Royal Mail Parcel Collection

[eastern-lights]

One of the concerns expressed by some private sellers about the forthcoming Ebay Simple Delivery (if it is compulsory) is whether it will be possible to book collection of the parcel from your house.

Doing a little bit of research, it appears to me that it is possible to book collections when you have bought RM postage elsewhere, or where you are using a return label. It looks to me as if one will have to download an app to do it. I can live with that.

https://www.royalmail.com/collection

Has anyone experience of using this particular service?

[johnwash1]

---

@spiff101 wrote:

Collection with RM 48 is definitely not always available, so beware. Just sold an item and the only Royal Mail option was via drop off with a QR code, and it said booking a collection was not available. Had to select Evri to get a collection at more expense.

I’ve had the same problem with Vinted: when the platform selects the Royal Mail 48 option and supplies the details, it uses the QR code/dropoff method. This can’t be combined with collection, because you’re only supplied with a QR code, not a full label, and the postie can’t print out a label on his/her round - that can only be done at certain designated Post Offices. In my case, the only available dropoff points are miles away so it’s useless. 

---

Book on the RM site, not via ebay.  Register on https://send.royalmail.com/ -- registration isn't essential, but the advantage is that you can subsequently go back and change things if you're logged in when you buy the postage.  And the postie will bring such labels, though personally I never rely on that and always print my own.

[wintersdawn1]

I work that way, buying postage direct on the royal mail website and printing the label myself.

I then take my parcels etc to one of my local post offices, who just scan, weigh and give me a receipt.  I don't mind not buying the postage at my local post offices because, as far as I know, tracked 48 (which I use for everything) isn't available over the counter in a post office.

I don't sell a lot and quite enjoy measuring, weighing and choosing the postage online and sad if this way of working will be not be possible much longer due to how simple delivery works.

[eastern-lights]

---

@johnwash1 wrote:

---

---

Book on the RM site, not via ebay.  Register on https://send.royalmail.com/ -- registration isn't essential, but the advantage is that you can subsequently go back and change things if you're logged in when you buy the postage.  And the postie will bring such labels, though personally I never rely on that and always print my own.

---

As an experiment I tried the site you link to above using the log in I created for using Royal Mail's Click and Drop site. It works!

If I do get forced into buying my RM shipping through Ebay, what would be really useful would be if the tracking numbers got imported into the Royal Mail site to make booking collections simpler.

[spiff101]

---

@johnwash1 wrote:

---

---

Book on the RM site, not via ebay.  Register on https://send.royalmail.com/ -- registration isn't essential, but the advantage is that you can subsequently go back and change things if you're logged in when you buy the postage.  And the postie will bring such labels, though personally I never rely on that and always print my own.

---

Does that only work when you (the seller) is paying for postage though? If the buyer pays, you are directed to select a postage option but it says nothing about method (ie QR code, booking a collection). I'm therefore worried that when the seller buys the item and postage, the system will generate a QR code to send to me, and no collection will be possible. 

[snowylilliput-2]

If you wanting to use Royal Mail only you can set that up in your account settings . I rang ebay the other day and they told me how to do it . My Evri drop off is 5 miles away , royal mail will collect for free for nothing . 

[snowylilliput-2]

No you can change your settings to use one or the other . Ebay customer services helped me do it 

[spiff101]

---

@snowylilliput-2 wrote:

If you wanting to use Royal Mail only you can set that up in your account settings . I rang ebay the other day and they told me how to do it . My Evri drop off is 5 miles away , royal mail will collect for free for nothing . 

---

Thanks, that's hopeful. Maybe I need to ring them up then.

[johnwash1]

---

@spiff101 wrote:

---

@johnwash1 wrote:

---

---

Book on the RM site, not via ebay.  Register on https://send.royalmail.com/ -- registration isn't essential, but the advantage is that you can subsequently go back and change things if you're logged in when you buy the postage.  And the postie will bring such labels, though personally I never rely on that and always print my own.

---

Does that only work when you (the seller) is paying for postage though? If the buyer pays, you are directed to select a postage option but it says nothing about method (ie QR code, booking a collection). I'm therefore worried that when the seller buys the item and postage, the system will generate a QR code to send to me, and no collection will be possible. 

