Hilton

  • Posts: 5572
Postal increase,get a franking machine
« on: April 24, 2012, 11:12:31 am »
If you do mail outs in any great number you will be better off using a franking machine from April 30th due to the huge increase in postal charges.

Franking Machine prices will rise to :1st Class 44p-2nd class 31p

Non Franking Machine Prices rise to: 1st class 60p- 2nd class 50p

A mail shot of 1000 items will cost 2nd class franked £310.00

Non Franked £500.00..... :o 

Alternatively pull finger out and get a wedge load sent out before April 30th to beat the rise (for now)

Phillip Mold

  • Posts: 594
Re: Postal increase,get a franking machine
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2012, 11:38:43 am »
Or buy your 1st/2nd class stamps in bulk from Royal Mail website. Pay current prices, stamps that show 1st/2nd class as opposed to a monetary value will still be valid
Doing the best job in the world as well as I can

Hilton

  • Posts: 5572
Re: Postal increase,get a franking machine
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2012, 12:25:26 pm »
Or buy your 1st/2nd class stamps in bulk from Royal Mail website. Pay current prices, stamps that show 1st/2nd class as opposed to a monetary value will still be valid

Thats a short term solution but;

They RM have rationed the number of stamps retailers can buy & sell up to the 30th.

Not sure how that helps after the 30th,

Paul Heath

  • Posts: 600
Re: Postal increase,get a franking machine
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2012, 06:49:45 pm »
What you have to look at is the "behind the scene" charges
Everytime you top up your postage...connection fee £7.00 (even though this is through your phone line)
Monthly rental £15.00
Ink cartridges for a pack of 2...£70.00.
Any differant rates that need uploading to the machine...£60.00.
We have had ours for 3 years and its going back when contract is up, fed up with all the extras.... :(

Simon Gerrard

  • Posts: 4405

John Milnes

Re: Postal increase,get a franking machine
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2012, 10:00:45 pm »
as above.......mail will go out of the window. Do customers want e-mails?....yes they do....just ask them ;)

And theres some awesomely good free e-mail campagn tools and companies out there

ditch the post eventually

Hilton

  • Posts: 5572
Re: Postal increase,get a franking machine
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2012, 08:29:04 am »
Do customers want just e-mails NO and we have asked them.  ;) 

When the day comes that mail will not be required.........we will still do it as it will be a novelty then and people will be more likely to open than a letter than go through load of junk emails, already now your emails will probably go unread as they are dumped in spam and deleted.

The cost of postage will far outweigh the operating costs of franking machine if like us you do a lot of bulk mailings.

Its a no brainer, plus the convenience of just running them through, who wants to lick or stick a few thousand stamps on envelopes  :( I know I dont.

By the way we bought our machine so do not and would not pay monthly rental,


Ian Gourlay

  • Posts: 5748
Re: Postal increase,get a franking machine
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2012, 09:53:48 am »
What were Franking Machine prices  before Increase.

Actually this has blown a hole in the reason for the increase,

To preserve the universal postal service so we do not loose Saturday deliveries etc etc.

We were told its not cost effective at old prices and postal service was operating at a big Accountants Created loss

This just hits the occasional user the pensioner writing to her family in John O Groats etc etc

Yet more Public relations spin this was not mentioned on The Today Programme

Hilton

  • Posts: 5572
Re: Postal increase,get a franking machine
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2012, 09:57:43 am »
Hi Ian

We currently pay 39p.1st----28p. 2nd

Much lower than non business.

Jim_77

Re: Postal increase,get a franking machine
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2012, 10:24:50 am »
iMail / Docmail etc... much less hassle, you do none of the legwork and the'yre a stack load cheaper than buying postage from royal mail


??? franking machines for mailshots??!  Do you still wear flares and watch black & white TV?!!!

You could even use smartstamp and save a penny or two per stamp

Hilton

  • Posts: 5572
Re: Postal increase,get a franking machine
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2012, 10:39:48 am »
iMail / Docmail etc... much less hassle, you do none of the legwork and the'yre a stack load cheaper than buying postage from royal mail


??? franking machines for mailshots??!  Do you still wear flares and watch black & white TV?!!!

You could even use smartstamp and save a penny or two per stamp

 ;D I do still wear flares they always come back in to fashion, and my Ferguson TV works perfectly well thank you.

We are on Smartstamp as well, it aint that great, franking machine is much easier and cheaper.

Ian Gourlay

  • Posts: 5748
Re: Postal increase,get a franking machine
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2012, 11:19:50 am »
Hilton

How many mail shots do you send out a month out of interest