Snail mail & junk mail

Dorsetmike

Member
I ordered a laptop battery on 05/10, despatched Royal Mail 2nd class 09/10, (what do they use for stock handling? Sloths?) finally received 24/10 ---- 13 days in transit (or some larger vehicle) It was only coming from Devon, the next county FFS, just over 100 miles.

I recall a time when all letters would be delivered the day after posting (for more distant destinations they may say for items posted before 1pm or some other time) Parcels usually took a day or so longer. Letter post cost 2 1/2 d (old money = 1p now)

In those days everything further than a few miles went by rail. Now it all goes by road plus the mail system is overloaded by junk mail. Most interpersonal communication is now by email so that removes a load from the postal service.

Any suggestions for improvement?

My offerings, ban junk mail; return mail transport to rail for distances over say 50 miles, trains do still run regularly (in UK at least.) encourage more people and companies to use emailed statements, bills etc (assuming they have an internet connection)

Their excuses probably include "junk mail pays for the service, without it postage charges would have to go up! ", "Rail transport is too expensive" (only because they are transporting so much junk mail!)

My junk mail goes straight in the recycling bin, not looked in even, let alone read, same is probably true of the majority of recipients so the senders are wasting loads of money, (which the consumers of their product eventually pays for in increased prices)

Anybody know what percentage of letter type mail (i.e not parcel or packet) is junk mail? From what comes through my door I would guess 75% plus, followed by 20% plus bills and account statements (which could easily come by email for most people nowadays) remainder being mostly "semi junk" -- reminders &/or special offers from companies you deal with, or have dealt with in the past. A few xmas cards in season?
 

teddy

Duckmeister
The postal service as we knew it is no more. I can not remember when they withdrew the second delivery service round here, but I am sure it was a long time ago. We no longer used guaranteed next day delivery. It never was and we spent so much time claiming our money back it did not pay us to do it any more. The postmen around here are told what time to finish their deliveries and at that point they return to the depot whether they have post left or not. They will not be paid overtime if they overrun. In London they employed people who could not read English. This led to mail being dumped, with dire consequences for some. Theft of cards containing cash or postal orders rocketed. Whenever possible at work it is e-mail or fax. At least you know when it has arrived even if you have to phone and check. A great institution is slowly dying. What will take its place? The cost difference between first and second class is now minuscule and we have been informed that first class no longer guarantees next day delivery. One of the companies we regularly use started sending us mail which was two weeks behind its singed date. We queried this and were told that they had started using a courier instead of the P.O. Two eeks is no good if you are handling claims (especially death claims) or legal documents concerning property purchase. Like the milkman sometimes the postman are able to provide another public service such as keeping an eye on the elderly. Not a service you get with e-mail.
Any suggestions for a new future?

teddy
 

marval

New member
It is amazing how long some post takes to reach us. You would think that if something is posted one day it would reach us the next day, no such service.

I do ask for most things to be sent by e-mail, I pay most of my bills online so I am not relying on the postal service.

All the junk mail is such a waste, as Mike says it all gets recycled, my shredder gets a lot of use.
 

teddy

Duckmeister
Despite almost 50% of the mail being junk, the Post Office has recently announced that it intends to increase the amount it delivers. It says we like it!!!!! Is there an opt out we can take? Is a sign on your door saying NO HAWKERS, PEDDLERS FREE NEWSPAPERS OR JUNK MAIL going to be effective against the postman?

Answers on a postcard please.

teddy
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
It's mostly the same here in the US. Every Tuesday is "junk mail day" ... the mailbox is stuffed to the gills with advertisements, all of which (like Mike and others) get put directly into the recycle bin without and thought. Yes, it is a total waste of resources, but at least the paper gets recycled and used again.

We still have 6 day delivery ... although there was 'talk' of eliminating Saturday deliveries ... When I was growing up, we never had Saturday delivery ... they could eliminate it as far as I'm concerned.

First Class mail is a joke ... for example, if one sends a letter to the neighbor next door (not that I would, mind you), that letter has to go to the branch office, get processed, then sent to the main office, processed again, then sent to Phoenix (90 miles away) to get processed again, and sent back to Tucson for deliver three days later. I pay most of my bills electronically, but a few go via snail-mail.

Actually, post goes faster if it is leaving the country ... go figure :rolleyes:
 

Dorsetmike

Member
A few years back they had problems at he Reading sorting office, so they loaded all the mail on a train and took it to St Austell in Cornwall over 200 miles away, sorted it then returned it to Reading where it was then sent on to the correct adresses. Rumour said something posted in Reading addressed to St Austell went Reading>St Austell>Reading>St Austell. I can well believe that.
 
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