Royal Mail no longer accepting international parcels ;-(

[maroon]

What did they do before computers?

Any firm should be able to not have a cyber attack bother them. Just do it the old way?

I posted out to seattle at the start of January. Had a bit of trouble tracking it past UK but it got there safe and sound.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

What did they do before computers?

Any firm should be able to not have a cyber attack bother them. Just do it the old way?

Alas they can't do that. Those staff members have long gone.
A skill lost.

 

[m_c]

Just been back to the post office to find out why something hasn’t been sent to the UK.

Seems as we only use RM for international, the useless bint didn’t go through the pile and spot the one for the UK so it got held along with the rest of the murican post.

They’re 3 weeks into a malware attack and still not sorted it. However you can pay three times the price and they will magically accept those ones.

I did point out that it’s funny that this has happened on the back of losing loads of money with people like us not using them anymore for domestic stuff. Or am I cynical. Just got a vacant look back.

It's only the Royal Mail export system that's been hit, and from what I've seen, it is now back to normal.
Parcelforce has been unaffected, and I'm guessing the systems don't allow for transfer between them.

What did they do before computers?

Any firm should be able to not have a cyber attack bother them. Just do it the old way?

I posted out to seattle at the start of January. Had a bit of trouble tracking it past UK but it got there safe and sound.

The old way won't allow them to send the required info to any other companies though.
From what I gather, it was the part of the system that handles exporting (the part that must talk to other countries so other countries know what they're receiving) that got hit.

I do agree it should never have taken as long to sort out.

 

[Wozzaaah]

It’s been back to normal for over a week now.
Let’s all go back to pen and paper, it’s the way forward folks!

 

[premmington]

In fairness you are about as far North as Greenland

The above comment made me smile

 

[James1979]

It’s been back to normal for over a week now.
Let’s all go back to pen and paper, it’s the way forward folks!

Tell that to the post offices then!

They’ve still got signs up saying they aren’t accepting international mail.

Even the website says letter and large letter only.

UK and International Post | Mail | Post Office

Learn about sending mail in the UK or sending mail abroad by standard or premium services and discover what a letter, packet or large packet is.

www.postoffice.co.uk

 

[James1979]

The RM site is now accepting international parcels it would seem. I have four to go on Monday, 2x USA, Argentina and Denmark. I'm not sure that I want to risk them, but the only other option is Herpes. Talk about a rock and a hard place!

the site does, but the post offices don’t.

As you’re located down in England, any luck with DHL or UPS for your stuff? Better than RM usually and they’ll collect.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Tell that to the post offices then!

They’ve still got signs up saying they aren’t accepting international mail.

Even the website says letter and large letter only.

UK and International Post | Mail | Post Office

Learn about sending mail in the UK or sending mail abroad by standard or premium services and discover what a letter, packet or large packet is.

www.postoffice.co.uk

I’ve been collecting international letters and packets as normal.
But then, I’m just a foot-soldier, what do I know?

 

[mrsbruce]

Tell that to the post offices then!

They’ve still got signs up saying they aren’t accepting international mail.

Even the website says letter and large letter only.

UK and International Post | Mail | Post Office

Learn about sending mail in the UK or sending mail abroad by standard or premium services and discover what a letter, packet or large packet is.

www.postoffice.co.uk

My post office advised me last week that they were accepting overseas parcels, but only the tracked/track & signed for.

Just try tracking an overseas parcel on their website though. I have 5 parcels which according to their site, have never left the post office, and it’s been 4 weeks now.

 

[James1979]

My post office advised me last week that they were accepting overseas parcels, but only the tracked/track & signed for.

Just try tracking an overseas parcel on their website though. I have 5 parcels which according to their site, have never left the post office, and it’s been 4 weeks now.

Where are they going?

RM tracking won’t work with USPS. they don’t tell you that when they take your money though!

 

[James1979]

I’ve been collecting international letters and packets as normal.
But then, I’m just a foot-soldier, what do I know?

God knows then.

The counters and the website is on a different hymn sheet to you

 

[ajlelectronics]

the site does, but the post offices don’t.

As you’re located down in England, any luck with DHL or UPS for your stuff? Better than RM usually and they’ll collect.

No problem with them bar the arm and leg they ask for the privilege and the ridiculous amount of paperwork that they insist are attached to the smallest packages. Then they return it with the same multiple copies of required paperwork attached claiming that it wasn't. Not straight away of course, oh no, it had to be signed in triplicate, sent in, sent back, lost, found, queried, subjected to public inquiry, lost again, and finally buried in soft peat for three months and recycled as firelighters. That's just UPS!

 

[ajlelectronics]

Just try tracking an overseas parcel on their website though. I have 5 parcels which according to their site, have never left the post office, and it’s been 4 weeks now.

Yes I have a Norway bound parcel that appears to still be this side of the water after nearly a month.

 

[reb78]

Let’s all go back to pen and paper, it’s the way forward folks!

It would probably help RM if people did...

 

[mrsbruce]

Where are they going?

RM tracking won’t work with USPS. they don’t tell you that when they take your money though!

The ‘lost’ ones are USA, Malta, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland, which both me and the customer have given up the ghost for, and come to an ‘arrangement’.

I can usually track USA parcels to their destinations via RM, without any problems, but it’s frustrating that USPS refuse permission of anyone but US citizens to track through their site. At least, I used to, who knows now.

As to ‘signed for only’, unless you pay a chunk of money for tracked, don’t get me started on that.

 

[James1979]

The ‘lost’ ones are USA, Malta, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland, which both me and the customer have given up the ghost for, and come to an ‘arrangement’.

I can usually track USA parcels to their destinations via RM, without any problems, but it’s frustrating that USPS refuse permission of anyone but US citizens to track through their site. At least, I used to, who knows now.

As to ‘signed for only’, unless you pay a chunk of money for tracked, don’t get me started on that.

It’s frustrating isn’t it.

RM used to be the best of a crap bunch.

Now they’re all equally crap in different ways.

It may be better to cherry pick services from each for better service - one for domestic, one for European and so on. Although that just adds time and effort when the whole thing should be easy.

I’ve lost a load of money with RM in this round of silliness, but before that they lost letters and parcels with routine efficiency. I think it’s the network. The local bloke is a moron but he is a reliable moron.

 

[prepman]

Alas they can't do that. Those staff members have long gone.
A skill lost.

I suppose it would be a bit like trying to do this forum by mail?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

The local bloke is a moron but he is a reliable moron.

1 of the 3 we have here is like that.
You know with him he will not do his job correctly.

 

[redlig]

Alas they can't do that. Those staff members have long gone.
A skill lost.

You missed a word . ANOTHER skill lost.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

You missed a word . ANOTHER skill lost.

That is assuming they had skills.

The Mc Calls post office staff, Ok may not of been PO staff, just shop staff.

You would expect them to have the basic understanding ofr the system.
One staff member tried to tell me I needed a custom form to send items to Belfast,