F*^&%~$ Royal Mail!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jo
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I've heard very good things about Fastway Couriers - www.fastwaycouriers.co.uk

* Within local franchise area (Berkshire for me) - £2.95, same day
* To another Fastway franchise area - £4.95, next day
* Anywhere else in the UK - £7.95, next day
 
whiteflyer said:
Which other company will take a letter from Lands End to John oGroats for 34p .

None
Click to expand...
Indeed. It's a crappy business model and that's why they're going down the toilet.

Obviously there's a big element of hidden cross-subsidy here. But competitors can (and do) deliver local mail and bulk mail much more cheaply, so all the lucrative stuff that RM uses to subsidise the far-flung places is drying up.

One thing that I've never understood is why I should expect to be able to send something to the Hebrides for 34p. I mean, if I wanted to go there myself it would cost a packet, so why shouldn't sending a packet cost a packet too?

And as for the people who live in these places: Well, if you choose to live in the middle of nowhere there are certain downsides. You want the space and the peace and the clean air and the cheap property? Fine, but don't expect me to subsidise it for you. It's like why do people who live under the flight path complain about the aircraft noise? Didn't they work out why the house was so cheap?
 
Completely agree with WhiteFlyer. Gordon Brown and Labour have been running the Post Office down for 10 years priming it for Privatisation (that did wondersw with Water, Gas and the trains didn't it?) The way I see it is this is the Union going after the thief that has ransacked their pensions fund, not unlike Fatty Maxwell did, :nono:and without a pension they've saved for during most of their working lives there isn't much left to lose, certainly not a future of relative comfort in old age.
From a business perspective it is an absolute pain, most of my income comes via cheques by post. Paypal and BT Tradespace where I want to set up an account both charge 3% and 5% respectively, plus a cut of the transaction itself, so whilst other methods exist it has a cost effect which needs to be passed on to customers, hindering my competitiveness and sticking a large spanner into Gordon Browns plans for limiting inflationary pressures. He should put back the money he has stolen from working people and see that the RM pay in line with real inflation at around 7-8% and not this nonsensicle 2.5% that represents nobodies experience of actual inflation.
As for job security, Governments nor companies can offer that anymore. The world has changed and people need to adapt or sink.
I'll step off my soap box now by concluding, as if you couldn't tell, I despise this so called Labour Government to their core. If the gimp does disolve Parliament on monday I am hoping that Brighton elects the UK's first Green Party MP.:thumbs:
 
I'm self employed. If I don't like the conditions I have to work in or the pay, I can't strike. If I don't work I don't get paid, if I charge too much, I'll lose out to the others that could do similar to me.

They don't realise how lucky they are sometimes.
 
I'm just annoyed cause my phone got nicked on Thursday and my sp are sending me a new sim card by Royal Mail. :( No phone. Gutted.
 
Id planned a shoot for this evening with the idea of trying to come up with a decent shot to enter next week's nail comp at GMEX.
Spent £30 on make up especially for it, got a kimono all the way from japan, couple of fans, ordered a wig ... wig is stuck in the post ... no shoot! :bang:
 
my flatmate was ment to be signing the contact for her new house this week.. not anymore.... going to end up costing us another months rent in the place we are in atm :(
 
Naughty Janice, laughing at my plight! ;)
I guess it does sound rather funny actually.
Any ideas on what to do with a geisha wig ...... when it eventually arrives :shrug:
 
My sigma 24mm 2.8 is currently languishing in a sorting office somewhere too. Another strike tomorrow isn't it? Might get it by christmas then.
 
Its always good to find a cheap local courier. Most of them go door to door for businesses so if you run a business you often get a good price. For individuals its more difficult. I have had 4 really good couriers over the last 4 years for ebay and they just keep going bust!

I am selling 4 items at the moment on ebay to get enough money to buy Ceege's lens from the forum. Two have sold and the most expensive one would have sold too if I could get it from preston to gloucester for £30! (Its a 25Kg Marshall amplifier). Oh well 14 people watching it and 4 questions is looking good. Then the resonator and I will have enough, unless he sells it before I get the money together!
 
i'm waiting for the vouchers from the insurance company so i can finally replace my stolen bike (after nearly 3 months), and the news from the insurance company about replacing my stolen 1d mk2n, and 70-200mm L. God knows why they cant get with the times and send an e-mail though.
 
StewartR said:
Indeed. It's a crappy business model and that's why they're going down the toilet.

Obviously there's a big element of hidden cross-subsidy here. But competitors can (and do) deliver local mail and bulk mail much more cheaply, so all the lucrative stuff that RM uses to subsidise the far-flung places is drying up.

One thing that I've never understood is why I should expect to be able to send something to the Hebrides for 34p. I mean, if I wanted to go there myself it would cost a packet, so why shouldn't sending a packet cost a packet too?

And as for the people who live in these places: Well, if you choose to live in the middle of nowhere there are certain downsides. You want the space and the peace and the clean air and the cheap property? Fine, but don't expect me to subsidise it for you. It's like why do people who live under the flight path complain about the aircraft noise? Didn't they work out why the house was so cheap?
Click to expand...

The reason is

a) the volume of mail being sent..

Yes it may cost you say £50 in fuel cost, yes 34p is cheap and costly for one item, however lets say your sending 10,000 items from hub to hub thats £3,500, and 100,000 items is £34,000 etc, i cant remember the exact figures that where being handled at the main local hub (was over 6years since i worked there doing my electrical apprenticeship) but it was in the 6 figures on a daily basis.

but most importantly

b) the RM tried to put there prices up a few years ago, but where told by the regulators they could have the raise they wanted hence the price you now have.

The competors i.e TNT do sub from there other departements to compete, and for the most part use RM for most local post, although some areas have the TNT hubs which i think are growing. Think there business post is done via there parcel network but dont quote on that part.

Yes there is some poor management, and under investment by the Government, and yes i think it will be privatised in the not to distant future. In fact tbh i thought it would have happened along time ago, in the same there maintaince deparment (RoMEC) partly sold off about 6 years ago.

Having worked there i can understand the posties frastations, by striking in the short term it will not really effect as there competors still have to use them, we still a very very very long way from a 'totally nationwide competitive' market.
 
Let them adopt a co-operative model like USPS www.usps.com and see how it becomes one of the top 10 companies to work in the UK.

I haven't heard of anyone who owns a company let it go down the drain.
 
I feel quite overcome with emotion!!! Perhaps I should crack open the champagne in celebraton of receiving post through the letterbox today!!!

It's too much for me I'd better go and lie down!
 
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