---

I have no idea, I've never used Simple Delivery.  Would never choose it.

[johnwash1]

---

@eastern-lights wrote:

---

@johnwash1 wrote:

---

---

Book on the RM site, not via ebay.  Register on https://send.royalmail.com/ -- registration isn't essential, but the advantage is that you can subsequently go back and change things if you're logged in when you buy the postage.  And the postie will bring such labels, though personally I never rely on that and always print my own.

---

As an experiment I tried the site you link to above using the log in I created for using Royal Mail's Click and Drop site. It works!

If I do get forced into buying my RM shipping through Ebay, what would be really useful would be if the tracking numbers got imported into the Royal Mail site to make booking collections simpler.

---

Or you could just use another site that let's you keep control.

[johnwash1]

---

@wintersdawn1 wrote:

I work that way, buying postage direct on the royal mail website and printing the label myself.

I then take my parcels etc to one of my local post offices, who just scan, weigh and give me a receipt.  I don't mind not buying the postage at my local post offices because, as far as I know, tracked 48 (which I use for everything) isn't available over the counter in a post office.

I don't sell a lot and quite enjoy measuring, weighing and choosing the postage online and sad if this way of working will be not be possible much longer due to how simple delivery works.

---

Personally, if I still had plenty of mobility, I too would use my local PO as I used to.  But I would not be booking online.  That denies your local PO the revenue.  I liked to support my super-helpful postmaster who I'd known for 25 years.  He retired during Covid, so I don''t feel so bad about it now, I've only met the new owners a couple of times.

[sml192]

---

@spiff101 wrote:

---

@johnwash1 wrote:

---

---

Book on the RM site, not via ebay.  Register on https://send.royalmail.com/ -- registration isn't essential, but the advantage is that you can subsequently go back and change things if you're logged in when you buy the postage.  And the postie will bring such labels, though personally I never rely on that and always print my own.

---

Does that only work when you (the seller) is paying for postage though? If the buyer pays, you are directed to select a postage option but it says nothing about method (ie QR code, booking a collection). I'm therefore worried that when the seller buys the item and postage, the system will generate a QR code to send to me, and no collection will be possible. 

According to the Simple Delivery help page you should receive a printable label aswell as the QR code which can be generated by selecting 'Get prepaid label' on the 'View order details' page.  The label can then be used to book a collection on the Royal Mail website. 

[sml192]

---

@spiff101 wrote:

---

@snowylilliput-2 wrote:

If you wanting to use Royal Mail only you can set that up in your account settings . I rang ebay the other day and they told me how to do it . My Evri drop off is 5 miles away , royal mail will collect for free for nothing . 

---

Thanks, that's hopeful. Maybe I need to ring them up then.

---

You can select which carriers to use here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/ship/prf

However, please note that excluding a carrier will increase the delivery cost, especially if you are excluding Evri:

For items sold between £0-100

Item weight & size	Both carriers selected	EVRi only	Royal Mail only
750g large letter	£2.70	£2.94	£2.73
0-1kg parcel	£2.94	£2.97	£3.74
1-2kg parcel	£3.71	£4.06	£4.27
2-10kg parcel	£5.36	£5.89	£6.65
10-15kg parcel	£7.19	£7.26	£10.55
15-20kg parcel	£10.55		£10.66

For items sold above £100

Item weight & size	Both carriers selected	EVRi only	Royal Mail only
750g large letter	£3.42	£3.72	£3.46
0-1kg parcel	£3.42	£3.45	£3.94
1-2kg parcel	£4.26	£4.66	£4.47
2-10kg parcel	£5.88	£6.46	£7.27
10-15kg parcel	£8.41	£8.50	£12.34
15-20kg parcel	£12.34		£12.47

[megan1512]

even so royal mail tracked 48 £3.25                 UPTO 2KG
from    royal mail collected from my house
-
EVRI

Collection

£3.97

UPS
£6.36  + £2 COLLECTION FEE
----
ebay obviously making money off postage fees now aswell

just gets worse3 and worse

[megan1512]

correction royal mail tracked 48 £3.39
-
collected

dont drive and no longer have a post office in the village 
rather limits my options ime afraid