Royal Mail strike and Gems returns

Perhaps someone from Gems would be kind enough to answer this.

It is possible that there will be a national postal strike from 18 October. If this does go ahead, it is obviously going to delay mail deliveries.

I personally don't want to order anything, have to send it back, and then it gets delayed in the post resulting in Gems receiving it past the 10 day returns period.

Have Gems made any contingency plans to deal with this strike if it goes ahead, i.e. waiving or extending the 10 day returns period?

Gems do not use Royal Mail to send stuff. But you are right about returns.

Funny I was thinking about that one yesterday as I am waiting for two rings to come.

What a good point - hadn't thought of that

I don't think I'll order anything for a while unless there's some kind of reassurance

especially when you have to make a special trip to your "local" post office - to get a special delivery envelope so that you can return items, pay the fee (sometimes i have had to pay over £4.00) and this is meant to have a guaranteed next day delivery (except for saturdays and sundays) - so gemstv should be considering the fact that many special delivery returns maybe held up in the postabl strike for possibly days/weeks, and gemstv should make allowances for this; but having said that, one never knows with gemstv! lol xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Greenie - Don't expect an answer from Gems on here. However, this is a problem for all mail order companies and everyone is reasonable at such times. If you are worried just ask CS at the time of purchasing. With good luck and negotiations it may not even happen. xxxxxxxxx

I may have an answer (of sorts) for you.

I read this read and thought "OMG I've got a delivery next Saturday". If the strike starts on Sunday I'm buggered. So I phoned Gems to ask what was going to happen.

The response (and the CS lady checked this) is that so long as the return date on the envelope is stamped within 10 days of the date you received the item - and presumably Post Offices will still be accepting and stamping packages during a strike? - then GemsTV will accept that it has been sent back within the 10 days.

What this doesn't deal with is the fact that your return will be delayed by X days/weeks and can you imagine the backlog when things get moving again? You may as well kiss goodbye to your refund money for several weeks.

I wonder why Gems haven't thought about using an alternative provider during this period?

Newsflash parcel deliveries

Today 16th October 2009 I have been listening to Radio 2 (Jeremy Vine) and a member of Parcel Force confirmed that when the postal strikes occur next week - Parcel Force, will not be on strike. Special Delivery parcels, and parcels sent via Parcel Force will not be effected. They will still be delivering, across the country. Hope this puts your minds at rest. :flower::flower::flower: xxx

persianglitter said:

Today 16th October 2009 I have been listening to Radio 2 (Jeremy Vine) and a member of Parcel Force confirmed that when the postal strikes occur next week - Parcel Force, will not be on strike. Special Delivery parcels, and parcels sent via Parcel Force will not be effected. They will still be delivering, across the country. Hope this puts your minds at rest. :flower::flower::flower: xxx

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Special Delivery parcels don't get sent with Parcel Force though, they go with Royal mail.

Sazza said:

Special Delivery parcels don't get sent with Parcel Force though, they go with Royal mail.

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Visit www.royalmail.com i have just been on that site, it has put up information for the strike next week x

That's not so bad then if it's only going to be for a couple of days. I had envisaged it going on for weeks (even months).

One of the benefits of the early Gems Crimble is that returns are now okay by 6th January, so if there should be any delays caused by the strike action they should be more than covered. xxxx

Sorry...off on one ...again

The idea of an extended returns period is good, but the Xmas decs are still bugging me.......
surely we won't have to look at those for the rest of the year!! :wonder2:

As another FM mentioned, it spoils the anticipation and 'specialness' of Xmas and imho doesn't really encourage folks to shop early for presents.......not like a cross-the-board discount or mega sale would!

Sacha said:

The idea of an extended returns period is good, but the Xmas decs are still bugging me.......
surely we won't have to look at those for the rest of the year!! :wonder2:

As another FM mentioned, it spoils the anticipation and 'specialness' of Xmas and imho doesn't really encourage folks to shop early for presents.......not like a cross-the-board discount or mega sale would!

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you are right, talking about the specialness of christmas - last evening i was in tesco, and i was browsing through the shop, and there was a little girl with her mum, the girl i reckon was about 3, and was in absolute tears - sobbing her heart out - her mum was explaining to her that just because there are christmas sweets out, christmas wasnt going to before lots of sleeps yet; and the little girl didnt understand why the shops had christmas sweets etc in! the mum said, she could swing for the people who put stuff for christmas out early! the shops dont think about putting stuff out early, from a childs point of view. xxxx

persianglitter said:

you are right, talking about the specialness of christmas - last evening i was in tesco, and i was browsing through the shop, and there was a little girl with her mum, the girl i reckon was about 3, and was in absolute tears - sobbing her heart out - her mum was explaining to her that just because there are christmas sweets out, christmas wasnt going to before lots of sleeps yet; and the little girl didnt understand why the shops had christmas sweets etc in! the mum said, she could swing for the people who put stuff for christmas out early! the shops dont think about putting stuff out early, from a childs point of view. xxxx

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You are quite right, tantrums over the sweets at the checkouts - me, what am i like D'oh! (my brain is on a go slow today lol) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:grin::confused2:

Just ordered a ruby pendant from TJC,they now do a 30 day return,so should be OK there,glad this was brought up as I hadn't thought about returns. Don't think I'll be doing any ordering from the 10 day folks,it takes ages to get a refund even when there isn't a strike.