Over priced international service! (Royal Mail)

Member Name: poonam82

Product:	Royal Mail
Date:	20/05/09 (100 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: If you paid for a parcel to be signed for, it does get their eventually

Disadvantages: increasing costs & levels of service seems to be static or deteriorating slightly

Royal mail... My granddad used to work for them and I often get the reminiscence of "it wasn't like that in my day" when I visit him on Saturdays and I'm told it took him 45 minutes to queue and collect his pension (45 MINUTES!!! - apparently that was a good day!) And the level of service.

Having read the reviews, I feel inclined to comment on something which I don't think has been mentioned here yet.

Their international service.

I am a little old school - I send emails for work...etc but I love writing letters and sending cards. There is nothing cooler than coming home and finding a card on your doorstep from abroad, just a little note to say hello - a lot more personal than an email and it really does brighten me up at that moment.

Cards & Letters:

First of all - did you know that if you send a card by itself, and send a card with a letter inside (even if it's the thinnest piece of airmail paper) you get charged almost double for some destinations for it!!! - Why, no one can tell me!! I only found this out (as there is nothing on the website that tells you this!) by constantly being asked what's in the envelope - I usually just say a birthday card for convenience and then I got quizzed if there was a letter...!

I'd understand if the letter was weighty but it seems to be more on the principle of having a letter in there or not rather than having anything to do with the weight!

However, 9 times out of 10, cards seem to get there. I wish they wouldn't give you an estimated delivery time as for some regions; they are so out of touch. I have more chance of swimming to Guatemala and delivering the card personally in two weeks than it reaching there via Royal Mail in the same time frame. I know that's not their fault, but a bit more heads up on their partners overseas would help improve that service!

A general problem that has occurred to me a number of times and happened to me this morning (which has spurred me to write this!) is that if you put the return sender address at the back of the card, they actually post the card back to you!! I usually have little labels at the back of the cards and postcards, and yet somehow, the machine doesn't pick up on my huge scrawl of the address (well it's not scrawl - its legible) and yet decides to stamp the stamp and send it back to me!! Having contacted Royal Mail about this, I am told to fill out the lengthy P58 form so they can refund the postage, but I need to send the postcards to them so they can see for themselves and ONLY if I have the receipt for the cards, will they refund it... after 28 days...

Such a lengthy procedure....!

PARCELS

First of all, the customs declaration. I write these in English and as most of my parcels are headed towards Latin America, I write them in Spanish and get people sending them to me to do the same. Yet they are opened each and every time on entry to the country.... Again, no one can explain why. Everyone reading this I'm sure must be thinking... well they're probably checking for drugs! I know the stereotype in that region but seriously, I object to having my favourite chocolate bars being nicked by customs!!

Another thing about the parcels, if your parcel is 2000g or less, it can be sent as a "small packet". If it's a gram over that, the price rocket and you find that you're paying again, almost double! If they could share that with customers, would be great as just before xmas, I see loads of customers unpacking parcels, weighing them, trying to get it right...etc it wastes their time, wastes your time.

Internationally signed for parcels do get there. If you send a parcel to Latin America not signed for, it's 50-50 whether it will get there or not, (Asia, if it's not signed for, it's 20-80 that it's likely to get there unopened and with everything inside it) which leaves be slightly miffed and out of pocket.

Whilst I know Royal Mail can only control so much - but if they are agree to provide an international service, a little bit of a shake up would be great just so your stuff gets there. It's no wonder so many small companies are now on the market to deliver international parcels.

To summarise, I find their international service odd. There is a lot of "small print" that you can't find anywhere on how to get your stuff to it's destination via the cheapest means possible. Considering the cost of sending these items goes up significantly every year, you'd think (or hope) that would guarantee a better service or better information. When they do get it right, it does work, but part of them getting it right is you being well informed too!

Summary: If you send it international & it means something to you, send it signed for!