TNT Post

[hc4361]

A lot of my post is stamped 'TNT'.
Why? It seems it is delivered by Royal Mail with the rest of my post.
What do they do?

[rojash]

Never open any post labelled TNT
(or Semtex)

[rojash]

... come to think of it, it's best to avoid post labelled with any of the words in thi s list -
http://www.earthtym.net/explosives.htm

[Postdog]

Very simple. Under EU regulations, Royal Mail was opened up to competition. IDEALLY this would be competition on a level playing field, in that they delivered too, but this isn't the case and in my opinion has contributed to the decline of RM's service.

Anyway, private firms can approach big companies and say "we will deliver your mail for the cost of x an item", then they take this mail, and again under EU regulations, because that company doesn't have the facility to see delivery through to the destination, they can put it in with Royal Mail deliveries for the final journey, for which Royal mail get a token amount.

It's a bit like Sainsbury.s letting shelf space where they could otherwise put their own stuff to sell Tesco stuff.

[hc4361]

Thanks for that, Postdog, but it does seem a bit bonkers.

Why can they pay RM a token amount for the delivery? Surely RM have to sort it the same.

[Postdog]

A lot of that IS done by the other firms (automated machinery) and some, mainly to other large businesses, is also delivered by them.

It isn't like they just put it in the box - to pay the token amount they have to do some work beforehand and comply with agreed methods to put it in the system, but as said, final delivery to ordinary households is down to Royal Mail.

[hc4361]

Thanks muchly

[Postdog]

It IS bonkers - another example of EU interference, like allowing our jobs to be taken by foreigners and doing away with kidneys in pork chops.

[hc4361]

I still get the kidney in my pork chops - you have to know where to shop, and smuggle it out in plain brown paper.

[Postdog]

jealous now :(

Sometimes very hard to find separate pigs kidneys to fry with the chop