2Nd Class Post

[shivvy]

How does second class post work in practice?

Eg if I put 2 identical letters in a postbox, one with a 1st class stamp and the other with a 2nd class stamp, what happens when they reach the sorting depot? Is the 2nd class one actually held back for a day?

[factor-fiction]

I assume the first class ones get priority and once those are cleared they use whatever time is left to work on the second class ones

[heathfield]

Whilst on the subject, this might be of interest...

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2055560/Dont-use-class-stamps-Saturdays-second-class-gets-just-quickly.html

[jno]

heathfield, I love the claim in that link that the Post Office could be sued for processing second-class mail more quickly. No good deed goes unpunished!

[walrus222]

First class stamps have a phosphorescent stripe running in a " north to south" direction second class stamps do not have one. The sorting machines recognise the stripe so puts them into a first class bin and dealt with first, ones without the stripe are put into a second class bin and dealt with later.

[Everhelpful]

According to my Postman there is NO difference to 1st.or 2nd.Class.He sorts his Mail so should know.

[factor-fiction]

I think Walrus has it. But I have noticed some second class letters arrive next day sometimes now.

[jno]

Everhelpful, it may be about the initial sorting when the letter's received rather than the final sorting by the postman before delivery?

[solvitquick]

I accidently put a 1st & a 2nd class envelope in the Ist Class slot. Just beat the postman who explained they would be separated later. I can't say I believed him (about 1 out of a hundred).
Think it's either prioritisation or judging from 2nd Class postcards, the 2nd class are the brushings-up of the floor at the end of the week.
I prefer a single-price service. Pricewise, in competition with the internet and telephone, give it its proper name "3rd Class".
After all, deliveries are mainly junk mail - diligently re-cycled by us mugs.
SIQ.

[shivvy]

Great answer walrus - thanks.

[shivvy]

Although would the whole system not be quicker and maybe cheaper if there only was one kind of stamp and then the letters wouldn't need to be sorted?

[paddywak]

I am a participent in a postal survey which consists of the recording the times of the posting on and reception of various types of mail and in my experiance there is very little difference between first and second class mail.

[beegeebee]

Gosh, I must be a poor unfortunate as, when I shed of postcards to competitions, they have a very nasty habit of returning to me! The Royal Mail give a very patronising explanation and some postage stamps as a bit of solace but, no explanation for failing to honour their contract with me. They do also tell you how to address a letter (which I learned at school 70 odd years ago) just a pity they fail to teach their machinery/employees to read the address which has the stamp and not the reverse side.

[beegeebee]

Sorry, shed=send.

[solvitquick]

If you add up all the comments, I say that a single postal rate would be best but they can't do that because of all of walrus' high-powered, highly expensive sorting gear! It would also make the stamp 2-class printing redundant.
So its an apparent two system which is really one in order to prevent
red-faces resulting from publicly scrapping all that super useless machinery.
SIQ.

[heathfield]

Well, BG, your 70-year-old address lessons will be out of date. These days you're asked to keep all the lines of an address lined up with the first line, and not to indent them, as you and I were taught in the old days.