Royal Mail -- robbing the public?

I've just come across a new scam! It's a beauty.

Remember when the Royal Mail was established, set up by Rowland Hill? There was a single stamp, at one penny, for a letter to go anywhere, for next day, with weight categories. In the 1960's they introduced 'first class' and 'second class'. This of course made it more complicated.

This year they introduced tariffs by size as well. I've just been caught by it.

You see, all businesses tend to send out mail in A4 envelopes. That the standard size of printer paper; the standard size of photocopier paper.

I just did my trading accounts for the year, and posted them to Companies House, to the taxman, to the accountant, and so on; in A4 envelopes with a nice first class stamp on it.

Today I was in the post office, looking at their complicated letter-size measuring template, and realised with a sick feeling that all those letters would not arrive. Instead the recipient would have to go and collect them from some dingy mail office, and pay some huge sum to do so. I have some doubts that anyone from government offices bothers to do this. So I have been forced to send the items again, again in A4. So the Royal Mail gets two lots of payment for each item!

Nice scam, eh? Does anyone believe that this isn't intentional?

But there is more. No-one has any idea what the new rate for these might be, except that it is more than a first-class stamp, and less than two. No-one keeps stamps of varied denominations, anyway; and no-one is going to queue in some smelly post-office behind people trying to register their car. So most of us will just put TWO first-class stamps on the letter, and get on with our lives. Thus the post office can overcharge us for our mail again. Again, does anyone believe that this isn't intentional and foreseen?

In post offices around the country undelivered mail must be piling up. Items sent, paid for, and never arrived, diverted silently so that the Royal Mail can make just a bit more money in fines. The loss to everyone, the nuisance, the interference with the postal service -- there must be a huge cost in time and money to the community. All this, just to squeeze out a bit more short-term profit.

I don't know who runs the Post Office. I don't wish him very well, somehow. The post should be simple and easy to use. To make it complex so as to fine people for failing to follow the rules is the quintessence of third-world officialdom.