Royal Mail Deliveries

[FLO]

We hear regularly from customers waiting on a Royal Mail delivery. 

Posties are an essential part of our communities. They keep us connected. They are also hardworking and stoical. But please remember the company they work for was privatised in 2011/2012. Today, it is owned by private investors/shareholders (a Czech billionaire has the largest share - his investment group owns 25%). Royal Mail has changed. 

I mention this because some are unaware of the change. They still expect 1st class mail to arrive the next day. Often, it does. But our experience suggests 2-3 days is more realistic. Sometimes longer. 

If you choose Royal Mail delivery during checkout, please be patient and understanding if delivery takes longer than expected. We understand delays in the post are frustrating, but as a retailer, we have no control over the RM delivery service. We are not one of their shareholders 🙂 

Steve

[Saganite]

I have had a lot of stuff from FLO delivered across the the last several years and nothing has taken longer than the expected time.  The Royal Mail is fine as far as I am concerned.

Edited February 27 by Saganite

[Tomatobro]

Over the years I have always had a good working relationship with the royal mail people that do the deliveries and have had no issues. I cannot recall a package arriving late from Flo.

 

[Chaz2b]

There's no such thing as first class mail! I've had items sent from china turn up before anything I've purchased in England bought on the same day! Knowing that it's 25% owned by foreigners just gets my back up, I was employed by Royal mail for nine yearswhen it was Royal mail . My father, mother and older brother were also employed in the post office. Those were the days when vehicles were kept regularly cleaned and serviced. You worked six days a week and no mail was left on the walk station at all! First class went out in the first delivery of the day with second and other late mail sent out on the second delivery....same day!

Yet it was sold off by the politicians so that they could get a handful of the pie for themselves. The post office was making good money, but the scammers at Westminster was getting you to believe the opposit so that they could justify privatisation .

Each year the RM published the yearly figures and in that report it showed the gross and net with a nice sizable profit, but there was a extra item in the list, the treasury took out a huge lump for themselves and that was after all taxes were paid, they took it from the profits, it was a set figure too, so if the deduction was larger than the profits it was made to look as if the post office made a loss! Bloody thieves the lot of them.

Rant over, sorry Steve.

Edited February 27 by Chaz2b

[FLO]

16 minutes ago, Chaz2b said:

Rant over, sorry Steve.

I understand, especially as you worked for RM before privatisation.

It is hard for anyone to comment on this subject without mentioning politics. I edited my post multiple times! But please, let's try 🙂 

It is good to hear comments from people saying RM's 1st Class service works for them. We will continue to offer the service on our website (along with other delivery services). 

[Stuart1971]

Our post had been a nightmare recently, with some items taking forever to get delivered, and some days when the postie does not even come…but in the last few months I have had a few items from @FLO and each time they turned up the next day regardless, somethings when I didn’t even order till the afternoon the day before,  so I can’t complain, they can keep my credit card and other bills…as long as my Astro kit gets here…😂😂

Edited February 27 by Stuart1971

[Chris-h]

All my FLO stuff arrives quickly. Maybe not the next day, but two days tops. The gear always arrives with clouds anyway, so not like we're in a rush to use it! 🤣

My local postmen/women bend over backwards to help you out. Great service! But I guess a lot of that comes from it being the same people over several years. You all get to know each other.

 

[ollypenrice]

In France La Poste has had some of its services, notably larger parcel services, privatized and some not.  I dread the discovery that the privatized Chronopost are to deliver a parcel because their personal best (ie worst), so far, is nineteen consecutive orders not satisfactorily delivered to us.  Looking on the internet at customer feedback, our experiences are not unusual. When a delivery simply comes with the post lady, however, it...  just comes. If we cross paths with her on the local back roads we'll both stop and she'll gain a couple of minutes on her round by passing stuff through the car windows. Humanity!

I was picking up a parcel from a local drop-off point when a rusted, dented van pulled up, sign written with what translates as 'Dirt Cheap Van Hire.'  This, ladies and gentlemen, was the Chronopost agent in all his sub-contracted glory. 

Olly

[FLO]

2 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

If we cross paths with her on the local back roads we'll both stop and she'll gain a couple of minutes on her round by passing stuff through the car windows. Humanity!

We need more of that humanity 🙂

[PeterC65]

I've had an item from FLO delivered by Royal Mail this morning that I ordered only on Sunday and wasn't expecting to receive until later this week.

I find deliveries, and collections, by Royal Mail to be very efficient and I hope that FLO continue to use them. Whatever you do, please never use Evri. My heart sinks whenever I get an email telling me that they will be "delivering" my parcel.

[DirkSteele]

I suspect it is also luck of the postcode lottery (no not the actual lottery) as well. I still receive multiple deliveries a week in central London. My parents in Hampshire are lucky if they get two a week.

