According to PayPal’s official Twitter feed, there are currently problems related to printing Royal Mail postage labels on PayPal.
PayPal said on Twitter this afternoon: “We are actively working with Royal Mail to have this issue resolved. Any new updates will follow.”
At 5pm today (Monday 21st November), PayPal said on Twitter: “Sorry no update as of yet on the Royal Mail printing label issue. My apologies for any inconvenience. We are working on it.”
We’re not sure exactly what the issues are, or if they are universal and affecting all users, but this is obviously not great news. A glitch on a Monday is always a bane but in November, peak selling time, this is going to be very inconveneient for sellers who use it.
You can keep an eye on Twitter for the latest updates from PayPal here.
26 Responses
The problem is pretty much everything to do with Royal Mail, not just PayPal postage.
Their site was down for ‘maintenance’ for the whole weekend with the promise it would be back before business hours on Monday.
I’m a SmartStamp user and I’ve not been able to print postage or access my account all day today (Monday).
The timing really sucks.
Joe,
“The timing really sucks.” You are quite right there. Here’s hoping they sort it soon.
dw
The whole of Royal Mail website has been down pretty much since Saturday with no pre-warning.
Managed to get some Smartstamp postage labels done as had money in prepay account but haven’t been able to use it since it ran out of money. Did get prepay account topped up eventually but now website won’t communicate with Smartstamp app so total waste of time (and money).
Surprise, Surprise when RM site did come back up it was with a new redesign! Whoever decided to redesign it at the busiest time of year should be sacked, total idiot!
This has seriously effected our business (Sunday we had 90+ items awaiting dispatch) and we have had to put everything on hold and traipse up and down to the post office to manually send everything out. Not Happy!!!
Once again demonstrating how the bigwigs don’t give a hoot about the little guys.
This is what happens when one company has a monopoly of the entire postal system. System updates without much care.
Anyhow customers will always use Royal Mail and they know it so they probably don’t care how long it takes to sort out the problem. Its two working days now and NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
Have to go to the Post Office now to lick some stamps!
We currently have a multitude of parcels waiting to go from our small Ebay business.
We have explained there is a Royal mail issue, but as Ebay/Paypal/RM have not really acknowledged it (told yesterday by Ebay, techs say all is OK, no problems reported) customers are disinclined to believe our ‘excuses’, and undoubtedly receive bad FB and or DSR. We cannot send an Ebay Email ‘En-Mass’. 36 Min wait for Ebay cust service
The guy at the post office operating a 1 in 1 out policy – no rakes of parcels please……sold out of stamps.
Ebay suggest I Copy and paste the customers emails into 1 Email and send outside of ebay.
Another wasted morning!
My small business is on hold right now with post waiting to be sent. I’ve managed to ship out the UK stuff using stamps (my local post office has also run out of higher-value stamps), but the overseas packets are too numerous to take to the post office – it will take hours just to fill in all the customs forms!
This is not good for a business that prides itself on a fast dispatch :o(
I built my business around this system – I think it would now be wise to consider alternatives – anyone got any suggestions?
Apparently, according to PayPal on Twitter, the postage label printing facility is back up and running as of about an hour ago.
Be good to get confirmation of that from any users.
Thanks Dan
Not at this end, it isn’t. Fume.
Just tried, still not working! PayPal & Royal Mail are a joke! I wish I never got involved with Ebay simply because they make it impossible to use them without using paypal…and PAYPAL is the worst company ever!
SmartStamp still not working. I got a generic apology and a vague ‘we hope to get it working this afternoon’
The thing that really annoys me is that they are saying the site was down for ‘essential maintenance’ but I don’t believe this. The site has a whole new look with dynamic menus and a lot of the usual stuff has been moved about.
Whoever gave the go-ahead for such a major site update in late November should lose their job IMO.
Yup, SmartStamp is still down according to Royal Mail.
How is this affecting you?
Update post on SmartStamp Royal Mail issues:
https://tamebaynew.wpengine.com/2011/11/royal-mail-smartstamp-problems-continue-to-cause-ebay-seller-headaches.html
I’ve survived so far, through being based in a town centre with a “main” (RM speak for a converted newsagents) PO 5 mins walk away. I bought stamps, cut & pasted the addresses from Packing Partner into Word & used Avery labels. Doesn’t look professional, didn’t have time to figure out how to add a return address and also have no timed record of postage creation. But they’re in the post now.
Not so fortunate are those in rural areas, home workers and everyone who is venting their spleen on the forums at the moment. Just read the posts. The shabby evasiness of Royal Mail, Paypal and Ebay on the matter is beyond comprehension.
This has made me look at how I post things, which has been taking longer and longer as business grows (on Amazon – Ebay sales are way down now).
I download to Packing Partner, cut & paste addresses to Smartstamp 4 -up labels and then pack and stick them on. It would help if that cut & paste can be avoided by a merge. Anybody got a better suggestion for integration of all this?
One thing is for sure. I’ll always keep stock of large letter and 100g packet value stamps in the office now.
Smartstamp, or any of the Royal Mail buy postage online services are working yet. Neither is Paypal Postage, just the same frustrating error message at paypal, and last time I tried using Royal Mail I was presented with a list of Zip files (which i presume is meant to be part of there website, go tech guys!).
I have a prepaid money into the Royal Mail service that I can’t use, I have been instructed that a maximum of 3 packages at any time at my Post Office.
I have now purchased stamps (what was left as most were sold out) and I’m attempting to match them up to make up the postage on my parcels.
A total joke, the person in charge of this at the Royal Mail needs to start looking for another job….and without a severance package!
Can anyone suggest an alternative as I really need to get away from these morons at royal mail, they just simply don’t care.
Any ideas, someone could make a lucrative killing if they offer services that are close in price to the royal mail, there must be an alternative out there somewhere…even if it is top secret 😉
This is a total joke still under maintence!? Come on christmas is around the corner and this is the most busy time of the year and businesses are suffering due to only one thing. Npe it is the the internet connection my is fine. Npe it is not the heavy storm or snow. Just looks foggy at the moment. Nope it is nit the strike. Well i suppose they working double time to save up for christmas. Just that royal mail decided to play around and decide why not make our website look pretty for christmas and change a few things. Well a few things seems to be a countries whole postal problem. No stamps left due to business took them all and the old granny who cant get a stamp no more to send a christmas card to her grand child . Messed up roayl mail
Sorry to shout but…
SMARTSTAMP IS WORKING!!!
Just tested it and its printed out correctly.
Just thought you would all like to know 🙂
Just a little rant if so called “royal mail” are going to offer the prepay postage service they must make sure their systems and infer-structure are geared up for the task, its not the first time, ive tried again today the 24/11/11 to no avail, royal mail should be careful they will lose business to other couriers, its not pay-pal their top,e-commerce is a big change for a lot of “set in their ways” companies, please move with the times royal mail thanks
I use Price Finder quite heavily – especially when bidders ask for postage quotes for overseas on an item as it is running. Pricefinder has been off line since the beginning of last week. What a joke. I’d just loved to have been in the meeting when the “The Apprentice” reject who RM obviously employed said “OK gI’ve got an idea, let’s completely redesign the website 5 weeks before Christmas”. You couldn’t make it up.