Royal Mail Insurance avoidance?
Discussion
I took an envelope with birthday card and Amazon gift card to local town Post Office. I asked for 1st class post and the assistant passed it through the 'thickness checker' and said 'it's catching, so a large letter'. I've become attuned to their 'upselling' and I find the Village post office has a more reasonable approach, but hey-ho the village one was closed. Anyway, the main point....... I asked for a certificate of posting. Assistant said "Is there cash or a voucher in the envelope?". Me "yes an amazon voucher". Her "that won't be covered by insurance in case it goes missing - you could have it covered with out tracked service at £6+". I decided to take the risk, but later thought I should have said "why is it not covered? - the only people handling it are your staff, so how can it 'go missing'? Seems like a cop-out for dishonest staff? It got to its destination no problem.
Its not even handled by staff anymore,(until delivery) its all machines, unfortunatley sometimes letters can come undone or get chewed up by the machines (think 1980s cassete) and if the voucher where to come out of the envolpe the staff would have no idea out of which of the 100,000 letters its come from.
Thats why insurance is offered.
Thats why insurance is offered.
Fastpedeller said:
I took an envelope with birthday card and Amazon gift card to local town Post Office. I asked for 1st class post and the assistant passed it through the 'thickness checker' and said 'it's catching, so a large letter'. I've become attuned to their 'upselling' and I find the Village post office has a more reasonable approach, but hey-ho the village one was closed. Anyway, the main point....... I asked for a certificate of posting. Assistant said "Is there cash or a voucher in the envelope?". Me "yes an amazon voucher". Her "that won't be covered by insurance in case it goes missing - you could have it covered with out tracked service at £6+". I decided to take the risk, but later thought I should have said "why is it not covered? - the only people handling it are your staff, so how can it 'go missing'? Seems like a cop-out for dishonest staff? It got to its destination no problem.
My sis in law was nearly £8 to send a £35 voucher. BonkersJust send the birthday card by post, and the Amazon voucher electronically!
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Three-Birthday-Cup-Cake...
It's purely your choice whether to take the gamble or not...as post does go missing...even signed for/special delivery items.
...and don't forget that the standard Signed For 1st Class £50 compensation doesn't apply to money/vouchers.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Three-Birthday-Cup-Cake...
It's purely your choice whether to take the gamble or not...as post does go missing...even signed for/special delivery items.
...and don't forget that the standard Signed For 1st Class £50 compensation doesn't apply to money/vouchers.
Edited by mmm-five on Sunday 30th October 12:10
Waitforme said:
My sis in law was nearly £8 to send a £35 voucher. Bonkers
That's outrageous. That's 22% of the voucher value spent in postage alone.
She should have sent a £350 voucher instead, so that the postage would have been only 2% of the voucher value.
It would have been much better value for money.
In the early days of eBay and before PayPal became an option, I used to receive payment by post before I'd dispatch a sold item. You can see how it was wide open to abuse... One buyer sent me a postal order, this was about 2002!Fastpedeller said:
I took an envelope with birthday card and Amazon gift card to local town Post Office. I asked for 1st class post and the assistant passed it through the 'thickness checker' and said 'it's catching, so a large letter'. I've become attuned to their 'upselling' and I find the Village post office has a more reasonable approach, but hey-ho the village one was closed. Anyway, the main point....... I asked for a certificate of posting. Assistant said "Is there cash or a voucher in the envelope?". Me "yes an amazon voucher". Her "that won't be covered by insurance in case it goes missing - you could have it covered with out tracked service at £6+". I decided to take the risk, but later thought I should have said "why is it not covered? - the only people handling it are your staff, so how can it 'go missing'? Seems like a cop-out for dishonest staff? It got to its destination no problem.
Because the insurance doesn’t cover the risk for the small amount you are paying. Imagine considering making a customer facing member of staffs life awkward being a total arse. What is wrong with people.
Fastpedeller said:
Doesn't an Amazon voucher have a unique number therefore audit trail/traceability? so not as vulnerable as cash?
I left my last job just after lockdown started, and had been there 14 years.A collection for me raised a few hundred quid, and I was emailed an Amazon voucher.
When I went to use it (ie find something worth buying and add it to my account) the balance was nil - it had already been redeemed.
Amazon couldn't be less bothered. They ignored me completely, as I didn't buy the voucher.
The person who bought it was similarly fobbed off.
This anecdote has nothing to do with royal mail, but amazon vouchers only have the pretence of traceability in my experience.
Ian Geary said:
Fastpedeller said:
Doesn't an Amazon voucher have a unique number therefore audit trail/traceability? so not as vulnerable as cash?
I left my last job just after lockdown started, and had been there 14 years.A collection for me raised a few hundred quid, and I was emailed an Amazon voucher.
When I went to use it (ie find something worth buying and add it to my account) the balance was nil - it had already been redeemed.
Amazon couldn't be less bothered. They ignored me completely, as I didn't buy the voucher.
The person who bought it was similarly fobbed off.
This anecdote has nothing to do with royal mail, but amazon vouchers only have the pretence of traceability in my experience.
Tony1963 said:
Physical vouchers? Funny.
The next thing someone will be asking about postal orders!
My Wife considers the physical voucher 'nicer' for the recipient, and I can see her point.The next thing someone will be asking about postal orders!
ETA.... As mmm states above, the electronic version is safer.
Edited by Fastpedeller on Sunday 30th October 14:53
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