29 replies to this topic

[AVV IT]

I stopped paying the extra for 1st class, after chatting to various Royal Mail staff about this, and them all seeming to say that it makes absoutley no difference wether you pay for 1st or 2nd class, as they generally both get delivered at the same speed. I now basically either send by 2nd class, or special delivery if it's urgent.

I agree with what others have said about couriers generally offering a better value for money service than Royal Mail do these days. But I utterly despise waiting in all day for couriers, who invariably only ever call when I'm out. The one thing that Royal Mail therefore have over most couriers, is that if they can't deliver they'll take the item to my local sorting office (about a mile away) for me to collect at my convinience, and not back to a distribution centre over 40 miles away, or give me the option of waiting in all day again the next day.

[roberts]

I ticked the second class option but I do wonder if some buyers would be put off if it was the only option - may I still the idea that the whole operation is a 'budget' option. People can be really strange in the way they see stuff.

 

Yeah, noted, but (and it's a big but)...

 

We currently sell so few items that are dispatched with Royal Mail that even offering a Royal Mail option is becoming pointless, it's actually becoming a waste of time having to go to the Post Office to dispatch so little, occasionally we actually go to the Post Office to dispatch one item (that has a value of £4.99).

 

Which is why we need to reduce the cost of our small items P&P, as we need to get the numbers of the small items back up to what they used to be.

 

Two years ago I would take at least two bags of stuff every time I went to the Post Office, now I don't even bother taking a bag, as I can carry it in my hands - and the reason why is the additional cost (of over £2 increases per jiffy bag in the past 5 years, for a recorded signed for service).

 

 

Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Edited by roberts, 13 May 2014 - 08:34 PM.

[zinzan]

I'd be happy with any method. To Canada, that is.

[roberts]

Anyway guys, thanks for all the feedback (very much appreciated).

 

The thread now seems to be turning into a thread for slagging Royal Mail off (and moving away from the originally topic).

 

As I've already mentioned a few times... Royal Mail is the ONLY option available for posting "large letter like items". Other alternatives cost much more. And regardless of what you think of the service that Royal Mail offers, if a majority of people are currently refusing to pay £5.50 for P&P, for smaller items, then a majority of people will without question refuse to pay upwards of £7 if we started using a courier services (that people seem to have more faith in) for these same items.

 

So, to conclude this....

 

We had already made the decision to:

 

- Drop the recorded option, which saves £1.20.

 

- Introduce a second smaller jiffy bag option (as Royal Mail have changed the size categories which suits some of our products), which saves around £2.

 

The one thing we wanted to find out, from this thread and poll was to discover, if it matters to you, if we send things Royal Mail 1st or 2nd class.

 

And, the answer appears to be no - it doesn't really matter.

 

The only real opinions expressed have been regarding sending things recorded and/or about Royal Mail themselves.

 

So, we will go ahead with offering the following "small item" prices (both prices are a 2nd class service, with proof of posting):

 

- Large letter (so rear wheel arch covers, front door plastic, back door plastics, trim-clips): £1.50
- Small parcels (so dash rail covers, full sets of plastic door sheetings, lower dash trays, rear pocket covers, rear pocket liners): £3.50

 

Prices and services that we offer won't be changing any time soon, as it is quite a bit of work to change the websites shopping basket settings.

 

Again, a big thank you for all the feedback guys, as I said above it is very much appreciated.

 

 

Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

[roberts]

Good afternoon TMF,

Following on from this customer survey, we have updated the Royal Mail services that we use - making it much cheaper for P&P on all smaller items.

The new prices are as follows:

£1.00    Royal Mail (small letter)
£1.90    Royal Mail (large letter)
£3.50    Royal Mail (small parcel)

All items will now be sent via Royal Mail 2nd Class (previously we sent everything via 1st Class Recorded Signed For). However, for those who want to, you can upgrade our Royal Mail services to a recorded signed for service for an additional 90p. To upgrade select "Postal Insurance & Royal Mail Recorded Delivery" when browsing the shopping basket.

