Pattern Leaflet Postage

[admin]

Due to the increase in postage prices by Royal Mail in April 2009, we will have to put up our Pattern Leaflet Only postage. It has been 50p for quite a while and does not even cover our basic costs without postage going up.

We will therefore be putting the price up to 65p at the beginning of April.
However we have been told by customers that in some areas of the country Royal Mail seem to delight in ignoring the Do Not Bend sticker.

The poll above is therefore to gauge whether you would be willing to pay extra (approx 25p we think to make a total of 90p) to have your patterns send in a Board Backed Envelope. We should be able to get a final price shortly.

I don't even know if it is possible to put this option in the cart yet but please vote and I will see what I can do.

Or do you think all pattern leaflets should be sent in a Board Backed Envelope and the postage should just be the 90p for everyone. This would be easier to do in the cart

Please post your comments on here or pm/email me direct.

[babylover]

I voted board backed envelopes as everytime i have ordered a pattern it arrived creased and folded .

[admin]

We are hopefully pricing up some different types of envelopes this week, we need to make sure they will take up to 40 patterns with ease. Perhaps when we get a final price then more people will vote

If you are not a member but still want to vote please let me know. I have a guest login you can use.

But why not register anyway - it is free and you are under no obligation to post. Although we hope you will

[admin]

Well we ordered C4 envelopes with board back from our suppliers but when they arrived they are bigger than the ordinary C4 envelopes and won't go through the Royal Mail Large Letter Slot. That would mean the postage would more than double !!

We are taking them back and hopefully getting our money back - they cost us almost 20p each and we had to buy a whole box so I hope they will take them back

We will have to look at other suppliers and hope that there is such a thing as a board back envelope which goes through the Royal Mail 'slot'.

We need more votes please - perhaps anyone who thinks 'no' could put a post on here as to why. We need more info on what you, the customer, wants us to do.

[Janet]

I wonder if you could use ordinary envelopes and put a piece of card in with the patterns.

I have got patterns from elsewhere that were delivered safely in that way. I have no idea whether that would be more expensive or cheaper than board back envelopes but my guess is that it would be cheaper.

I voted for board backed envelopes but a piece of card would do for me.

[admin]

We are waiting for a price from our supplier for the card but it looks almost the same price.

At the moment we are cutting up cardboard boxes to put in parcels with patterns and yarn if the warehouse thinks there may be a problem. But we often run out of boxes and it all takes time to cut etc.

The extra problem with separate card is that it all takes time to put in the envelope and put the 'do not bend' sticker on. These board envelopes already have a 'do not bend' note on them so it saves 2 actions in the warehouse. But saying that buying ready cut card is my first choice as it could be used in the yarn/pattern parcels too. And we are less likely to run out if it is something we buy from a supplier instead of having to find.

[admin]

Well I think the poll is fairly conclusive although there have not been many votes. We assume the rest of you don't have an opinion either way

We have priced up the new postage costs and the costs of card envelopes and think we only need to put up the postage to 75p INCLUDING the card envelope.

Hopefully this information will encourage people to vote or comment.

As postage costs are going up on 6th April we propose to put up the pattern only postage to 75p at 1pm on Friday 3rd April. We usually print off the last orders for processing about then so anything after that would not go out until Monday 6th with the higher Royal Mail costs.

Please Remember that, although the cost is rising, you are getting added value. From 1pm Friday 3rd April - every pattern only order - even just a single pattern - will be in a card envelope with 'do not bend' printed on it. We are also going to ask the warehouse to put a card in any order with a pattern unless it is sandwiched between 2 packs of yarn.

We hope this means your parcels will get to you in a better condition, even if the postmen out there try to bend them

[Flystitch]

Well I think it is a great idea.I know the pattern gets creased after using it for a bit but is nice to start out with them looking pristune. I keep mine in those plastic folders when using them, keeps them a bit cleaner.

[shadesofwhite]

I voted card backed with no choice. I have paid a pound postage before and that wasn't backed. What a diddle

[admin]

I know this is a bit late but the p+p on pattern leaflet only orders went up to £0.85 because of the last Royal Mail increase.

We have now got a steady supply of the Card Backed Envelopes AND have separate card pieces too. The warehouse should put a bit of card in any parcel that has wool and patterns. It has caused a bit of confusion once recently when a customer thought we hadn't put her pattern in - she hadn't looked behind the card

Hope you are finding that your patterns are arriving in a good condition.

Any more feedback would be appreciated but we have locked this thread for now.