Postage

[Ailsa65]

Have any of you noticed now the postage system has changed it is more to send handmade cards. I sent one last week and it had some flowers on it. This made the thickness bigger, so it wouldn't go through the small slot. But who has a post slot that thin? If it was heavy I wouldn't mind but it was very light.

I don't mind the extras but i think it is another way to cash in!

[Kelley S]

The RM's argument is that the thicker envelopes dont fit through their machines so have to be sorted by hand. They say that normal cards are thinner so therefore fit though the machines etc.

Chris's sister lives in Australia and misses Cadburys Chocolate (they put chemicals in C/Chocolate in Aus to stop it melting) so for every birthday etc we send her chocolate. It used to cost about £7 to send quite a lot of chocolate, would last months. But now it costs nearer £15

[Petra]

I've always sent handmade cards in jiffy bags, so I don't personally think there is much difference with the new rate. But then, I do make lumpy cards...

The thickness issue is to do with the mechanical sorting - the mail goes into a big machine they commonly call a "tumble drier" in mail centres, and whatever cannot be handled by it will be more costly to process.

I have to say that I think the system we now have is fair - we just don't seem to appreciate how lucky we have been for so many years!

[PBear]

I couldn't work out the thickness of my cards by looking at that leaflet that was put through the door, so phoned Royal Mail and they sent me a cardboard version of the slots - so I can try it out as I'm assembling my cards. It was free - so well worth having!

[xxpaddler]

I must admit, the postal system here is so much better than I have been used to for most of my adult life.
I lived in the caribbean and there were no post boxes anywhere except at the post office. We paid 15c to put a letter into the front of the building and then had to go around the side of the building to our PO boxes to collect our mail. Sometimes mail took 3 months to get from the front of the building to the side of the building.
Anything off island was 25c (to another island) and could take anything from 1 week to 52 weeks.
Anything to the rest of the world was about 60c or more and could take anything from 6 weeks to 52 weeks.
Mail only went between islands once a week.
What amused us was that it was all hand sorted, but they used the mail bags as seats... which is why they sometimes forgot to sort the bag they were sitting on. Sometimes a bag could be a seat for over a year!

It is so much more convenient to be able to mail cards from post boxes on the street, and get mail through the door. The kids loved getting mail through the door when we moved here... and they were teenagers then! (I have to confess... I enjoy getting mail too!)

[Jimjams]

I couldn't work out the thickness of my cards by looking at that leaflet that was put through the door, so phoned Royal Mail and they sent me a cardboard version of the slots - so I can try it out as I'm assembling my cards. It was free - so well worth having!

That sounds great - what phone no did you use for Royal Mail?
My local PO has a plastic version which is great - but they just said cut out the slot in the paper version - unfortunately that isn't very accurate - so a cardboard version would be great!

[dozyrosy]

I got my set of slots by applying for it via the Royal Mail website. I believe they're also available from your post office.

HTH, Rosemary

[Jay]

I sent off for one from the RM and it was the same as the free one I'd had through the door. I bought a hard plastic one and It's much better.
Having said that, I took a letter to a PO and they said it was too thick for the slot (it was supposed to drop through without any help) and I took a letter to a different PO last week to be told I didn't have to put the large letter stamp on as it could be pushed through the slot.

I don't mind the extras but i think it is another way to cash in

Yes, definately.

[Betsy_ Boop]

I got my set of slots by applying for it via the Royal Mail website. I believe they're also available from your post office.

HTH, Rosemary

thanks for the info Rosemary, I've just ordered a set, as the paper leaflet is no use in trying to determine if you card is too thick

[Ailsa65]

It just goes to show I thought we were being ripped off and there is a reason for it, I must go and get one of the cardboard guides as always posting parcels for swaps and such.

Thanks again.

[Shyposter]

The cardboard (freebie) template is also very slightly different dimensions to the perspex one they have in the post offices (the cardboard one is about 3-5mm shorter for the slots, but the right thickness iyswim).

Also, I was told that you cannot force the envelope through the slot - it has to pass through easily (and I sometimes can't tell because the cardboard one I have at home bends in the middle )

[Jimjams]

Where do you get the cardboard template please? Can't tell from the RM link above if I'm going to get another paper one!

[kitty falol]

I bought a Helix, 'pricing in proportion' ruler from Partners. I think it was £3.99, which is an awful lot cheaper than the £25 you pay for the official perspex version.

It's very rigid and has the 2 slots that you need, to post you package through.

My post office told me that they'd introduced the system as they couldn't fit as many jiffy bags into a sack as they could letters, but they were receiving the same amount for both items. I personally don't think that the system is fair as it doesn't really account for area, just the thickness of the package at the widest point. I'm personally losing out as items that I once sent for 32 pence, now have to be sent for £1. However, the overall area of my packets are much smaller than the maximum size for the large letter.

Ho hum, at least we have a decent postal system (most of the time)