Are Royal Mail now charging for items returned to sender?

[old-car-magazines-and-brochures]

I had a grey card from Royal Mail saying that I owed £2.50 because sender did not pay enough postage. My wife collected it for me from the main branch and it had two labels on it, one on the back of package said not enough postage paid but the main one on the front had the Incomplete Address box ticked.

I checked the postage paid and it was correct for a 500g large letter sent to UAE, so it must have been returned because of an issue with the the address. I have never been charged before for an undeliverable item, so is this a new way of RM trying to fleece us by saying that the incorrect postage was paid and hope we don't notice? I would take it straight back and ask them but since they only open 8 to 10 am it's very difficult to find the time.

Perhaps it was a genuine mistake and I shouldn't be so cynical but I have am rapidly losing faith in any of RM's services right now. 

[technthread]

Did you put the customs form on it? I think it's a CN22 or CN23?

[old-car-magazines-and-brochures]

Yes it was a RM Click and Drop shipping label with a CN22, and here's a photo 

[technthread]

I am a bit stumped on this one. I suppose if they thought it was over the 35x25x2.5cm large letter dimensions limit or maybe just borderline they chose to not process it. 

I have used eBay GSP for so long and only this past week started to create my own international shipping policies i'm still learning as I go. Maybe someone else with more experience may have a better answer. 

[wyattharrisx]

Ive seen royal mail recent update advising returned to sender will apply a charge though should not be in force yet

Introduction of a charge for Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail 48 items returned to sender

From 30 September 2024 Royal Mail will be introducing a charge for any Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail 48 items that are returned to sender. For further details visit https://royalmail.com/surcharges.

[padanpcparts]

Yes, they recently sent out a mail saying they were charging for lots of new stuff, like holding a return parcel for a day more than usual. Honestly Royal Mail are complete shills, the worst company I've dealt with in the last 10 years. I despise them. In act that e-mail message managed to tell us that the service they were providing would be worse and cost more. I can't wait for the Czech guy to take over and start slapping their management. 

[cke786]

They'll be charging for returned items from the 30th of Sep as part of the new Windsor Framework they'll be working to, but I think they do charge already for certain returns already.

[4_bathrooms]

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@wyattharrisx wrote:

Ive seen royal mail recent update advising returned to sender will apply a charge though should not be in force yet

Introduction of a charge for Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail 48 items returned to sender

From 30 September 2024 Royal Mail will be introducing a charge for any Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail 48 items that are returned to sender. For further details visit https://royalmail.com/surcharges.

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Having read that page it seems the surcharges apply to account services. So, if someone purchased a (non-account) Tracked 24 or Tracked 48 service via eBay, Royal Mail's website or at a Post Office counter the surcharges wouldn't apply.

I'm not sure what level of discount RM account customers receive but a non-VAT registered business customer - who is unlikely to be able to negotiate a rate - would appear to be effectively no better off with a ~10% discount once the fuel surcharge, green surcharge and peak surcharge (November to January) are taken into account.    

[raregamesonly]

Im thinking of starting to buy my labels from ebay.  That way you wont get charged any of this.  also you wont get charge the surcharges and Christmas extras.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

The secret to using RM business services is to be VAT registered and putting enough mail through to be getting a reasonable discount.  If your not, it's just a convenience and nothing more.

If your not vat registered and don't send enough, then you might as well buy through Ebay or even direct through royal mail online.  It makes literally no difference as the prices will be the same.

[tommystrezures]

This is an odd one as it appears whilst the package was for the UAE it hasn't actually left the country. Look at the grey label, they are effectively saying the delivery address is incomplete, and there is no PO Box number. The address should have had the name, the po box, the emirati state and I think the rules (they used too) say that you have to include the phone number.

So an address would look something like this:

Mr Star Wars
PO Box 99699
Dubai
UAE
054 987 6543

They have odd vat requirements in UAE as there is zero de minimis, so the phone number is needed, as vat is sorted usually via whatsapp etc. Whether Royal Mail have tightened up on this I don't know, but this would be my educated guess as to why that has come back to you.

[4_bathrooms]

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@therenewalworkshopltd wrote:

The secret to using RM business services is to be VAT registered and putting enough mail through to be getting a reasonable discount.  If your not, it's just a convenience and nothing more.

If your not vat registered and don't send enough, then you might as well buy through Ebay or even direct through royal mail online.  It makes literally no difference as the prices will be the same.

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Actually, if RM don't offer a discount on account services to those unable to negotiate one a business would actually be paying more by having an account due to the surcharges.

[tommystrezures]

Just as a further after thought whilst making a mug of tea,  all customs data is now electronically submitted eg if over the counter at a PO or via click and drop etc. It may well have been that the data submitted to the Emirati authorities was rejected for being incomplete or the PO box was not valid.

Further more a couple of months back RM trialled (it only lasted a couple of weeks at our branch) instead of charging the receiver for incorrect postage if it was on a label such as yours then items would be returned to the sender to pay the correct fee. Which would seem fair, I am just not sure its justified in this instance which is what is implied by the £2.50 fee.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Really don't see the point of your comment, as that is exactly what I said, only you have said it another way around.

[4_bathrooms]

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@therenewalworkshopltd wrote:

Really don't see the point of your comment, as that is exactly what I said, only you have said it another way around.

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You said:

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@therenewalworkshopltd wrote:

If your not vat registered and don't send enough, then you might as well buy through Ebay or even direct through royal mail online.  It makes literally no difference as the prices will be the same.

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I was simply pointing out it does make a difference as although the basic prices for the services might be the same there are unavoidable surcharges when purchasing through an RM business account. Therefore, for such a seller they would actually be paying more by purchasing through an RM business account.

Unless you meant the price when purchasing through eBay is the same as purchasing from Royal Mail's website in which case I apologise as you are correct. I read your post to mean a (non-VAT registered) business would pay the same whether they purchased via an RM business account, eBay or RMO.  

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Again, you are repeating what I said.

Nothing in that statement said anything about buying through a RM business account.

I suggest you actually read what was written, instead of correcting me!

It does not make any difference whether you buy from Ebay, or Royal Mail online!