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Foreign Barcodes

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
bustedflush
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 1493
Joined: 16 Feb 2013, 11:19
Gender: Male

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by bustedflush »

It's simple - scan them and see if they require a signature. :crazy: Treat them the same as any other 13-digit recorded/tracked code.

It's a good idea for both the seller who has paid for a signature, or the buyer who has paid for secure postage. It also resolves any false claims of non-delivery by dodgy feeBay buyers. That's why people use barcoded items. :dance

For the sake of 60 seconds cover your a$$ and do it properly. Get away with this scanning and tapping the signature box for Chinese scanned/signed-fors and have no comeback the next thing you'll probably get lazy with UK recordeds if they fit through the letterbox and do tha same. It's a conduct waiting to happen.
hazzeem025
Posts: 280
Joined: 11 Oct 2009, 18:09
Gender: Male

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by hazzeem025 »

I thought that the stuff from China and other countries with barcodes on that comes through the normal system is untrackable regardless of it having a barcode on, once it leaves the country of posting? Is it scanned when it enters the UK? For what it's worth in my office only foreign stuff that comes out of the locker is signed for.
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 12203
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by SpacePhoenix »

hazzeem025 wrote:I thought that the stuff from China and other countries with barcodes on that comes through the normal system is untrackable regardless of it having a barcode on, once it leaves the country of posting? Is it scanned when it enters the UK? For what it's worth in my office only foreign stuff that comes out of the locker is signed for.
They're recorded so should still be scanned and a signature obtained
redneck
Posts: 788
Joined: 04 Jan 2010, 20:28
Gender: Male

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by redneck »

I have never heard of anyone being in trouble for not scanning a Chinese barcode. Only six years in though.

Consequently I have started acting accordingly and they get treated as an ordinary packet or parcel, I have to agree with the person who says that management don't give a flying one, China 'recorded' packets clearly don't appear to them on their systems as of any importance whatsoever.
jimboaby
Posts: 17
Joined: 25 Jan 2013, 21:22
Gender: Male

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by jimboaby »

Items bought from the alibaba chinese website are usually sent recorded needing a signature. The seller doesn't get the money for the item until it shows on the system as delivered. Maybee not causing anyone over here problems but someone over there will be fuming :Very Happy
ScottR
Posts: 27
Joined: 03 Feb 2015, 17:56
Gender: Male
Location: Scotland

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by ScottR »

In the canteen we had a discussion and 90% of my office will only obtain signatures for Royal Mail Signed For/Tracked/Special/International Special
Anything that comes through the "normal" post system that isn't "trackable" gets posted without scanning even though if you scanned it then it would require a signature i.e. chinese packets, american, Ireland, New Zealand etc, out of the country packets basically.

One part of me says just post it and get on with it and the other half says no, scan and obtain the signature becauase the sender has clearly paid for the service - it would be like me sending a Royal Mail International Signed For item to Canada for example and to have the postie in Canada not obtain a signature.. I would kick up a fuss if I didn't get my proof of delivery etc :/
Knowledge is a treasure but practice is the key to it.
BeamishStout
Posts: 387
Joined: 19 Sep 2012, 14:42
Gender: Male

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by BeamishStout »

Had a one today where the CN item was clearly typed on label (by the sender) "DO NOT SCAN". Well the item was large and the person was in. I scanned it anyway to see if it would scan and the item came up on my scanner requiring a signature WTF? They signed for it and I went away kind of scratching my head. :confused
postieaw11
Posts: 28
Joined: 15 Jul 2014, 17:44
Gender: Male

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by postieaw11 »

What happened to the red signature required stickers, that used to be used on foreign items? I used to scan those, and ignore the ones that didn't.
Soulazydll
Posts: 34
Joined: 09 Jan 2012, 11:28
Gender: Male

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by Soulazydll »

postieaw11 wrote:What happened to the red signature required stickers, that used to be used on foreign items? I used to scan those, and ignore the ones that didn't.
This is exactly what I used to do and to be honest once they stopped just figured they didn't need signatures any more. Also, anyone noticed the increase in 'fake' tracking/signature barcoded stuff?
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 12203
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by SpacePhoenix »

postieaw11 wrote:What happened to the red signature required stickers, that used to be used on foreign items? I used to scan those, and ignore the ones that didn't.
I think they got stopped because HWDC didn't have the capacity to keep up. Bit of a mute point anyway as within a year (and a bit), any parcels that don't have barcodes on are going to have to have barcodes put on them
ysbrydtawel
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 111
Joined: 03 Feb 2013, 20:57
Gender: Male
Location: South West

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by ysbrydtawel »

If there is a 13-digit barcode on the packet, I will scan it and if the PDA requires a signature, I'll knock on the door. If they're not in, I leave a P739 with the 'International item- signature required' box ticked, and write in the tracking number into the 13 squares on the back of the card.

In the same way, if I go to the Post Office and send something abroad but ask for and pay for a signed-for service, I would be quite pleased if the postman in that country did the same...
We have a perfect record in aviation: we never left one up there.
Lounge Lizard
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 9458
Joined: 06 Aug 2007, 21:54

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by Lounge Lizard »

SpacePhoenix wrote:
postieaw11 wrote:What happened to the red signature required stickers, that used to be used on foreign items? I used to scan those, and ignore the ones that didn't.
I think they got stopped because HWDC didn't have the capacity to keep up. Bit of a mute point anyway as within a year (and a bit), any parcels that don't have barcodes on are going to have to have barcodes put on them
The red "signature required" stickers were to tell us what to do before the PDAs did.
2pints
Posts: 286
Joined: 28 Feb 2013, 16:46
Gender: Male

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by 2pints »

krussel wrote:I will fess up that if the packets fit through the letterbox I scan them but leave the name and sig blank. Yeah I know not correct and all that but I figure that the sender gets to know the item has been delivered. If they do not fit the letterbox then they have to sign or get a p739.
Me too.Most posties in my office do not even bother scanning them so at least im doing something. :whistle
motherhubbard
Posts: 1001
Joined: 08 Feb 2010, 17:13
Gender: Female
Location: in the cupboard

Re: Foreign Barcodes

Post by motherhubbard »

ysbrydtawel wrote:If there is a 13-digit barcode on the packet, I will scan it and if the PDA requires a signature, I'll knock on the door. If they're not in, I leave a P739 with the 'International item- signature required' box ticked, and write in the tracking number into the 13 squares on the back of the card.

In the same way, if I go to the Post Office and send something abroad but ask for and pay for a signed-for service, I would be quite pleased if the postman in that country did the same...
Either you haven't seen one of these packets or you are missing the point.
If you were to send a packet abroad with a barcode on it, but hide the 13 digits amongst the customs declaration, and then write in the language of the delivering postman Do Not Scan, would you still expect 100% compliance?
If they are asking for and paying for a signed-for service, why have they gone to the trouble of having envelopes printed requesting the final scan does not take place?
Never let the hand you hold, hold you down.