NEW RULES FOR LEAVING SACKS IN LOCAL OFFICE

[cultman1]

My solution has now been sorted in the last 14 days. As of today I am closing my accounts down with RM and moving to POINT TO POINT COURIERS who offer a nationwide service at extremely good rates including free collection 5 days and no minimums and overnight service UK wide except Northern Ireland and far flung UK islands. Sorted!
I accept RM no longer like PPi or franked mail, they may well make a loss, but I still stand by my comment of transparancy and the RM advising any changes in their service. Also if they are losing money on PPI and Franking Mail why dont they come up and say so and set in place a plan to advise customers they wish to gradually phase out this service thereby offering the many of 1000s of small business an alternative solution outside of moving to another 'postal' service? IF they are indeed losing so much money surely it is sensible to take this firm course of action?

[Mordillo]

I've had an update from Royal Mail about this, apart from only four Post Offices in the whole country no others should be refusing PPI Mail on any grounds, if any of the Post Offices are refusing them we have to contact Post Office Counters helpline on 08457 223344 who will then let the Post Office know what they should be doing.

The work that Post Office Limited have agreed with Royal Mail to do is to ensure there is the correct number of packets, large letters & letters as the account customer is claiming is in the mailbags, the mail is then submitted to the Royal Mail collecting postman as part of the Post Offices mail.

[cultman1]

Useful info for PPI.
I do not have PPI but FRANKED mail where I put all the packages in the supplied RM sacks. I have never been requested to provide sheets with weight and number of packages with franked mail.Therefore I assume the issue continues with FRANKED MAIL customers. I will notify the forum when I hear back from Royal Mail Resolutions....

[not me]

My solution has now been sorted in the last 14 days. As of today I am closing my accounts down with RM and moving to POINT TO POINT COURIERS who offer a nationwide service at extremely good rates including free collection 5 days and no minimums and overnight service UK wide except Northern Ireland and far flung UK islands. Sorted!
I accept RM no longer like PPi or franked mail, they may well make a loss, but I still stand by my comment of transparancy and the RM advising any changes in their service. Also if they are losing money on PPI and Franking Mail why dont they come up and say so and set in place a plan to advise customers they wish to gradually phase out this service thereby offering the many of 1000s of small business an alternative solution outside of moving to another 'postal' service? IF they are indeed losing so much money surely it is sensible to take this firm course of action?

losing money and getting paid for the service provided are 2 different things.
Do you not expect to be paid for the goods/services you provide?

[newsubbie]

I've had an update from Royal Mail about this, apart from only four Post Offices in the whole country no others should be refusing PPI Mail on any grounds, if any of the Post Offices are refusing them we have to contact Post Office Counters helpline on 08457 223344 who will then let the Post Office know what they should be doing.

The work that Post Office Limited have agreed with Royal Mail to do is to ensure there is the correct number of packets, large letters & letters as the account customer is claiming is in the mailbags, the mail is then submitted to the Royal Mail collecting postman as part of the Post Offices mail.

I'm sorry but this is completely wrong. As I explained on the other thread, any post office can refuse PPI mail on health and safety or mails integrity grounds. i.e. if the number of sacks wont physically fit in the mail storage/ secure area or would block exits etc. I have had to do this before (20 bags from one customers in a two position rural office is too many for us to physically store!) and both POL and RM accepted this.

Secondly POL may have agreed to check items - but no subpostmaster is contracted to do ANYTHING with PPI mail. Until this is changed (i.e. if a payment is introduced/ the NFSP agree to contract alterations etc) then it doesn't matter what POL and RM have agreed as POL have made no agreement with the people who own their branches!

Thirdly post office branches have just started to recieve the following written instruction from RM which makes things quite clear and that things are indeed changing: "'PPI mail should never be left at a POL branch under any circumstances'.

[newsubbie]

Useful info for PPI.
I do not have PPI but FRANKED mail where I put all the packages in the supplied RM sacks. I have never been requested to provide sheets with weight and number of packages with franked mail.Therefore I assume the issue continues with FRANKED MAIL customers. I will notify the forum when I hear back from Royal Mail Resolutions....

