Postal arrangements

[Smelly]

Contributors who are somewhat long in the tooth might remember my "How Do You Get Your Post" thread.

 

That was a work thing that has come back round for re-hearing and I want to invite new posters to contribute.

 

It was (and is) an exercise to demontrate the variety of methods boaters use to collect their post where the tried and tested hole in the door/wall isn't available.

 

So, sorry for gravedigging; the wheels of Justice turn slowly and especially in this case where the higher courts have admitted to grinding their teeth in anguish at the thought of disturbing a careful & well reasoned (if, I hope, mistaken) decision last time round it's dragged on. However it'd be good if new people would post.

 

Thank you.

 

Dan

[Chris Pink]

My PO Box is up for renewal.

 

2 years ago it was £63, last year it was £96 this year they want £170

 

So whereas at this instant I would answer PO Box.

in two weeks time it will be a friend's house.

 

I would add, if it's not obvious, that I am well pissed off about this.

[jelunga]

Our current method is making my son's address our postal address. He collects and filters the mail. Crap goes straight in the bin, stuff we need to know he tells us on the phone or emails, stuff we physically need he posts to a nearby convenient place.

 

 

 

We have used local post offices, pubs, boatyards and other canalside businesses. One big problem was caused when an important package still had not arrived after three weeks! Luckily, it was addressed to us whilst we were at Stowe Hill Workshop in Weedon having some hinges replaced. We had to leave. Three weeks later, Rob at Stowe Hill said it had turned up where were we? We had moved on to Long Itchington by then. He very kindly brought it to us as he was visiting nearby and left it at the pub.

 

 

 

So great service from Stowe Hill Workshop in Weedon. I cannot recommend them too highly.

[mayalld]

My PO Box is up for renewal.

 

2 years ago it was £63, last year it was £96 this year they want £170

 

So whereas at this instant I would answer PO Box.

in two weeks time it will be a friend's house.

 

I would add, if it's not obvious, that I am well pissed off about this.

 

They've had an expensive year making people redundant.

[Ex- Member]

We've been anticipating this mail issue. It's not really a big problem for us as we have plenty of family addresses we can use.

 

However we've tried to limit mail over the past year, and it's surprising how little you actually need the royal mail. All our personal banking accounts are now dealt with through internet banking. There's no need for them to send us any postal mail. You do have to ensure that you don't lose passwords though or forget pin numbers as the only way they will send you pin numbers or password resetting info is via royal mail.

 

The same applies to our ISA's & brokers trading accounts and other online accounts like screwfix & e-bay amongst others, I have arranged no mail, although We've never had correspondence from E-bay anyway.

 

Almost everything else can be done on the internet except for passport and driving licence. We will choose our family member address just prior to living aboard then register our driving licences at that address and do the same with passport.

 

 

The other tricky one is car insurance, but we won't have a car when living aboard.

 

For over 6 months now I haven't received one piece of important mail, just junk mail. All the household bills are in lynn's name, but the electric and gas are all done via e-mail now as is sky broadband. Of course we won't have these on the boat anyway.

 

Even now if companies need you to sign documents you can now E sign on line and e-mail and can even copy and encrypt your signature for signing documents from comps & mobile phones.

 

Those PO boxes are pricey

[Lady Muck]

I'm same as Julynian, have little use for snail mail. Almost everything can be received online. I even get my CanalBoat and Waterways World as emagazines.

[curzons246]

We have our post sent to the local post office that then brings it to the shop on the marina. This is done for £5 a month and works as the shop and post office have very close links. Cheers Bill and Denise NB Indulgence.

[bluegreencanal]

My PO Box is up for renewal.

 

2 years ago it was £63, last year it was £96 this year they want £170

 

So whereas at this instant I would answer PO Box.

in two weeks time it will be a friend's house.

 

I would add, if it's not obvious, that I am well pissed off about this.

 

Yes, I am in the same boat (not literally) and have just received the bill for £170 for my renewal. Not happy and in the process of making a big complaint...not expecting too get anywhere much tho as the only competitor to a PO Box I know of is MBE (mail boxes etc) and they charge over £300 a year.

 

I would change to a friends house too, if it were not for the fact that my driving licence, my car insurance and many of my direct debits are linked to my po box. It jwould cost me more to change everything at a very difficult time.

 

After a month's notice in writing to stop my PO Box for my late partner, they managed to close mine for a month too. Not only is the service more expensive, it is going downhill. I narrowly escaped missing a job interview and lost my boat licence for 4 months in the post...groan gripe chiz.

 

Not a happy girl.

 

We have our post sent to the local post office that then brings it to the shop on the marina. This is done for £5 a month and works as the shop and post office have very close links. Cheers Bill and Denise NB Indulgence.

 

This sounds very kind and friendly, is it a friendly arrnagement or is it reproducable elsewhere?

[Mat B]

........ the only competitor to a PO Box I know of is MBE (mail boxes etc) and they charge over £300 a year.

......

 

I am happy with the service from PRIME Secretarial Services, certainly cheaper than £300.

 

 

m@

Edited September 5, 2011 by Mat B

[bluegreencanal]

I am happy with the service from PRIME Secretarial Services, certainly cheaper than £300.

 

 

m@

Yes they do look competitive but I can only see them in London. The nearest mail boxes etc to me is Banbury and at 30 miles that is too far away. London is 40 miles.

[pearley]

Our current method is making my son's address our postal address. He collects and filters the mail. Crap goes straight in the bin, stuff we need to know he tells us on the phone or emails, stuff we physically need he posts to a nearby convenient place.

 

 

That's what we do as well. Most things are done on line now, bank, credit cards, boat insurance, etc. Still surprised about the amount of crap mail though. Asking them to desist seems to be a waste of time.

[Mat B]

I am happy with the service from PRIME Secretarial Services, certainly cheaper than £300.

 

 

m@

 

 

Yes they do look competitive but I can only see them in London. The nearest mail boxes etc to me is Banbury and at 30 miles that is too far away. London is 40 miles.

 

Yes, but they will forward mail to any address you specify, pub, village shop, boatyard, etc. You can change the forwarding address as often as you like, it just needs an e-mail.

 

Forwarding can be as often as you want, or can be put on hold for a period.

 

m@

[Midnight Rider]

I am happy with the service from PRIME Secretarial Services, certainly cheaper than £300.

Yes, we used Prime for a couple of years, the beauty with them is that you get what looks like a private address ie no box No.

 

They can be a bit dozy, we have had one or two things go missing & instuctions not acted on straight way,but 90% satisfied.

[tillergirl]

We've already discussed this with the youngest daughter who has happily said she will be our c/o address for things like driving licences, passport (if we renew) and the like. Anything else that isn't junk she will scan and email us if its important apart from boat licence which when it arrives, will be a good excuse to meet up and come with us for a little chug! I would imagine that most other things can be done on-line the way we do most of it now anyway.

[Smelly]

Thanks in part to the contributors to this thread and it's predecessor, someone who fell foul of a malicious investigation has been found not to owe HMG the cash equivalent of a very decent second hand boat, or a cheap new one.

 

To someone on means tested benefits that is a shedload of money.

 

Thank you!