Just about everything I've ever ordered either from Amazon or EBay has come through the Royal Mail and ive never had a problem. Especially with Amazon, on most occasions the free delivery option gets to my house within a day or 2 of ordering.

As someone who deals with both couriers and RM on a daily basis I'd say RM were streets ahead of any of the competition for both delivery and collection.

I must admit that I am very impressed with DPD - they seem to be a shining beacon in the frankly terrible courier industry.

Even just small things like a text when the driver is an hour away and the option to defer delivery to another time - it's not difficult but it's a bloody nice touch.

Postal deliveries are usually ok, if we are out they leave a card to say a parcel had been left at a neighbours or taken back to the sorting office, but we did have an odd one just before christmas when we were left a card to say that it had been left with the neighbour (we have only the one) but when we knocked they new nothing about it. We chased it up with the courier and was told it was delivered by a sub contractor and to ring them direct. They said they had definately left it next door, but no one could find it. About an hour later we got a call from the sub contractor (local car owner doing a bit on side) to say that it was in fact his daughter who had dropped it off and put it in the 'green bin', luckily enough the bins had not been emptied and my wifes new boots were found safe in 'next doors' bin.

I note you say "often" … why not take your custom elsewhere?

You do know that it is YOUR responsibility to tender the correct amount and that stores are under no obligation to provide change, don't you?

I'm a Labour supporting Catholic - I don't do personal responsibility.

Or comedy by the looks of it.

Thats another thing that I take into consideration when posting out stuff to customers who live anywhere in the UK - if they are not in when the delivery is attempted then what happens ?

At least with the Post Office you have a good chance that they won't be too far away from their local sorting office which is normally where the parcel is returned to, my sorting office is about 1 mile away. If its a courier then their collection office might not even be in your town or city, in Leeds for instance I've had to collect parcels addressed to me from City Link across the other side of the city, if I didn't live in Leeds then christ knows how far I'd have to go to collect and not all couriers will make limitless re-visits.

One anomaly I haven't yet fathomed is: If RM attempt a delivery, they will "card" you and you have to go to the sorting office to collect it. If Parcelforce do something similar, they leave the item at your local Post Office.

Parcelforce don't operate out of the same depots, RM will leave the parcel at your PO if you ask them and pay the 50p charge.

UPS are absolutely dreadful. A few weeks ago I had something shipped over from Germany overnight before midday because I knew there'd be someone in to receive it. They turned up at 4pm, there was nobody in. I called customer service to rearrange to be told it was my fault nobody was in and they refused to put a time on the next delivery.

Flip side I ordered some food online from Sainsbury's to avoid going in whilst it was busy over Christmas. They did 1 hour delivery slots, it pulled up outside my house 2 minute before the slot started, everything was there in good condition and with no short use by dates on the fresh food. The delivery charge was less than the price of a taxi from the store. Was very impressed.