Forum Topic

Mail collection reductions

I have just noticed that the Ealing Common area has lost its 5.30pm Royal Mail collections. According to the sign on our nearest post box, the last collection each day is now 9am (repeat 9am) Monday to Friday and 7am on Saturdays. There is just one box in the ward that has a 4pm last collection. How did this sneak in?Is this happening everywhere?

Ian D. Richardson ● 4033d7 Comments

As a rough guide I would estimate that 90% of the incoming letter post to my house is from "big business" that probably do not use Post Boxes. Our outgoing mail is mainly Christmas and Birthday Cards.So I suspect Royal Mail have a point.  What would be helpful though would be a schedule of late pick up collection points in the area.

Philip Coe ● 4032d

It's absolutely true that Royal Mail has been hit hard by email and internet trading, but I still have my books and quite a few other items that require the postal service. I spoke to our local postman this morning and he confirmed that he will soon be expected to clear our mailboxes as he does his round. So although it says "Last Mail Collection 9am", it actually means "When you postman happens to pass this box". It is going to be the luck of the draw. And yes, it does looks as though we will now have to go to Acton Sorting Office in Bollo Lane if we have a late posting.

Ian D. Richardson ● 4032d

Ian D. Richardsonobserved:I have just noticed that the Ealing Common area has lost its 5.30pm Royal Mail collections...While I can't comment on that, what I did notice recently on a Post Box in South Ealing is that very late* collections are no longer made from the post box on Ealing Green, at the entrance to the lane leading to the Sorting Office, and that it will now be necessary to go the S.O in Bollo Lane Acton.Perhaps the very fact that so few people seem to have noticed this reduction in collections -I'm pretty sure most boxes had two collectionsdaily in the past - never mind the claim of there being hourly collections in Victorian times - and have not been inconvenienced by it,tells its own story. Which is that basically apart from ChristmasCards, private letter writing which made most useof post boxes has fallen victim to email and thelike. I somehow suspect that the postman's sackshave been telling their own story and that revenueshave only been maintained at all by increasing prices.*From distant memory this was one or two hourslater that the normal late collection time.michael adams...

Michael Adams ● 4032d

Almost right. It was Vince Cable that sold it off far too cheaply and without service guarantees and without adequate competition rules which is allowing firms like the much derided Whistl to 'cherry pick'.

Nigel Brooks ● 4032d

Here's how Royal Mail is selling the changes: http://www.royalmail.com/personal/help-and-support/postboxes-faqs

Ian D. Richardson ● 4032d

Privatisation. Tories love to sell this country and give us all a worse service for more money, while the share holders make a packet.

Jaz Brown ● 4032d

Yes, we now only have one box with a 17:30 collection (Mon-Fri) and 12:00 on Saturdays both of the others are now 09:00. That's in Boston Road.

Nigel Brooks ● 4033d