What a xmas con! Royal Mail dumps 1st-class promise

[POSTMAN]

What a Christmas con! Royal Mail dumps first-class promise for festive season

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z16DOoYF5l" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Aanyone who sends a Christmas card with a first class stamp is wasting their money, Britain’s consumer champion said yesterday.

Customers were urged to forego the more expensive stamps and spend their money on the ‘slower but more reliable’ second class option.

Around 750million festive greetings cards are expected to be sent over the next four weeks to friends and family in this country.


But the report, from Consumer Focus, said buying a first class stamp, which currently costs 41p, is like throwing money down the drain.

This is because customers pay a premium for the service based on the promise by Royal Mail that 93 per cent of all first class letters will arrive the next day. The assurance is called a ‘quality of service’ target and is laid down by the postal regulator Postcomm.


But the promise is scrapped between December 6 and January 1, which means Royal Mail is not under any obligation to meet the stringent next day delivery target – or any of the quality of service targets which apply during the rest of the year.

As a result, Consumer Focus said people who send Christmas cards might as well use second class stamps, which are 9p cheaper, at a cost of 32p each.

Its research, published yesterday, shows just 56 per cent of first class post arrived the next day last Christmas.

By comparison, nearly 92 per cent of second class letters arrived within the target, which is ‘within three working days’.

This is only just below the target which applies for the rest of the year of 98.5 per cent for second class letters.
Pugh

Robert Hammond, head of post at Consumer Focus, said: ‘Christmas is expensive. If people make sure they don’t get snowed under in the Christmas rush and post their mail in advance, they can save much needed extra pounds.’

Overall, the organisation estimates that the nation can save a ‘whopping’ £67.5million by choosing second rather than first class stamps.

It comes after news that the price of a first class stamp could jump by up to 5p, in a move which has been described as ‘an extra tax on the public’.

Earlier this month, Postcomm cleared the decks for the biggest-ever increase in the price of a stamp by allowing Royal Mail to charge up to 46p from next April.

At this price, it would cost an extra £38million to send all 750million Christmas cards first class.

Royal Mail said the sheer volume of post means it would be virtually impossible to meet quality of service targets during the frantic Christmas season.

The embattled company’s new boss Moya Greene admitted recently that there was already evidence of customers switching to second class to save money.

[fishtank]

Have they only just realised this?

[jockstrapp]

Royal Mail said the sheer volume of post means it would be virtually impossible to meet quality of service targets during the frantic Christmas season

But I thought mail volumes were falling. Just shows you what lying b@stards we have leading Royal Mail

[Wessex]

Most people send their cards early and use 2nd class as we all know from the ghost of xmas pressures past.Last minute posters and those who want to guarantee their card arrives this side of the xmas turkey would be advised to take the first class option and not listen to this so-called expert.With cut-offs etc expected around xmas this year ,streaming gives priority to first class.

[fishtank]

streaming gives priority to first class.

Streaming is a no-no and should be flagged up to HQ...
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 70#p326195" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Wessex]

Thanks I was unaware of this.When I was at a different office we tried to pin our managers down to putting in writing instructions for prioritising which they were reluctant to do.Anybody got more info on this ?I asked my manager last Saturday what he wanted me to do because mail came in late and then my crew bus was delayed and he told me to streamline first class.I must confess that I find this stress-inducing ,I had to cut off anyway and spent the whole weekend worrying I would be up on some charge for not completing the delivery.

[DGP1]

streaming gives priority to first class.

Streaming is a no-no and should be flagged up to HQ...
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 70#p326195" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Still goes on in my office (and I believe the whole of NI) but until I get ammunition from RM themselves then I can't fight my DOM.

[Lounge Lizard]

"This is because customers pay a premium for the service based on the promise by Royal Mail that 93 per cent of all first class letters will arrive the next day. The assurance is called a ‘quality of service’ target and is laid down by the postal regulator Postcomm." - but a "target" is NOT a "promise".

[Judgee]

Royal Mail said the sheer volume of post means it would be virtually impossible to meet quality of service targets during the frantic Christmas season

But I thought mail volumes were falling. Just shows you what lying b@stards we have leading Royal Mail

My thoughts exactly. Not only over xmas, November this year has been much heavier than in precious years too same as this summer when we didn't see a drop off at all!

[SpacePhoenix]

streaming gives priority to first class.

Streaming is a no-no and should be flagged up to HQ...
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 70#p326195" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Once the mail reaches the inward mail centre unless it is a special delivery item it's ALL first class.