DSF

i have been doing some tests for the new royal mail prices and have aquired a box that is 15cm x 15cm x10cm. Fits 2 mugs in perfectly and the box costs 42p which works out cheaper that using 2 poly mug boxes. I received the box yesterday and popped in 2 mugs wrapped in bubble wrap that comes free with BMS anyway. Dropped an peice of cardboard from the mug packaging and placed in between the mugs and sent to my self to see if i can take the good old royal mail bashing..

Will post my findings on this when i get the package delivered.. This does come into the small parcel bracket and solves the issue.

Just looked at the new rates for Royal Mail - it is clear they are trying to move away from parcels. It looks like it is becoming cheaper to use a courier for parcels.

This could be a game changer in online shopping - forcing higher barriers of entry for smaller new businesses who do not have the turnover to warrant a courier account, whilst the larger players can negotiate cheaper rates with couriers based on higher volume.

I see they subtly lowered the compensation level for the non-confirmed option - meaning most items will now be sent confirmed (the postmen/women will love this - having to fill out more cards if people are not in, and then the delivery office having to sort out re-deliveries etc.).

Of course I forgot about the customers ringing up the sellers to say "my item hasn't arrived" with the normal excuses, "the postman never left me a card", "I just popped out for a few minutes and the postman came whilst I was out", "I was in the shower and didn't hear the doorbell".

The hardest part is going to be trying to work out how to put the new rates into online shopping carts, especially if they don't have the option of box sizing and rely on weight.

For example one hoodie will just scrape through as a small parcel - £3.70 (confirmed delivery), yet two hoodies will exceed the maximum depth of a small parcel. So that will then be a medium parcel, total weight will exceed 1kg, cost jumps to £9.10. Whereas previously I could have sent 2 hoodies out for less than £7.00.

It would be cheaper to send each hoodie out separately at £3.70 each.

This could put some people off shopping online - the delivery charge will be dearer than the cost of the items.

I think what will happen is that most businesses will just charge a flat starting rate of £6.30 with the customer paying an average cost of delivery of a parcel being £9.10.

A switched on courier company will make a killing if they offer standard rates for non account holders cheaper than £9.10 (medium parcel, signed for, weight <2kg)

ASLCreative;68509 wrote:
For example one hoodie will just scrape through as a small parcel - £3.70 (confirmed delivery), yet two hoodies will exceed the maximum depth of a small parcel. So that will then be a medium parcel, total weight will exceed 1kg, cost jumps to £9.10.

Do you think a hoodie will be less than 8cm in depth once in the packaging? 8cm isn't very deep at all. One of things we see is how the items 'move' in the packaging (say a bubble packed envelope). The items may be evenly spread when packed meeting the minimum depth, but once the package gets picked up, put in the post box etc then the items inside move a little causing a lump (the lump now over 8cm for example) and it moves into the next category!

Got to agree with martin - I cannot see a hoodie fitting in a box smaller than 16cm cubed.

John - A small parcel according to the Royal Mail is:

Small parcels can measure up to: Length: 45cm Width: 35cm Depth: 8cm Weight limit: 2kg

BMS - if you put the hoodie into a polythene bag, suck all of the air out and then heat seal the bag, it should not move when in the post.

ASLCreative;68519 wrote:John - A small parcel according to the Royal Mail is:

Small parcels can measure up to: Length: 45cm Width: 35cm Depth: 8cm Weight limit: 2kg

BMS - if you put the hoodie into a polythene bag, suck all of the air out and then heat seal the bag, it should not move when in the post.

Ah, if you have the means of sucking all the air out and vacuuming the package then that's different. Things to do: Must go out and bulk buy vacuum systems to add to our website!

Buy the relevant size boxs ..... or again have I missed something? .... I often do.

Janners

Must go out and bulk buy vacuum systems to add to our website

LOL

See if you can buy something like these in bulk from China - http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-trave ... d=212-8206

Customer then gets something extra - a bag they can reuse.

Small parcels can measure up to: Length: 45cm Width: 35cm Depth: 8cm Weight limit: 2kg

ASLCreative - you've missed the "Exceptions" on the price list - anything that fits under 16cm x 16cm x 16cm, is classed as small parcel.
This has already been covered in this, or the other threads, that are ongoing - see here

Open pdf - scroll right down and zoom in on the bottom text which says EXCEPTIONS

Cheers John

Janners -

The small parcel rate is only for parcels that are Length: <=45cm Width: <=35cm Depth: <=8cm Weight limit: <=2kg

The weight of a cardboard box will add more to the overall weight of the parcel and if that total weight goes over 2kg the price jumps to £14.45 for the parcel.

These are the kind of costs you are looking at:

2 AWD hoodies large - postage will be medium parcel confirmed delivery = £9.10 or unconfirmed delivery compensation max £20.

2 AWD hoodies large - postage in vacuum bag - small parcel confirmed delivery = £ 6.70.

I think £6.70 looks more appealing than £9.10

Using the old pricing it would have been £6.55 for two large AWD hoodies - 1st class signed for.

DPD offer a next day service (without account) for £7.98 + VAT.

Unfortunately I can't use this because i am in Northern Ireland.

The Royal Mail will certainly lose business over this.