Royal Mail 24/48?

[UK-Packaging]

I'm hoping someone can be of help…
I've recently got an OBA account with Royal Mail, I've received all my stuff I'm pretty much ready to go. I'm currently waiting for a call back from my Royal Mail to run through it all with me.
But god knows when this will be!
I've got a fair few orders to go today and I'm trying to avoid the post office queue!
Do Royal Mail have any documentation online?
I'm using the 24/48 service (previously packetpost I believe?)
I understand I bag these up and use the average weight. What I'm unsure of is how to use my OBA account, what documentation do I attach and how and do I also attach a green PPI tag? My orders will go by the 48 service.
Thanks for any help.

 

[alanc]

Red tag = 24, Green tag = 48 (24/48 is the old 1st and 2nd class)

Once you've booked in your mail using your OBA account you can print out the order. If you're getting a collection, you hand this to the driver. They will scan it with their reader. It proves that you've paid for the postage (on account).

If you're taking it to a post office, things get a bit vague because there is no way of attaching the printed order to the post. You could put a copy inside one of the bags

 

[Gaz Walker]

Do Royal Mail have any documentation online?

They have some basic stuff online on the OBA page.

Have a look at FAQs and Help for Existing Users.

I'm using the 24/48 service (previously packetpost I believe?)
I understand I bag these up and use the average weight. What I'm unsure of is how to use my OBA account, what documentation do I attach and how and do I also attach a green PPI tag? My orders will go by the 48 service.

To be honest, I never bother with the labels, haven't ever been asked either. I've both dropped off and have a collection. If you know your post office they should be fine about it.

Just make sure your paperwork is done and in the bag, hand the sack(s) over and tell them its on account, no waiting.

Obviously the disadvantage to this is you don't have a proof of posting, however I assume that because your on account that you've weighed this up and are basically self-insuring your potential loses vs the increased cost of having to record everything.

 

[UK-Packaging]

Ah ok, that was my main worry how to attach it. Didn't realise it went inside. I got my first post off anyway!
Just one more question...
I've just received an order that would usually go by courier, it's smaller than the maximum size (610mm x 460mm x 460mm) just, but it doesn't fit in the sack!?

 

[Gaz Walker]

Ah ok, that was my main worry how to attach it. Didn't realise it went inside. I got my first post off anyway!
Just one more question...
I've just received an order that would usually go by courier, it's smaller than the maximum size (610mm x 460mm x 460mm) just, but it doesn't fit in the sack!?

Good good

I rarely send boxes, but if they don't fit in the bag I weigh the bags, then the boxes, add them together and divide by your QTY. Just hand it over separately to your sacks, they'll understand.

 

[JMRidley]

Good good

I rarely send boxes, but if they don't fit in the bag I weigh the bags, then the boxes, add them together and divide by your QTY. Just hand it over separately to your sacks, they'll understand.

We do the same and never a problem at the post office. Don't worry UK-Packaging - you'll soon get the hang of it. We moved to oba last year and soon worked out what we needed to do. You should have been given a contact name/number when you got your oba account. We had someone called Darren I think and he was brilliant - really helped us out when we called and always rang back quickly if we left a message. We do always attach tags. If we've got more than one bag we put a little asterix on the relevant tag as the post office usually want to know which one has the paperwork in.

 

[UK-Packaging]

Well thanks all, I think I've got it figured out now.

 

[furman]

I usually hand my PPI bags in at the depot rather than a post office. A few months ago I stopped receiving my yellow pouch back, I called my account manager who said these were phased out, just put the paperwork in one of the bags and mark the label with a P so they know. This has been fine up to now but yesterday the staff were kicking up a fuss that the paperwork must be on the outside.

 

[SamStones]

Those yellow pouches were phased out long ago.

We get a daily collection(s) and just hand the paperwork to the last collection driver. Never attached to or in any bag.

I can imagine the post offices being a pain about the paperwork though! Sortin offices should be ok with it though?

 

[perpixon]

We use the plastic ties you can order via your OBA to tie the mail sack together and also attach the green 48 tag. As others have said if you have a collection give the driver the paperwork and if you go to the post office put the paperwork in the mail sack and mark on the tag which sack the paperwork is in.

 

[Chris34]

If you ring up the royal mail via the number on your invoice and say you want to order stationary you will get put through to the correct department. From here ask them for documents enclosed envelops, they replaced the yellow pouches with these envelops.

They are not great but they stick to the outside of the bag and are very sticky so are unlikely to get ripped off. They give you hundreds of them. Saves any arguments about where the document is.

I've still got 1 yellow pouch that gets returned to me. The rest have slowly disappeared over the last few months.

Makes you wonder if they ever actually check the postage is correct. Also makes you wonder how many of your competitors might be taking advantage of the RM and not being quite so 'honest' if there are a lack of checks.

Chris.

 

[RogerBa]

Makes you wonder if they ever actually check the postage is correct. Also makes you wonder how many of your competitors might be taking advantage of the RM and not being quite so 'honest' if there are a lack of checks.

Chris.

According to our postman the sorting office have a guy they call "PPI Pete" he random checks about 30% of each days PPI mail. That is to say he checks the whole order from 30% of the customers, basically it's a check your not fiddling the weights.
They always like to know the paperwork is in one of the bags, label marked with a P as others have said, but on occasion we've forgotten to put it in and nothing was said or done, you still pay of course as it's billed from what you enter online.

 

[dantheman50_98]

So just to clarify, you have to weigh the post once it's in the bag? I've always weighed the post separately and then put it in the bag. No issues so far, but is there a chance I'd be charged extra if the weight of the bag isn't taken into account?

 

[RogerBa]

I too always weigh the parcels before they go into bags, there is no reason for us to have to pay for the weight of the bags.