Royal Mail

[whiskeryron]

I see that they are thinking of raising prices yet again to deliver snail mail, would it make sense to cancel the "Post" altogether & offer all householders a small fax machine for a reasonable price then anyone who does not posess a computer ( yes there are still people who are without) could still write letters & fax them to whoever & cut out not only expensive stamps but the outdated delivery service.

[tonyav]

Probably gearing up for this, ron.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/politics/george-osborne-announces-royal-mail-sell-off-and-deep-spending-cuts/ar-BBkGeS7

[naomi24]

Good idea - but you couldn't include, say, official documentation with your letter, and how would it handle items that need a signature as proof of delivery?

[Buenchico]

Oh great!

So, when (as part of my work) I've got 500 completed 4-page questionnaires to send back to the office, instead of simply putting them into a pre-paid Special Delivery envelope and dropping it off at any Post Office (as I do now), all I've got to do is to fax (or scan and then email) 2000 individual sheets of paper. That will make things so much simpler for me, won't it???

[petal54]

also sending cardsfor birthdays etc,could have 'local'postal services

[Buenchico]

>>>also sending cardsfor birthdays etc,could have 'local'postal services

Around here, we do anyway at Christmas! (25p per card, irrespective of size)
http://scoutspostipswich.org.uk/
;-)

[whiskeryron]

I'll get me coat

[SirOracle]

Buenchico.....Your problem could be solved by sending your package via one of the many private carriers who have been operating for a good few years now.

[tonyav]

Thats a great idea the scouts have come up with, Chris.

[Buenchico]

SirOracle:
I use carriers such as Collect Plus quite a lot.

However they wouldn't be as easy to use for some of the work I do. For example, I could be stood in the middle of a field from 7am to 7pm (with a few breaks of course) interviewing people on part of a National Cycle Route that crosses. The following day I could then be stood in the middle of another field for the same hours but with a requirement to get the first day's completed forms into the office by noon on the following day. It's usually easy enough to find a village Post Office during my break but I might find difficulty in getting a carrier to pick up my package from the middle of a field!
;-)

[mikey4444]

Considering that we have already had eye-wateringly large price increases recently, I think its a ruddy liberty to be thinking of more.

But all this was on the cards when the previous Tory Government hived it off. Even a certain Tory lady stopped short of that. It will all end in tears, mark my words, like most privatisations.

[fiction-factory]

Is it better to let the taxpayer subsidise it, mikey?
Recently I have rwalised the post is actually quite good value- it costs me 60 odd p to write to HMRC or my energy company whereas phoning them costs me a few pounds and I usually hang up without speaking to anyone after 45 minutes of waiting