Royal Mail Smart Stamp / Collection service

[parklifeclothes]

Does anyone else use the Royal Mail Smart Stamp / Collection service for recorded (signed for) mail together as we are trying to put the 2 together but Royal Mail have different departments running the services and both sides say different things. One says you can use Smart stamp but would need to still take it to the post office to verify the recorded part whilst the other says the driver can have a docket book to sign.

[eshopbrokers]

Hi Darron,
Generally, Royal Mail Smart Stamp items can be put into a pillar box if they are not recorded or special delivery. As far as I know, you always have to take the recorded items to the post office and do the normal procedure, the difference is it is already paid for.

You should think about a PPI account. Its much easier and you prepare all the documentation at your workplace instead of having to do it in a queue at the post office. You can also sign up for collection.

Heres some further info:
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/j...mediaId=600028

[Stereo Steve]

Collecting postie will sign your recorded / SD book for you no problem.

[TraceyHand]

Collecting postie will sign your recorded / SD book for you no problem.

agreed
Get a recorded/special delivery book from RM and enter your signed for items in it. The collecting postie will sign to verify them (mine does)

[Darren B]

Some may have noticed the RM special does not need to be completed anymore, the post office have to verify the address, this is also going to be rolled out to signed for aswell.

I dont know how this is going to effect collected services, maybe the good old posty will have scanners, who knows but i have a feeling some of the things are going to change over time

D

[parklifeclothes]

Thanks for all your views, it's just a bit confusing when 2 departments from the same company tell you very different things, even the lady at the post office said you have to take them in to be scanned.

[Mark H]

"even the lady at the post office said you have to take them in to be scanned"

Perhaps she's worried about her future. The advent of Smartstamp means that there is a lot less revenue going through our local post office, and if SD and recorded is to be dealt with online and simply handed to the postman, we won't even need to go to the post office again.

[parklifeclothes]

"

Perhaps she's worried about her future. The advent of Smartstamp means that there is a lot less revenue going through our local post office, and if SD and recorded is to be dealt with online and simply handed to the postman, we won't even need to go to the post office again.

We have been using the local post office for 5 years but it is one that has been selected for closure (the guy who owns it lives in spain and has been trying to sell for years so he wasn't bothered by it's closure) so we have to look for other idea's, the other options are the coop, with their awful customer service, across the swing bridge that shuts the moment you get there and then stays shut for 10 minutes or a mile up the road, whereas the local one was literally 200 yards away. Unfortunately our daily send is not always consisent so the use of a courier may be costly, we had used city link but their new weekly minimum invoice ruled that one out and we feel we can't up the postage charged to our customers to pay the difference. Unless we can find an alternative we will end up shutting the shop for an hour or so each day to allow for time getting to the post offices thru' all the tourists, thats why we are hoping to use the smart stamp and collection service in tandem.

[NicolaUK]

I have a PPI account and am collected from each day, makes life so much easier - collection is the equivalent of around 96p a day, bargain! If you spend IIRC 15k a year with them they refund the collection fee.

Also switched from traditional posting cheques to the online business account about 9 months ago and I can now complete the paperwork for the day in 5-10 mins compared to probably 60-90 before. Anything recorded, SD, Airsure etc just gets tagged on to a despatch document. I keep a copy, original goes to postie with a copy of my online order.

I highly recommend the OBA.

[Darren B]

Thanks for the info, think i will look into this, cant quite make the 15k a year as i use carriers aswell, but might be worth the investigation

D

[outdooraction]

weare using The new Despatch express system,

very similar to couier softwear and no need to take to post office, postie comes and collects. You will have to pay for collection if your under the 15k rule. and spend at least 10k to get despatch express

[Stereo Steve]

Eh? Wassat? We are well over £15k so no need to pay but I've not heard of this. Is it like tracked or something?

[NicolaUK]

Despatch Express - it's only for tracked mail though.

[outdooraction]

no its not just tracked. i send special, recorded, all first and second class letters.and i have all international setup. and every service in between. all recorded and specials have there tracking numbers. and all paperwork is automatically created.

[NicolaUK]

But the required 10k spend has to be on tracked.