Post Christmas cards by end of the month to ensure delivery

CHRISTMAS cards and presents should be posted by the end of this month to avoid delays caused by Royal Mail strikes, experts have warned.

Deliveries could be disrupted by new strike days announced by the Communication Workers Union for December, including Christmas Eve.

The action – on Dec 9, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24 – is in addition to four days already announced for late November and early December, targeting the Black Friday weekend when shoppers often purchase bargain gifts before Christmas.

Existing strikes are scheduled for Nov 24, 25, 30 and Dec 1.

Martyn James, a consumer rights expert, warned that every strike date would create a backlog and cause major delays for deliveries.

“Send your cards now,” he said. “And no later than the end of November.”

Mr James said second-class postage was not worth the risk because of the uncertainty around the strikes. A second-class stamp costs 68p while firstclass delivery costs 95p.

He added: “A first-class stamp is an agreement between you and the company to get the items there as soon as possible, so second class is going to be second on the list.”

Royal Mail said that customers should post items “as early as possible” before the strike dates and collections from post boxes and post offices would be less frequent on strike days.