PO asking what's in the parcel

A question about : PO asking what's in the parcel

I've not sold anything for a while and when at the Post Office today, was surprised to be asked the contents of my box by the clerk. Is this their normal policy now?

I know the RM postie who collects parcels at the office doesn't ask what is in each one....

Best answers:

• Sometimes it's to do with batteries. Some are quite apologetic and you can laugh about it, others are quite serious and will reject if you joke about it containing a couple of AA's.
  Other times they want to know so they can upsell a more expensive service with more expensive insurance.
• I seem to get asked every time now. A pain when I sent my teenage son to post a parcel without telling him what was in it. They started asking before Christmas.
• It is normal and has been the case for at least a year now. Have you read the restricted articles leaflet ?
  https://www.royalmail.com/sites/defau...t_July2013.pdf
• There are restrictions on items such as perfume and batteries which are either not postable or require specific packaging.
  If any items are put through that do not conform, they can be destroyed if they are x-rayed.
  So the Post office are tasked with checking to see if the items are on the list for checking, and advising about packaging if they are.
  The postman doesn't check the parcel contents when he collects, as the Post office staff will have done this.
• The staff are badly trained (if at all) on this topic. As I frequently tell them, it is none of their business what is in a parcel that I send. It is sufficient for you to say, 'there are no items on the prohibited list in the parcel' and leave it at that.
• I like to watch the world burn (from flammable gas) so next time I will declare (in caps):
  BALLOONS FILLED WITH INFLAMMABLE GAS
  will say it very quickly too. Or maybe go with unflammable. Or just say Helium. Or say Ammonia. It's farcical that the RM expects the counter staff to be experts on chemistry .
• My local postmaster used to just ask me to confirm there were no restricted items in the package but, following instructions from above, he now asks what's in the parcel.
  He doesn't even ask about value of contents since I'm a regular and he knows I know the values insured by different postal services, but if I go to the main PO in town, they normally ask (after asking what it is). Some just ask if it's worth over Ј20, some actually ask the value.
  On one occasion I posted a handbag, was asked about value and admitted it was worth over Ј20 but said I'd take my chances with standard 2nd class, then found my POP was marked "CUSTOMER ADVISED NOT TO SEND LIKE THIS", which displeased me because I thought it might imply inadequate packaging. Luckily it arrived safely.
• I was told that Royal Mail send mystery shoppers into Post Offices to send parcels to ensure staff are asking about contents. If they fail to ask then they can take action against the Post Office. What though, who knows?
  The question is, would you be happy for your important documents to be ruined because badly packaged perfume had broken and leaked in the mail bag?
• I noticed this yesterday when the lady in front of me (I was just buying stamps) was asked what was in her parcels! Red noses, was her reply. Since when has it been any business of the PO to know what is in parcels just as long as they are safe?
• the last parcel I sent I was made to put my return details on it incase it was a restricted item the RM would be able to find me !