UK Postal Charges set to change .... yet again !!

[surfury]

Just checked website of Royal Mail and see that yet again postal charges from Royal Mail are set to change, this time with effect from 2nd April 2013. If anyone wants a pdf then they can go here and follow the link at the bottom for a downloadable version.

I have used the word change rather than rise like I did last year as they are "simplifying" the weight bands for International Post which will now go up in 250gm increments rather than 100gm. What does this all mean ? Well checking some of the rates, currently to send a single Steelbook with a single disc in a padded Play box (weighing about 240gm) it is £4.98, under the new tariff same Steel will cost £4.50 as it's under 250g. A heavier Steel with 2 discs or more will be in the next band so would cost £7.20, which will be the same for sending 2 Steels (if they're single discers), and cost £7.98 at the moment. Swings and roundabouts I suppose.

For those of us in the UK sending internally sadly there is no good news, it's just going to get more expensive which ever way you cut it.

 

[Naughtius Maximus]

Remember guys, scissors are your new best friends when it comes to making a box fit their fecking sizes! (until we use up our stock of boxes that is )

 

[gbdragon]

I just had a shock with the new prices.

My usual package use to cost me 2nd class recorded £3:15... Now £3:70.

The same size package and weight if I wanted to send 1st class recorded would cost me £4.10.

These prices are steep and if you sell on eBay it makes a difference if you offer 'FREE POST'.

 

[gothichobbit]

The Royal Mail should be called the Royal Fail !

 

[lgans316]

The royal mail should be called the royal fail !

Correction.

Royal Fail
and
Parcel Farce

 

[Maccadinho25]

Just spent £30 sending off 10 steels - nice profit at the end...NOT

 

[Ashcroft]

It's been quite a while since I posted a steelbook, but since I might be soon (both 1 and 2 discers), has anyone used Royal Mail to send a steelbook to a UK address in one of the Zavvi boxes recently? How much did it cost?

 

[Naughtius Maximus]

It's been quite a while since I posted a steelbook, but since I might be soon (both 1 and 2 discers), has anyone used Royal Mail to send a steelbook to a UK address in one of the Zavvi boxes recently? How much did it cost?

£3 1st class standard or £4.10 1st class signed for

 

[Ashcroft]

Crap, I was hoping they'd be small enough to qualify as a large letter instead of a parcel.

 

[surfury]

Just a thought guys and this is UK only I believe. If your parcel arrives but doesn't show on the system as having been signed for then you can claim the amount extra it cost to have Signed For as they have failed. I know that this is the case having been told so by customer services. It's not a lot but every penny counts these days, why should they get away with it.

 

[SimonLDT]

Just a thought guys and this is UK only I believe. If your parcel arrives but doesn't show on the system as having been signed for then you can claim the amount extra it cost to have Signed For as they have failed. I know that this is the case having been told so by customer services. It's not a lot but every penny counts these days, why should they get away with it.

Is there an easy way to claim? Last time I made a claim from Royal Mail it took weeks and was a lot of hassle.

 

[RajLondon]

Claiming from RM is a pain in the a55! An international item I sent which was lost took over 3 months for the situation to be resolved. An absolute joke.

Process is still the same. Fill out the form and post to them with all the supported documentation.

 

[Jb162009]

Time to bump this thread as this is excellent news that I just heard:

Royal Mail is consulting on a proposed change to their parcels format. Due end of October 2013.The proposals apply to consumers, small non-contract business and franking customers.

The proposal is to extend the dimensions of Small Parcels so that items of up to 350 x 250 by 160mm would now be classed (and priced) as a Small Parcel.

The proposed new size is approximately the size of a large shoebox. Parcels up to 450 x 350 by 80mm would also continue to be priced as Small Parcels. Small Parcels can typically be carried on foot by posties as they complete their delivery rounds, as long as the weight does not exceed 2kgs.

The change would mean that over 80% of parcels delivered by Royal Mail would qualify as Small

 

[lgans316]

So this is almost back to where it was prior to 2nd April 2013.

 

[jammyone]

Time to bump this thread as this is excellent news that I just heard:

I really hope this goes ahead as it's awesome news

 

[Jb162009]

I really hope this goes ahead as it's awesome news

Me to as current prices are a pain. Although I don't send many parcels I do like to trade steelbooks.

Here's a link to a recent article from 2 days ago:

http://tamebay.com/2013/10/royal-mail-to-increase-small-parcel-size-by-month-end.html

Here's the main section:

Following the consultation, the change means that over 80% of parcels delivered by Royal Mail will qualify as Small Parcels and it’ll now include the typical “shoe box” sized parcel. We’re not currently sure if the weight will be up to 1kg or 2kg, but definitely for those whose items are currently classed as medium or large parcels the price will plummet.

We’ve heard from Tamebay reader Brian that his Post Office has received the official bulletin on their terminal informing them of the change and that they will be receiving a new template with a live date of the 28th October. However Mark, another Tamebay reader was shown a live date of the 4th of November.

So it seems by 4th November the new small parcel range should be in place although I did read in the comment section in that link that Royal Mail aren't going to advertise the change, those sneaky gits

 

[jammyone]

Me to as current prices are a pain. Although I don't send many parcels I do like to trade steelbooks.

Here's a link to a recent article from 2 days ago:

http://tamebay.com/2013/10/royal-mail-to-increase-small-parcel-size-by-month-end.html

Here's the main section:



So it seems by 4th November the new small parcel range should be in place although I did read in the comment section in that link that Royal Mail aren't going to advertise the change, those sneaky gits

Cheers for the Tamebay link

Having read the Tamebay article I now see what the PO are doing, the new sizing is a replacement to the small parcel exception rule (the 16cm by 16cm by 16cm cube).

The small parcel exception is now the new size (35cm by 25cm by 16cm) but the 'normal' small parcel size is still valid too (45cm by 35cm by 8cm).

This is actually better than I thought as it's more flexible though I wish it'd have happened a week ago as it would have saved me 20 quid.

 

[jammyone]

The new sizing options for small parcels is now live on the Royal Mail website

Explantion to the new sizing rules

Small Parcel
Wide option
Max 2kg 45cm 35cm 8cm

Small parcel
Deep option
Max 2kg 35cm 25cm 16cm


Second class prices

up to 1kg £2.60

between 1 & 2kg £5,60

 

[ElenM]

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