Yes. I agree we’re definitely at the mercy of which member of staff is available.
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Yes, me too and obviously I had checked all this first and bought the correctly sized boxes with room to spare for the bag.
It’s a nice idea to use a different PO, however we live in a very small town and the next one would be miles away.
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Buy your postage online and then drop your items in a postbox.
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When I had my mailorder picture mount business, most of my orders would just fit into the Large Letter size, I used to put them in the grey polly bags, I used to tape them up so that they were not ‘baggy’ which could get caught in the sizing gauge . I never had any trouble after I started taping them, in the end I was taking so many to the Post Office, I used to put them in a mail sacks, and just drop them off
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It is worth remembering that the Post Office and Royal Mail are not the same thing. Post office really are just collectors of mail / packages.
I always buy my postage on line from Royal Mail and use their calculator. Most things I sell are in postal tubes which can go as either large letter or small parcel. It is worth checking the weights and dimensions against those on the web site as there is often, as has been pointed out - a significant difference.
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Good point. I think I’ll be doing that from now on.
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Do remember, those of you who use your post offices just to drop your prepaid parcels off… that the post office counter which is the handy local service you need for your drop offs …gets a lot more payment if you buy your postage over the counter. They get only pence for prepaid dropoffs.
This could result in them Closing their post office and you having to drive much further / losing the convenience of a local drop off point.
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We’ve lost more or less all our local post offices, so I’ve been buying my postage online and dropping the parcels off at one of two locker locations. I can confirm I’ve posted it by scanning the barcode on my label and have yet to have any issues. I have perspex parcel/letter gauges that I bought online to check which category my packages fit into.
Honestly, even if a local post office opened, I’d stick to my online post and locker routine. It’s fast, I can do it when it’s convenient for me and I don’t have to wait in queues. Whichever choice I make, it’s a ten minute drive, minimum. THEY closed the post offices in our villages, not me.
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Hi
I make small items keyring for the same reason ,postage. I was excited of my first sales last week, didn’t last as I was charged over 4 pound for a large letter and a small key ring inside. I was sure I red everything before going had my measurements and weight, but the apparently it got over the limited size for a large letter. So my customer paid 9.55 then deduction etc and I spent of top of my expenses over 4 quid for delivery. That put me off doing anything. Noone make it easier for crafter or people that they want to do more in their life than going to do a job they don’t like.
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Hi
Don’t give up your key rings are cute.
If you’re sure about your measurements and weights and have tried the parcel through a large letter gauge then go back and stamp your foot like I did. Chances are you are right.x
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I used to buy my postage over the counter at the local post office, I was putting through between 20 to 30 packages a day, used to get proof of postage for each item Then after few months of the post office changing hands, they would only give me a proof of postage for the total of items which was no good if I had a case opened up for anything regarding the postage, such as underpayment of postage, or items missing from package etc. When I explained I needed the proof for each item so I can check the weight of each package and the amount paid and when posted, but unfortunately they didn’t want to know. So I had no choice but to use the online Click and Drop service, and just drop off my mail sacks at the same Post Office, I had all the Information online for each order / package if I needed to check, also it was a darn sight quicker, I could get back to my workshop and get on with more picture framing.
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Exactly, maybe if they offered a decent service they would deserve more custom
I am extremely lucky it seems to have am amazing local post office in my village. They go out of their way to be helpful for all their customers.
In that case that post office deserves to close 
I make small decorative boxes most of which can be mailed as large letters. Most of my products are below £2.00 so my shop depends on being able to use large letter post rather than sending them as small parcels. You have to be careful with the weight as this can increase the cost of a large letter mailing but still within the large letter category. I always use standard second class post which usually runs at £1.55, except if I exceed the 100gm limit when it goes up to from £1.90 to 2.70, but still a lot cheaper than the cheapest small parcel at £3.95. One issue I have only just come across is the minimum size limit which Royal Mail uses which is a minimum of 9cm x 14cm. The Post Office I have been using has never applied these limits to anything I have sent which admittedly was not far short of the limits.