With Christmas fast approaching and many of our relatives living across the country, sending gifts by post seems like the best way to ensure everyone gets the Christmas present they want.
However, sending expensive and thoughtful gifts by post does come with challenges and so it’s important that you prepare accordingly. Whether you’re ordering gifts online ready to be delivered by post or are sending a gift yourself via Royal Mail, here are some top tips you should keep in mind:
Send as early as possible
The earlier your Christmas gifts are sent, the better. With millions of last-minute seasonal offers and letters to Santa flying around the country, you need to be sure that yours doesn’t get lost or arrives after the 25th.
There’s no doubt about it that Christmas is often a manic rush, with many of us guilty of not even looking at potential gifts for anyone until Christmas Eve! Unfortunately, for us, postmen aren’t quite as magical as Santa’s elves and so in order for your gift to make it on time – the organization is key.
Meanwhile, if you’re sending fragile gifts to your loved ones, it’s particularly important that these are sent nice and early so they don’t get caught up in the Christmas rush. Due to a large amount of mail rushing around in the days coming up to Christmas, the parcel may be handled with a little less care than normal – ultimately, meaning you have more of a chance of your present getting there in one piece.
Keep all fragile items safe
Whether you’re sending flowers by post or a fragile ornament, it’s vital that you ensure you package it just right. The best way to do this is to choose a rigid and lightweight box to place your gift in while putting plenty of padding inside; this can be scrunched up old newspaper or bubble wrap – whatever you can get your hands on.
Always keep in mind that everything should be lightweight as this will save you money on the price of postage. Oh and mark your box as “fragile”, just to be on the safe side.
Always get the postage just right
This is where you need to put your thinking cap on; do you want to send it 1st or 2nd class postage? Or if you’ve spent a lot of money on your pressie, why not opt for Special Delivery? Alternatively, just pop into your local post office and ask them what they recommend for you.
While we’re on the subject of postage, it’s vital that you get the address of your recipient absolutely right. So, always double check this before you post it.
The most important part of the address is the door number and postcode, so if you have those correct, it’s pretty much guaranteed to get to the right place. It’s also recommended that you add a return address to the parcel too, as if it gets lost anywhere, it will always get back to you.
Choose the right delivery date
If you choose to order a gift online and get it specifically delivered to your recipient – cutting out the middleman – it’s vital that you get the delivery date just right.
If your friend or family member is likely to be on holiday or at work during that date and time, it’s probably best to refrain from choosing that day in particular. Because, let’s face it; there’s no point in ordering a bunch of flowers or a Christmas hamper to be delivered when no one is there.
Keep an eye on the details
When posting a gift to a friend it’s important to always keep an eye on the shipping costs and details because you don’t want to be left out of pocket if you don’t need to be.
Try to find out the exact time and date the parcel is due to arrive at the other end; you could even give your friend the heads up so you can be sure it’s been delivered. Alternatively, why not opt for special delivery so you can be updated with every step of the parcel’s journey.
Christmas has never been easier now that you can send your thoughtful gifts by post, without it costing you a fortune. Whether your family live 50 miles or 500 miles away from you, they’ll never be without a gift at Christmas now that you know exactly how to send your presents via mail.