International Service update: 18th of January 2023

[POSTMAN]

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app ... /related/1

Service update: 18th of January 2023
Following the recent cyber incident, we are trialling operational workarounds and have started moving limited volumes of export parcels. While we trial these operational workarounds, we continue to ask customers not to submit any new export parcels into the network. Our initial focus will be to clear mail that has already been processed and is waiting to be despatched.

We are pleased to announce that we have resumed the export of International Standard and International Economy letters which do not require a customs declaration (i.e. these letters do not contain goods); International Business Standard (untracked) and International Business Economy personal correspondence letters (which do not require a customs declaration) to all international destinations. From 1900 on 18 January, customers will be able to start sending International Standard and International Economy letters which do not require a customs declaration (i.e. these letters do not contain goods); International Business Standard (untracked) and International Business Economy personal correspondence letters (which do not require a customs declaration) into the Royal Mail network through all channels including Royal Mail post boxes and Post Office branches.

Royal Mail continues to work with external experts, the security authorities and regulators to mitigate the impact of this cyber incident, with a focus on restoring export services. Our import operations continue to perform a full service, with some minor delays. Parcelforce Worldwide export services are still operating to all international destinations though customers should expect minor delays. Royal Mail’s UK services are still operational.

Our teams are continuing to work around the clock to resolve this disruption and we will update you as soon as we have more information. An investigation into the incident is ongoing and we are working with external experts. We have reported the incident to our regulators and the relevant security authorities.


HS Code Update January 2022
On January 1st 2022, the World Customs Organisation (WCO), an independent intergovernmental body that serves as the voice of the customs community, implemented the 7th edition of its Harmonised System (HS). This means the data requirements have changed in areas including HS codes and duty and VAT rates, as well as having implications for prohibited and restricted goods screening. For a full-list of updates please visit Gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/collectio ... ss-notices or visit HMRC Trade Tariff tool https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff ; for more information, in order to minimise delays through customs or items being returned to sender.

[passengerpigeon]

They're shipping out parcels for France, Germany and The Netherlands tonight. Presumably because they're sent by road.

[Nildesperandum]

They're shipping out parcels for France, Germany and The Netherlands tonight. Presumably because they're sent by road.

That sounds encouraging, do you think parcels sent by air will be next?

[PeterR]

They're shipping out parcels for France, Germany and The Netherlands tonight. Presumably because they're sent by road.

Any further updates, @passengerpigeon ? I'm starting to lose the patience I had.

They've been talking about workarounds for nearly 2 weeks (Simon Thompson in parliament)

Also it's over a week since they said "We have now resumed international export despatches for all mail streams including parcels and letters across a growing number of international destinations. We are making good progress in despatching items that are already in our network across all of our services. "
https://www.reddit.com/r/royalmail/comm ... _resuming/

[passengerpigeon]

They're shipping out parcels for France, Germany and The Netherlands tonight. Presumably because they're sent by road.

Any further updates, @passengerpigeon ? I'm starting to lose the patience I had.

They've been talking about workarounds for nearly 2 weeks (Simon Thompson in parliament)

Also it's over a week since they said "We have now resumed international export despatches for all mail streams including parcels and letters across a growing number of international destinations. We are making good progress in despatching items that are already in our network across all of our services. "
https://www.reddit.com/r/royalmail/comm ... _resuming/

I'm a customer rather than work for Royal Mail so I am tearing my hair out same as you.

The only good news I have is that 16 sacks of mail posted in early December were dispatched late last week to the USA. Only 18 to go but most were from early Jan. They're using the cyber incident to cover just how far behind they were due to the strikes.

As far as I can tell, they were NOT working at the weekend - happy to be proven wrong. I also can't get hold of my account manager anymore.

Just deathly silence from Royal Mail.

[Nildesperandum]

They're using the cyber incident to cover just how far behind they were due to the strikes.
Just deathly silence from Royal Mail.

I agree and I can only conclude that things must be MUCH MUCH worse than we thought

[PeterR]

So was the info about France, Germany and the Netherlands based on a public or a private source? Not asking for details of a private source of course, there is just *so little* information going about.

[PeterR]

Also, were all the widely reported issues with international mail in November/December with tracked and/or bulk shipments?

I ask because I send out untracked mail (DE4, DG4, and MB1) in small quantities on a business account (OBA via Click & Drop) and have not had any complaints from customers. I know the items I sent on the day of the announcement of the cyber attack had not arrived as of a few days ago, but other reports from customers are as follows - all are airmail:

* a couple of items we sent to different addresses in different parts Canada on 3 January arrived with no problems
* a parcel sent to USA on 16 December arrived 21 January (a bit slower than normal)
* an M Bag sent to Netherlands on 28 December was delivered 9 January
* a parcel sent to Greece on 6 January was delivered 19 January with a handling charge of €2.50 despite having electronic IOSS (but no VAT charge as ELTA/Greek customs obviously accepted the fact that the VAT had been prepaid through a marketplace)
* a parcel sent to Australia on 11 November was delivered 1 December
* an M Bag sent to Malawi on 4 November was delivered 3 December

Regards

Peter

[PeterR]

Just logged in to Click & Drop and there is a new message saying that Royal Mail

"will today (Monday January 30) resume our International Tracked services to all destinations for business customers and consumers buying postage through our online shipping systems"

Progress - though not yet on the untracked services I need! Will check prices on International Tracked but I'm assuming they will be a lot more than DE4.

PS - I just tried putting a package through on Click & Drop and it's not offering me any Tracked services (apart from Signed ones) yet. I looked on OBA and we do have a number of Tracked ones on our account, such as MP7 and OTA.

[PeterR]

The tracked services later appeared on Click & Drop and I got about half of my backlog out on them (MP7 and MTK). The rest that I have held on to were either too heavy (over 2 kg) or otherwise substantially more expensive than I had charged the customers. Most of the remaining customers had not been waiting very long.

[passengerpigeon]

So was the info about France, Germany and the Netherlands based on a public or a private source? Not asking for details of a private source of course, there is just *so little* information going about.

It was in The Telegraph I don't read it of course but I have a google news alert set up for 'royal mail cyber'.