Postage charges are set to go up in April. Although the amount doesn’t seem to have been published yet, speculation is running at up to a 25% increase. If you use stamps it definitely pays to buy some 1st and 2nd class denominated ones this month. Almost certainly the best return on investment currently available. 1st and 2nd Large and European stamps also available and likely to increase in value.

done  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Thanks for the warning though, truth be told, every time the cost of postage has gone up and the service has deteriorated (the post used to arrive around 7am, it's now between 10am and 1pm, with our final collection from the box from forward from 3.30pm to 9am) I've used the post less. My post bill is now an absolute fraction of what it was 5 years ago and after the next price rise it should be even lower still

Our local postie, used to have about 300 houses to deliver too, they now are teamed in pairs with 1200 houses

We get our mail at the office at around 3pm to 4pm so we can't do the banking till the following day,

disgraceful

I think we can completely agree on this. I don't think that the individual posties have ever worked as hard yet, when I was leaving one of our office in Dorchester at 5pm recently, the post was just being delivered!

Every time the post lets us down like this, it just pushes us further down the route of email, Direct Debit & BACS payments etc etc... It's got the the state now where I only check the post box at home every few days.

Nick same thing has just happened with our postie, our old postie knew everyone in the street and would leave large post either in an agreed safe space or with one of the neighbours and we we would get the post around mid day. Now two bods arrive in a van anytime up to 5.00 pm and they don't have a clue as it sames to be different posties every time

our post arrives anytime between 11am and 3pm but I think the biggest problem is that the posties now have to sort out their own mail, before they just used to grab the bag and away they go but now by the time they have sorted it out its gone 10am

Last edited by dunroof on 1st Dec 2012 9:02 am. Edited 1 time in total

Seems everyone has been affected lately, my post used to arrive between 09:00-10:00 and now its late afternoon too, i do know one of our posties and he was also saying his round has become alot bigger too!
Must be part of the efficiency drive!

Luckily we live in a small village with its own sorting office. Post is with us between 9 and 10 each morning. Regular posties, who know where to leave stuff if you are out. Are we in a time warp? Collection at 4pm only tho. 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

I would bet that, around 6 months after this price rise, the overall revenue of the Post Office from stamp sales will be around what it is today as everyone, who hasn't already done so, makes a huge push to finding alternatives to using the post.

The last time the Post Office scored and own goal of this magnitude, it was the postal strike that lead to the break through in fax machine sales in 1988.

That is quite right Tigger, I was looking at how we, the company I work for, use "British Mail" and it is surprisingly little.
All quotes are now electronic, brochures etc, interactive so very few paper copies.
The only time I use it from home for business is to send out software updates, usually they are electronic but the latest is 3.7GB, cheaper to use a DVD and post it.
The coming of fibre optic broadband will see the end of me having to do that.
I believe that greeting cards sales will also plummet as more and more people haev smartphones, just send an e-card direct, I havn't sent cards for years, I put the money into a charity and cut out the middle man.

Fax machines, wow, hasnt technology come on in leaps and bounds, I can now browse the web, order jeans, pay for them all from a smart phone, without touching the buttons, jusy by talking too it, arrive at the airport and wave my phone over the security gate and it lets me through.

Next step, programmable car door locks, a personal barcode on your phone to open the door and start the car, no keys, wave it at the toll booth and it will pay your way, no cards.

Ahh....Tomorrows world...coming soon

And to get back on topic.........

Postage Stamps.........you can stick it

Last edited by dunroof on 1st Dec 2012 8:54 am. Edited 1 time in total

"I've used the post less. My post bill is now an absolute fraction of what it was 5 years ago and after the next price rise it should be even lower still"

"Our local postie, used to have about 300 houses to deliver too, they now are teamed in pairs with 1200 houses"

I wonder if the two are in any way connected?

Here's an interesting 'fact' - the original Penny Black would now cost the equivalent of £3.60p Freelander 1 TD4 HSE - gone, 2 weeks after the Cat.Converter!
Freelander 2 TD4 SE Auto MY08 - Santorini black

razmabaz wrote:

Here's an interesting 'fact' - the original Penny Black would now cost the equivalent of £3.60p

The one in my collection cost me £200  2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.