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Wirral mum charged extra for postage because birthday card had badge on




A BIRTHDAY card posted to a mum from Noctorum cost £1.08 to collect from a sorting office because it had a badge on it.

When the mail arrived at Tula Brett's home in Upton Road on Wednesday morning, there was a card from the Post Office which said an item was waiting for collection from a depot in Prenton.

Tula's 65-year-old husband Denis went to collect the mystery object, which turned out to be a card from her friend, and had to pay a £1.08 handling charge.

An unhappy Tula later paid a visit to the office to complain and tried, unsuccessfully, to get a refund.

The couple had both celebrated their birthdays a few days earlier. The card Tula eventually received had a small plastic badge with the words 'Birthday Girl' attached to it and there was a first-class stamp and postmark on the envelope.

Royal Mail said its postage prices were based on the letter's size and weight, which the sender shoud have checked before posting.

An angry Tula, 46, told the Globe: "You don't expect to receive a card with a first class stamp on it and have to pay a charge to collect it.

"Does that mean children will be charged extra for cards with badges on? I could get a parcel delivered for less than the cost of a card.

"I'd be horrified if I sent someone a card and they were charged to just open the card.

"I haven't told my friend yet, but I'm sure she won’t be pleased either.

"It's a frustrating situation. I was not very happy about having to pay this money for something I hadn’t even posted.

There also seemed to be some confusion as to why we'd been charged £1.08.

"When my husband asked a member of staff why he'd been charged, he was told it was because it wouldn't fit through the slot, which we assumed meant the letter here at the house.

"He then produced a steel frame with test slots in it and tried to push the card through it.

"We were also told it was because the card was the wrong weight for the stamp. His colleague corrected him by saying that it was because of the badge on the card. We’ve had no real explanation as to why this charge was levied, or any apology."

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Since August 2006, UK postage prices have been based on the size of an item as well as its weight. Mail is priced in three sizes: Letter, Large Letter and Packet.

"For the vast majority of cards the Letter size applies. For larger cards with any dimension over 240mm long or 165mm wide or 5mm thick, or over 100g in weight, the Large Letter rate applies.

"Any item more than 353mm long, more than 250mm wide, more than 25mm thick, or weighing more than 750g, is classed as a Packet.

"From the information supplied on the item concerned it could well be thicker than the maximum allowed for the 'Letter' size, so the sender should have paid postage for the Large Letter size.

"If a recipient wishes to receive an underpaid item of mail, they must pay the amount of underpaid postage plus a £1 handling fee. The fee goes towards our additional handling costs, including returning the item to the delivery office, storage, and administration.

"Underpaid postage amounts to millions of pounds each year and surcharging doesn't cover our costs, loses us money and is the last thing we want to do."

In response, Mrs Brett said: "It's a ridiculous situation. I had other cards with badges and didn't get charged.

It seems to me that this policy is not something which is implemented across the board."

THE GLOBE

scam less

Royal mail really are a big waste of fookin time at the mo, Im tempted to make a letter bomb for them.

Since when has this been big enough news to make the papers. Royal Mail have had Small and Large stamps for many years now. Anything over 5mm needs a bigger stamp.

I wouldn't bother, it wouldn't arrive in time assuming it arrived at all

pmsl, you couldn't be further fron the truth, I cant belive the postal staff are striking because they dont get to go home early anymore, they should be greatful they have jobs.

No matter how much you dislike the service or the cost, your comment was totally uncalled for...what a thing to say after all the terrorist attacks etc that have happened in the last few years

OMG it was a joke, loosen up bud.

Eyes went a bit gozzy half way thru reading....is thìs the best the Globe can do? Pathetic story-i'd be pleased to have a mate who thought me worthy of a badge!! Lol.

I agree with peodude, can't really understand what the fuss is about, as much as I think the Royal Mail are ... for their self-defeating and selfish strike, this has been a policy they adopted years ago, and have always made it quite clear since it was launched.

Why should the Royal Mail be expected to drop the policy for certain people or types of mail, when they levy it on others.

It's just the Globe, and some very sad people with very sad lives and too much time on their hands, making a mountain out of a molehill.

It will probably cost them more than £1.08 to telephone every fooker they know to tell them about it!!!

Its the £1.08 though, sure they should just be getting charged the extra few pence from a small stamp to a large one?

My missus had to pay extra for a card because it had a raised cardboard representation on the front which made it thicker than a normal card, it was tested through the frame. All I can advise is that you just buy flat cards and the card companies may as well ditch all the fancy ones they've manufactured. Does life in this country start getting up your nose a bit? It does me.

cheeky fookers.

Why do you think im f***ing off to aus. Sick of getting spooned of my money.. I hate the fact that i have to pay Gordon Brown to sit on his arse and talk sh** all day and everyday..