Well, I didn't know this, and it may be useful to others!

I had read this elsewhere but others may be unaware GillT57. Useful information, thank you.

OK if you have reliable scales and a printer!

Useful information indeed. I have done this throughout the pandemic, and have come across several people who had no idea that this was possible.

So hopefully your highlighting it will help a lot of other gransnetters GillT57

Kitchen scales Littleannie are perfectly adequate. Yes, we have a printer and I was thankful.

Hahahaha, yes Littleannie

Works well for us, most areas have a dedicated parcel post box if the package is too large for the standard box. We also buy postage stamps as part of our grocery order when we need them.

I too have just discovered this, having previously thought it was for small businesses, that I would need to open an account etc.
So simple, returns address automatically added to the address label.
Highly recommended.
Just off to the post box now!

I have done this a few times. If the parcel was small enough I simply popped it into the post box at the end of my road. The last two things have been too big so I have organised for the post lady to pick them up in her round. One of the items was for overseas. When the parcel had been collected an email is automatically sent to me which acts as a Certificate of Posting. Yes you do need scales and a printer.

Littleannie

OK if you have reliable scales and a printer!

Isn't that like saying 'Ok if you have a pen that writes and an envelope!' to someone talking about posting a letter?

I think it sounds like a much better idea than queueing at the PO, at least in these days of plague. I haven't tried it myself, but I don't send many parcels these days. I'll give it a go next time, though. I am knitting a coat for my daughter's dog - maybe I'll use the service to send that.

I did that at Christmas. It was great. I weighed my parcel, printed off my label, paid online. I left it in the porch and the postman collected it. My friend who I sent it to at the other end of the country received it the next day.
I also sent cards to the Republic of Ireland the same way but printed off labels and put them in the post box. Brilliant.

Thankyou for highlighting GillT57,certainly at the moment anything that minimises contact with others is good.
Yes,you can put in post box. For a small fee 72p they will collect from home.
Scales may be an issue but I had cooking ones plus if needed a gadget that weighs suitcase.
My printer wasn't working,after a few hours trial and error it now is so could print my label.
Before that I had gone online to check couriers, I think the site was parcel monkey. There are couriers who will supply label which they attach when collect parcel.

I did this in December for the first time. I had a box of Christmas gifts I wanted to post to my grandchildren 150 miles away. As this is an anonymous forum I’ll share with you how efficiently I managed it ?

It was a sizeable box and I knew it was going to be expensive. The parcel categories to select from after weighing were 1-2kg 3-5kg 6-8kg etc. I sat the box on the bathroom scales, checked the price chart and was relieved to see it only cost £9.40 for up to 2kg.

In my excitement and relief my logical thinking went out the window. I printed the label and stuck it on the large box ready for the courier to collect the next day. An hour later I began to think how surprising that large box of goodies only weighs just under 2 kg. Then the penny dropped I was looking between the 1 and 2 stones markers on the bathroom scales!

I phoned the delivery company, absolutely mortified, and told them what I’d stupidly done. The call handler laughed it off and cancelled the transaction. I gave up and went to the post office and stood in a very long queue.

It’s a good idea. I wish I’d known before Christmas. Our PO was helpful when I rang and asked if there was a good time to visit. They mentioned a few times that tended to be quiet-no guarantee of course.

Thank you I didn't know this.

Thanks for the information, GillT57. I had heard that you could pay extra to have a parcel collected for posting, but why didn't I know about this?!

I'll have to watch myself though, or I'll be doing a Grannynannywanny for sure. Only today I had to speak to the Pensions Service, and was adamant that I was giving them the right National Insurance number. Till I realised I'd picked up my NSI (premium bonds) number from my useful list instead.

If you have a food processor it may have inbuilt, very accurate scales.

Callistemon

If you have a food processor it may have inbuilt, very accurate scales.

That may be obvious to many but it was a while after I had the food processor that I realised .

I should have read the instruction book.

I find online couriers much cheaper than Royal Mail, and you can either drop off at a corner shop with no waiting, or have it collected from your home. When Christmas cancelled at the last minute it was a Godsend, and parcels arrived the next day!

This is the Royal Mail website for arranging to pay postage online and have your parcel collected.
send.royalmail.com/

I suppose it depends upon the size and weight of your parcel B9exchange, in my case, it was a soft padded envelope, sent as a small parcel up to 2kg for £3.00.

I queued for ages at the PO to send something only to be told they are not accepting mail for Europe as it is suspended at the moment. Would it not have been sensible to have a notice to this effect on display? They told me to keep looking on line to find out when this suspension has been lifted. OK if you have the internet!

We did this some weeks ago. Had to go to the PO though as parcels too big for post box. Just handed them in Easy

Grannynannywanny

I did this in December for the first time. I had a box of Christmas gifts I wanted to post to my grandchildren 150 miles away. As this is an anonymous forum I’ll share with you how efficiently I managed it ?

It was a sizeable box and I knew it was going to be expensive. The parcel categories to select from after weighing were 1-2kg 3-5kg 6-8kg etc. I sat the box on the bathroom scales, checked the price chart and was relieved to see it only cost £9.40 for up to 2kg.

In my excitement and relief my logical thinking went out the window. I printed the label and stuck it on the large box ready for the courier to collect the next day. An hour later I began to think how surprising that large box of goodies only weighs just under 2 kg. Then the penny dropped I was looking between the 1 and 2 stones markers on the bathroom scales!

I phoned the delivery company, absolutely mortified, and told them what I’d stupidly done. The call handler laughed it off and cancelled the transaction. I gave up and went to the post office and stood in a very long queue.

Sounds like something I would do!

Thank you for thinking of us

This practice has just been stopped in France for parcels going out of the country. We now have to take the parcels to the Post Office.