The Student Room Group

Ordering Parcels to Uni - But no longer in halls? Is this an option?

As the title suggests really, do you think they will accept my post/ parcels in reception. I am still a student but I am wondering if they will have a place for my parcels or just throw them out or something if I am not staying in halls as of current.

Reading Uni FYI
(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 1

Most parcel delivery services have options to collect your package from a shop or post office if u have an unsecure postal address. I would guess all uni’s are different and you should just ask.

Reply 2

Original post by cracked
As the title suggests really, do you think they will accept my post/ parcels in reception. I am still a student but I am wondering if they will have a place for my parcels or just throw them out or something if I am not staying in halls as of current.
Reading Uni FYI

I suspect that whoever is doing the accepting isn't going to be checking each individual item of post to see exactly who it is that it's addressed to and checking the names against a list.

Bear in mind that a university will have thousands of staff and tens of thousands of students -- and some of them will have the same name -- so they're not going to be at all happy with your personal mail/parcels being directed to a university address. (Obviously it's different in student accommodation because you're actually living there.)

You might, just might, get away with it once. But I'd expect them to make it clear that you aren't allowed to do this. (While I don't expect they'd throw mail/parcels away, they might refuse to accept delivery of parcels, and mark post as "return to sender".)

Reply 3

Original post by martin7
I suspect that whoever is doing the accepting isn't going to be checking each individual item of post to see exactly who it is that it's addressed to and checking the names against a list.
Bear in mind that a university will have thousands of staff and tens of thousands of students -- and some of them will have the same name -- so they're not going to be at all happy with your personal mail/parcels being directed to a university address. (Obviously it's different in student accommodation because you're actually living there.)
You might, just might, get away with it once. But I'd expect them to make it clear that you aren't allowed to do this. (While I don't expect they'd throw mail/parcels away, they might refuse to accept delivery of parcels, and mark post as "return to sender".)

What do you reckon would have happen if there is no return address?
Original post by cracked
As the title suggests really, do you think they will accept my post/ parcels in reception. I am still a student but I am wondering if they will have a place for my parcels or just throw them out or something if I am not staying in halls as of current.
Reading Uni FYI

Why can't you get them delivered to your current address, or set up a mail redirection?

Reply 5

Original post by cracked
What do you reckon would have happen if there is no return address?

Is that likely? v unusual not to have one and most carriers will ask for it.

Reply 6

I worked in accommodation services for a University and a college.

We returned all the Royal Mail post for non resident students addressed to the halls of residence to the postman within 24 hours.

Even staff were not permitted to have parcels delivered.

We never accepted any parcels from couriers that were addressed to our reception office.

Same thing for the Faculties who declined all student deliveries.
Original post by cracked
As the title suggests really, do you think they will accept my post/ parcels in reception. I am still a student but I am wondering if they will have a place for my parcels or just throw them out or something if I am not staying in halls as of current.
Reading Uni FYI

Hey @cracked

Unfortunately, the reception is for halls students only I'm afraid, so you won't be allowed to send your parcels there unless you live there.
If you have accidently sent something there, you may be able to contact home at halls and explain the situation and they may be able to keep it for you on a one-off occasion, but I cannot guarantee that they will allow it.

Sorry - but I hope this helps. If you have any other questions we can help with, do let us know.

Skye 🙂
4th Year MSci Speech and Language Therapy Student

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