I send a regular mail out of printed t-shirt samples via Royal Mail, either as a proof requested by customers or as an unsolicited promo item. These have always been sent by Royal Mail as a 'large letter'. The sizes (305x220x13mm) are well within the large letter- dimensions and the package weighs around 155 grams. I use a poly postal bag. At current prices these should be £2.05, first class. Last week my wife was charged £4.45 each for four items as a small parcel at the same local Post Office we always use.
When she challenged the guy behind the jump - thinking he hadn't looked cloesly at the size - she was told that anything other than a letter was to be charged at small parcel rate. He refused to send it as a letter. When asked if this was a new policy he would only say that 'a letter is a letter and a parcel is a parcel'.
My wife took the packages to the main Post Office in the town centre and the same happened. This time when she challenged the price the assistant made a show of putting the parcel through the size guide (even though it was very visibly well within the required sizes) and reluctantly agreed to charge as a large letter, muttering that it wasn't realy a letter. The price difference on the four items was £9.60.
Looking back through some old receipts this has been happening since the last round of price rises.
Has anyone else had similar issues and is this new policy? Or is it just a rogue local post master being opportunistic?
I contacted both Royal Mail and Post Office customer services. Royal Mail are passing the buck, saying that they are nothing to do with the Post Office they enclosed a link to their pricing and sizing policy. This contains nothing that says only 'letters' can be sent as large letters.
The Post Office have as yet not replied.
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