Franked mail wouldn't have weights/ numbers of packages etc. Post Offices are contracted to handle franked mail and we have received clear instructions on what to do with it. The only exception being again if the post office in question can't store it securely, or safely...

[Mordillo]

I've had an update from Royal Mail about this, apart from only four Post Offices in the whole country no others should be refusing PPI Mail on any grounds, if any of the Post Offices are refusing them we have to contact Post Office Counters helpline on 08457 223344 who will then let the Post Office know what they should be doing.

The work that Post Office Limited have agreed with Royal Mail to do is to ensure there is the correct number of packets, large letters & letters as the account customer is claiming is in the mailbags, the mail is then submitted to the Royal Mail collecting postman as part of the Post Offices mail.

I'm sorry but this is completely wrong. As I explained on the other thread, any post office can refuse PPI mail on health and safety or mails integrity grounds. i.e. if the number of sacks wont physically fit in the mail storage/ secure area or would block exits etc. I have had to do this before (20 bags from one customers in a two position rural office is too many for us to physically store!) and both POL and RM accepted this.

Secondly POL may have agreed to check items - but no subpostmaster is contracted to do ANYTHING with PPI mail. Until this is changed (i.e. if a payment is introduced/ the NFSP agree to contract alterations etc) then it doesn't matter what POL and RM have agreed as POL have made no agreement with the people who own their branches!

Thirdly post office branches have just started to recieve the following written instruction from RM which makes things quite clear and that things are indeed changing: "'PPI mail should never be left at a POL branch under any circumstances'.

This has come direct from the CEO Team at Royal Mail who took three weeks looking into the problems to give me this information, I now have someone high up in POL finding out why the correct communication has not gone out to the Post Offices. This is all part of the new contract between POL & RM and a payment will be introduced. Someone bringing 20 bags in would likely be eligible for a free daily collection from RM.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Thank you all for your replies. I have written to the MD of Royal Mail and await a reply. This will be the kiss of death for small growing businesses who rely on franked mail etc and shipping out up to 15-25 packages a day. Our local Post Offices dont even have ANY bagsset u pon metal holdersanymore to drop single parcels off now and very little space behind their counters for storage, it is a no win situation for all concerned with a draconian rule sent down from the CEOs of Royal MAil who just DONT care about the small business community....

its not any draconian rule sent down, it is just your friendly local sub postmaster who has decided he doesnt want to accept them

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

I've had an update from Royal Mail about this, apart from only four Post Offices in the whole country no others should be refusing PPI Mail on any grounds, if any of the Post Offices are refusing them we have to contact Post Office Counters helpline on 08457 223344 who will then let the Post Office know what they should be doing.

The work that Post Office Limited have agreed with Royal Mail to do is to ensure there is the correct number of packets, large letters & letters as the account customer is claiming is in the mailbags, the mail is then submitted to the Royal Mail collecting postman as part of the Post Offices mail.

I'm sorry but this is completely wrong. As I explained on the other thread, any post office can refuse PPI mail on health and safety or mails integrity grounds. i.e. if the number of sacks wont physically fit in the mail storage/ secure area or would block exits etc. I have had to do this before (20 bags from one customers in a two position rural office is too many for us to physically store!) and both POL and RM accepted this.

Secondly POL may have agreed to check items - but no subpostmaster is contracted to do ANYTHING with PPI mail. Until this is changed (i.e. if a payment is introduced/ the NFSP agree to contract alterations etc) then it doesn't matter what POL and RM have agreed as POL have made no agreement with the people who own their branches!

Thirdly post office branches have just started to recieve the following written instruction from RM which makes things quite clear and that things are indeed changing: "'PPI mail should never be left at a POL branch under any circumstances'.

This has come direct from the CEO Team at Royal Mail who took three weeks looking into the problems to give me this information, I now have someone high up in POL finding out why the correct communication has not gone out to the Post Offices. This is all part of the new contract between POL & RM and a payment will be introduced. Someone bringing 20 bags in would likely be eligible for a free daily collection from RM.

slight confision over this one and subbie will probably put me right, POL is the crown offices, not your local sub postmaster, so an agreement with POL does not include sub postoffices