Sadly, it’s affecting all international mail, including letter post. I was at the Post Office earlier buying stamps, and was asked not to try and send any postcards to Europe or beyond until further notice. The backlog is already huge apparently.
Here’s the relevant link from the Royal Mail website: https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5317/~/international-incident-bulletin
My understanding is that unfortunately all international bound items are affected, including postcards. I think people have been confused by the term ‘export’ which Royal Mail uses.
" Severe disruption to Royal Mail’s overseas deliveries has been caused by ransomware linked to Russian criminals, the BBC has been told.
The cyber-attack has affected the computer systems Royal Mail uses to despatch deliveries abroad.
Royal Mail has been warning customers since Wednesday of disruption due to a “cyber-incident”.
Its latest advice is for people not to try to send international letters and parcels until the issue is resolved".
Yes I should have come back to this topic, instead of just commenting on the UK sub section.
it’s hard to keep tabs when there are four threads on the same topic
Yesterday I try to post some postcards out at my local Post Office and was given them back as the PO have been told my RM not to accept any international post at all!
I was told not to put them Box outside either.
Until Further Notice.
So the situation is pretty dire!
I’ll edit my post above.
My understanding is that inbound mail will still arrive (although with potentially minor delays).
RESUMPTION OF OVERSEAS LETTERS SERVICE
Hot off the press from Royal Mail
“We are pleased to announce that we have resumed the export of letters which do not require a customs declaration to all international destinations. From 19:00 hrs, customers will be able to start re-submitting international export letters which do not require a customs declaration into the Royal Mail network again through all channels including Royal Mail post boxes and Post Office branches.” No parcels though.
Hi Fellow Post-crossers
I am in the very frustrating situation (as are many others in the UK) of not requesting new postcard addresses to write to because Royal Mail are not accepting overseas mail due to a computer glitch, they say. My local Post Office is refusing all overseas mail - so as well as strikes an added bonus of no overseas mail.
@PLYMOUTHPAMJ47 You can send letters that don’t require customs declaration. You cannot send parcels at the moment, though they are working to solve this. so you can work away and send postcards
This has also been discussed in the British Isles section of the forum.
It’s important that we receive clear information, as long as we have cards/letters to mail to the UK. Thank you to @admins for keeping a close eye on this situation.
A sidebar note: mail that was sent from China last summer/fall has started to trickle into my mailbox. And a few cards have made it after just a month. So, perhaps that backlog is starting to thin?
There was never a problem of cards headed into U. K. It was that they could not send cards internationally to the rest of the world.
Thank you for the answer, hopefully the problem will be fixed soon!
As has been said, the issue has been with Outgoing mail from the UK to other places. Not incoming. We have been receiving incoming mail no problem.
From the UK, we can now send postcards and letters, that do not require customs declaration. We cannot send parcels. They are asking us to not send parcels at the moment.
@HookedonPostcards @Johnk60 @JOSEMARIE
Thank you John, for your input
tl;dr, UK can receive Incoming mail (we always could)
UK can send outgoing mail, postcards and letters that don’t require customs declaration.
Some Post Offices Not know the news of royal Mail that you can send postcards and Letters All over the World again. Or they not want to know. 2 penpal from GB write me same at WhatsApp.
Thank you, it’s clear to me now.
It has been fixed. Royal Mail announced on Wednesday 18th that we could start to send again. As has been mentioned, this is discussed in 4 different threads in the British Isles section of the forum. And others in the UK have started to report postcards they sent after the 11th are beginning to be registered.
There never was a problem with incoming mail. I have received 14 postcards that were sent to me on the 13th.
I can imagine that’s the case. Royal Mail and Post Office Counters are separate companies.
If your Post Office refuse to accept I would point them to the Royal Mail website where it states that items of personal correspondence that do not require a customs declaration (ie postcards/greetings cards/letters) can be accepted. This is in force since 19.00 Wednesday.
There has never been a problem sending into the UK. Indeed in December I often got mail posted abroad faster than mail posted elsewhere in the UK.