Omg So Angry At Local Post Office

[newbie]

We have 8 parcels to send. Took them into local post office where we were asked what was in them. Please bear in mind we have used this post office many times and they know our faces. We told them that nothing on the prohibited list was in them. They insisted on knowing what was in them and we refused to tell them because quite frankly it is none of their business. (I hasten to add we had sold a few things on ebay shoes, xstitch kits etc). Even though some of the parcels were in fact flat and came under the large letter category they would not send the parcels. Just spoken to Post Office customer services who says there is no legal obligation to declare what is in them. But they have no control over counter staff and gave me another number. I rang that number and explained and apparently a new 'directive' today says that we have to tell them what is in the parcel. So it seems from now on everybody and his mate will know what you are sending if you use the post office. The stupid thing is we could lie and say it is teddy bears or something. If I was the sort of person who wanted to send any prohibited items I am hardly likely to declare it am I. This is just totally ridiculous and the sooner we get competition for Royal Mail the better. If the counter staff had explained about the directive I might have understood but I was told either tell them or they would not process the parcels. So needless to say I walked out. I already use another service for parcels (and I don't get asked what is in them). Does anyone know of a viable cost effective service where letters and small parcels can be sent please?

[woofgang]

My sister got asked this as well a couple of weeks ago. I don't think that the staff are very happy about it, they don't need the aggro that it will generate.

[sandyRoe]

Did you not ask them why they were asking?

[Svejk]

To be honest I can't see why you made a fuss about this.

[Avatar]

"To be honest I can't see why you made a fuss about this."

Maybe it was a box full of butt plugs or dildos? Not prohibited but would you want to announce that?

[woofgang]

so tell them its something else!! They can ask but how do they know if you are lying?

[berniecuddles]

had all this happen to me today just got on with it!

[sandyRoe]

Why do they ask?

[woofgang]

I think the've been told they must Sandy, its about sending prohibited items in the mail.

[sandyRoe]

Even so, if there was drugs, or illegal porn, or explosives in the parcel you'd hardly tell them.

[berniecuddles]

this tells you a bit about it
http://www.royalmail.com/personal/help-and-support/Tell-me-about-Prohibited-Goods

[Svejk]

I don't know Sandy. Maybe people send drugs and bomb making equipment and subsequently claim they didn't know what they were sending. I don't know if you have to give your details when posting. I believe in other countries you have to fill in forms and supply photo ID

[newbie]

Hardly a mountain out of a molehill. My parcels, my business. They were rude and obstructive in the post office. What if I were sending 'sensitive' stuff does the whole wide world need to know. From now on I am just going to say teddy bears or toilets when asked even for the flat post because they cannot prove one way or another - that it how ridiculous the system is.

[DSJ]

I have never been asked the content of parcels I've posted to addresses in the UK but have always filled in a customs slip for parcels going overseas.

[grasscarp]

I have been asked a couple of times lately which I thought was a bit odd but I answered quite happily. Sometimes I use collect plus for sending parcels as they can be cheaper. Take to one of 4,000 corner shops and price includes complete tracking service.

[jno]

occasionally if they know what's in it they'll charge you a lower rate for printed papers or something. (Or used to.)

[factor-fiction]

Or you could just tell them- it seems much easier and hassle-free to do so. And first time it is also worth politely asking why they are asking

[EDDIE51]

The problem is that the post office staff have to check that stuff on the new list of banned items is not being sen, one problem that I have is that batteries are not allowed so I have to remove them from the item ( or say that there are no batteries in it)
They normally just show you a list and say '' is it anything on this list?'' so I just say '' No its just an old camera or whatever''
I really do not see a problem (you can always lie if you have to)
But for most stuff I now use CollectPlus anything up to 2 kg for £4.87 and it has full tracking and insurance to £50. CollectPlus uses corner shops to send the items from, the nearest one to me is just 50 yds from my front door.
You can even send items up to 10KG for under £10 far cheaper than the post office. The other parcel service I use is MyHermes they will collect from your door and it is only a bit more than CollectPlus but they do seem to be slow some things take up to 15days!.
There is no alternative to the post office for letters at least for private users as they have a monopoly on door to door delivery for letters. I suppose you could sent a letter as a parcel by collectPlus or myhermes.

[Canary42]

"Sensitive stuff"

So sensitive you think nothing about giving it worldwide airing on here.

Chill out and get over yourself.