When’s Your Last Chance to Post Christmas Presents?
This Christmas is set to be very different from previous years, with many people across the country staying closer to home and not visiting their families. This means it’s important to send your presents in good time so your loved ones will receive their gifts by Christmas Day.
Just in Time
There are still several options to send your presents in time for Christmas. These will depend on which mail service you’re using, and how much you’re willing to spend on postage. For deliveries which will take over three days, get your parcels sent by December 17th. If you opt for next day delivery, your absolute last chance is December 23rd. For a full breakdown of these courier dates, click right here. Give yourself peace of mind with posting and track your parcels so you know their whereabouts.
Covid Changes
Royal Mail has advised people to send their packages early this year because of Covid. Reduced capacity, higher demand and adverse weather conditions mean there could be delays in the postal systems. If you get your gifts in the post, second class, by Friday 18th it should arrive in time for Christmas. Once again, if you are concerned about the location of your parcels, tracking can help put your mind at rest. It should be noted that all postal dates described are for sending packages within the UK. The time to send parcels internationally has passed.
Delivery Scams
With so many more people posting their presents this year, fraudsters are taking advantage. There is a scam currently circulating around the country. It involves a person receiving a text from ‘Royal Mail’ saying a delivery was attempted. Then the recipient is redirected to a website asking for their personal details, including bank account information. It has been described as very convincing. Worryingly, a similar scam is also being run but with customers receiving false emails from ‘DPD’ requesting a new delivery date, and then being asked to pay a shipping fee.
Be Vigilant
With these postal scams in place, it’s important to stay vigilant with your texts and emails. There are ways to spot fake messages. Fraudsters tend to use impersonal greetings like Attention Customer. You also can check the email address it's been sent from. Some will clearly not be from an official source, whereas others have subtle spelling errors that you don’t notice at first. If you have any doubts over the legitimacy of a message, get in touch with the delivery service directly rather than providing any of your personal information.
You still have time to post your parcels this Christmas, but to avoid unnecessary stress or disappointment be sure to send them as soon as possible. What are your plans for Christmas Day this year?
