With postal strikes on going, the rising costs of stamps and the likelihood that the Post Office will become franchised out to other shops, getting your mail delivered is no longer as easy as it once was. Surprisingly, there is actually an alternative to Royal Mail, but it\u2019s one most people don\u2019t think of: courier services.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s an on going myth that couriers are expensive, which may have been true some years ago but the market has really opened up and nowadays, with the help of some healthy competition from owner drivers providing courier services nationally<\/a>, prices probably aren\u2019t what you\u2019re expecting, and that goes for delivering mail too.<\/p>\n Unlike regular Royal Mail, there are no fixed prices, so it really will depend on the courier you choose, as well as the service, on how much you pay. Couriers will often have at least two choices of service, sometimes three, to allow for budgets and delivery needs. For example, Business Class might get your mail delivered the next day, two day guaranteed delivery does exactly what it says on the tin, and for those with a limited budget but long on time could choose the economy service which could take three to four days.<\/p>\n What courier mail also provides that Royal Mail doesn\u2019t is the ability to track your letter all the way to the point of delivery. Your payment isn\u2019t via a franking machine or a stamp, but is invoiced, offering detailed information for those with bulk needs. There\u2019s also the added incentive of flexible collection times that can often run far later than Royal Mail\u2019s last collection time, and you won\u2019t have to hurry to the Post Office before it closes for your mail to be delivered.<\/p>\n