Gah! Post office staff & posting air pistols

[Yafflle1234]

Looking closely...

The webby says:

Guns intended for sporting purposes - including Section 1 (e.g. hunting rifles) and Section 2 (e.g. shotguns) firearms, low-powered air weapons and their component parts - may be sent in compliance with UK law and subject to domestic controls on the possession of firearms. Antiques, deactivated and imitation firearms are also permitted. When sending deactivated firearms include proof of deactivation.

Items that appear to be prohibited weapons may be subject to additional checks and delays. Please see www.royalmail.com/prohibitedgoods

Use 1st Class as the minimum service. The sender’s name and address must be clearly visible on the outer packaging.

If you click on the prohibited goods link - Airguns are listed but says (in full):

Guns for sporting use (Section 1 and Section 2 firearms, low-powered air weapons and their component parts) Packaging guidelines: May be sent in compliance with UK law and subject to any applicable controls on the possession of firearms. Only low-powered air weapons are accepted by Parcelforce Worldwide and must be sent using express48 via the Post Office. Sender’s name and address must be visible on the parcel.

So RM accept Section 1/2 and AG's, whereas PF will only accept AG's - or am I reading it incorrectly??

[angrybear]

Looking closely...

The webby says:

Guns intended for sporting purposes - including Section 1 (e.g. hunting rifles) and Section 2 (e.g. shotguns) firearms, low-powered air weapons and their component parts - may be sent in compliance with UK law and subject to domestic controls on the possession of firearms. Antiques, deactivated and imitation firearms are also permitted. When sending deactivated firearms include proof of deactivation.

Items that appear to be prohibited weapons may be subject to additional checks and delays. Please see www.royalmail.com/prohibitedgoods

Use 1st Class as the minimum service. The sender’s name and address must be clearly visible on the outer packaging.

If you click on the prohibited goods link - Airguns are listed but says (in full):

Guns for sporting use (Section 1 and Section 2 firearms, low-powered air weapons and their component parts) Packaging guidelines: May be sent in compliance with UK law and subject to any applicable controls on the possession of firearms. Only low-powered air weapons are accepted by Parcelforce Worldwide and must be sent using express48 via the Post Office. Sender’s name and address must be visible on the parcel.

So RM accept Section 1/2 and AG's, whereas PF will only accept AG's - or am I reading it incorrectly??

Who's web site ?

RM web site for RM rules, PF web site for PF rules , which is another thing people forget about.

[distantcamera]

This response from Royal Mail, confirming that I should have been able to use Special Delivery. No need to lie about the contents!

Thank you for your email. I am sorry for any concern or inconvenience this issue has caused.

I can confirm that low-powered air weapons and their component parts may be sent by Royal Mail in compliance with UK laws. They must be properly packaged and meet the size requirements of Standard Parcels/Special Delivery service.

I am sorry if you were wrongly advised by the Post Office and their helpline on this matter. I’d like to explain that while Post Office Ltd accepts postal items and payment on our behalf, they became independent of Royal Mail on 1 April 2012 and are a separate business.
Therefore all enquiries and complaints relating to their services or staff are handled by them.

You can find contact details for Post Office Ltd on their website at www.postoffice.co.uk/contact-us.

Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Now that I have that I have submitted a complaint to the Post Office, not about their staff, but about the helpline giving the staff the wrong information.

[bighit]

This response from Royal Mail, confirming that I should have been able to use Special Delivery. No need to lie about the contents!



Now that I have that I have submitted a complaint to the Post Office, not about their staff, but about the helpline giving the staff the wrong information.

It will no doubt be a training issue

If enough people complain there may be a memo sent to staff. But I would not hold my breath .

[angrybear]

This response from Royal Mail, confirming that I should have been able to use Special Delivery. No need to lie about the contents!



Now that I have that I have submitted a complaint to the Post Office, not about their staff, but about the helpline giving the staff the wrong information.

Any way you can put up a link ? a copy of that email might be very useful for those members who have less than helpful PO staff.