So, enjoy the savings!!


Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Edited by roberts, 20 June 2014 - 04:08 PM.

[blackbelt1990]

I havn't voted, I use MyHermes for all my eBay parcels now, loads more convenient (I drop it off when I fill my car with petrol) and it's much cheaper!

[jpw1275]

I'm with him^^^^^^^^^^^

[roberts]

I havn't voted, I use MyHermes for all my eBay parcels now, loads more convenient (I drop it off when I fill my car with petrol) and it's much cheaper!

 

I'm with him^^^^^^^^^^^

 

 

Evening guys,

 

Please make sure that you read my opening post before commenting, this pole/topic has/had nothing to do with courier services - it's about the dispatch of our small items, that are sent with Royal Mail.

 

We are happy with the service and price that FedEx offer us for our large items, so we won't be changing that any time soon.

 

 

Thanks

Andy @ Optimise Automotive

[exuptoy]

Royal Mail have gone to the dogs now. I've lost a few bits over the years so tried Parcel Monkey or P2G and kept being let down by couriers never turning up to collect so i now use Collectplus.co.uk and just drop it off at my local store. No more waiting in!

 

I realise it's not to do with your question but I have voted and you've now made the selection anyway.

[Jase]

We are in the same position as you with regard to the cost of Royal Mail items. We have to use them and when you are selling low value items it can be very expensive. We now just offer the option of 1st, 2nd, Recorded or Special and it is clear what the cost will be, we do not offer freepost anymore as we cannot cover it or compete on low cost items. We always retain a proof of post so if the item is lost WE ALWAYS claim via Royal Mail and in all fairness they are normally reasonably quick in paying out.

 

Whilst there are some customers who think that they should never have to pay for post many now realise the cost of postage and will select the service they want. £4+ for a recorded tube which used to be the cost of a first class stamp, plus the recorded cost has blown the value to the customer out of the water.

 

I wonder if in many years time the Royal Mail will be credited with bringing back town centres as it will be cheaper to walk into a shop and purchase what you want over the counter :) Even Amazon are changing their Prime shopping to accomodate costs.

Edited by Jase, 23 June 2014 - 09:14 AM.

[roberts]

We are in the same position as you with regard to the cost of Royal Mail items. We have to use them and when you are selling low value items it can be very expensive. We now just offer the option of 1st, 2nd, Recorded or Special and it is clear what the cost will be, we do not offer freepost anymore as we cannot cover it or compete or low cost items. We always retain a proof of post so if the item is lost WE ALWAYS claim via Royal Mail and in all fairness they are normally reasonably quick in paying out.

 

Whilst there are some customers who think that they should never have to pay for post many now realise the cost of postage and will select the service they want. £4+ for a recorded tube whic used to be the cost of a first class stamp plus the recorded cost has blown the value to the customer out of the water.

 

I wonder if in many years time the Royal Mail will be credited with bringing back town centres as it will be cheaper to walk into a shop and purcase what you want over the counter :) Even Amazon are changing their Prime shopping to accomodate costs.

 

Yeah, as you say prices for anything other than a letter have gone up and up recently - which doesn't make any sense to me. If the postman can fit the package in his bag I don't know why it's any more expensive to post than a 1st class letter, the same process is being used - and, the postman is walking past the house anyway. I understand why anything bigger than a large letter costs more - as it doesn't fit through a letterbox, but everything under should be the same price (and recorded should be the 90p ish more, as it is).

 

Personally think Royal Mail are brilliant - we have no problems with them at all, in nearly 6 years of Optimise Automotive (if memory serves me correctly) we have had one item go missing that we dispatched and zero items that have been delivered to us have gone missing.

 

My tip - always use a printed label (so don't hand write it) and always use a new envelope (with no previous makings on it) - this ensures it is clear to read and you won't have any problems.

