Receiving post and parcels in halls.

Can those that have been in halls kindly explain how this works. Say for instance if I purchase goods online that need to be signed for, how will I receive them? What about normal letters?

Reply 1

voudreau

Generally our parcels go to the local sorting office/collection point and we have to collect them from there. We get a note in our mailbox to let us know that they have arrived.

Reply 2

username104603

It will vary depending which university you go to, heck it even varied depending who ran your halls at my uni.

In my halls letters went into pigeon holes which had one box for each letter of the alphabet. Stuff that was signed for you had to produce proper ID for eg. driving licence and regular parcels you just needed your student ID card. However my mates in different halls had to collect some stuff from the post office in town.

Reply 3

hec

where i was, reception just signed for it and put it in your postbox which was regularly stolen from, terrible system and probably illegal

Reply 4

Lizj

This will vary from place to place, but most halls have a post room, porter's lodge, security office or similar.
When a package arrives to be signed for, the staff on duty sign for it, then let you know via a notice or call or note in your pigeon hole that the package is in the office, and you show ID to collect it from them.
Normal post goes in your pigeon hole, or you might have a post box for everyone with your surname initial, and a key to get into it and check your mail every day.

Reply 5

baby sexy

In general, how secure are these pigeon holes?

Reply 6

FormerlyFrisbeeFan

All normal letters went into pigeonholes in the Porter's Lodge, and you had to show your NUS card to collect parcels.

Reply 7

FormerlyFrisbeeFan

They aren't secure, but that wasn't a problem where I went, no-one stole post. Anything really important would have to be signed for and therefore wouldn't be left in the pigeonholes.

Reply 8

nexttime

hec

where i was, reception just signed for it and put it in your postbox which was regularly stolen from, terrible system and probably illegal

Woah - we have the same system but have never had instances of theft - that would be terrible!

baby sexy

In general, how secure are these pigeon holes?

Not very! Some colleges people could even just walk in off the street, take something and walk out. It just...never seems to happen though :s-smilie:

Lizj

Normal post goes in your pigeon hole, or you might have a post box for everyone with your surname initial, and a key to get into it and check your mail every day.

A key to get into your pidge would make far more sense. :yes:

Reply 9

FormerlyFrisbeeFan

They aren't secure, but that wasn't a problem where I went, no-one stole post. Anything really important would have to be signed for and therefore wouldn't be left in the pigeonholes.

Actually now that I think about it, it was fairly secure (it's been too long since I graduated! :o:

) - there was a pigeonhole for each letter of the alphabet, and everyone had a key to the relevant one. So, no-one random could just walk in and take your mail, but obviously the other people in the college with the same initial could see if you had letters. That could actually be helpful, because if you went home earlier than other people and your friend used the same pigeonhole, they could forward on any of your mail that arrived after you left.

Reply 10

oh_adele

nexttime

Woah - we have the same system but have never had instances of theft - that would be terrible!

Not very! Some colleges people could even just walk in off the street, take something and walk out. It just...never seems to happen though :s-smilie:

.

A key to get into your pidge would make far more sense. :yes:

Haha. Sorry. :/

Reply 11

nexttime

oh_adele

Haha. Sorry. :/

Its a technical university term, along with things like 'halls', 'allnighters' and 'wehaven'teatenanypizzainlike3hoursshalliphoneupdominoes?'.

Reply 12

brokenangel

Our flats all had there own front door so letters got shoved through the letter box and anything that needed signing for went to reception, you needed photographic ID to collect it from there