Mail chaos after Crewe closure

The complaints about the appalling postal service provided by Royal Mail following the closure of the Crewe sorting office started a week ago on the Audlem Online Chatbox and a news story by Debbie Ruscoe-Icke.

Audlem resident Chris Lewis adds: "I have a weekly professional journal which should arrive every Friday and always did. Since the switch to Warrington it regularly arrives on the Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday of the following week. One week it failed to arrive at all.

"Royal Mail were totally unhelpful regards explanation. I was made to feel that my problem was upsetting their cosy system which apparently when they audited it indicates to them that everything lies within the agreed parameters!

"Hopefully they will be privatised and then they will have to really compete wth the others and overall we may return to a service to those that pay rather than a monopoly which is only concerned with its own well being."

Not all will agree with the privatisation but Royal Mail is doing itself no favours locally at present. Another resident says that printer cartridges – and not the ticking variety posted in Yemen – used to arrive next day when ordered. They now take two weeks and even up to 17 days.

Other reports include a so-called First Class letter taking two weeks to arrive from the Potteries.

An Audlem Online webteam member ordered two items from Amazon last Friday, a small book on 'next day expedited delivery' by Royal Mail and a large Flymo garden implement to be delivered anytime by a private contractor. The Flymo arrived two days before the 'next day' Royal Mail delivery which took four days.

Yesterday, Audlem Online arranged for items to be posted from different parts of the country to Audlem by first and second class post. We await the results with interest.

Today's Chronicle devotes its first three pages to the problem with Crewe & Nantwich MP Edward Timpson, who fought the Crewe sorting office closure, said to be deluged with complaints – but all by telephone. The posted complaints, of course, haven't arrived yet!

The problems have nothing to do with Audlem Post Office and the local posties. They, as much as anyone, are frustrated by the failures of the Royal Mail.

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