Damaged mail might make me STOP using the local PO .

Post by **work = pay** » 31 Aug 2007, 10:40

I send about 100 - 150 items a week through my local PO which is tiny. The guy there, Andrew says my business plays a HUGE part in the daily takings which makes him very happy I use him.
I love the guy and I'm all for keeping the local PO open.... but....
My parcels are getting more and more damaged in the mail to the point, Im thinking I might have to start using a courier because I cant keep on top of all the replacements I have to send out because ebay isnt set up like that, once something is dispatched it's off you list etc
I was wondering, would it be worth putting FRAGILE stickers on? I can't see it would be as it seems obvious to me that if you're delivering a postal tube, it shouldn't be bent or crushed but that happens anyway.
Please please please give me a suggestion about how to avoid so much damaged mail and please dont say insurance as I have to be competitive and my customers never choose that option.
I dont want to have to start using a courier and I dont want to pay over the odds.
So is there anything that gets a parcel some respect or they all just bundled together and I have to hope for the best?
thanks for you time.
You'll be helping me and my local PO.
Fiona.

lampwick · Post by **lampwick** » 31 Aug 2007, 12:18

well my love you have never visited the big mlo centres have you your pkt gets shoved in a big revolving tumble dryer that sorts out the different sizes of mail it does not matter if you mark it fragile the machine cant read it

vigilante · Post by **vigilante** » 31 Aug 2007, 14:50

WITHOUT BEING FUNNY ABOUT IT, ARE THE ITEMS PACKAGED WELL ENOUGH BECAUSE MANY A TIME
IN MY EXPERIENCE IT'S THE PACKAGING THATS THE PROBLEM.
AND COURIERS, I HAVE TO SAY ARE BY NO MEANS NECESSARILY BETTER AT HANDLING ITEMS!!!!

Post by **work = pay** » 31 Aug 2007, 15:21

I dont know how much better you can post a bit of paper than in a sturdy postal tube? I dont think my packaging would help at all when the tubes are being crushed and bent, which is no mean feat, I've actually jumped on one and I ended up on my arse but the tube was fine.
So you're basically telling me that the Royal Mail treat your parcels like crap because it's done by machines?

Taitch · Post by **Taitch** » 31 Aug 2007, 15:27

How big are these tubes?

johnnyp · Post by **johnnyp** » 31 Aug 2007, 15:32

Hi work = pay ive just read youre post and all i can say is that most of us do our best to take care of customers items but some times things do get damaged not on purpose but by accident,Icant comment when it comes to machines but in a delivery office where i work parcels and packets are transported in york containers which can hold anything up to 25-30 packets and parcels,so anything at the bottom or in the middle is in for a rough ride,so you see why its so important to wrap them good and proper.

Have a look at the link in this forum about wrapping packets and parcels.

Post by **work = pay** » 31 Aug 2007, 15:40

The tubes are 25" long 640mm diameter and VERY sturdy....
I have been doing these deliveies for about 2 years and it's only the last 3-4 months that Ive been getting a disproportionate amount of "item received damaged" emails and the photos shows tubes ranging from bent to utterly destroyed!

Post by **work = pay** » 31 Aug 2007, 15:41

johnnypick wrote:Have a look at the link in this forum about wrapping packets and parcels.

You can be serious? It's a postal tube, I only need to put caps on the end and tape them shut.....

vigilante · Post by **vigilante** » 31 Aug 2007, 15:52

work = pay wrote:I dont know how much better you can post a bit of paper than in a sturdy postal tube? I dont think my packaging would help at all when the tubes are being crushed and bent, which is no mean feat, I've actually jumped on one and I ended up on my arse but the tube was fine.
So you're basically telling me that the Royal Mail treat your parcels like crap because it's done by machines?

FIONA, WE DON'T TREAT ANYTHING LIKE C**P, BUT NO A TUBE SHOULD BE FINE IN TRANSIT.
DO YOU SEND LOCALLY OR ALL OVER AND IS THIS HAPPENING EVERYWHERE??

somerset · Post by **somerset** » 31 Aug 2007, 15:53

work = pay wrote:The tubes are 25" long 640mm diameter and VERY sturdy....
I have been doing these deliveies for about 2 years and it's only the last 3-4 months that Ive been getting a disproportionate amount of "item received damaged" emails and the photos shows tubes ranging from bent to utterly destroyed!

I presume the items you sending in a tube our posters? So what is stopping the receiver from getting it in good condition then removing item then stamping all over empty tube, and taking a photo of tube(that is a really sad life that person must live!) I think you are being conned.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 31 Aug 2007, 15:59

My suggestion would be to find which office collects from your PO and see if you can find a contact there and raise your concerns with them, if necessary move further up the chain. If you are sending 150 items a week you should be treated with some respect. In the worst case I would even consider writing to Alan Leighton adn Adam Crozier you mat even get a response.

Hope it all works out for you and you local PO.

