Are The UK Postal Costs A Rip Off ?

Following the topic of packaging, I an wondering if the UK is the most expensive place to post from ?

see http://www.royalmail.com/price-finder if you want to see how much we are ripped off in the UK == or is this cheap to where you live ?

having said that, I would not want to travel 400 miles to deliver a letter for 62p

Check out ebay's Global Shipping if you want to see what a real postage rip off looks like.

Terry

Hi Terrence

I have seen others refer to this, but as far as I am aware we do not have this in the UK ( am I wrong anyone ? )

Here we can specify P&P for UK, Europe and Rest of World - all three being seller specified

David

If you buy from US, for instance, some US sellers have signed up for Ebay/Pitney Bowes Global shipping. Which you will pay if you are unwary. This has to include increased shipping charge to cover insurance (which may not be worth the cost), the extra 9% charged to the seller, ebay's cut, And on top of all that you will almost certainly have UK duty and import taxes added, which you almost always will not be liable for anyway. A recent near purchase from a US seller that I aborted would have had me paying nearly $25 shipping for one stamp to be airmailed to me in the UK. Usual charge for this is no more than $!. Do not buy from Goblin Men. Proceed at your peril.

Terry
Edited for error and typos. TC.

Many UK retailers do not offer delivery by Royal Mail, despite the Royal Mail's universal service obligation meaning that delivery by this method costs the same across the UK. Some Most companies using couriers are placing Scottish regions like Aberdeenshire, Moray, Argyll and Bute and Perthshire into the category of Highlands and Islands for charging purposes. This means that any package will have up to 500% above "normal" added for delivery. That is anything from £15 to £20 extra. Despite phone calls to companies to "send it by Royal Mail, please", they always say this is not possible.
While most of the UK is not affected by this particular rip-off, many parts of Scotland are. That means that Royal Mail is the cheapest option in most cases. Whether the universal service obligation survives the privatization of Royal Mail is another rip-off in waiting.

I just thought to let you know, the UK has the cheapest postage charges in Europe, also the fact that you can claim back on an item that is not received (little bit of hassle), Try posting something with myherms or a cheaper alternative and you will be lucky if it arrives at all, and just to add= under there code of conduct for 'lost' parcels, there is not 1 thing you can claim back on, Literally.... everything is under the list of 'non-refundable'. Out of 47 parcels 44 didn't arrive and the other 3 had been opened with a Stanley knife (by the delivery driver I presume) and looted for the highest value item. Funnily enough I saw my items being listed on a selling site in the UK 4 days after my parcel arrived opened, Luckily he lived 10 minutes away from where I live, I went round the mans house and made it quite clear that was my item and took it from him, after a few heated words he told me he was going to phone the police, I then written down my contact details and told him to be my guest, nothing was done....come to think of it...maybe that is why my parcels don't arrive? (joking aside, this was the 3rd time my item came opened), only 1 thing really gets on my nerves, when sellers on ebay and sites alike list they will post by royal mail but then choose myherms, If I knew they were going to post by myherms then I wouldn't waste my time waiting for an item that never arrives. Maybe I am being to harsh on myherms? Unlucky? but if you look on the internet and type in parcel not arrived myherms you will understand fully, how can a business like this stay open literally? O wait I know, because they dont give refunds.....Rant over.
Turbo