Hi I had my blood test taken first thing this morning before eating or medication. (Drank only water)
The medichecks instruction states to post in a priory postbox NOT inside post office.
I am pretty sure it was previously recommended to me on here to get it sent special delivery but I can’t find my post with the instructions.
Why would it say don’t post in post office?
Please can someone remind me of the special delivery & refund instructions?
Many thanks
That seems to be a change of instructions so I would do what they say now. You can find priority postboxes near you if you google or go to royalmail.com/priority-post...
Probably avoiding post offices to keep away from contamination. Priority boxes are cleared regularly. They are also used for returning covid test kits.
sunshineisbetter
We have a priority post box outside my local post office. These are established post boxes which have been designated "priority" and this was introduced to help with the collection and onward delivery of Covid test kits. They have late collection times (after 4pm, ours has always been 4.30pm since the once only daily collection was introduced a few years ago), some have an earlier collection as well, some have later collections on both Saturday and Sunday (mine doesn't have Sunday collection, and only has a morning collection on Saturday). Our Post Office stipulates that covid tests cannot be handed over in the Post Office, they must be put in the priority post box.
So these priority post boxes have at least a daily collection Monday-Saturday, maybe more depending on where you live.
Medichecks recommend getting the sample to the lab as soon as possible, preferably next day, so are suggesting the priority post box as it will be collected that day providing it's posted in time for the collection.
However, the priority post box doesn't guarantee delivery next day. Nor does the Tracked 24 return envelope that Medichecks provide.
To get the sample to the lab the next day, we advise using Royal Mail's Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day by 1pm service, for which you have to go to the Post Office counter and pay for this and you will be given a receipt with a tracking number. You can then use that tracking number to check on Royal Mail's website to see your packet's journey and when it was delivered. If it fails to deliver the next day you can claim the fee back as long as you have the tracking number. There is no problem with handing over a non-Covid test in the Post Office.
The medichecks instruction states to post in a priory postbox NOT inside post office.
Why would it say don’t post in post office?
Where does it say that? I have a Medichecks kit here, delivered to me on Friday, and it's not in my instructions nor in the Ts and Cs on the website. In the instruction leaflet, number 12 says
Post your sample in a Royal Mail Priority Postbox on the same day it was taken.
Nowhere does it mention not posting in a post office.
But as I said, the priority post box doesn't guarantee next day delivery. If you want that use the Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day by 1pm service available to buy at the Post Office Counter.
Towards the bottom ‘not at the post office’
Ah, so you have a venous blood draw kit to be done. Mine is a fingerprick test.
These priority post boxes have been around for well over a year and I have taken many fingerprick tests into the Post Office, if the assistant asks what's in the parcel I say "a very small blood sample" and it's fine. There is no problem with taking it into the Post Office and purchasing Special Delivery. If you want to guarantee it will get there tomorrow that's the only way, just putting it in a post box, priority or normal, may get there tomorrow but there is no guarantee even with a Tracked 24 return envelope.
Thank you. I would prefer to do it this way. Do I also ask for them to take the cost of the pre paid off the cost of special delivery?
When they input the information into their computer, it tells them if the cost of the prepaid service should be deducted. I posted a MonitorMyHealth test last week and the prepaid service was Business Post and they deducted 65p I think. Some services don't qualify for the deduction, I can't remember whether the Tracked24 does.
If they ask what is inside and you say it's a blood sample, make it clear it's not a Covid test as you know they must be posted outside in a priority box.
We don't have any priority post boxes so I usually take it to a post office but we now have no local post offices ( very rural !) so my last one I just shoved in normal village box and it got there just as quick.
I ordered a test recently I selected fingerprick option but at checkout you can select either standard post (no additional charge) or pay £4.99 for a tracked option.
The order says to please make a note of your unique tracked postage number so that you can track your sample. You can find this number under the barcode on the postage sticker inside your kit.
There then a Royal Mail link similar to where you look up nearest location to priory post box to track sample.
PurpleNails
I ordered a test recently I selected fingerprick option but at checkout you can select either standard post (no additional charge) or pay £4.99 for a tracked option.
That £4.99 charge is for delivery to you not for sending the sample back. They state that delivery should be 1-2 days (whereas normal standard delivery could possibly take longer). Not always worth paying for this, I ordered a kit last Thursday, free standard delivery, it arrived on Friday.
The order says to please make a note of your unique tracked postage number so that you can track your sample. You can find this number under the barcode on the postage sticker inside your kit.
That refers to the pre-paidTracked24 return envelope they include in every kit for you to post your sample back. There is no charge for this, it's their standard free return envelope. As I've said above, Tracked24 doesn't guarantee next day delivery.
I’m easily confused but why would I be charged for not sending sample back at the time of order kit.
If prepaid tracked 24 return is included in every kit isn’t it wrong for option to add additional fee.
PurpleNails
why would I be charged for not sending sample back at the time of order kit.
You've misunderstood. The £4.99 charge is to send the kit to you with tracked delivery which should take 1-2 days, rather than standard free delivery which may take longer. It's nothing to do with you returning the sample, just delivery of the kit to you.
All sent off! Thanks 😊
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