FAQs
Parcels
1. Does UK Mail deliver nationwide?
We cover the entire UK through our network of more than 50 depots and 3500 vehicles. We also offer deliveries by road to Europe or by air to Europe and the rest of the World.
2. Who should you contact if you have a query?
If you visit the ‘Find Your Local Depot’ area on the home page of our website, you can click on the map to get a contact number for your nearest Customer Care Centre. Our Customer Care Centres are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and on Saturday's from 8 a.m. to noon.
3. What type of businesses are customers of the Business Post Group?
We have a complete range of customers from home workers and small businesses to some of the largest companies in the world. Our portfolio of customers includes Next, IBM, Virgin Atlantic, Comet, Mothercare, Vodafone and Xerox.
4. What is the correct way to package my parcel to ensure its meets UK Mail requirements and arrives safely?
Please refer to our ‘Useful Ways To Package A Parcel’ Guide which can be accessed within the ‘Enquiries and Support’ section of our website.
5. What is UK Mail’s policy on dangerous goods?
UK Mail will transport certain types of dangerous goods, but only if they are packaged by you in accordance with the Limited Quantities (LQ) exemptions and UK Mail requirements for packaging. For more information visit the ‘Goods We Can Not Carry’ Guide under the ‘Enquiries and Support’ section of our website.
6. What type of consignments can I not send via the UK Mail network?
UK Mail will not accept consignments for carriage containing currency, cash or travellers cheques, stamps, firearms, tobacco products, liquids or perishable goods (unless agreed in advance), glass, china, ceramics or other breakables. For a more comprehensive listing please consult the “Goods We Can Not Carry” guidelines in the ‘Enquiries and Support’ section of the UK Mail website.
7. What parcel delivery service options are available to UK Mail customers?
We offer a full and varied range of delivery service options using either boxes or bags. These include before 9am, before 10.30am, before noon, afternoon, next day, timed and Saturday deliveries. In addition, you can arrange for collections from elsewhere to be returned back to you, collections from elsewhere to be sent straight on to another delivery address or even arrange for a cheque to be handed over as payment to us when your parcel is delivered.
8. What is the procedure for making a claim?
Please refer to our “Make a Claim” policy document located in the ‘Enquiries and Support’ section of the UK Mail website. If you wish, you can arrange additional ‘Goods In Transit’ cover before you send your consignment.
9. What is Print Logistics?
Our Print Logistics service provides a dedicated solution for the delivery of promotional print, from leaflets and brochures to Point of Sale (PoS) material and in-store promotional display items. Large national print and promotional campaigns tend to be driven by tight time-scales and often require multi-drop specials or multi-collections. That’s where our Print Logistics team come in - to ensure even the most complicated of requests are met.
10. Does UK Mail offer any track and trace facilities so that I can follow my parcel’s progress through the network?
Yes. All consignments are electronically scanned at point of collection and scanned again before being sorted at the collecting depot. The parcels are also scanned before being loaded into security cages for despatch via the trunking system, before being loaded onto delivery vehicles and again at point of delivery. Sophisticated in-cab technology transmits the delivery data.
11. What other security measures are in place?
We have a comprehensive range of measures in place to ensure your consignment’s safety whilst in our care. These include enhanced perimeter protection at our national hub, electronic access control to sites, remote digital CCTV monitoring, bespoke intruder alarms, high value slam lock steel cages, fleet installed slam locks, GPS-tracked fleet vehicles, national hub road blocks with number plate recognition and a security vetting programme for all employees.
12. Are there any online despatch systems available?
We have a simple to use online booking system which can be accessed by going to the ‘iconsign’ section on the home page of our website. For higher volume users our Consignor system software can be installed on your PC. Both systems allow you to generate your own labels and offer a range of tracking reports.
13. What additional services can UK Mail offer me when I’m sending a parcel?
You can request to send an automated SMS text or email to your customer to let them know their parcel is on the way. We can also provide automated SMS texts or emails sending confirmation of delivery. We provide all of our customers with quick proof of delivery (POD) including critical information like name, date and time of delivery. Hard copy POD’s can also be provided within three days. Information on delivery facilities (email notification or SMS text to mobile phones), online tracking reports, in-cab technology to transfer POD’s within minutes and track and trace bar codes are also available to all our customers.
14. What is the procedure for obtaining online reports?
You will need to register online to receive a customised report. Simply log onto our website, click into My UKMail Space and select the report that is relevant to you from a menu of options. You will be asked to enter your login details. If you don’t already have these click on “Register” and you will be able to create your own user name and password which can then be used for generating any future reports as well.
15. What are the opening times of your Customer Care Centres?
Our dedicated Regional Customer Care Centres are open from 7am to 7pm Monday right through to Friday, and from 8am until 12pm on Saturday morning.
16. Does UK Mail provide any international parcel services and, if so, what can I choose from?
Yes we do. Customers can choose from Air Express - a premium worldwide air courier service for urgent documents and parcels, Road Economy for less time-sensitive consignments and Logistics which offers tailor-made solutions for specialised shipments.
17. Which mail services are available to me via UK Mail?
UK Mail offers a full range of UK and international mail services to cater for all your business mail requirements. New product innovations are also regularly developed to provide our customers with the most cost-effective, time-saving and modern mail solutions possible. imail is our latest development, you can send mail direct from your pc to be printed, enveloped and despatched through our mail Sort Centres ready for delivery the very next working day.For further information consult the mail and imail microsites in the ‘Our Services’ section on the home page of our website.
18. Am I able to send large or awkwardly shaped consignments that would require more than one person to carry them?
Our Courier division offers a range of tailor-made solutions for all your delivery requirements. Two-man delivery is just one of the many logistics solutions available through UK Mail Courier. You can also send a parcel of more than 2m long through our standard parcel delivery service, there will be a surcharge of £12.99 for this option.
19. How would I know when to book a palletised as opposed to standard delivery?
A pallet is defined as a consignment of one or two more items collected from a customer on a pallet of variable size going to a single address; or a consignment with a total volume in excess of 1.5 cubic metres going to a single address.
