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Jean F Fernandez · 3/27/2012 9:33:00 PM

new.EalingToday.co.uk Communtity Forum Topic posting

Post Office Announcement!!!

Just to let you all know the Post Office will be increasing the price f Postage Stamps from April!First Class Stamps will be 60pSecond Class Stamps will be 50pSo it might be an idea to buy a book or two before the increase comes into force!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5124d43 Comments

just bought 300 stamps today

Peter Chadburn ● 5102d

I never buy first class stamps as I am not sure that they reach their destination any sooner than second class!So far I have bought 7 books of second class stamps, that should last a little while - I hope!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5102d

I bought 100 second class online; that'll last me a couple of years at least.

Susan Kelly ● 5102d

Just a little reminder for those of you who are thinking of buying postage stamps BEFORE the price increase takes effect on 30 April...there are not many days left!Thereafter first class post will be 60p and second class post will be 50p.

Jean F Fernandez ● 5103d

Not all card shops overcharge of course, there are atill a number of places where one can buy them at a reasonable price, but then there is still the price of postage to consider!Don't forget those of us who enjoy crafting our own greeting cards for friends and family - we will now have to think twice about actually posting them because of the cost of sending them to different parts of the country and abroad!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5122d

Have you seen the cost of greeting cards lately?It seems to me that the greeting cards industry is already doing a sterling job of putting itself out of business given the outrageous prices they charge!

Tony Colliver ● 5122d

Re 'large letter' category which rises to £0.90 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx surely there is something in between that and the squitty size cost at 60p?. And businesses will stop using the mail system for 1st class almost totally. How is "junk mail ", which flies through the letter box as if there is no tomorrow, going to be hit..And in a years time it will all go up again. The R M is having it's throat cut, I think?.

Tony Price ● 5122d

Many card also fall into the 'large letter' category which rises to £0.90 from 30th April.Clintons though have been 'on the edge' for ages. The price rise can only speed their demise.

Nigel Brooks ● 5122d

This extract is from City Briefing today :- " From the high-street, there's a gloomy statement from Clinton Cards, whose like-for-like sales are down 1.1pc in the first half, while second-half trading "is below our previous expectations". so when the new stamp prices get underway, the card companies will get hit harder still, especially when a normal size card is NOT at the cheapest rate. An ordinary card will be at least 75p soon, which I don't care what anyone says, is a lot of money for many people. And which means at Christmas time, the cost of sending an ordinary card will be that 75p and probably overall about £30 just for postage for many folks.

Tony Price ● 5122d

Groan :-)

Nigel Brooks ● 5122d

a postperson nowadays eh? Never far from the sack.

Keith Iddon ● 5123d

Great article from today's Guardian written by Roy Mayallhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/28/60p-stamp-royal-mail-privatisation

Ben Owen ● 5123d

Too true Tony! They certainly won't come down again that's for sure!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5123d

Re 60p is still cheap. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx a) I don't think it is, b) the percentage increase is horrendous, c) which sets a bad example in these dire times and d) the 60p is for the smallest sized envelope and I am sure many which in the recent past would got away with a normal first class stamp could in the very near future cost a £1. The 60p is just the starting point.

Tony Price ● 5123d

There are underlying reasons where government mail contracts have been given to other companies and business mail is handled by people like TNT and others. The monopoly has not existed for years but the Royal Mail has been squeezed vout of these contracts so losing a valuable and profitable revenue stream. the reasons why are not always clear given that other companies are not allowed to charge less that Royal Mail. Governments have encouraged this practise. I worked for DX mail at one time and with the exchanges at solicitors offices etc. we were competative. Some of the underlying reasons for this lay in the need of politicians to satisfy lobbyists!!!

Peter Chadburn ● 5123d

The way in which we communicate has changed, technology has taken away the need for a lot of the postal work.I see the rise as a chance for the PO bosses to actually pull their finger out and provide a service where Jean can get her mail on time.Of course it appears as though the next step will be to privatise the service, it might be good, it might be bad, we don't know yet, unless you have a crystal ball?But as I've said all along, 60p is still cheap.

Amy Brookes ● 5123d

From the start of the penny post in 1840 to my childhood in the 50s, 110 years later, letter post went up by a mere 250%. In the following sixty years it will have gone up by 6000%. Have any other goods or servics seen such inflation?

Graham Weeks ● 5123d

Sorry to disappoint you Amy but obviously not.As so rightly pointed out by Ben,there are those less fortunate than us who have fixed incomes and no real economic.The wayyou come across one would think that you thought the rise was a good thing.You glibly said earlier that'We are all in this together' but surely you don't think this rise has anything to do with the deficit do you? f so,please explain why.

