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?

[20ParkDrive]

Some people have never paid the full price for stamps for years

http://www.ebay.co.uk...D1%26_npmv%3D3&_rdc=1

[Gromit]

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE! - WE CAN BLASME THE EU.

// In 1997 the EU issued Directive 97/67/EC, Privatisation of Postal Services, introducing an EU-wide postal service.

EU Directive 97/67/EC opened wide the door for public-sector firms, mainly the Dutch TNT and German Deutsche Post DHL, to cherry-pick the profitable areas, leaving the less profitable to the Royal Mail. More damage came with a further EU Directive, 2002/39/EC, calling for “further market opening” – more business to private firms. //

[DTCwordfan]

That does not surprise me, Gromit

[squarebear]

No not being seliberatly awkward em10, just playing devil's advocate.

You asked me how to send a form in electroncally and I gave a suggestion. I was unaware that you had no scanner and would have been more surprised had I known the setup of your computer at home.

[20ParkDrive]

I have had two letters over the last two days both franked TNT delivered by the Royal Mail
TNT will make the profit not the Royal Mail

[New Judge]

That's because the Royal Mail has, by statute, to undertake to convey letters originating from other carriers for "the last mile". That means TNT carry huge lorryloads of stuff between big towns and cities (very cheap) and then dump it on the Royal Mail to deliver to every household (very expensive).

[20ParkDrive]

I know that New Judge my postie explained it all to me, It should not be allowed.

[Davethedog]

Food for thought there DT, indeed

[Gromit]

When Private firms have cherry picked the easy profitable work from the Royal Mail, and they are left with the expensive unprofitable stuff to deliver, then prices will have to rise to compensate.

[Old_Geezer]

Having had the profitable parts allowed to be 'cherry picked' years ago I can not see any other company rushing to pick up the expensive 'service' part of the industry. It was inevitable that cross subsidisation would have to go and now I assume the new prices more accurately reflect cost of providing the letter service to the whole of the UK. RM should be round a long while, although may be able to show the need for public subsidy.

[DTCwordfan]

A business opportunity perhaps for the local man.....esp with our unemployment, a local franchise venture to cover final sorting and collection and spin it out from the RM......the local entrepreneur having to pick the mail up, sort it out and deliver.....

Might work and, yes, the economics need to be looked at - the key issue bveing how to slash away the inevitable high overheads that beset the RM - and return the business to the local communtiy.........may contact Sarah Newton, my MP over this.

[Gromit]

// the local entrepreneur // [could deliver the mail locally]

Sounds expensive, how much would you be prepared to pay?

[McMouse]

Hopefully the extra stamp costs will enable Royal Mail to teach our local posties to read. Having lived here for 26th years they still can't differentiate between me and by closest neighbours.

[youngmafbog]

The Royal Mail is simply not used like it used to be. People email/text phone, whatever so reducing the amount of mail.

On top of that many Posties are are a right lazy bunch. I have known many over the years as drinking buddies so I am not just sumising.

[DTCwordfan]

Gromit- thats the whole point, to see if there are ways to cut down on the paralysing overheads of the RM when it comes to the front line by localising it.....Look we have no figures to discuss here, just an idea, and trying to shoot it down before it's been looked at is not exactly the best way to look at and organise change.

[Philoctetes]

@em10 - though I agree that the system can be a tad flakey, it is just possible that the delay in your letter was in getting someone willing to sign for it. Even in government organisations, I have known there to be policies of not signing for "unsolicited" packages etc.

[anotheoldgit]

I can never understand why they stopped putting the price on stamps?

Even as we type, I bet these local shops are stocking up on large quantities of stamps, they stand to make more profit on stamps than they make on anything they sell.

[rov1100]

As the post office gets slower and slower to deliver I notice that the posties are running faster and faster up our drive.

[guilliebrougues]

I can post a letter or parcel first class post in scoland t go down South and it gets there the following day provided I have posted it by 5.30 that night when the last post gets collected from the post box.

[Old_Geezer]

They should have removed the cost from the stamps. The money was paid for first or second class service, at the going rate at the time of purchase. It should remain the same even if you don't use it for a while, otherwise they'd end up taking more than the going rate for a single delivery when they insisted you add more again.