Frustrating as it can be, patience for a few days at least is a virtue. Sadly, it’s not the era of Postman Pat anymore and daily deliveries. Heck back in the 80s as a kid I remember we had a second delivery in the afternoon!

[Mr Spock]

Here the RM's 24hr service is always 48hr. Even the before 12 option takes 48hrs. 

[FLO]

1 hour ago, PeterC65 said:

I find deliveries, and collections, by Royal Mail to be very efficient and I hope that FLO continue to use them. 

We will continue to offer the Royal Mail delivery options. I only started this discussion because we have noticed an increase in customers reporting late RM deliveries. 

1 hour ago, PeterC65 said:

Whatever you do, please never use Evri. My heart sinks whenever I get an email telling me that they will be "delivering" my parcel.

At FLO, we offer DPD, DHL and Royal Mail. Not Evri 🙂 

One Christmas at home, my wife and I tipped our Evri delivery lady (my wife's favourite driver). She was so emotional, holding back tears, because she had only moments earlier delivered to someone who had yelled at her for late delivery. It wasn't her fault. The package had been delayed somewhere else in the chain. A few months later, she had to leave her job due to a worsening arm injury. I have a lot of sympathy for posties and courier drivers. 

Steve 

[Stuart1971]

I think it’s great too that @FLO offer a smaller postage charge for Royal Mail for smaller items, most dealers have a fixed courier charge of around £7 for all items, this puts me off using them if the item I am buying is just £12 in the case of some spacers I wanted, and were out of stock at FLO…
I asked them if they could send Royal Mail and it could be sent as a letter, but they would not entertain the idea….☹️

[osbourne one-nil]

I wouldn't dare criticise the Royal Mail, in case they know where I live. 

[Peter Drew]

I always specify Royal Mail delivery, apart from not recalling any problems in the past, should I miss a delivery the post office is just a short walk away.  I did recently miss a hospital appointment due to a late letter delivery.     🙂 

[WolfieGlos]

I have had no issues at all with deliveries through Royal Mail, and the smaller items I’ve ordered from FLO have always arrived on time, with the postie on her usual round before lunchtime. So I’m surprised to read this. I guess we must have good posties in Gloucestershire @PeterC65 👍 

Larger items tend to come from DPD, and my village appears to be their first visit since they have often delivered to me before 9am. My SF102 arrived at 8.15 after ordering at lunch the day before. Top marks there for FLO and DPD.

[GordonD]

3 hours ago, DirkSteele said:

I suspect it is also luck of the postcode lottery (no not the actual lottery) as well. I still receive multiple deliveries a week in central London. My parents in Hampshire are lucky if they get two a week.

I think you have it exactly right there. There are clearly places where the Royal Mail service is poor or close to non existent, but my experience is more like others have said on here. Postie is a helpful friendly person and deliveries are always on time or even early. So very much how lucky you are with your local staff. And I think parcels are more of a priority for them than letters as they compete with other couriers and the number of letters sent continues to dwindle (whilst hopefully understanding how essential letter post is in certain circumstances). 
Also certainly helpful to have cheaper option for small/cheap item delivery, so thank you to FLO for that option.

[JeremyS]

We have great posties delivering to us. The problem is we’re lucky if we have 3 deliveries a week. Parts of Cheshire seem to be struggling similarly: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68382286

Edited February 27 by JeremyS

[bosun21]

It's a bit hit and miss where I live I'm afraid. I am waiting for an item that was shipped Friday afternoon 24hr next day and as yet still hasn't arrived. Regarding items i have bought from FLO with 24hr tracked they generally take an additional 24hr to arrive. It's just something that I have gotten used to over the years.

[Ratlet]

I've never believed the delivery times, but I live quite far north so I'm usually just grateful to not be charged £20 extra because my postcode starts with AB3 rather than AB2.

[Naughty Neal]

I  buy items off ebay and if the seller uses RM , I'm lucky sometimes to see the item within a fortnight. Even a tracking number prooves to be futile, I live in a large sprawling town and the service is some what lacking .

[DeanCJ]

Unfortunately where I live, Pontefract, with a WF postcode, the RM service is absolutely junk and has been for quite a few years.
Last year my 82 year old father was suffering with bowel cancer and 90% of the letters from the hospital would arrive days after his appointments. It became so bad that most of the important correspondence was conducted via the telephone. 
I believe that RM was fined last year for its poor performance, says it all really. I must say though, our postie is fantastic, its the company, not the people who work for it.
 

[badhex]

RM here in Beckenham has generally been pretty good, but then we have a decent postman, which certainly accounts for some of it. Most recently a member sent something to me Monday AM and it arrived Tuesday AM, so it definitely could be worse! 

[Saganite]

Most things through the post I don't care about but my Astro stuff from FLO always arrives when it should, often next day, with whichever delivery service they use.....🙂

It does seem to depend on one's postcode.

Edited February 28 by Saganite