Keith Iddon ● 5123d

The biggest price rise in 37 years caused by wider use of e-mails and Facebook. How do we expect Royal Mail to cope to make there business viable when less mail is being processed through their system? They are also constrained to deliver mail from the Scilly Isles to the Shetland Isles six days a week: a mandate handed down from Brussels. I don't know why it is Brussels and not OFCOM, but someone else may know the answer to that.The price increase will hit millions of people; the elderly, small businesses and charities. I suspect we will continue to send the same number of birthday cards to friends and family members, but send fewer xmas cards than we used to. Even so, Christmas won't be any the poorer for it.

Ben Owen ● 5123d

Calm down Keith, its only a few pence on a stamp!60p buys very little these days.As for accepting what is handed out...will you be staging a protest? When I next send off a parcel, will you be outside the PO with a "Can't pay won't pay" slogan? There isn't much that can be done really, 60p is still cheap.Royal Mail is still the 3rd cheapest in Europe...

Amy Brookes ● 5123d

Amy,Before you get them too much in a twist I have 'moaned' as you so inaccurately put it about the massive salaries that the top managers are paid whilst good employees are forced out so that agency staff who are not as proficient replace them.Whilst highlighting the knock on difficulties this will cause small companies.I may be a moaner,but you seem to accept anything that is handed out to you.Ah well...

Keith Iddon ● 5123d

So all small businesses send out unsolicited mail? Nonsense.Mine doesn't but we do have to send out invoices and bills and estimates and so on. My secretary has just costed the increase and it is the salary of our part time employee. So do I sack her? True the Royal Mail and the Post Office have had in the past more than their fair share of "lazy bones" and troublemakers but then so do the NHS and Local Councils.All are subsidised by the taxpayer but at least they do something for their/our money.What the alternative? 'Lazybones will probably have to depend on handouts for the rest of his or her life.As for e-cards? Naff.

Michael Brandt ● 5123d

Re Card Shops might well suffer xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx very probably. I sent a card to my Ukranian friend for his birthday on the 11th, usual sized card and posted it 2 days before with a first class stamp, assuming it would get to him either on the day or possibly the day before his anniversary. I heard nothing from him for several days when he eventually phoned re another matter and I asked him if he got the card in time , what card, I have received no card etc. I explained what I had done and when and for him to let me know if/ when it does arrive. He eventually got me out of bed one morning in none too sweet a frame of mind, phoning to say he had just come from the Sorting Office as he had received a card a saying there was something for him to collect. It turned out to be my card which had not been delivered on time but almost 2 weeks later, as the f/class stamp was not enough. He had to pay the surcharge for what was i m o a normal sized envelope. So card shops will be hard hit I would say in the future if 60P ain't enough except for the most squitty of cards, ie ones which are not worth sending at all. What the next stage up from the 60p level will be I don't know but must be at least 75p. And Christmas time is gonna be damned expensive!

Tony Price ● 5123d

Are these the same small businesses that send out unsolicited mail? Maybe they will think twice. Of course the increase will be passed on to the end user. But the end user does not have to pay for all of the 100 letters a day do they?There are now so many other ways to get a message to people, the PO has been in decline and running at a loss for years. It is no longer an essential service. It does offer good value and most of its workers work hard to provide a service.Please tell us how to fix the PO instead of moaning.

Amy Brookes ● 5123d

What about small businesses which may have to send out 100 letters a day? Who do you think they will pass the cost on to?

Keith Iddon ● 5123d

So you think that managers can pay themselves a fortune for overseeing a service in decline whilst the posties are squeezed until their pips squeak and you are quite willing to pay more for it.Nice.

Keith Iddon ● 5123d

How much does a Mars Bar cost?How much does a daily newspaper cost?As was said earlier, 60p to get a 100g letter to the other end of the country sounds cheap to me, do you know what it costs to get on a London bus?Even if the PO was privatised, what difference does it make? The PO is no longer the only way to get a message to someone, there are alternatives. Provided whoever runs the place comes up with the goods and gets rid of any lazy bones, sounds a good idea.

Amy Brookes ● 5123d

Have you any more glib and meaningless platitudes to share with us or is your tongue firmly in your cheek ?

Keith Iddon ● 5123d

We are all in this together.

