A first-class farce: because stamps now cost £1.65 each, we sent 100 cards to test the Christmas mail

Millions of us are posting presents and cards to loved ones in the UK, keeping our fingers crossed that they will arrive at Christmas within the timescales promised by Royal Mail. But will they?

Money Mail decided to find out. We sent 100 Christmas cards to family and friends across the country and around the world to find out how long it would take for them to arrive.

We sent the cards using First Class stamps, meaning the cards sent to addresses in the UK should have arrived on people’s doorsteps the next working day.

But only 16 of the cards we sent from the Ny Breaking offices in Kensington, London, on December 4 arrived on time. About eight households are still waiting for their home.

From what we’ve seen, it’s no wonder that one in 10 people who normally send Christmas cards aren’t doing so this year, a survey shows, and that sales of boxed cards at John Lewis fell by 23 per cent in 2024.

As the price of stamps continues to rise and the mail regularly does not arrive on time, more and more people are simply giving up.

Letter volumes have fallen from a peak of 20 billion in 2004/5 to just seven billion in 2022/3. In response, Royal Mail is raising prices even further, deterring senders from posting letters.

Royal Mail was fined £10.5 million last week for missing postal delivery targets. According to regulator Ofcom, only 74.7 per cent of first class stamps arrived on time in 2023-24, despite a target of 93 per cent.

Only 92.7 percent of second-class mail was delivered on time, below the target of 98.5 percent.

This is the second fine Royal Mail has received in the last 12 months, after the watchdog imposed a £5.6 million fine in November 2023.

Ian Strawhorne, director of enforcement at Ofcom, said: ‘Far too many people don’t get what they pay for when they buy a stamp.’

Politicians, business groups and campaigners have warned of more price rises and declining quality after the government this week allowed Royal Mail to fall into foreign hands for the first time in its 500-year history.

Billionaire Daniel Kretinsky will take over the service in a £3.6 billion deal, but no promise has been made to keep costs fair for consumers.

Of the cards sent via Money Mail, some have yet to arrive to destinations just a few miles away. One card sent to Balham has yet to get through the letterbox, despite two other cards arriving safely in the South West London area.

Cards sent to Borehamwood in Hertfordshire and Belfast are also yet to appear. It took ten days for one card to travel just three miles away to Putney, London.

Locations where cards were delivered on time include Norfolk, Kensington, Dorking, West Drayton and Penarth.

But friends and family at locations in Australia, as well as in Cape Town in South Africa and Los Angeles and South Carolina in the US, are still waiting for their Christmas cards.

The poor service is even more distressing when you consider that the price of a first class stamp rose again in October, from £1.35 to £1.65. This means that a booklet with eight first-class stamps now costs 22 percent extra (€ 13.20) and a booklet with six first-class stamps costs € 9.90.

October’s price increase came just a few months after the previous price increase in April and a new increase in October last year. Previously they were £1.10, 55p lower than the current cost.

Second-class stamps cost a more modest 85 cents, as the price has not increased since a 10 cent increase in April.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: ‘Our independently regulated service quality reporting shows that the vast majority of items arrive within one day and 92 per cent within two days. A sample size of 100 is not representative of our service standard.

‘On our busiest day this week we deliver 35 million letters, including Christmas cards. Last year, more than 99 percent of items posted before the last post date arrived before Christmas. We are well prepared to deliver again this year with more than 16,000 additional employees helping to deliver the festive mailbag.”

How do I ensure that my card arrives on time?

If you haven’t posted your Christmas cards yet, you’re in the right place. The last post date for second class letters arriving before Christmas is today, while cards with a first class stamp should be posted by Friday.

While you may not be able to beat the mail rush this year, you can take steps to increase your chances next year. Postmasters recommend sending gifts and cards sooner rather than later, before the peak mailing day.

The Post Office revealed earlier this month that December 9 was its busiest day for sending mail, as everyone rushes to ensure their Christmas cards and gifts arrive on time.

When sending a package, ask about the best delivery options for you. Plus, when sending gifts, you can use tracked and signed services for extra peace of mind, the post office says.

In addition to the classic First and Second Class stamps, there are other shipping options for sending cards with Royal Mail.

A signed letter in first class costs £3.35, while the same letter in second class costs £2.55. If you would like special delivery guaranteed before 1pm the cost is £7.75.

All prices stated are for standard letters. This means that it can weigh up to 100 grams and cannot be larger than 24 cm long, 16.5 cm wide and 0.5 cm deep.

If your letter is late, you may receive compensation. If a first-class letter arrives three or more business days after the due date, it is considered delayed.

A letter sent via second class is considered delayed if it does not arrive three or more days after the due date. The typical compensation is a book of first class stamps.

Levans@dailymail.co.uk