Short Term Franking Hire

[Newmedia]

Hi

A business I am involved in will be sending out quite a lot of letters, maybe 10-15,000+, (not in large amounts - maybe 250 max per time) over the next couple of months (just standard letter size First Class).

We currently use either Smartstamp (unpredictable software for printing your own stamps) or recently using the serviced office we are in shared franking maching which we are charged 57p for standard size First Class letters. (stamps are 60p at the minute for first class so only a slight saving!)

After this initial direct mail marketing blitz our business will very rarely use any postal mail at all, relying a lot more on email.

My question is: can you get a franking maching/contract on a short term basis, ie 3 month? Or is if strictly 12 month + contracts???

Also, anyone have knowledge of what we should be paying for standard size letters first class (per letter) with a franking contract?

I know we save 3p!!! At the minute with the serviced office franking but I am guessing there will be bigger savings than this on offer somewhere? (on a side point who's getting the best out of the deal with this franking arrangement with the serviced office? It is convenient for us but they must be ramping their prices up somewhere??)

Any help much appreciated

Cheers

 

[StevensOnln1]

Rather than short term hire of a franking machine, have you looking into using a mailing company to print and send your mail shots for you? I believe the FSB have a deal with one firm (can't remember who) and there must be others out there too. It could well be cheaper and a lot less hassle than stuffing thousands of envelopes and franking them all yourself.

 

[Newmedia]

Thanks for the reply. Our letters are highly personalised and normally contain current news and we only send out in batches of 100-200 at a time so bulk printing & posting wouldn't really work for us.

It would be a great option, and work/timesaver if we could get it to work though!

 

[StevensOnln1]

The FSB printers can do any quantity and you can customise the letters as much as you like with mail merge.

Sent from my GT-P1000 using UK Business Forums

 

[David Griffiths]

It used to be possible to take your post to the local sorting office and give them a payment so they put it through their own franking machines. It's years since I had to do anything like that but it could be worth a call to find out if it is possible.

At the time, there was a cheaper rate if the post was roughly sorted into desitnations - it might have been something like local v non local. Again, times change, so ask.

 

[Merchant UK]

if your looking at only saving 2 0r 3 pence per letter then surely buying your stamps in bulk from your local cash & carry will give you those discounts, My local one does packs of 500 stamps which work out about 3 or 4p cheaper

 

[Newmedia]

Like I say, we are getting 3p off at the minute and it saves us putting stamps on as the office reception staff put it through the franking machine for us.

Buying stamps would just increase the work and leave us no better off!!

We are hoping to somehow knock at least 10p off per letter (just don't know how!)

 

[kulture]

For that volume, I would contact the Royal Mail and open a PPI business account. You will get significant discounts, far more than franking, and with no contract or tie in period.

 

[simong93]

The company i work for called skarlet does do a monthly not committed contract basically meaning at any time you can call up and cancel if you are interested drop me a private message and i will get someone to give you a call and explain the process .

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Why not use second class mail and post on Friday it will still be there on Monday

Why use first class anyway