A question for members abroad...

[Inquartata]

For those of you in outside of North America: could you give me a general idea what your postal service is like in your country? I.e. how many days a week is mail delivered, how many times a day, how much does it cost to send a first-class letter within the country, and do you think of the system as adequate or inadequate, well-run or a bureaucratic mess, or something in between? If you've any experience of the American system, how does your national system compare? I appreciate all input...

[Gav]

In the UK post is delivered 5 days a week (mon - fri) and normally [in my experience] before 10 pm. You can also send items recorded or for next day but if you require. I think the system is actually quite good. The way some people go one you would think it was a thrid world system - it's not.

First class post is 27p - i think we have done away with 2nd class.

[Inquartata]

Thanks. I read once that it was 7 days a week and twice a day M-F, so I'm glad to have any mistaken impressions dispelled.

How costly is it to mail letters?

[Dave]

It was, till not that long ago 2 deliveries a day M-F and one on Saturday but the royal mail have been trying to cut back on costs (Due to losing their monopoly on the profitable bits of their business).

First class stamp 27p (about 50 cents), second class 24p (IIRC) but very few people use second class. If you use first class it generally arrives about 24-36 hours after you post the letter. Post is collected from post boxes 1/2/3/4/5 times per day depending on the boxes location with the last pickup time written on the box.

The royal mail is generally very good, but they are in financial difficulties at the moment and seem to be having a bit of an identity crisis. They have lost several of their monopolies recently which has cut away at their profitable business.

[Zelda]

Australia - the postal service delivers once a day M-F except for the 2 weeks before christmas where they deliver M-S.

A letter to the US costs $1.80. From tassie to the mainland usually takes 2-3 days depending on what day it is. Tassie to the rest of the world? week to 10 days depending on your country! Why the curiosity inq?

[Inquartata]

How about within the country, Zelda?

I'm engaged in an argument about the cost and efficiency of the USPS, and it helps sometimes to get an international perspective.

[Pauli]

I think it's a funny question, but I'll reply to it anyhow to get your statistics going.

First of all, people here (including me) always complain about the service - as also mentioned by Gav - and indeed, it seems as if you don't meet the smartest people at postal services desks, nor do their eyes shine of intelligence. Their way of thinking is 9am-5pm,my desk,my computer,my chair - don't tell me what goes beyond because I am only here at my desk with my computer on my chair.
But maybe if I'm a bit more objective, our system is not all that bad, just really expensive!

Delivery within the country (Mo-Fri + Sat a.m.)
A-Post (meaning à priorité):
the promise - if brought to the post before 6pm, it'll be delivered until 9am the following day
the actual situation - they fail then when you need it most, there is a 60 to 40 chance that indeed they stick to their promise
Price, normal size letter: CHF 1.00 (USD 0.85)
Price A4 letter: CHF 2.20 (USD 1.70)

B-Post
delivered within the following 4-5 days
Price normal size letter: CHF 0.80
Price A4 letter: CHF 1.80

Express Deliveries go by weight. A normal letter, normal weight, approx CHF 6.-, but only if mailed by 11am the same day delivery is guaranteed.
A4 letters go from approx CHF 14.50.

Color of the state post: yellow!

[Zilverzmurfen]

Everything about the swedish postal service. (In english.)

• Mail is delivered Mon-Fri.
• My mail usually arrives at about 11-12 (AM).
• Cost of mail depends on weight, dimension, destination and priority. (See related pdf-files for specific details.)

Examples:

• Domestic mail (non-Prioritaire) maximum weight 20g, Delivery within 1-3 business days: SEK 5.50 (0.78 $)
• International mail (Prioritaire) maximum weight 20g: SEK 10.00 (1.41 $)

Overall I'm content with the postal service. I used to mail a LOT when younger but nowadays I use e-mail much more.

Oh yes, and the national post colour is yellow in Sweden too!

[Inquartata]

Thanks, folks, these are really useful....

[Maeve_Mari]

I live in the western section of the East Township of South Northridge.
Mail is delivered six days a week here and basic first class postage is still around 37 cents, but I think it is going up to about 45 cents in the next month or so.

Hope this info helps you with your Inquiry! !

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by Maeve_Mari

western section of the East Township of South Northridge.

Whooo, you lost me there...

Hope this info helps you with your inquiry!

Witty!

[sabreur]

In Germany, a standard letter costs about 60 Euro cents to mail.

You can pretty much rely on something mailed on one day arriving at its destination the next day... In fact, I think I saw a test that showed that packages mailed with normal postage were slightly more likely to arrive the next day than packages mailed "next day mail."

MR

[latenight]

Originally Posted by Zelda

Australia - the postal service delivers once a day M-F except for the 2 weeks before christmas where they deliver M-S.

A letter to the US costs $1.80. From tassie to the mainland usually takes 2-3 days depending on what day it is. Tassie to the rest of the world? week to 10 days depending on your country! Why the curiosity inq?

Unless it's a package at christmas...in that case, now is the appropriate time to send it for christmas 2005


and Inq in an arguement...no wayyyyyyy

[Insipiens]

Mail (post) in the UK is still delivered on Saturdays wherever I have been (not Scotland I have to admit, Gav ).

Statistically something like 85% of letters posted first class before noon arrive the next day. (except in outlying areas - like Scotland [well the North of] ).

That said we all know what statistics show, and when you want it to you it never does. But as Gav says, there is a guaranteed next (working) day delivery for a significant extra cost.

UK law (e.g. on tax filing deadlines) considers that if you post something to get there the next working day it will be delivered

We still had second class post before Christmas but it is being phased out.

Generally the postal service is believed to have got worse.

[Insipiens]

People I know who lived in Rome would always try and use the Vatican post rather than the Italian post: the Vatican post used to be run by the Swiss and was much more efficient. I have known it take two weeks for a letter to get across Rome.

Unfortunately I think the Vatican mail is now run by the Italians

[Zelda]

Within Australia - a standard letter costs 50c to send and on the mainland generally take 1-2 days between capital cities. You can buy express post envelopes wich are garunteed next day delivery to areas within certain postcodes (all capital cities and most major suburban areas). These cost anywhere between $3.40 and $10 depending on the size of the article.
www.austpost.com.au has all the info you need - including a postage calculator.

[glowstix]

ours is a "bureaurocratic mess", you really don't wanna know..
people deliver mail "when they feel like it". thank God for fedex as a more expensive but absolutely necessary alternative!!

[Inquartata]

Thanks for all the ammunition---er, I mean, information...

Anyone else? Veeco? Velisarios? Anyone in Asia?

[epeefencer74]

Singapore's mail system is pretty good. Only one class for standard letters, that costs 22 Singapore cents (about USD0.13). Collection is from Mondays to Saturdays; depending on where the mail box is, collections are usually once a day sometimes twice. Mail delivery is from Mondays to Saturdays at around 3pm, except on public holidays. Guarenteed next day delivery local, (That's cos Singapore is a really small island), if it's deposited in the mail box before the last collection time for the day.

[Inquartata]

That's pretty inexpensive. Is Singapore's system state run or privatized?