The bizarre byways of the Royal Mail’s new delivery charges

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SIR – I wonder if anyone else has noticed that it is now cheaper to send small packets abroad by post than in this country.
Under the Royal Mail’s new parcel-pricing, a packet classed as a “medium parcel” for domestic deliveries (over 8cm thick) but weighing under 250g will cost £5.65 (first class) or £5.20 (second class) in this country but will only cost £3.50 to send anywhere in Europe – and only £4.50 or £4.70 to send anywhere else in the world.

It is therefore more expensive for me to send a small packet like this from Hampshire to Surrey than to Australia.

If the packet weighs under 500g it is still cheaper to send to Europe (£4.95) than to anywhere in Britain. This is completely bizarre!

Brandon Ashton
Yateley, Hampshire

I now pay bills by debit card at my bank and conduct business affairs and most correspondence by email.
I only use Royal Mail to send hard copy to solicitors or to write to dinosaur friends who are not online. It wouldn’t bother me if those letters took a week.

Provide a cheap third-class service and I’d happily use it.

Geoffrey Adams
Cirencester, Gloucestershire

SIR – The Countryside Alliance is not interested in blocking privatisation of the Royal Mail (Leading article, April 8) but in ensuring that rural communities and businesses continue to have a level of service which meets their needs.

The universal service – Royal Mail’s promise of a six-day-a-week postal service, to all parts of the United Kingdom for a uniform tariff – is enshrined in legislation, and it would be remiss of us not to remind the Government of how important that is to rural Britain.

The temptation to restrict delivery to areas of high-density population will only become greater, whoever owns Royal Mail, and stopping daily delivery in the countryside would have a significant impact on rural people and businesses.

Barney White-Spunner
Executive chairman, Countryside Alliance
London SE11

SIR – No mail delivery service in the Western world has been privatised and produced a cheaper, better service.
Mail delivery is labour-intensive. Why do you think there were no takers from the private sector for this area of Royal Mail?
It is a national scandal that the private sector has been allowed to cherry-pick the only section of Royal Mail’s business that made a profit, while leaving Royal Mail to maintain the universal service.

Bob Wydell
Oswestry, Shropshire

SIR – If Scotland chooses independence, the burden of delivering letters to the most remote parts will go away.
Ian Macpherson
Guildford, Surrey