Royal Mail Privatisation - going to be like the Netherlands

[LoveSewingBee]

I am shocked.

The postal system in the Netherlands has collapsed since its privatisation.

We don't have full time or part time postmen and women anymore.

We have mainly students who are recruited to deliver mail for 2-3 hours per day as and when they like it. So some days they are too busy or too tired and you don't get your mail or it is all dumped on one address in a nearby street whose occupants may take it on them to deliver the mail themselves or just bin it. (We get approx once a month the mail for 5 or more addresses in the square here). Lots of stuff gets damaged, because if it doesn't fit through the letterbox it is just forced through (result ripped magazines, damaged books, broken frame) Or left out in the rain or left with somebody else in the square with no note, so you have no idea somebody else has your stuff. Result? Most online sellers refuce to use them and insist on expensive couriers.

To complain is not easy either. We don't have any post offices any more, they are counters in shops, staffed by the shop's staff, who often don't havea clue and no interest in providing postal services like for example registering a car in new owner's name or other duties like that.

Prices have increased. Formally we have a five day a week service but in practice you are lucky to get your mail in whatever time frame suits the delivery person.

IT IS AN UTTER NIGHTMARE

and it will only get worse as not surprisingly fewer and fewer people use this non-service.

[mamageekchic]

I'm not sure why you are shocked, it's been on the cards for a very long time, particularly since Moya Greene came in as president. Knowing a little about royal mail as a business I think it was inevitable. We are actually very lucky with the domestic mail service we have in the UK, very few countries enjoy the direct to door, anywhere in the UK service we have at a similar price and timescale. Also, while you may have had a bad experience, in your particular area I don't think that is the norm. There are also 25hr+ postman positions advertised in my area currently (I know as my DP is applying for one).

[niceguy2]

Oh god. I really don't hope our royal mail goes the same way. Lot's of people are already stopping using them. Not only have prices gone up significantly for normal letters. They now have this stupid size system in place.

So now unless I'm sending something more than a few sheets of paper, I have to actually go to the post office and get them to slide it through one of their template things so I can be sure I am buying the correct postage. Frankly it's annoying. I've had friends who had this done, bought the postage they were told. Only for the recipient to be charged as it was classed as outsize! Huh!?!?

The prices are so high now that it's almost worth using a courier now for small parcels. Certainly I chose to send a parcel last week with a courier rather than my post office. Wasn't a big thing either. But RM would have charged me £6. It was £4.50 with a courier.

I sent a CD first class postage and it took nearly a week to arrive. And don't get me started on my passport which was sent special delivery. Special it certainly was. It took over 18 months to get from the midlands to London!

[kelda]

That's interesting. My dh has relatives in the Netherlands, and I send them cards for Christmas, births etc. They regularly don't recieve them and blame me for incorrectly writing their address on the envelop - although how would they know this if they never recieve it? I found it rather rude of them to blame me.

Obviously I am prefectly capable of correctly and legibly addressing an envelop, including my own address on the back of it. I send cards all over the world and it's always the Netherlands that is the problem.

[WidowWadman]

Deutsche Post has been privatised a long time ago, and I don't think it has got any worse.

[bemybebe]

Unfortunately unpredictable deliveries, missing or damaged mail, mail delivered to the wrong address is happening all the time here. I take copies of envelopes with clearly not our address to keep the record as my complaints were dismissed. I have received 11 letters and one small packet delivered to me by laziness so far this year. This is by Royal Mail.

[flatpackhamster]

mamageekchic

I'm not sure why you are shocked, it's been on the cards for a very long time, particularly since Moya Greene came in as president

It came in because of this.

EU legislation dating back to 1997 which produces a framework for all EU member states to sell off their postal services to create an 'internal market'. That's also why parcels went from the cost being calculated based upon bulk to based upon weight. All the profitable bits - the parcel delivery bits above 100g - have been flogged off already to companies like Deutsche Post. This is the unprofitable rump, which is one of the reasons the taxpayer has already had to heave out £3Bn to cover the cost of postal worker pensions.

[TabithaStephens]

We need to leave the EU.

[WidowWadman]

Tabitha what do you think would be gained from that?

[Twunk]

I live in the Netherlands and I get my post fine! Am in a small town though.

I agree however - it's not the best model.

[Twunk]

The post office was shut in our town and moved to a local stationers who were utterly incompetent and never understood the machine. It's now moved to a different shop, and the Albert Heijn (supermarket). No one really understands the products and sometimes they run out of Europe stamps! Really. How can a post office run out of stamps...?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Post offices, as I understand it, are not included in the privatisation.

[Twunk]

Royal Mail and the post office being separate entities

[Melfish]

I may be wrong but TNT ( who I believe have some connection with the Dutch national postal system) already do some deliveries in Central London to people's houses instead of the Royal Mail. Would not be impressed by their punctuality as I often see them delivering mail when I leave work at 2pm (my Royal Mail postie is delivering at 8am).

[mamageekchic]

Agreed that the royal mail and the post office are 2 seperate entities.

[LoveSewingBee]

I think it is ultimately going to be the end of the universal service (eg same level and price of service independent of where you live in the UK).

All the pricing have resulted in the profitable bits now being carried out by other providers and Royal Mail being left with the unprofitable bits. These policies are being made by peoplewho do not understand the concept of public service and have an unhealthy conviction that only competition will bring benefits without looking at social costs, including environmental costs. We have seen this in rail, gas and electricity and are going to see this in water and the last bits of post.

It is all fine if you are well off, live in London and can pay for couriers if necessary. People on the lowest incomes will as usual be most affected.

Flawed policies by incompetent economists and happily being implemented by politicians who oly think about their own interests and the interests of their voters. Sod everybody else. This doesn't just happen in the UK - the Netherlands is exactly the same with smirky Rutten.

[Peachy]

Dh used to work for a different branch of the same company that runs the Dutch PO (TNT). If I say I am not surprised at negative experiences you will get my drift! They did get kitted up to do national deliveries- I know there was an issue with postcodes for some smallish areas (eg Cardiff) not being picked up by their costly new machines though.

He now runs a company that is largely mail order / internet; changes in the system in any way are a challenge and hurdle we don't need, but I guess will have to suck it up. Goodness knows what we'd do without a village PO though, we might have a university but no bank any more.