost of the item so that you know exactly how much you are going to be charged. As far as possible I always try and deal with these companies.

Unfortunately there are too many others who "don't know" the cost of p&p "until we sort it out". In my experience, these are invariably the ones who whack on an extra two or three or more pounds for an A5 Jiffy bag and treat p&p as a "nice little earner".

But will this indignation at excessive cost lead to any changes? - Not a chance IMO. I have lived in many different countries, and have always found UK Post Office charges to be ridiculously high. But there is another factor contributing to high mail order costs - most companies charge 'post and packing' which is frequently very much higher than the simple postage costs - It is hard to believe that simple padded envelopes can cost 10 pounds or more, yet that is what I have been asked on occasion, so now I rarely order from the UK at all.

Add in the trip to the post office and the 3/4 hour wait it makes carriers look very cheap when it's door to door.

Don't underestimate P&P OK £10 for a jiffy bag does seem excessive but how does this split down? If it has an £8 stamp on it the £2 isn't bad.

Last week Gert wasn't very well, I think we have had a bad batch of frogspawn this year and I had to do the mail. From entering everything on the PO computer, wrapping, bagging it etc to getting the mail sacks ready for the postman to collect [ no trip to the Po ] took me 1 1/2 hours.

That's one and a half hours at commercial rate, not doddering old fart retired rate, so every parcel probably cost £1.50 on top of postal charges, packing material etc

The new banding machine cost £1500 for a kick off.

John S.

Of course P & P includes the labour of packing as well as the materials but I agree that the charges are often too high. For reasonable sized consignments I ask them to use my prefered carrier.

I still order most of my tooling and materials from the UK.  Here, in France, prices are 50% to 100% higher.

Russell.

Edited By Russell Eberhardt on 03/05/2012 09:55:59

The price of an article on sale should surely reflect forseeable overheads and not be subject to an often apparently aritrary surcharge masquerading as "p&p". Most suppliers seem to be able to manage that and make quite reasonable charges consistent with and proportional to the price of the stamp. Others blatantly take the p***.

Hi There

If you don't like the postage charge, buy from someone else.

regards David

That's exactly my philosophy but unfortunately it still does not prevent me from being stung by some operators when buying from them for the first time. I have noticed that one or two more suppliers are listing their prices to include delivery and they are always my preferred option.

But some companies add it later because they sell direct and delivered. I tend to create an order and go as far as finding out the total price, using that as a comparison. Some firms will also add P&P once rather than adding it for each item, handy if ordering many items in one go.

Hallo Baldric....I always try to find out the total price but often get the " ....and a little bit of postage when we find out what it weighs" ploy,or "the computer's down" ploy, both of which in my experience subsequently lead to over the top p&p.

Hallo Baldric....I always try to find out the total price but often get the " ....and a little bit of postage when we find out what it weighs" ploy,or "the computer's down" ploy, both of which in my experience subsequently lead to over the top p&p.

DC1 - a singularly unhelpful comment ('If you don't like the postage charge, buy from someone else' Quite often there is only one supplier, and your comment avoids the point entirely (about high costs) - no wonder there are comments in the media about 'rip-off Britain' if you follow this philosophy. You appear not to have noticed that I do exactly what you are suggesting - but I go to suppliers outside UK, who do not rip me off (at least not to the same extent as in the UK).

John (Stevenson) - perhaps I did not explain my point as clealry as I should have - when I am quoted £15 pounds P&P for a 2Kg package, then using the figures in this thread, the postage should be (roughly) £4.50. - so what is the remaining £10 pounds for? - the package was in a padded bag (about A5 size). As for labour - pick item off shelf, slide into bag, self-seal bag, stick on computer printed label, frank package, chuck it in the bag - if they want to charge me for that, then tell me its Post, Packing and Labour. Are you also saying that the cost of a banding machine is being included in the packing costs? - surely this should be reflected in increased price of the purchased item. If it is not, then there is even more of a rip-off going on than was at first apparent. If there is something I want or need and a price is quoted, then it is up to me whether or not I accept it - and not hide it in a 'packing' charge.

The icon is not mine - it seems to replace the closing bracket, and I can't edit it out - sorry

Edited By wotsit on 03/05/2012 20:51:46

Personally

I use a white board well not a proper one just a bit of old kitchen MDF nailed up on the workshop wall and make a list and when there is a good show like Thornbury phone people and collect I have saved a lot of money they are happy because they have guaranteed sales I am happy as saved loads of postage. A win win situation all round.

Think the PO or whatever they call themselves these days have really shot themselves in the foot this time. Please come back Sir Rowland Hill all is forgiven.

Hi Mick H

There is always someone else to buy it from.
This is the philosophy I use when buying anything.
No price up front, I don't buy it.
Been ripped off too many times in supermarkets with incorrect or misleading prices.

regards David