Addressing envelopes overseas

[fusileer2002]

Hi everyone

I sell odd bits of stuff off on ebay now and then, hobbies and games etc that I've moved on from. When sending overseas I've always put my return address on the back. A few weeks ago I had a clear out and ended up with 4 or 5 parcels to send out to various palces in Europe and Australia. I took them in to my local Post Office and was told they wouldnt accept them as my address was on the reverse, when it should have on the front in the top left corner. I had never heard of this before and was surprised. I explained that I had always been able to send items with my address on the back before. After a bit of an argument (I didnt want to have to go away and repackage everything) they reluctantly accepted them as a one-off but I was made to feel like a right idiot.

Since then I've had to send a couple more items. I've been putting my address on the front left as told to. However on small packages its extremely difficult to fit it in alongside the recipients address. I can only see this leading to confusion and either stuff going missing or packages coming straight back to me buy mistake. I had a look on the RM website and could only see any mention of putting the senders address on the reverse. To make sure I emailed Customer Services to check, and yes, the reply was to always put the senders address on the back, not the front.

So what is the situation with this? Has the local Post Office got it wrong?

Thanks

[tailfly12]

Your address has to be on the front when sending outside UK.

[bitchface]

deleted by me for ranting

[fusileer2002]

if i were in the P/O i wouldnt have taken them.i hate people who think that by making a scene they will get there own way weather right or wrong.just because they are to lazy ,in this case to re package them.i would much rather ask you to leave before i called the police and not to disgrace our premises again till your attitude changed.

but thats just my opinion.like it or not.

I realise my post sounds bad now, it didnt play out quite like that, there wasn't a big scene and the "argument" for want of a better word wasn't nasty. My fault for the way I have worded it. If this is the case then that is fine, but when did this rule come in?

Taken from the RM website on airmail packages:

How do I mark my letter?
Blue Airmail labels are free and widely available. Or, you can write "Par Avion - By Airmail" clearly in the top left hand corner of your envelope. You don't need to do this on Airmail letters posted from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland.

Always write your return address on the reverse of your Airmail items.

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/cont ... 36#1400036

So I think I can be excused for thinking I had addressed things correctly.

[morselll]

i think putting the return address on the front applys to countries such as canada, in our callers office we have a notice about it, i send quite a few letters to europe and the usa i put my return address on the reverse of the envelope and ive never had one refused even when sending letters and parcels to russia you might like to check up on the canadian post situation their website should be able to give you the proper advice hope that helps

[POSTMAN]

Will move this into the Post Office forum,let's see what they say.

[saunders265]

I’ll have a look at the ‘rules’ whilst I’m at work today.

‘Twill make a change from ***king ‘selling’ all day…

[simjan]

It is okay to put your name and address on back, unless it is going to canada, they insist it is on the front left hand corner, god knows why they cannot turn it over.

[Big TImmy]

it is so that in canada they can photograph the packages onto microfilm if they wish to and they only need to take one photo if all the details are on the front
it is only canada who insist on this

I love ***king selling.

[saunders265]

Dear Fusileer2002,

Perhaps when you go into that Post Office again you should ask them for a copy of ‘Mail Made Easy’ – published by Royal Mail, and available at all Post Offices. You may wish to turn to page 24, ‘Addressing your mail’, and read the following;

‘When sending an item abroad, the country name should be written in CAPITALS, in English, as the last line of the address. It’s also a good idea to include a return address on the mail – somewhere where it can’t be confused with the destination address – so it can be returned to you if there’s a problem delivering it.’

Our Counter Operations Manual states;

All International Items should bear the name and address of the sender on the reverse side of the packaging in a place where it will not be mistaken for the delivery address. This will enable any undeliverable mail to be automatically returned by Royal mail to the sender.

There is the Royal Mail Website;

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/cont ... d=19100207" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


I agree with my colleagues about Canada – but even there we do NOT have the right to refuse items – we are simply supposed to advise customers that the Canadian Post Office will return items not endorsed correctly.

I just think you came upon an ill-informed member of staff.

[fusileer2002]

Thanks for all the responses from everyone. I'm glad to hear that, except for Canada, putting the return address on the reverse is acceptable. It makes more sense to me personally to help avoid confusion and trying to fit both addresses on the front when a package is very small is a task in itself!

Thanks

[saunders265]

I love ***king selling.

Silly bugger...

[simjan]

don't give them ideas about ""king sellling!