duztee

I ordered 30 Ink cartridges for my printer from the UK, this you would think would involve a 'parcel'.
Yes and No.
It was a parcel when it left the UK, but when it arrived at my local Post Office it had changed into a 'Large Letter' or so the lady behind the counter would have me believe.
This means that since it is now a 'Large Letter' and the postman knows it will definitely NOT fit in a letterbox, he doesn't even need to bring it with him, he just shoves a little note in my box that I have to go to the Post Office and collect it!

So the lazy blighters don't count it as a parcel because then they would have to send out a van, and obviously it is too much effort for the postman to bring it and ring the damn Bell.

And to add insult to injury, I had to show ID to collect it, which would have been an acceptable request except I took the opportunity of paying some Yellow Bills while I was there. Bills in my name and my address!
I am only surprised she didn't tell me I needed to go to the other window for collections.

Guess who is NOT getting any xmas tip this year!

Szeged

That is not true. The postman, sorting office and so on are not obliged to send a parcel to your door, regardless if it is too big for a letter box or not. They will normally do as in the UK and leave a note in your letter box about you collecting it from their sorting office or a designated post office.

My HU GF is well aware of this process as it has happened to her on numerous occasions, both parcels and large letters sent from the UK and sent from within Hungary.

I am assuming it is all to do with time, space in a van or postman's sack and cost. Why carry around parcels and large letters (dead weight and dead space) if you are not certain of the recipient being at home?

enter

Agree with you Szeged, our Post Office always leave a note if not delivered to our address,I take my Passport for collection anyway,no big deal. Our Post Office is great and obliging and always gets a Christmas present, in fact I am delivering it today

scrubbedexpat142

Never had a problem, brilliant Postman, only ever had to collect when we have genuinely been out when he called.

duztee

Sorry but I still disagree.
If I have a parcel sent to me then I expect it to be delivered to me, that is what the sender pays for.

This system seems to work for DPD, UPS and all the other parcel delivery companies who have no problem delivering to my door. I am sure no one would be happy to get a note from these companies to say your parcel has arrived in Budapest depot please collect!

scrubbedexpat142

So far have found Magyar Posta considerably cheaper for parcels than the carriers you mention.

duztee

I suppose it is easy to offer a cheaper service if you are not actually going to DELIVER said parcels!

scrubbedexpat142

Persze!

fidobsa

I suppose I am biased because I only live about 2 minutes walk from the village post office but I prefer the Hungarian system and try to avoid getting stuff via the private sector couriers. I have never been asked for ID but they know I'm the strange English bloke who STILL can't speak Hungarian! I would rather my parcel stay safely stored in the post office rather than left out in the rain or "hidden" in the dustbin!

I once lost a parcel completely because it arrived a couple of days before the quoted delivery date and I was not there to take delivery. The courier firms tend to make 2 attempts to deliver your parcel then return it to the sender. In my case it was a cash-on-delivery item so it did not cost me anything but the inconvenience. If it had been coming via the post office I could have just collected it when I got back.

Peter_in_Hungary

The courier firms that have delivered my goods usually email the delivery date and approx. time and often will phone when they are in the area to confirm delivery. There is also a collection point in the local supermarket which is a (cheaper) drop point where goods are held for a time.

But back to the post office - we can't fault our postie, she delivers small parcels and takes letters and we can also pay bills via her service. She will also bring out cash and several of the villagers have their pension delivered monthly by the postie - but that may be more of a statement about the safety of society rather than the service of the post office. (I don't recall of hearing of a postie getting robbed).

fidobsa

That is true, they don't only trust the public not to rob the postie but they also trust the posties not to abscond with the cash. Back in the early '60s my dad worked at the post office in Pershore. When they opened Strensham services on the M5 there were phone boxes and stamp machines there. They did not trust the normal postmen to empty the cash boxes or restock the stamps so they taught my dad to drive and it became one of his duties. He used the normal Moggie Minor vans but there was one van he would avoid driving because it had a dodgy gearbox. Eventually the GPO sold that van and my dad bought it! He did get a reconditioned gearbox fitted but it seems ironic for him to buy the van he hated driving!

duztee

I think the Post Office is similar, they will only hold a parcel a few days before returning to sender.

I too am less than a couple of minutes from my P.O. but when ever I go to do a simple P.O. related thing I am always behind a line of people who are only buying/exchanging lottery scratch cards, so annoying.
I don't mind the P.O. making a few bob on the side but why do they have to do it from the same window as posting letters/paying bills.

duztee

They are people and differ as we all do.
I would not give my Postie any stars, that said the one who delivers to a good friend I would give 5 stars and I don't even know how good a service he does.
But he always greets me in English when we pass or waves if I am driving passed, and is always chatting to someone, always seems to be happy and content with his lot in life.

scrubbedexpat142

Bit of nostalgia for Duztee?

duztee

Mine still looks like that every time I go in to it!

Bet half of them are buying scratch cards!