Royal Mail offering collect your parcel for Free!

[iHateD2Ds]

Just seen this advertised ,as though we haven’t enough s**t to contend with!

https://send.royalmail.com/collect/youritems

Arrange your collection for FREE until 30th May 2021 -
Get up to 5 parcels collected at no extra charge with Parcel Collect

[DGH]

The take up rate seems to have been very low so far, which doesn't surprise me. But it's not the cost of the collection so much as the arbitrary 5 addresses/route/day that makes it unattractive for semi-regular posters who cannot guarantee there will be an available slot for them on the day they need.

I expect to see the 5 items/5 collections cap raised and then removed in the next 6 months, or the service abandoned altogether.

[twoloops]

Our manager told us months ago it was dead in the water, the only two collections I’ve had the barcode was that faint it would not scan so I had to leave it & the other the customer said it had already been collected, the finest example of Royal Fail

[worktotime]

its beyond me and desperate and did the CW WHO agree to this shite as well ,

[wacko74]

I'm in a very rural area where you would think take up would be strong, it would cost most people in my delivery area more than 70 odd pence in petrol to make the 15-20 mile round trip to the nearest P.O. but we've had hardly any.

[SpacePhoenix]

How many people actually know about the service, maybe RM should send a D2D out to advertise the service

[Pathfinder]

How many people actually know about the service, maybe RM should send a D2D out to advertise the service

I think awareness about the product is actually a thing, who better to send out a d2d eh?

Also convenience might be a factor, it's annoying enough having to stay at home waiting for a parcel to arrive, equally annoying waiting for someone to come and pick one up (lockdown or no lockdown).

I've had 2 pickups since it started, both from the same customer lol

[Rael, the IAK]

How many people actually know about the service, maybe RM should send a D2D out to advertise the service

They/we did. Or at least we did in our DO. A week or 2 before the service started.

[centenaryman]

weve already got several regular customers using this now in our gaff.....ok not loads but quite a bit

the 1 house i keep collecting from are picking the cheapest postage....says on the label upto 100grams.....im collecting shoebox size of them...

[yellowbelly]

When this service was offered I wasn't too sure which demographic it was aimed at.

Those who operate a business from home already have some sort of parcel collection service set up whether
that be RM, Yodel or whoever.

Granny or Grandad who want to send little Freddie's birthday present
might not have the IT knowledge or equipment to create and print off the postage label so prefer to go to the PO anyway.

And anyone who has ordered the latest designer trainers but wants to send them back probably
has the IT knowledge of how to create the postage label but doesn't have a printer 'cos they
do it all on their smart phone and have busy lives so won't wait in all day just in case the postie
on his round might turn up at 0930 or 1530 to collect the parcel.

So who exactly was this service aimed at?

[johnanon]

When this service was offered I wasn't too sure which demographic it was aimed at.

Those who operate a business from home already have some sort of parcel collection service set up whether
that be RM, Yodel or whoever.

Granny or Grandad who want to send little Freddie's birthday present
might not have the IT knowledge or equipment to create and print off the postage label so prefer to go to the PO anyway.

And anyone who has ordered the latest designer trainers but wants to send them back probably
has the IT knowledge of how to create the postage label but doesn't have a printer 'cos they
do it all on their smart phone and have busy lives so won't wait in all day just in case the postie
on his round might turn up at 0930 or 1530 to collect the parcel.

So who exactly was this service aimed at?

It is a good question that. I've noticed retailers haven't seemed to advertise this service at all. People don't need a printer if there is a Tracked Returns label in the box, but I've never seen any mention of being able to book a collection on the order paperwork or retailer's websites, so I still think people just don't know about it.

I had a Hermes collection recently for a return, they gave a 2 hour slot which makes things easier for the collection but needed a printer for the label. However even though that service has been going for years it doesn't seem very well used, the courier said they get 2-3 a day if that vs. 100+ deliveries. I've noticed retailers who do offer it seem to hide it away on their websites whilst the Tracked Returns label is right there in the box.

[rambo1]

Time to sell the shares I think. This free collection seems like grasping at straws and a bit desperate.

[WASD]

It's a good idea, just poorly implemented and a bit late to be introduced. I doubt they expect quick uptake on the service. RM as we all know is just badly run top to bottom.

[Celgar]

The take up rate seems to have been very low so far, which doesn't surprise me. But it's not the cost of the collection so much as the arbitrary 5 addresses/route/day that makes it unattractive for semi-regular posters who cannot guarantee there will be an available slot for them on the day they need.

I expect to see the 5 items/5 collections cap raised and then removed in the next 6 months, or the service abandoned altogether.

The new service has been quite popular on my walk with more people using it and some people who I think are really scared about catching Covid really like using it.
I don't think we should remove the '5x5' limit as some of the items can be quite large and we only have so much space in our vans.

[SpacePhoenix]

If I hadn't read about it on here, I wouldn't have known about the service. I've never received a D2D advertising it and I don't think my parents have either