An Post + Customs

BoB_BoT

Hi all,
Had an attempt of a package being delivered today (must have missed it) so I got a notice in the door saying it'll be avaliable for collection from the local depo. That's grand I head out to collect it, go to pay for and then told they don't accept cash. Again I can understand this, safety reasons, management etc... but what I don't understand is that they'll only take cheque, money order or postal order. Also, there was the amount for customs written on the docket, but no mention that they don't take cash, laser or credit card.

Now what really bugs me about this is I have to head back all the way into either a bank or post office (the depo is kinda outside the main town) to get a piece of paper that represents money... for money, with an extra charge for getting the piece of paper and of course time spent.

I'm well aware that it's only going to be something like 1.50 for a money order/postal order, but it's the principal of it. I'm either giving it to my bank or An Post, to pay customs. If the postman had arrived at my door would he have accepted cash? You'd think that An Post would accept laser or credit cards by now. Can I request that customs send me out an invoice instead and I can pay them by credit card or laser?


This is more of a rant than a question, but anyone got any advice ? :P

Beano

if you had been there the postman would have accepted cash. the depot probably just isnt setup to accept cash though. I may be wrong but you could have asked them to redeliver the next day and paid the postman then..

BoB_BoT

humm I'll ask them while I'm there tomorrow, fun :P
I don't see why they'd allow the postman to take cash, as it'd put him at more risk, probably outside their contract too, to handle cash / fee collection, in fact I wonder if the postman even tried to deliver and just dropped the notice, as I was there the whole morning (though asleep for most of it :P)

Beano

BoB_BoT wrote: »

humm I'll ask them while I'm there tomorrow, fun :P
I don't see why they'd allow the postman to take cash, as it'd put him at more risk, probably outside their contract too, to handle cash / fee collection, in fact I wonder if the postman even tried to deliver and just dropped the notice, as I was there the whole morning (though asleep for most of it :P)

If the postman accepts cash at the door (and they do) then you can be sure that it is part of their contract. The guy at the depot probably doesnt have this as part of their contract.

Lilith306

Beano wrote: »

If the postman accepts cash at the door (and they do) then you can be sure that it is part of their contract. The guy at the depot probably doesnt have this as part of their contract.

They don't all accept cash at the door mine does not.

BoB_BoT

was talking to the guy at the depo yesterday, there's no way to pay by cash, and the postman won't take cash either, so you have to have a chequebook or prepared money orders to pay for your customs. Which is bloody stupid as was no point sending the parcel out on delivery as nobody's gonna have a money order ready for a value you don't know. Fair enough if you have a cheque book, but how many people have chequebooks?
Seems pointless to pay for an item to be delivered, when the means to pay it there and then are limited to cheque. So on average it'll be up to the person to collect it from the depo. seems like a pretty flawed system on the customs side, not complaining about the postman or the depo guys.

Davy

BoB_BoT wrote: »

was talking to the guy at the depo yesterday, there's no way to pay by cash, and the postman won't take cash either, so you have to have a chequebook or prepared money orders to pay for your customs.

Well that is your local depot that doesn't. My postman takes cash as a lot of others it seems. I'm not sure about the arrangements in the depot itself never had to pay there.

I think this shouldn't even be an issued. Its the twenty first century and a large company like an Post should be able to have proper systems in place. Their is more parcels coming from outside European than ever before, you would think its in their interest to have a decent POS system in the depot. I can understand the postman not accepting cash, its a fair point tbh and its probably the official word that they are not meant to take cash they just to help the recipient.

sunny2004

Beano wrote: »

if you had been there the postman would have accepted cash. the depot probably just isnt setup to accept cash though. I may be wrong but you could have asked them to redeliver the next day and paid the postman then..

Never heard of a postman taking cash. mine here and at my 2 previous address dont.. strange that...
As for the op... its so Irish isnt it !!

BoB_BoT

very irish indeed.

it makes me want to set up a company to sell pos systems to the an post depos :P