Watch out royal mail

[stephenjubb]

I'm in scotland and have had no problems in the past having post sent to me to be collected at a post office of choice.

Not used it in a couple of years but have previously done that at Durness Scotland, Thurso Scotland, Stromness on Orney.

Just had one this week sent up to Thurso six days ago and have just gone to collect only for the branch manager to tell she returned it as I did not have permission.

Apparently the rules have changed.

At http://www.postoffice.co.uk/letters-par ... e-restante

you have to Apply in person at the Post Office® branch you’d like your post sent to

not much bloody use if you are touring and are relying on it being sent ahead.

I'm so peed off that I wish to express every complaint word under the sun about the manager at thurso post office.

I need to vent.

Thanks for listening and beware of my experience.

cheers

STeve Jubb

[thirdcrank]

It looks as though politicians of every stripe are keen to wreck forever the Royal Mail / Post Office brand.

[stephenjubb]

they were following procedures, I just said thanks and then took out my laptop got on the net and looked it up ready to show it to her on the royal mail website and then ask for her superiours details to complain only to find it was true.

Saved me emabarassing myself and giving her grief for following her job.

Would have been better if Royal mail issued guidance (or told my mother when posting it - have you permission from the other post office) that said accept it but make a charge or give a warning etc. I'd have happily paid a fair fee.

[thirdcrank]

they were following procedures, ...

I was nver in any doubt of that. Postal box services and the like risk providing an obvious facility for the baddies but that doesn't mean that the goodies have to be messed about in the process.

[snibgo]

... The baddies would never dream of asking permission, of course.

[thirdcrank]

I can't remember the legislation now (boring General Police Duties stuff, in promotion exam terms) but anybody providing mailbox-type facilities on a commercial basis used to be obliged to register with the police (and that's probably still the case.)

In this case I presume the OP went to a post office to send the parcel and it's hard to see why any necessary checking of either him, or the parcel, couldn't be done there. Assuming I'm wrong, and doing that compromises national security, it still seems reasonable to expect that the person accepting the parcel would reject it or at least check that the sender was aware of the rules. Inconveniencing touring cyclists and similar people achieves nothing for anybody.

[bikes4two]

One alternative maybe to have parcels sent to an enroute campsite (with the camsite's consent of course), or B&B.

Shame about the 'loss' of the Royal Mail Post Restante though.

[byegad]

It looks as though politicians of every stripe are keen to wreck forever the Royal Mail / Post Office brand.

Frankly it seems to me that Royal Mail have been doing that themselves for years. If I miss a parcel their 'local' office is 5 miles away and open from 7-12 Monday-Friday and 7-10 Saturday, for my inconvenience. If they want to survive they need to look at the competition. I had a delivery last week from a carrier who tracked the parcel online and sent a text to tell me which day and within which 2 hour period of that day to expect the item. It was on time and, more importantly, cost no more than the:- 'We'll deliver it some time between 7am and 6pm probably on the day we say but maybe another day.' service Royal Fail offer.

[Alun]

Is Thurso a hotspot for terrorist activity then?

[rualexander]

Is Thurso a hotspot for terrorist activity then?

Given that Dounreay nuclear plant is near to Thurso, it may well be!
Although it is being decommissioned now there is still a lot of radioactive waste and suchlike around.