Post by **POSTMAN** » 31 Aug 2007, 16:04

I,and i'm sure every Postie on here know the tubes you're talking about,and in my 10 years i have NEVER seen one damaged.
Something seems wrong here.
Tip,why dont you send a few to yourself or some trust worthy friends and see how that pans out.

Post by **POSTMAN** » 31 Aug 2007, 16:12

work = pay wrote:I dont know how much better you can post a bit of paper than in a sturdy postal tube? I dont think my packaging would help at all when the tubes are being crushed and bent, which is no mean feat, I've actually jumped on one and I ended up on my arse but the tube was fine.
So you're basically telling me that the Royal Mail treat your parcels like crap because it's done by machines?

You have sort of answered your own question as you say you have jumped on them and they are ok.
These type of tubes would not be sorted by machine.
Also the way parcels are transported (i am an ex collection driver who collected from PO's) there is no real way these tubes can be seriously damaged.
There is a weight issue on everything we do,although our yorks(containers) have a lot of weight in them i really can't see parcels being damaged that much.
And i have collected/delivered 000's in my time.

You also mentioned the ebay forums full of this,well tell them to come over to here and we'll try to help out as best we can with any queries they may have.

L Tommo · Post by **L Tommo** » 31 Aug 2007, 17:33

Sorry to say this but.... I recon the bastards are playing cricket with your tubes....

HAVE A MOAN TO YOUR LOCAL MAIL CENTER AND TELL THEM THAT YOU WILL LEAVE THERE BUSINESS FOR ANOTHER IF THEY DONT HELP... Its the muppets that RM employ now days.... Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but i work in a London Mail center and i see the idiots that now work on part time basis and dont care about anything in the job... SHAME AINT IT!!

out

DONT LET THE BASTARDS GRIND US DOWN!

Post by **work = pay** » 31 Aug 2007, 19:53

brisomerset wrote: I presume the items you sending in a tube our posters? So what is stopping the receiver from getting it in good condition then removing item then stamping all over empty tube, and taking a photo of tube(that is a really sad life that person must live!) I think you are being conned.

The thing stopping them is that I see the items as well and they are trashed, I only replace items if they are returned or I can see a photo of them being destroyed so there is no gain for a customer to try and con me. I know the odd person might try to pull a swift one but 2 years in the business have given me a rough idea of how much to expect and it's about 1 a week - over the past few months it has more than quadrupled!! It's insane and I just cant see that people would be willing to ruin their item and the tube all to put me out of a bit of money but then leave me good feedback?

POSTMAN wrote:I,and i'm sure every Postie on here know the tubes you're talking about,and in my 10 years i have NEVER seen one damaged.
Something seems wrong here.
Tip,why dont you send a few to yourself or some trust worthy friends and see how that pans out.

Well, if it's happening to 1 out of 35-40 posters I would have to send that amount to myself and I'm simply not willing to do that, it would cost a fortune and not really help me.

I was just hoping that someone could say to me "yeah, FRAGILE stickers get your items treated much better" or "you have to put PLEASE DO NOT BEND onto this kind of delivery for it to be put in the delicate piles". Sadly it looks like there is no anything in place for RM to select more fragile items....

As for the damage, Im pretty sure it's caused by Posties putting them into their vans under heavy items. Ive thought about it loads and its the only thing that makes sense for a tube to get crushed in the middle they way they mostly are. Like they were leaning on something at an angle and something heavy has landed in the middle of it, snapping the tube and ruining the paper product inside.

I'm not blaming anyone here and Im greatful for those who have taken the time to reply but my god it's annoying. It seems to be mostly happening down south in England, Im only having normal problems in the USA and Scotland and the rest of the world.

I guess I would have liked to have been told, yeah this is probably the reason for the sudden increase in your problems but dont worry this is going to happen and you should be fine soon. Wishful thinking though.
As I say, thanks anyway you've been great for taking the time to reply.

L Tommo wrote:Sorry to say this but.... I recon the bastards are playing cricket with your tubes....

HAVE A MOAN TO YOUR LOCAL MAIL CENTER AND TELL THEM THAT YOU WILL LEAVE THERE BUSINESS FOR ANOTHER IF THEY DONT HELP... Its the muppets that RM employ now days.... Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but i work in a London Mail center and i see the idiots that now work on part time basis and dont care about anything in the job... SHAME AINT IT!!

I think I will but mu local post worker guy doesn't fill out all the info for me because he doesn't have the time... (I get to leave the parcels with him then pay a day behind so it works great for me as I dont have to wait about for AGES)... so I think he might get in trouble because I can't prove any of the postage if they ask about it. I love the guy and we have a good set up so I dont want him to get into trouble. I'd much rather stay with him and keep the business in my village but it just doesn't look viable any more. It's a real shame.

ROYALMAILCHAT

Damaged mail might make me STOP using the local PO .

Damaged mail might make me STOP using the local PO .

fiona

FIONA

Well...