RIP The Royal Mail

[DTCwordfan]

Well it looks like the final nail going in the coffin of the Royal Snail as we know it. Sorry postdog.

The Telegraph reports the possibility of 2nd class mail rising to 55p a stamp in April and then in line with inflation for the next seven years, some "relief" to be given at Xmas time by pegging prices for a limited period at 2011 levels but just for "vulnerable" families (benefits and pension credits)

First class to be unregulated - so what does that mean, a rise to 70p?

So reactions and is this the end of the RM?

What about now introducing competition or seeing it come in by the back door (i.e. UPS/Fedex whoever introducing a mail service as an extension to their packet/parcel delivery) as the RM seems hell bent on pricing itself out of competition?

[DTCwordfan]

http://www.telegraph....price-rise-anger.html

[jno]

stock up on stamps now - W H Smith are as cheap as any.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/stamps

As long as they're labelled 1st and 2nd rather than a price, you can use them forever. I've only just run out of ones I bought before a previous price rise 10+ years ago

[Gromit]

The parcel Service Companies cannot compete with the Royal Mail. To post a letter with them would cost quadrupal what the RM propose after the stamp increases.

May be a ploy though to get the RM making whacking profits before they flog it of to a foreign company (as they did with water, gas, electric).

[emmie]

I have long thought Royal Mail a waste of time. I posted a recorded letter 1st class, took 4 days to get to it destination, letters get to us willy nilly, and at no time do i trust their services.

[squarebear]

In these days of email and internet, does anyone still post a letter?

[Gromit]

em10

Then why don't you use a parcel service?

[jno]

not often, squarebear, but sometimes. I occasionally still have to mail off cheques, as not everyone takes credit cards.

[DTCwordfan]

Well it will cause "panic" buying if this is the case.........

I am not sure if they are being "Tony Blair and Gordy Brown" fattened to be sold off. I thinbk I would rather have a foreign mail service open up against them if it brings/keep the prices down. The proposal is outrageous when folk are struggling...hope DC and NC wipe the RM director noses in the proverbial....

And what would be the costs of adminstering the vulnerable scheme - at that differential, it is open for immense fraud. "Oh Brenda, buy me a 100 stamps and you can make £7-50 and I'll save £7-50" or are they going to introduce rationing - and what would that entail?

[emmie]

because i cannot afford it, not all of us have money to splash around. And besides it was a letter, so should have reached it's destination the next day, that was why i posted it recorded delivery, also so it would have a signature, and a tracker. I did track it, signed for 4 days after postage, i could have taken it quicker to the place.

[squarebear]

"i could have taken it quicker to the place. "

You could have emailed it even quicker.

[DTCwordfan]

Em has a point, gromit, they have been shooting themselves in the foot as to service for a long time, their perfomance on losing mail and "delayed" 1st class/recorded service etc has been slipping. We need postdog back in there, pushing them for some quality improvements!

[DTCwordfan]

And 55p will exacerbate their death as people will (in italics) turn to e-mail and other means.

[Davethedog]

Not sure about the end DT don't think you can get a letter forr 55p on UPS etc but apart from offical and christmas can't remember the last time I wrote a letter.

I don't disagree I just have visions of about 6 different postmen arriving everyday :-)

[emmie]

squarebear, confidential documents to a government body so no, there was at least 40 pages of a form, so how do you propose i could e mail it.

[squarebear]

scan it in and send it to a secure email address.

[emmie]

whoever is responsible is letting down the customers, and quite frankly if i didn't have to send the odd cheque, letter i wouldn't use the service. Some friends in OZ don't have e mail, but others in NZ do, but i still like to send Christmas cards and the odd present to them, poor service for a long time, and not going to get any better.

[emmie]

no scanner, sorry are you just being awkward, i paid well over the odds for a service i didn't get.

[emmie]

DT exactly my point, people have been doing that, the more expensive something is no matter the item, the less people will buy and that includes stamps.

[beso]

In Australia the rapid rise in Internet shopping had been a boost to the Post. Letters continue to decline.

[DTCwordfan]

Dave - just saying that price spread may throw up a business opportunity for someone with clout, not necessarily UPS....... I could even be halfmad and say the utility service companies, as they have databases to the UK populations (vertainly by regions) and extensive metering staff, so the experience of managing field service, though this is a different dimension interms of intensity.