Christmas opening hours

[faddy74]

I'm expecting to be picking up some Amazon parcels shortly before Christmas Day, and am surprised by the apparent lack of information on the Post Office website re Christmas opening hours. Specifically I'm wanting to know the hours of the Blackheath Village Post Office and the Blackheath Royal Mail Enquiry Office, both in Blackheath Grove SE3, on December 23rd and 24th. Anyone on here able to help please?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

if you have a blue collection card the christmas opening times are on the reverse.

A direct local number is 0345 602 1021

But if you use http://www.royalmail.com/delivery-and-c ... ice-finder" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; with your full postcode - or one that serves the office then it will give you the Christmas opening times.

Ditto for the Post office http://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; although for Blackheath there are no special opening hours apprently.

[faddy74]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I'm travelling down to Blackheath for Christmas so am planning to get my Amazon shopping delivered to one of these locations using the Amazon Pickup service which piggybacks on Royal Mail's Local Collect Service - so no blue card involved.

I had already looked at the branch finder but was a little wary of what it told me since it doesn't say the branch is closed on Christmas Day! I didn't know there was a Delivery Office finder so thanks for that - the 20:00 closing time on Wednesday will be handy.

Incidentally I have found a flaw in Amazon's use of Local Collect as a Pickup service. The sub-post office nearest to my Merseyside home is one of the new style extended hours branches where you can post mail seven days a week. Amazon's website accordingly lists its opening hours as 06:30-22:00 Sun-Sat, but when I called to collect a parcel on a Sunday I was told that they can only be collected during the main PO counter hours (Mon-Fri 09:00-17:30 Sat 09:00-13:00)

[Snaggletooth]

Incidentally I have found a flaw in Amazon's use of Local Collect as a Pickup service. The sub-post office nearest to my Merseyside home is one of the new style extended hours branches where you can post mail seven days a week. Amazon's website accordingly lists its opening hours as 06:30-22:00 Sun-Sat, but when I called to collect a parcel on a Sunday I was told that they can only be collected during the main PO counter hours (Mon-Fri 09:00-17:30 Sat 09:00-13:00)

Yes, Local Collect has to be kept in the fortress area, so where there are both PO and retail sections with different hours, it's the main PO hours that apply. This is because there are strict laws on the storage of mail. I have just checked via Amazon and they show my local PO, which has the same set-up, with the full hours rather than the relevant PO counter hours. Might be worth a complaint to Amazon to get the data on their site improved? I will do this with regards mine too.

Almost all POs will be open 09:00-17:30 for their main counter, with sometimes shorter hours on Saturday and closed public holidays. Blackheath has a reasonably busy town centre so that's probably the case, but you could call 03457 22 33 44 tomorrow and check.

I have used the collect at PO option a few times and I am quite happy with it. I don't like getting Amazon stuff delivered direct to my house as they always seem to leave it 17 doors away and then I can't seem to catch that 'neighbour' in (this is not an exaggeration, Amazon's delivery service really do do this).

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Careful if you decide to collect from a "Crown" office rather than a Sub=Post Office as some, if not all Crown Offices have a strike planned for Christmas Eve.

[Snaggletooth]

Careful if you decide to collect from a "Crown" office rather than a Sub=Post Office as some, if not all Crown Offices have a strike planned for Christmas Eve.

Blackheath isn't a Crown!

[faddy74]

Yes, Local Collect has to be kept in the fortress area, so where there are both PO and retail sections with different hours, it's the main PO hours that apply. This is because there are strict laws on the storage of mail.

It seems odd that I can post a parcel during the extended hours (at least I think I can, I can certainly post a letter) yet can't collect one.

[Snaggletooth]

Yes, Local Collect has to be kept in the fortress area, so where there are both PO and retail sections with different hours, it's the main PO hours that apply. This is because there are strict laws on the storage of mail.

It seems odd that I can post a parcel during the extended hours (at least I think I can, I can certainly post a letter) yet can't collect one.

Well, not really. All mail has to be kept safe, and outgoing mail can have multiple safe storage areas in one branch, as long as you remember to clear all of them at each collection. In a common example, most large branches will have several bags behind the counter, some kind of mail box on the outside and many will have an internal post box on the shop floor. A retail counter will just need another of these plus some kind of locker for the secure mail. Local Collect can only be held in one location at a time. The regulations stipulate that it must be kept in a secure area, and technically it should be kept in the time-locked safe out of hours (basically, all LC has to be treated as if it's Special Delivery, even though only a tiny fraction is). This makes it almost impossible to run out-of-hours Local Collect where the separate retail and PO counters exist. Many POs with extended hours have different set-ups, it's all about space and money.

I have had a reply from Amazon after I pointed out the same issue exists with my local branch, they have said that they are looking into it.