The UK has one of the world's best postal systems. (Post Office)

Member Name: CokaCola

Product:	Post Office
Date:	16/08/09 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Loads of services offered, loads of branches all over the UK

Disadvantages: None.

I live in a village where the local Post Office branch is a focal point and also a meeting point for largely the older residents, who congrigate early in the morning and are great friends with the cahiers. It always amuses me when an older lady starts talking about going in for her scan, her medication and eventually the lovely Post Office lady tells her that it's all lovely and good, but that she's causing a queue. I tend to use the Post Office for two main services, postage and foreign currency, so that is what my review will principally cover.

All Post Office branches have regular collections daily by Royal Mail, meaning that you can send letters and parcels to anywhere around the world from these little shops in remote villages. They are spread right over the country and larger Post Office branches with several cashiers desks and automatic calling "Cashier number 4 please" can be found in bigger cities. Post Office branches sell all postage products, stamps, stickers etc.

You simply pop the item on the scales and the cashier serving you will go through the options and their cost. "First Class will be £1.29, Second will be £0.89" etc etc. They will generally ask if the item is worth more than £36 as it is protocal. They will then take your items off you, and a day or two later they will arrive at their destination. Amazing really how a letter can travel to the other end of the country overnight for a cost of 40p, I think it's a service that we don't give enough credit to.

Pretty much all Post Office branches carry US dollars and Euros as standard. Some of the busier smaller ones also carry Turkish Lira and the larger post office branches have lots of international currency, like Australian Dollars and Japanese Yen. If a currency is not carried, then they can order it in for you which can prove useful. The Post Office does not charge commision on its currency, but does have it's own exchange rate. It's one of the cheaper places to buy currency, cheaper than the airport and some urban bureau de changes, although it can be beaten by places like Thomas Cook which are harder to get to and I think sometimes have a minimum order, say £200.

Overall I love my local Post Office, I don't know where I'd be without it. The UK has one of the best Postal systems on the planet and we should be proud of it.

Summary: Support your local post office!!