Royal Mail Tracked48 and Tracked24 - UK sellers, what are you going to do now with Update required

[WHengraving]

Hi, 

I use 'other' because Etsy doesn't provide services Tracked48 and Tracked24 by Royal Mail. And I don't want to go back to 'signed for' because of lots of messages - where's my order! 

UK sellers how are you going to use these services now while the option 'other' is not longer available?

So far I can adding new listing and using old delivery profiles with the option 'other' but I wonder when Etsy force me to change it anyway

[HallelujahTree]

I've just heard of this in the forums today.  Apparently when items come up for renewal we'll be forced to adopt their limited range of options.  Really disheartening.  I'm awaiting a response from a chat I had with Etsy this morning.

I wonder whether they'll suggest choosing one of their options and adding an upgrade if that's possible?? But we all know that customers don't take much notice of upgrades at checkout.

Edited to say that although there's an upgrade option of 'other' it then still forces you to use one of their options still, so pretty pointless

[GlitteringprizeGlass]

I suspect that RM are only offering those services via their website - I even looked on Post Office price finder and oh surprise they don't offer it there either.

You could set up click and drop and link your Etsy shop and ship from the click and drop site xx

[Gnomebase]

Nope. They tell you to use the recommended method closest to your dispatch times. 

I used the live chat today. They were no help whatsoever.

[AutumnHollowStudio]

I am in the US and can't offer any advice, but I am just sorry that you are all going through this and I hope there will be a resolution for everyone affected.

[VINTAGEbytheMAGPIE]

@AutumnHollowStudio without a resolution by Etsy, the increased RISK to UK shops will mean that many will just move to another selling platform 

[LittleGemsJewells]

@VINTAGEbytheMAGPIE 

Exactly this. 

It has become to big of a risk and liability now to sell on Etsy.

[DiddlesAndPuds]

The irony is here is Etsy's Royal Mail 2023 shipping guide:
https://community.etsy.com/t5/All-About-Shipping/2023-Royal-Mail-Rate-Changes-and-Updates/td-p/14163...

With a list of services that they don't include in the shipping profiles....great work Etsy...

[WHengraving]

Tracked48 and 24 are not increasing from October. I really don't know why Etsy doesn't offer it. It's nearly a year since I use these and never had any complain or missing/lost in post letter or parcel. If it was late it was a maximum 1/2 days and hardly ever.

[VINTAGEbytheMAGPIE]

@WHengraving I had a long conversation with Royal Mail Business support regarding this issue ... got the classic its Etsy fault replies and was referred to the Royal Mail forum. 

[LittleGemsJewells]

I will tell you even better than that what The real Irony is -

Royal Mail are being investigated by Ofcom for failing to meet the service performance targets.

Our rules require Royal Mail to meet specified quality-of-service performance targets in the provision of universal service products. Among other targets, Royal Mail must:

• deliver 93% of First Class mail within one working day of collection;  - Royal Mail actually delivered 73.7%
• deliver 98.5% of Second Class mail within three working days of collection; and - Royal Mail actually delivered 90.7%
• complete 99.9% of delivery routes on each day that a delivery is required - Royal Mail actually completed 89.35% 

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/bulletins/enforcement-bulletin/open-cases/cw_01271

I will reiterate what I said (for Etsy) back in May, 

I just pulled up a random listing and went to edit and I noticed straight away the red triangle with the exclamation mark saying to publish fix shipping. On the shipping profile it says Please add: standard shipping info.

My International shipping info is correct and is set to accommodate Royal mail's latest expected delivery dates and also of those from the delivery partner once handed over. 

Europe delivery AIM 3-5 Working Days - that's to get to that country from here in the UK and then it has to clear customs and is then handed over to the other country's delivery partner which can take a further 3 - 21 working days to be processed and delivered.

Worldwide delivery AIM - 5 - 7 Working days to get to the country 3 - 21 Working days to be processed and delivered.

Etsy's estimated delivery times are not realistic and I won't be held to account for them it is Royal mail that delivers the mail not Etsy.

I have never had a problem before, I don't care if Etsy tries to say it will bring me more customers I would rather have smooth seamless transactions (which I currently have) than have customers messaging me where their item is and opening cases for late deliveries.

