Cheapest way to send small packets

[nufc]

Hi all,

I am starting a online business and will be sending out small packets.

Has anyone had any experience sending with Royal Mail, UKMail etc etc

thanks

 

[kulture]

If you searched this forum you would find lots of discussions on this. For under 2Kg you cannot beat Royal Mail.

 

[smo]

Even when you send many thousands of small packets under 2kg there isnt a cheaper alternative to RM - trust me, i've looked and looked!!!

 

[Bar002]

We now use My Hermes for all our deliveries upto 5KG. Cheap and quick with tracking compared to Royal Mail Signed for.

My Hermes
0-1KG - £3.30 Inc VAT
2-5KG - 5.99 Inc VAT

Royal Mail
0-1KG - £4.45
2-5KG - £9.25

 

[smo]

We now use My Hermes for all our deliveries upto 5KG. Cheap and quick with tracking compared to Royal Mail Signed for.

My Hermes
0-1KG - £3.30 Inc VAT
2-5KG - 5.99 Inc VAT

Royal Mail
0-1KG - £4.45
2-5KG - £9.25

Where are your royalmail prices from as they are waaaay to high for a business account customer. Signed for costs 95p on top of the standard packetpost cost, which could be as little as £2.58 for 0-750g, and £3.03 for 1Kg

 

[Bar002]

Where are your royalmail prices from as they are waaaay to high for a business account customer. Signed for costs 95p on top of the standard packetpost cost, which could be as little as £2.58 for 0-750g, and £3.03 for 1Kg

Royal Mail price finder, He did not say he was franking :|

 

[smo]

Unless you look on the business price finder its for counter customers (general public).

Those prices I quoted arent for franking, they are for OBA (online business account) customers.

 

[Jayser100]

SMO, the person who started this thread is a start-up and so they are highly unlikely to qualify for a Packet Post account.

The only way they are going to save money early on is to go the franking route, and even then they will need to sell a certain amount to make that cheaper since you have the complications of purchasing ink cartridges etc.

I've just reached the point where I qualify for Packet Post and it is a lot, lot cheaper - something for all small ecommerce businesses to aspire to, especially given the recent Royal Mail price hikes.

 

[Rhyl Lightworks]

RM PPI on line don't require a franking machine, only require a minimum order of £5 (at present), and you can tell them you will be sending a lot more parcels than you actually will, to open an account. They are by far the cheapest way of sending parcels under 2kg, and if you go to https://www.royalmail.com/discounts-payment/credit-account/online-business-account
you will get all the info you need.

Barrie

 

[a1anm]

RM PPI on line don't require a franking machine, only require a minimum order of £5 (at present), and you can tell them you will be sending a lot more parcels than you actually will, to open an account. They are by far the cheapest way of sending parcels under 2kg, and if you go to https://www.royalmail.com/discounts-payment/credit-account/online-business-account
you will get all the info you need.

Barrie

If you need to send all of your packages "Signed For" is it possible to use a service likt PPI? Or does this need to be done over the counter?

We are trying to look for alternatives to avoid having to visit the post office every day but we require everything to be sent signed for.

 

[kulture]

If you need signed for, then it is just £0.95 more than the low PPI rates. So for second class that is still under £3.

 

[a1anm]

If you need signed for, then it is just £0.95 more than the low PPI rates. So for second class that is still under £3.

How exactly does it work? Do you input the address details somewhere and are you still provided with a tracking number.

Thinking PPI sounds like a good option for us if it didn't involve a lot more work sorting it all out each day.

 

[smo]

How exactly does it work? Do you input the address details somewhere and are you still provided with a tracking number.

Thinking PPI sounds like a good option for us if it didn't involve a lot more work sorting it all out each day.

No, you enter all the details for packetpost as normal, then select the recorded option which simply ups the price.

You stick a signed for label on the package, and keep one of the barcode counterfoils for your records.

 

[Sparx]

If you need to send all of your packages "Signed For" is it possible to use a service likt PPI? Or does this need to be done over the counter?

We are trying to look for alternatives to avoid having to visit the post office every day but we require everything to be sent signed for.

You can use PPIs for the following products:

1st Class
2nd Class
Business Mail 1st Class
Business Mail
Recorded Signed For™
Advertising Mail™ (including Big Book and Heavyweight)
Advertising Mail™ with Response
Sustainable® Advertising Mail
Publishing Mail
Packets
Packetpost
Packetsort 8 and Packetsort Plus
Royal Mail Tracked®
Special Delivery™ 9.00am
Special Delivery™ Next Day
Business Airmail
International Tracked and Secure services
International Mixed Mail
International Letters
International Flats
International Packets
International Mixed Mail
International Destination Sort™
Newspapers and periodicals

Source: http://www.royalmail.com/discounts-payment/credit-account/ppi/details

 

[Rhyl Lightworks]

If you need to send all of your packages "Signed For" is it possible to use a service likt PPI? Or does this need to be done over the counter?

We are trying to look for alternatives to avoid having to visit the post office every day but we require everything to be sent signed for.

As has been said by others, you can use this for either signed for or not.

Barrie

 

[gibby]

Royal Mail has become a bit of joke since the price increases.

As a result we have put alot more of the old RM business through our couriers, as its cheaper. Just keeping the really small stuff with RM.

However the delivery time 2nd class, has changed and now seems to take over a week to arrive. The number of parcels going missing has also jumped up and we are looking at trying Myhermes again.


G

 

[raineshoe]

We are getting loads of complaints from customers re the cost of postage since the prices have gone up. As we sell lots of stuff that is in the small packet price bracket RM is still the best way for us to send parcels and we keep our prices to the bare minimum without making anything at all on postage. What annoys me is these people always seem to assume us as the retailer should take a hit. One person wanted a large item basically sent for the price of a 1st class stamp. That ain't going to happen.

 

[paretowasright]

Royal Mail has become a bit of joke since the price increases.

As a result we have put alot more of the old RM business through our couriers, as its cheaper. Just keeping the really small stuff with RM.

However the delivery time 2nd class, has changed and now seems to take over a week to arrive. The number of parcels going missing has also jumped up and we are looking at trying Myhermes again.


G

I totally agree about the recent slowness of 2nd class packets.
I can only assume a lot of ecommerce retailers (us included) have switched from 1st to 2nd to save money. I assumed this would actually speed 2nd class up (less 1st class volume to deal with but does not appear so.

 

[pictofigo]

why not try out parcels2go. You can get in touch with them and get some quotes. Maybe they will comeup with some package for you.

Regards,
p!
Pictofigo

 

[danny156]

The price of signed for has it gone up to 0.95 since the price rises ?