Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

Stamp prices heading north again.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17522500

Ah well, just another reason to avoid Royal Mail and use e.mail, fax or even the phone whenever possible. I wouldn't mind so much if I had any faith in RM's ability to deliver the mail securely and promptly but over the years the service just seems to have got worse. I used to complain to Postwatch but they are about as useful as the FSA in a major financial crisis..... :rolleyes:

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

l think its just a matter of time before we end up paying a £1 for a first class stamp and this is just another decision that will make that milestone inevitable in the end.:td::(

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

... such an encouragement to use the postal service more - haven't they yet realised that they don't benefit their businesses by pricing themselves out of the market - cost of an email or text minimal, cost of a stamp high - I wonder why the "Royal Mail" is losing money - they should go back to being called the "General Post Office" after all there is nothing regal about the service they provide!

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

They probably realised they were losing out in the online shopping explosion. Let's hope they don't price themselves out of that market too!

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

It looks like some good news regarding what RM can charge other companies for accessing their service.
The situation up to now was patently unfair in that they were forced to charge a pathetic maximum.
Hopefully a massive knee in the nuts for companies that have been leeching and a more level playing field.

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

I`ve been using the postal service less and less over the years due to the cost of stamps and the unreliability of the service. With this great hike in price I will be using it even less. The postal service is pricing itself out of the market.

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

Is the extra cost of delivering 1st class that much more? May be for longer distances eg Glasgow to London. Most of the cost will be in collecting, sorting, and final delivering, which would be the same whether 1st or 2nd class.

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

Just been hearing the regulator saying that this move is partly due to people moving away from mail. Well maybe if the service was better that wouldn't be the case but I don't see how upping prices so much is going to address that problem. :confused:

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

£1 is still really good value imo, can you deliver it yourself for less.

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

No but there are other options of communication open to me like email or even the phone whenever possible and l shall use these whenever l can.

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

Soon, the other mail carriers will be looking better and better :)

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

I thought we were all doing that anyway and had been for years.

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

And with increasingly regular stamp price rises l will use that even more and once they have lost peoples custom they will not get it back.

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

I heard one commentator saying it was needed to guarantee a universal service but what point is there in having a universal service if an increasingly number of people can't afford to use it? :confused:

Re: Price controls on 1st class stamps lifted
 

Except when posting is the only option acceptable to the recipient.

---------- Post added at 17:23 ---------- Previous post was at 17:22 ----------

Cant afford to use it at less than a quid a letter, the cuts must be really kicking in.