[MinnieMaudsAttic]

@LittleGemsJewells   Etsy calls them ‘estimates’, Royal Mail calls them ‘aims’.  Etsy doesn’t seem to understand the difference.

The postal strikes and the cyber attack meant that RM was never going to achieve those aims for last year. What can Ofcom do about that - impose fines on RM? That’s not going to improve the service.  RM has already got rid of its CEO which is a good start.

[LittleGemsJewells]

Update on Ofcom's investigation into Royal Mail missing their delivery targets 13/11/23.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2023/royal-mail-fined-for-missing-delivery-targets

Royal Mail fined 5.6m for missing delivery targets this year. 

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

What if you use different shipping companies depending on size and weight of order? If you sell items buyers buy in very different quantities so it might be 500g or 10 KG how you send it can vary from order to order. 

[WHengraving]

my items are up to 100-200g, sometimes around 500g. Large letter is/was the perfect solution. Other companies are much more expensive for such a light items. 

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

yes I use Royal Mail for up to 2kg but then some orders can be 5 or even 10 kg and so I can not use royal mail. As I dont know before a buyer buys the size of there order how do I select the delivery service I will be using.  

[MumsJewelleryShed]

Etsy states 1st class RM delivery is 1 business day, and 2nd class post as 2-3 business days.

Yet RM themselves say they AIM to deliver. I select the underlying 2nd class option (hoping it tells the customer 2-3 days) but it does go 1st class. Some customers will think they can place the order on a Monday and it will drop in their lap on Tuesday! Totally ignoring how long it takes me to make the items, pack it, get it to the post and then leave it in their hands to get it to the recipient.

[GlitteramaCrafts]

I was just reading a couple of weeks ago that Royal Mail had missed their delivery targets with 83% of deliveries in the last year, so we're in for a bumpy ride!

[MinnieMaudsAttic]

@GlitteramaCrafts   In the last year, Royal Mail has experienced massive disruption due to strikes and a major cyber attack.   The strikes were resolved several months ago and performance has already improved.

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

I read in some places they are only delivering once a week I have been finding in last cupel of months when i order things they are taking a day or 2 longer then normal to arrive. 

[BlaqKat]

Right as we come up to Christmas too and customers already get antsy when their items don't turn up immediately

[MinnieMaudsAttic]

@SmallthingsbyAmanda   There seem to be pockets of the country which still seem to have problems.

I find that most of my Ebay sales arrive on schedule (or a day or two early).  In my part of London, we seem to miss the occasional day of deliveries - when the regular postie is off sick, there sometimes isn’t anyone willing to do overtime to cover.

[SmallthingsbyAmanda]

@MinnieMaudsAttic that might be what you are finding but its not for me and I am not in rural area,  I am in the middle of 2 large towns and about 12 miles from a large city and my ebay items usually shipping supplies are taking longer to arrive by 1-2 days sometimes a little more.

[WHengraving]

Anyone know maybe. If I choose from Etsy list 2nd class and send this with Tracked48, or 1st class and send with Tracked24, how is it going to work? And putting on descriptions that we provide fully tracked services and 2nd class is Tracked48 etc. What's with Etsy protection Programme?

It's a mess. Etsy is getting worse

[KittyKnitsDesigns · Accepted solution]

Yes it's a mess!

As I understand it, for 'standard' delivery' you can only choose from the drop down 'delivery service' box. The customer only sees 'standard' shipping without knowing what service is used. We select '2nd class signed for ' even though we use Tracked 48 or Tracked 48 signed for' and have never had a problem.

If you've enabled upgrades, you can either choose from the drop down box again (e.g. Royal Mail Special Delivery) or you can write whatever 'name' you want including things like 'Tracked 24 signed for' which don't appear in Etsy's drop down list.

After that you have to choose 'Delivery Service'. When this could be 'Other' you could choose the delivery window (x - xxd etc.) But now we have to choose a pre-specified service. In this instance we simply choose '1st class' for 24h, even though we would prefer 1 - 2d.

None of this is a problem with respect to the listing because the customer only sees the 'name' not the delivery service. The problem is the lack of flexibility with having to choose from the limited number of services that Etsy offers and their estimation of delivery times for  1st class, 2nd class etc.