ROYAL MAIL - Pricing In Proportion - Any Thoughts?

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kevinramsdale
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ROYAL MAIL - Pricing In Proportion - Any Thoughts?

Post by kevinramsdale »

This looks like it could be bad news for postcards.

At the moment I use two generous rectangles of cardboard when sending small numbers of cards through the post, creating a practically unbendable package.

Once the 5mm thickness limit is in force the choice will either be to reduce the amount of protection, or pay more postage for a "large letter"

An annoying dilemma, as the reason for the extra thickness is solely to prevent their own staff from bending the contents.

8)
Kevin

tonymckendrick
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Post by tonymckendrick »

We've decided to raise the postage from 60p to 70p for our postings (the new large letter rate having put the postage up from 32p to 44p for us.
So far we have had no objections. I can see it would be an issue on very low value packages (say less than £3) but we avoid these anyway.
We could compromise on reducing packing from 2 stiffeners to 1 but I don't think its worth the risk.
In a recent article which Liz wrote in PPM about an ebay buyer's experiences, he had had 6 out of 16 packages bent in the post by sorting office machinery which couldn't cope with packages with a single stiffener.
Any package sent with two stiffeners was discarded and so didn't get damaged.
Don't take the risk.

RailMan

Post by RailMan »

The postage sellers charge on ebay doesnt worry me. In fact I feel more confident if it's slightly more. I know some buyers moan about the cost but it all adds up. A decent strong envelope card stiffener plus the postage. I know from when I've sold the odd item. When someone offers postage at 50p or less I worry and make sure I ask them to package well. (by ebay message so this is recorded)

I'd rather pay a bit more and have the cards arrive here in good nick. If paying £5 or even £30 for a station card a few more pence dosnt matter. It's the same with the vinyl covers at fairs, some dealers even take them off when they cost 5p or so each . Some dealers seem to use them again and again . they look so grotty you have to take the card out to see the detail on real photo cards.

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kevinramsdale
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Post by kevinramsdale »

[quote="RailMan" - It's the same with the vinyl covers at fairs, some dealers even take them off when they cost 5p or so each . Some dealers seem to use them again and again . they look so grotty you have to take the card out to see the detail on real photo cards.[/quote]

Increasingly dealers are leaving the covers on cards when they sell them, it was rare for this to happen at one time. It is totally false economy to continually re-use tatty old ones, the sales boost from presenting the cards nicely in new covers will exceed any savings made from recycling used ones over and over again.

Kevin

8)
Kevin

MichaelDay
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Post by MichaelDay »

RailMan wrote:It's the same with the vinyl covers at fairs, some dealers even take them off when they cost 5p or so each . Some dealers seem to use them again and again . they look so grotty you have to take the card out to see the detail on real photo cards.
'
I always cringe a bit when the term 'VINYLS' is used.... a few years ago PVC (Poly vinyl chloride) plastic covers and album pages were in widespread use. PVC products contain large quantities of chemical plasticizers to soften the product. These gradually exude from the plastic and are likely to damage paper, card, photographic images and coloured inks to varying degrees.

The storage products currently on the market are usually polypropylene or polyester. Polyester as used in Secol products is the best plastic to use though is more expensive. Polypropylene is also much 'safer' and is the plastic used in most of the wallets, covers and pages currently on general sale eg. a 'Polyprotec' brand.

The re-use of covers by dealers is also a concern ... as many of the older PVC covers are possibly still in circulation. They are not easy to spot.. some may appear with wrinkled eges - where the plasticizer has effectively 'dried out' .

PVC also has a characteristic smell (the plasticizer chemicals?) whereas polpropylene and polyester are odourless.

Some early 6-up album pages in addition to being PVC had white PVC inner sheets. I've often seen these with orange/red stains on them in the position where they've been in prolonged contact with stamps on reverse of cards.

I've a photographic card in my collection somewhere that was in contact with a cut edge of a vinyl sleeve, the result is a thin stripe where the image has faded from the contact.

The effect of these chemicals on your cards will vary enormously, in some cases unnoticeable over many years or possibly just a gradual deterioration.

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kevinramsdale
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Post by kevinramsdale »

Anyone had any experience of pricing in proportion being enforced?

I've had a couple of incoming packages with stickers attached, telling me to let the sender know that the postage was incorrect, but that no additional fee would be charged at the moment.

Just wondered if anyone had yet had to pay up as result of a large letter being sent as an ordinary letter, or some other incorrect use of the new system.

Kevin

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MichaelDay
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Post by MichaelDay »

[quote="kevinramsdale"]Anyone had any experience of pricing in proportion being enforced?

I've had a couple of incoming packages with stickers attached, telling me to let the sender know that the postage was incorrect, but that no additional fee would be charged at the moment.

Just wondered if anyone had yet had to pay up as result of a large letter being sent as an ordinary letter, or some other incorrect use of the new system.

Kevin

8)[/quote]

Not yet.. there pretty strict at the Post Office counter and stick rigidly to the perspex sheet with the slots in. I imagine it's the huge items they are more concerned about and anything that slips through the net would normally have to fit in a normal post box slot so wouldn't worry them so much?

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