[distantcamera]

I have now had a response from the Post Office, who have repeated the same, incorrect information, despite me telling them that RM had already told me that sending airguns by Special Delivery is fine...

Thank you for your email.



The information provided by our branch helpline to our branches is based on information provided by Royal.



I have checked the current information available to our helpline team which advises low powered air rifles must be sent via Parcelforce Express 48.



If you need further help please feel free to get back in touch.

Please reply via customercare@postoffice.co.uk as a reply sent to any other email address will not receive a response.

If you need any further help with Post Office® products and services you can access information at www.postoffice.co.uk.

Kind Regards,

Lee McCormack

Customer Service Advisor

Textphone: 03457 22 33 55 (For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
Email: customercare@postoffice.co.uk
www.facebook.com/postoffice
www.twitter.com/postoffice

So I have sent them a screenshot of the original email and asked why the information is "Based on" rather than "Comes from" Royal Mail.

[Squirrelking]

Based on very old info, the rules were changed at least a year and a half ago!

[distantcamera]

I escalated the complaint with the Post Office and they refuse to admit they are incorrect, even though I send them the response from Royal Mail.

Thank you for your email.



I have looked into this further for you, to make sure the information we are giving to customers is accurate and current. I can confirm that Low Powered air weapons, are only accepted by Parcelforce Worldwide and must be sent using express48 via the Post Office.



This information is found on the Royal Mail website, and was updated in January 2017. The link to find this updated information is: http://www.royalmail.com/sites/defau...an-30-2017.pdf






I apologise that you have had conflicting advice, and I hope the information will clarify which service you need to use to send your item.




I would recommend that you contact Royal Mail and raise your concerns with them, as the information you have received is incorrect. You can contact Royal Mail directly:


By telephone on: 03457 740 740
Or you can use their online “Contact Us” form: https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/contact


If you need further help please feel free to get back in touch.

If you need any further help with Post Office® products and services you can access information at www.postoffice.co.uk.

Kind Regards,

Nichola Barber

Customer Service Advisor

Textphone: 03457 22 33 55 (For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
Email: customercare@postoffice.co.uk
www.facebook.com/postoffice
www.twitter.com/postoffice

I have sent all the correspondence to BASC who have now raised it again with the Post Office.

[Aimstraight]

I escalated the complaint with the Post Office and they refuse to admit they are incorrect, even though I send them the response from Royal Mail.

I have sent all the correspondence to BASC who have now raised it again with the Post Office.

Thanks, the link to the latest RMDG17 was useful, but it appears to be the same as the last version. It is a joint RM and PF leaflet, it states that only Low Power Airguns will be 'accepted' by PF (as opposed to any other gun). It does NOT state that PF is the only service, nor does it state that RM will not accept airguns for sporting use.

[Aimstraight]

This response from Royal Mail, confirming that I should have been able to use Special Delivery. No need to lie about the contents!

Now that I have that I have submitted a complaint to the Post Office, not about their staff, but about the helpline giving the staff the wrong information.

This response from the service provider is what is important. If only everyone at the Post Office could understand the RM rules

[Aimstraight]

......So RM accept Section 1/2 and AG's, whereas PF will only accept AG's - or am I reading it incorrectly??

Think you got it there. Slight correction, PF only accept 'Low Power' Airguns.

[Aimstraight]

Based on very old info, the rules were changed at least a year and a half ago!

If you have something in writing from Royal Mail please share it.

[distantcamera]

If you have something in writing from Royal Mail please share it.

OK
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4cnx9ks698...ponse.png?dl=0

[Aimstraight]

OK
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4cnx9ks698...ponse.png?dl=0

Superb, just what we need; confirms 'our' understanding that RMSD is OK.

The invite was to anyone that could provide any other (contradictory) written evidence from Royal Mail.

See LINK ;-)

[distantcamera]

Well, the BASC succeeded where I failed!

Today I was forwarded an apology letter with a promise that the Post Office would distribute the correct information to all branches. In the meantime here is the letter in case you need it:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yee68kgsip...81%29.pdf?dl=0