Notice anything about this screenshot of the Post Office website? I'll give you a clue. I, and thousands more, do not live on the UK mainland.
I use a lot of postage stamps.
I've never counted but my brother and I between us probably use several hundred first class stamps just sending missives to each other. We use WhatsApp and emails but we both like writing letters and sending cards.
Then there are my friends overseas who don't use computers and those to whom I like sending cards anyway. I certainly use several dozen overseas stamps a month.
I love sending cards (I print my own photo cards). I love writing letters! It's as simple as that.
I've never ordered stamps on line because I prefer to support my local post offices however CJ pointed out that there were really interesting stamps to be had directly from the Post Office on line. So I sussed out some interesting ones and then came the bad news. I can't have them delivered to the Isle of Lewis.
Given that the cost of postage for the order would be exactly the same for Lewis as anywhere else in the UK this totally defeats me. There will be a letter going to my MP on this one.
PS Why is there an apostrophe after 'address' in the information box?
Given that the cost of postage for the order would be exactly the same for Lewis as anywhere else in the UK this totally defeats me. There will be a letter going to my MP on this one.
PS Why is there an apostrophe after 'address' in the information box?
The apostrophe is wrong. The plural of address is addresses.
ReplyDeleteSomething so elementary, Rachel, that it is absolutely astonishing that it should appear on a public document - even in this era of slipshod work and poor grammar education.
DeleteAs Rachel indicated above, the numpty who wrote "address'" should instead have written "addresses". I wonder if Mersea Island, The Isle of Sheppey and The Isle of Wight are also excluded. What about Northern Ireland and Lindisfarne?
ReplyDeleteYP, according to that little notice all the places you mention will be excluded. We in the North of Scotland and the Islands are used to businesses refusing to send things to us or to being charged excessive prices or delivery times. People wonder why Amazon is so successful. One reason (because their prices are competitive but no longer always the cheapest) is that they will deliver anywhere and, generally, at no charge and often next day. There are also companies, like the one in the Midlands from whom I ordered a double bed mattress, who not only don't charge but can get it delivered the next day (despite ringing me to confirm that their website did say next day delivery couldn't be made to the Highlands and Islands).
DeleteYou're one of very few who actively writes and sends cards by mail.
ReplyDeleteYou may be correct Red but I do get a lot of letters too.
DeleteYou will have three MPs. I would use the Scottish one. You could use the UK one but I bet you can't find your Brussels rep.
ReplyDeleteStamps are expensive. I think the last I purchased cost about sixty pence.
PS. If they aren't interested in supplying you with stamps just draw your own.
DeleteAdrian, postal charges are increasing at a phenomenal rate. On 25 March a First Class stamp will be 70p (a 3p increase). However on this day last year a stamp for a post card to anywhere in the world cost £1.17. On 25 March this year it will cost £1.35. A 20g letter to Europe will go up from £1.17 to £1.35. The rest of the world will see an increase from £1.40 to £1.55.
DeleteIt makes one wonder how they deliver their stamps to your local Post Office. I bet if you ordered them from there, they'd get to you OK.
ReplyDeleteIt's a possibility, Cro, I might try that. However the principle remains the same.
DeleteSub post offices no longer sell commemorative stamps. That stopped about three years ago. The only one to sell commemoratives on Lewis / Harris is Stornoway central PO. and they only get limited supplies if the latest one. Our central post office on the mainland runs out the same day they are issued. You can't get back issues from Post Offices any more.
DeleteAh. I thought Cro meant that if I ordered them from the website they would probably just send them.
DeleteI was going to say the same as Cro.
ReplyDeleteSo, Meike, I'll just let you read my answer to Cro!
DeleteTo my knowledge of punctuation, grammar (and grampa) etc., there should be no apostrophe after "address".
ReplyDeleteYou and I are of a different era, Graham. What would we know? :)
Of course you are correct, Lee. "What would we know?" I know what I was taught: grammar and how to spell.
DeleteYes, the out-of-the-way places suffer in terms of service. The post office could be expected to do better though - it's their whole job!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Kylie.
DeleteThe 'delivery to mainland addresses only' certainly makes no sense even if you correct the spelling/grammar! :) I hope you'll be able to get some kind of answer from Someone! (if nothing else, at least an explanation!)
ReplyDeleteIn Sweden, our foreign postage for a postcard or letter is SEK 21 = £1.71 since last year. Within Sweden, SEK 9 = £0.73. Likely to go up again soon but I don't think any formal decision has been made yet.
Gosh, Monica I thought our prices were bad enough. I However when I think about it, Sweden only has about 10m people and thousands of islands against the UK's 66m and far fewer islands so there are fewer people to bear the cost but a similar infrastructure to deliver the service.
DeleteI think that the post office could be expected to do better.
ReplyDeletehave a great day
Thank you Tanza.
DeleteI don't understand the use of the apostrophe myself, many people these days don't understand grammar or spelling. As a spelling nazi it irritates me sometimes.
ReplyDeleteAmy, I agree with you on both points.
DeleteThat is annoying that they won't send you stamps and that random apostrophe is annoying too. I enjoy writing letters and sending postcards and an international stamp now costs $1.15 in the US, pricey but worth it. I sent a postcard to Russia a month ago and it took 22 days to arrive, that seems like a rather long time.
ReplyDeleteTerra, at $1.15 for a international stamp I'd be delighted. My basic stamp for a postcard outside Europe is $1.64 but in a few weeks it will be $1.77. I don't have any experience of correspondence with anyone in Russia but 22 days is 4 times longer than from the UK to New Zealand!
DeleteHi Graham
ReplyDeleteI've found your blog after you commented on Yorkshire puddings blog in response to my comment about oratory.
I look forward to reading your blog.
Best wishes.
Not oratory. Oradour. Blimmin auto correct.
ReplyDeleteThank you Christina. I read it as Oradur anyway. The auto-correct is the bane of most of our lives but it's so useful in other ways that we never switch it off.
DeleteI can only think the reason they can't be delivered is because they don't use Royal Mail but some other courier that doesn't live on the mainland! How extraordinary!
ReplyDeleteJenny I did wonder about that. It's come to something when the Post Office doesn't use Royal Mail though.
Delete