Date: 18th November 2024
Isle of Man Post Office (IOMPO) is pleased to announce details of its Christmas arrangements for 2024. Details include last recommended posting dates, opening and closing times, and collection and delivery times across its services for the festive period.
IOMPO would like to remind all customers of the importance of ordering and posting items as early as possible to avoid disappointment and to allow for disruptions due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather conditions which may impact on boats and flights.
Last recommended posting dates for standard service to international destinations including Australia and New Zealand start from Friday 22nd November. A complete list of last recommended posting dates for our various services to international destinations can be found at www.iompost.com/christmas, with regular updates shared on Facebook and Twitter.
The last recommended posting date for sending standard mail (letters and parcels) to the UK is Wednesday 18th December; the last posting date for Special Delivery – two day service and Tracked (Service only available to commercial customers and via Online Postage) to the UK is Thursday 19th December. The deadline for our UK Special Delivery Next Day service, which is available to Click & Dispatch customers as well as over the counter at Postal Headquarters in Braddan, is Monday 23rd December at 3pm.
The Deadline for local Standard Mail and Singed For is Thursday 19th December. The On-Island Special Delivery – Next Day deadline is Monday 23rd December.
Customers are also reminded to make sure their letters and parcels are properly addressed, ensuring a postcode and return name and address is included along with correct postage applied to avoid any delays. For information about prices, packaging and addressing standards visit www.iompost.com/christmas.
For friends and family of HM Forces personnel, mail must be sent by no later than Monday 25th November for operational British Forces Post Office (BFPO) and for static BFPOs no later than Monday 2nd December. Don't forget friends and family can continue to send letters and parcels up to 2kg free of charge to any BFPO address.
IOMPO launched Online Postage as a new service in September this year, providing customers with more options for accessing postal services. Available to anyone with an internet connection, using any device e.g. mobile phone, this intuitive and easy to use service gives customers the opportunity to manage their postage requirements at their convenience, whenever and wherever they choose as it is available 24/7, with many customers already opting to use the service first thing in a morning and in the evening. Customers can also take advantage of IOMPOs home collection service which is currently completely free for an introductory period. Customers with no access to a printer can have the printed label brought to them and can therefore still utilise the service. As a special Christmas treat and thank you to loyal customers, IOMPO is offering their Tracked service from only £3.75 for the Christmas period, when purchased via Online Postage:
| Destination: IOM /UK | Price |
| 500g | £3.75 |
| 1kg | £5.25 |
| 2kg | £7.75 |
IOMPO hopes this will help customers this festive period, whatever it is they need to send. This promotion is also available to commercial customers via their Click and Dispatch account. Available at: www.iompost.com/onlinepostage.
Customers can also continue to take their items to sub-post offices, drop off at our parcel collection points, or post themselves into our post boxes around the Island (collection times vary). The number of larger post boxes that can accommodate larger parcels are also being increased. Our online map is a convenient way for customers to locate the nearest drop off location and collection times for individual post boxes: www.iompost.com/services-finder.
Customers are also reminded of the Isle of Man Post Office’s self-service Pay & Post Kiosks which are positioned across the Island and offer convenient access to postal services out of working hours without the need to queue. The Pay & Post Kiosks assist those customers wishing to send letters and parcels, purchase postage and pay Government rates, fixed and endorsable penalty fines and utility bills.
For a full breakdown of opening hours of customer service counters across the Island please visit www.iompost.com/Christmas.
Customers are reminded to familiarise themselves with items that are restricted in quantity or prohibited for safe travel through the post, particularly when it comes to sending Christmas presents to loved ones. For example customers can send items to the UK of up to 4 x bottles of perfume in one package at 150ml each. Further they can send toiletry aerosols up to 500ml x2 within one parcel. 4 bottles of Nail varnish up to 30ml are allowed per parcel. Customers are also reminded that bladed items including knives, scissors or tweezers are prohibited and therefore items such as manicure sets are not allowed to be sent. Customers are also kindly reminded that all items must be correctly packaged.
Customers should remember that all items containing goods sent to destinations outside the UK, including the Channel Islands, must include customs declaration forms. Details can be found on our website www.iompost.com/ecd.
For a full list of prohibited and restricted items visit www.iompost.com/restricted. Alternatively, if you are unsure about any items you wish to send to the UK or overseas, please contact Customer Services on 664664 or ask at your local post office.
IOMPO’s staff will seek to leave any parcels not requiring a signature in a safe place and put a notice left card through the letterbox to advise customers where the parcel has been left. Should no safe location be identified, the parcel will be brought back for safe keeping and a notice left card will advise customers of this.
Customers who miss their parcel delivery are advised that they can request a redelivery or direct their item to one of fifteen convenient Island-wide locations for collection by using our online redelivery request service www.iompost.com/collections. Customers will receive a text message notification when the parcel is at their requested location ready for collection. Many of these locations provide extended opening hours allowing customers to collect at a time that is suitable to them.
IOMPO is delighted to introduce the 2024 Christmas stamps titled ‘Father Christmas,’ which showcase the charm of a Victorian Christmas through nostalgic Father Christmas imagery.
The Victorians adopted numerous Christmas traditions that continue to be celebrated today, such as sending Christmas cards and the introduction of Christmas trees, a custom brought to England by Prince Albert from his native Germany.
This vintage theme is beautifully reflected in the collection, featuring rich colours and gold accents, making it an ideal way to embrace the Christmas spirit and the joy of sending cards and gifts to loved ones around the globe. The stamp labels will be available for postage at all post offices and self-service kiosks. The collection includes a self-adhesive booklet containing ten 85p stamps designed for local and UK letters, perfect for mailing Christmas cards, which can be purchased online or at all post offices at www.iompost.com/postal-shop.
Additionally, there is a variety of collectible items that would make delightful Christmas gifts, all available for browsing and purchase at www.iompost.com/christmasgiftshop. For those who prefer to give a monetary gift or plan to travel during the festive season, IOMPO offers foreign currency presented in a gift wallet, complete with free delivery, which can be ordered at iompost.com/Forex or obtained at your local post office.
IOMPO is thrilled to continue its express letter service to the North Pole, allowing children from the Isle of Man to send their letters to Father Christmas and receive a complimentary response. Father Christmas will make every effort to reply to all letters, so please ensure they are sent by Friday, December 13th, in an envelope with a first-class stamp to ensure timely delivery to Lapland. Letters without a stamp will not reach their destination. To prevent disappointment, please include a return address so Father Christmas knows where to send his replies. For more information about letters to Father Christmas and how to send and receive Christmas mail, please visit the Christmas page on our website at www.iompost.com/christmas.
All information is correct at the time of publication and subject to change. For up to date information please visit www.iompost.com/christmas or follow Isle of Man Post Office on Facebook and Twitter.
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