Chinese packets with a 'Q' on them

[nightcrawler]

Anyone else noticed a lot of Chinese packets coming through recently with a handwritten “Q” on them? Is this for “quarantined”, because of the Coronavirus? Why isn’t Royal Mail keeping us informed? And where/who is marking them? (It isn’t anyone in our office, so it’s not at a local level).

[hero22]

Anyone else noticed a lot of Chinese packets coming through recently with a handwritten “Q” on them? Is this for “quarantined”, because of the Coronavirus? Why isn’t Royal Mail keeping us informed?

I noticed that today but assumed one of our staff had marked it for some reason.

[SpacePhoenix]

We've seen a massive drop in the amount of Chinese packets coming through. Once the Corona virus is dealt with there'll be a massive surge in packets

[noggin1969]

I would have thought they'd mark it in their language not ours. Had several packets from Wuhan itself not marked.

[steve1873]

I have seen a few small parcels, not necessarily all from China marked with a "A" on them.

[rogersh]

Anyone else noticed a lot of Chinese packets coming through recently with a handwritten “Q” on them? Is this for “quarantined”, because of the Coronavirus? Why isn’t Royal Mail keeping us informed?

I noticed that today but assumed one of our staff had marked it for some reason.

A new system of sorting China packets was introduced at our RDC two weeks ago. Instead of sorting into drop bag frames we are now using a conveyor belt & sorting into yorks.
This requires the alpha code to be hand written on each packet with a marker pen & then placed on the conveyor. The letter "Q" covers London postcodes along with "R".
X & L = South West & Midlands
C & E = North West & Yorkshire
A & BT & N = Scottish, Belfast, JE,GY, PE,NR,CB.

[PostmanBitesDog]

Anyone else noticed a lot of Chinese packets coming through recently with a handwritten “Q” on them?

It's those crazy conspiracy theorists from the QAnon cult.

Q and the QAnon cult: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QAnon

Q.jpg

[SpacePhoenix]

Anyone else noticed a lot of Chinese packets coming through recently with a handwritten “Q” on them? Is this for “quarantined”, because of the Coronavirus? Why isn’t Royal Mail keeping us informed?

I noticed that today but assumed one of our staff had marked it for some reason.

A new system of sorting China packets was introduced at our RDC two weeks ago. Instead of sorting into drop bag frames we are now using a conveyor belt & sorting into yorks.
This requires the alpha code to be hand written on each packet with a marker pen & then placed on the conveyor. The letter "Q" covers London postcodes along with "R".
X & L = South West & Midlands
C & E = North West & Yorkshire
A & BT & N = Scottish, Belfast, JE,GY, PE,NR,CB.

Is that meant to tie in with the "routing codes" on Tracked items (where it's a letter followed by a two digit number)?

[rogersh]

Anyone else noticed a lot of Chinese packets coming through recently with a handwritten “Q” on them? Is this for “quarantined”, because of the Coronavirus? Why isn’t Royal Mail keeping us informed?

I noticed that today but assumed one of our staff had marked it for some reason.

A new system of sorting China packets was introduced at our RDC two weeks ago. Instead of sorting into drop bag frames we are now using a conveyor belt & sorting into yorks.
This requires the alpha code to be hand written on each packet with a marker pen & then placed on the conveyor. The letter "Q" covers London postcodes along with "R".
X & L = South West & Midlands
C & E = North West & Yorkshire
A & BT & N = Scottish, Belfast, JE,GY, PE,NR,CB.

Is that meant to tie in with the "routing codes" on Tracked items (where it's a letter followed by a two digit number)?

We have always sorted by codes when segging to other RDC’s

Example 2015;
POSTCODES/ ROADS AMAZON 24

NHCDC R AL:EN:HP:LU:SG:WD(HCN)

NHCDC S CT:ME:TN:DA

NHCDC T-W CM:CO:E:IG:RM:SS

All above are now “R” codes

Example 2017;
R seg Tracked 48/24. conveyor

E = 32
IG/RM = 33
CM/CO = 34
& so on.
So yes, letter followed by digit.

[nightcrawler]

Anyone else noticed a lot of Chinese packets coming through recently with a handwritten “Q” on them? Is this for “quarantined”, because of the Coronavirus? Why isn’t Royal Mail keeping us informed?

I noticed that today but assumed one of our staff had marked it for some reason.

A new system of sorting China packets was introduced at our RDC two weeks ago. Instead of sorting into drop bag frames we are now using a conveyor belt & sorting into yorks.
This requires the alpha code to be hand written on each packet with a marker pen & then placed on the conveyor. The letter "Q" covers London postcodes along with "R".
X & L = South West & Midlands
C & E = North West & Yorkshire
A & BT & N = Scottish, Belfast, JE,GY, PE,NR,CB.

Mystery solved, thanks! Makes sense, my sorting office is in London. Nothing to do with Coronavirus then!