Amy Brookes ● 5123d

So Amy you think that a £3 increase will sort out the problem??? Sorry I don't think so!Whilat I agree that it is really lovely to receive a card in the post not everyone will be able to continue sending as many cards as they used to. It is all down to economics I'm afraid.Complaining to the Post Office gets one nowhere, I tried it and failed.Why is it that the public seem happy to pay more for less? Years ago we had more than 1 delivey, regular as clockwork. Many friends are of the opinion that some letters are held back for a few days and then delivered all at once. Not just in London but as far away as Scotland and Northern Ireland.Nowadays mailboxes are only emptied once per day, at least in this area. Friends have reported that some boxes are empties less frequently because in one occasion one friend said she could have reached in the mailbox and take letters out if she wanted to as it was overflowing. That was a little while ago in East London.There is no guarantee that a first class stamp will ensure that a letter will be received the next day. Try posting a first class letter on a Friday evening and in some cases it will only reach the delivery address on the Monday.Going back even further records show that one could have posted a letter in the morning to an address in London and it would be received that same afternoon.Not all progress is for the best but we seem to be expected to accept paying more amd more for a less than efficient service.There used to be a Post Office open in Trafalgar Square 24 hours per day would you believe? Not any more.Queues in some Post Offices like the one in Acton are a joke. Then they have the cheek to work their way along the queue trying to sell unwanted extra services like Insurance and so on.Most of the Sub Post Offices have now closed down. The main Post Office in Ealing has now moved into W H Smiths. I wouldn't bother to go there unless I had lots of time to spare as there is almost always a long queue!I appreciate that some people will have no complaint about the Post Office but not everyone will be happy with these additional charges.

Jean F Fernandez ● 5123d

It makes me laugh when people think that this price rise is anything to do with improved service or saving jobs.The only people who will benefit are the top managers who will see their bonuses and pay packages improved.Just like Adam Crozier did a couple of years ago just after the to do they had with the changing of working practises. £3 m he paid himself.They will still cut jobs and bring in poorer conditions for the workforce and make life harder for the posties and bring in agency staff when they get rid of full time employess.Agency staff usually = poorer service.All this while the nests of the top managers will be even more feather bedded.

Keith Iddon ● 5123d

OK I understand Jean, but hasn't your pension risen?As regards your postal people, get onto the local sorting office manager. It is up to us the customers to tell them what is expected.

Amy Brookes ● 5123d

Amy I live in Acton - Horn Lane area.I am most certainly NOT a cheapskate but a pensioner having to watch every penny!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5123d

Have to say that my local postie is a thoroughly nice bloke who copes well with the constantly changing demands of his 'managers'. His delivery bags get heavier (I am sure the trolly will give up under the strain) , routes get changed and it's not his fault that the post is later as it is not even delivered for sorting to the local delivery office until after the time that we used to get our first delivery.

Nigel Brooks ● 5123d

That all sounds very unfortunate Jean, whereabouts do you live?I have to say that I haven't experienced many problems with the PO service, but I do agree with you that an attitude like that is unacceptable.As for e-greetings, stop being a cheapskate and send a card, just think of how good you will feel knowing that you have helped to save all those jobs!

Amy Brookes ● 5123d

The Postmen who casually drop letters on the street and not bother to pick them up do not deserve to have a job!How many times have I picked undelivered mail up which was lying in my road and delivered them to each address myself! Like the time I discovered an envelope on the pavement in my street, checked it out and found it was addressed to myself! I rang the Post Office complaints but the reply I got was: 'Oh the Postman must have dropped it!' So that's allright then is it? I don't think so!Parcel delivery is another joke. They put a 'Sorry You Were Out' card through the letterbox without even bothering to ring the doorbell to check if anyone is at home. This happened to a friend. The Postman didn't even have her parcel with him so she had to go along to collect it!First class mail rarely arrives at the destination on the followinf day so this service can be misleading.They are doing everything possible to put the Post Office out of business.Thank goodness for the Internet where one can at least send an e-greeting.

Jean F Fernandez ● 5123d

Why shouldn't postage prices rise? Everything else has.The PO needs to change, it can't do that without resources and funding. 60p to send a letter to Scotland is still pretty cheap?Personally I wouldn't mind paying even more if the standard of next day delivey could be guaranteed.It's very easy to slate Post Office workers, but they go out in all weathers delivering the post for us, we should applaud them.

Amy Brookes ● 5123d

it will have major ramifications for the greeting card industry. Possibly wiping it out and costing thousands of jobs and the failure of small producing businesses.The charity card business could see a 70% drop in sales and the postal service will contract hugely.Expect huge cuts in postal services and redundancies placing an even larger burden on the state benefit system.One wonders sometimes whether it's better to have a subsidised state run institution like the royal mail and post office employing workers and giving people productive occupations rather than the likelihood of many never having a job again.The separation of the GPO was a big mistake with two services which will eventually fall into extinction

Michael Brandt ● 5124d

Large 1st Class going up to 90p, all other letter reates to rise.Oh well, more emails for me and more work for courier companies. Still, it will stop the taxpayerhaving to bale them out every year when they go bust or private.

Nigel Brooks ● 5124d

April 30th

Jean F Fernandez ● 5124d

Thanks for this.Could you let us know from what date?

Ben Owen ● 5124d

Thinking about this price increase, I think goods ordered online will be more expensive when they are delivered by post.Card Shops might well suffer because people may well decide to email a greeting instead.

Jean F Fernandez ● 5124d