 

 

Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

[blackbelt1990]

I havn't voted, I use MyHermes for all my eBay parcels now, loads more convenient (I drop it off when I fill my car with petrol) and it's much cheaper!

 

I'm with him^^^^^^^^^^^

Evening guys,
Please make sure that you read my opening post before commenting, this pole/topic has/had nothing to do with courier services - it's about the dispatch of our small items, that are sent with Royal Mail. 
We are happy with the service and price that FedEx offer us for our large items, so we won't be changing that any time soon.
Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Hi Andy, the point I was trying to make is I don't send ANYTHING by Royal Mail. Even small items work out cheaper by MyHermes at the moment.

[roberts]

 

 

I havn't voted, I use MyHermes for all my eBay parcels now, loads more convenient (I drop it off when I fill my car with petrol) and it's much cheaper!

 

I'm with him^^^^^^^^^^^

Evening guys,
Please make sure that you read my opening post before commenting, this pole/topic has/had nothing to do with courier services - it's about the dispatch of our small items, that are sent with Royal Mail. 
We are happy with the service and price that FedEx offer us for our large items, so we won't be changing that any time soon.
Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Hi Andy, the point I was trying to make is I don't send ANYTHING by Royal Mail. Even small items work out cheaper by MyHermes at the moment.

 

 

 

I was under the impression that myHermes started at around £2.80 mark to drop off and around £3 for a collection, both prices per parcel.

 

Which makes them more expensive than Royal Mail - with Royal Mail we pay 66p for an envelope (1st class) £1.48 for an A4 jiffy (2nd class) and £2.80 for an A3 jiffy (2nd class).

 

 

Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

 

 

P.S. Yeah, as I thought -  I have just checked there website - prices start at £2.78, making them much more expensive than the post office for envelopes and A4 jiff's. But a saving of 2p on A3 jiffy's, however - making two trips (one to the post office and one to the myHermes drop off place) would mean we would have to charge more than 2p per parcel more anyway.

Edited by roberts, 23 June 2014 - 02:55 PM.

[blackbelt1990]

You can send things for less than 90p?

 

 

 

I havn't voted, I use MyHermes for all my eBay parcels now, loads more convenient (I drop it off when I fill my car with petrol) and it's much cheaper!

 

I'm with him^^^^^^^^^^^

Evening guys,
Please make sure that you read my opening post before commenting, this pole/topic has/had nothing to do with courier services - it's about the dispatch of our small items, that are sent with Royal Mail. 
We are happy with the service and price that FedEx offer us for our large items, so we won't be changing that any time soon.
Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Hi Andy, the point I was trying to make is I don't send ANYTHING by Royal Mail. Even small items work out cheaper by MyHermes at the moment.

 

 

 

I was under the impression that myHermes started at around £2.80 mark to drop off and around £3 for a collection, both prices per parcel.

 

Which makes them more expensive than Royal Mail - with Royal Mail we pay 66p for an envelope (1st class) £1.48 for an A4jiffy (2nd class) and £2.80 for an A3 jiffy (2nd class).

 

 

Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

 

 

P.S. Yeah, as I thought -  I have just checked there website - prices start at £2.78, making them much more expensive than the post office for envelopes and A4 jiff's. But a saving of 2p on A3 jiffy's, however - making two trips (one to the post office and one to the myHermes drop off place) would mean we would have to charge more than 2p per parcel more anyway.

 I suppose I'm factoring in the fact that I have to pay to park when I go to the post office etc, whereas now i drop the stuff off at the petrol station lol

[alicetheauto]

In your above post you've touched on my opinion. Anything other than a 2nd class stamp on an envelope, which can be dropped in a post box on the way home, don't bother with royal mail at all. Try to negotiate a deal with your current courier for getting your small stuff out too. It's just not worth your time in the queue at the post office to "save" the customer a few pence. You may as well pay it out your own pocket and be making more money from the time you're sitting in the queue.