Click & Drop

randomlygenerated · Post by **randomlygenerated** » 12 Jul 2017, 19:25

Hi all,

Hoping you can provide me with answers for a few questions.

1 - If I print postage online for a second class small parcel (with the free delivery confirmation) and it is small enough to fit in a post box, can I simply put it in one?

2 - As the free delivery confirmation isn’t available on large letters. If I printed postage for a signed-for large letter online from click & drop could I still put this straight in a post box? And would it be scanned as delivered without any problems?
I am not fussed about being able to track the item, I simply want proof of delivery.

Personally I have never not received an item posted with Royal Mail and whilst I do understand a small percentage of items do get legitimately lost, when sending around 50 items a month around 8 people are claiming non-receipt if I do not use delivery confirmation.
At the same time I work the same hours our local post office so dropping them off is becoming a problem.

Thank you for you any responses.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 12 Jul 2017, 19:35

You can drop them in the post box if the postage is correct however there are risks with both products.

The recorded items are scanned when you hand them in at the post office, but not scanned until a delivery is attempted by Royal Mail. So there is a chance that if the postie fails to scan on delivery you'll have no way to claim compensation from Royal Mail as there is no acceptance scan.

The 2d Bar Code parcels, the risk there is that our scanners can't read them when the paper is wrinkled, bent over or not entirely flat, and they have problems reading even the flat ones when it's raining (the codes get smudged). Again if you hand them over at the Post Office and they use a Horizon Label, it shows on their system.

However, I do know some Callers Offices are now accepting mail from customers directly. Check yours out and see if they do, and if the opening hours suit you. The benefit there is they can scan them (not sure if they do yet, to be honest) and it's straight into the system as well.

randomlygenerated · Post by **randomlygenerated** » 12 Jul 2017, 19:55

The small parcels I send are actually boxes, they are just a few mm too big to be large letters themselves. The large letters are small jiffy envelopes, the contents is pretty flat. The labels go on both smoothly without any bumps/creases. I have a good quality laser printer and all the labels are printed clearly.
I have heard contradicting information about placing a clear piece of tape over the barcodes?
Some say it hinders the scanners, whilst others say it can stop the ink smudging in the rain (providing the tape is flat with no air bubbles).

Yeah I did think about issues if the postie doesn’t scan them when delivering but at the moment I send the large letters by standard post and prepare to eat any loss due to non-receipt claims. I am hoping not scanning is a rare occurrence, so I should be better off in the long run.
I also know from previous signed-for items that they get scanned at the post office, I was more concerned that if this scan wasn’t in the system would it have any affect on the delivery scan?

Unfortunately our delivery office isn’t very local, about a 40minute drive away as we live rurally. Can’t fault Royal Mail’s service though.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 12 Jul 2017, 20:10

randomlygenerated wrote:I was more concerned that if this scan wasn’t in the system would it have any affect on the delivery scan?

None at all. I sent something recorded, albeit a few years ago, and just dropped it at work. The only scan on the T&T was the delivery scan. So if the postie does the job properly it won't present a problem.

Non-scanning is very rare but it can happen through error, damage, negligence or even laziness. If you keep a record of what you send and the post code areas you may be able to spot any persistent problems and raise the issue. You'll also be able to see where RM give a good service, Hopefully, HD will be high on that list.