ROYAL Mail workers have left people in hysterics after revealing the shocking ways people send their online parcels.
So if you’ve ever ordered something second-hand online, whether it’s from Depop or Vinted, and were left baffled as to how it arrived, prepare to be even more open-mouthed.
Posting on the official Royal Mail TikTok account, the posties shared never-seen-before footage from the Hackney sorting office.
The employees penned: “Tell us you’ve sold something online, without telling us you’ve sold something online.”
They then shared a series of snaps of parcels, inspired by the parcels they have had to deliver.
Whilst one parcel was being sent in an egg carton, another was in a jacket potato box.
And if you thought that was funny, there’s even a parcel that was sent in a water bottle – yes, you heard that correctly.
It comes after the recent trend whereby Vinted buyers and sellers have shared the weirdest ways they have shipped or received a parcel.
Not only did one seller admit to posting her items in food boxes, but one buyer received her purchase in a nappy.
As a result, commenters on the Royal Mail post claimed that the parcels were “definitely all Vinted sellers.”
The staff at Royal Mail then wrote: “Disclaimer: The photos used in this post aren’t pictures of genuine customer parcels. They are recreations based on real items that we’ve seen in our network.
We admire the creative efforts people go to in order to post their items sustainably
Royal Mail employee
“The labels on these ‘parcels’ do not contain any customer details and the tracking numbers and QR codes are unused.
“This post is intended to be lighthearted and fun.
“We admire the creative efforts people go to in order to post their items sustainably.
“We can accept items in our network as long as they’re packaged safely and securely.
“If you’re unsure how to package an item, please check our guidelines on royalmail.com.”
IF you fancy clearing out your wardrobe and getting rid of your old stuff on Vinted, you’ll need to consider the new rules that recently came into play.
If people are selling personal items for less than they paid new (which is generally the case for second-hand sales), there is no impact on tax.
However, since January 1, digital platforms, including eBay, Airbnb, Etsy, Amazon and Vinted, must share seller information with HMRC as part of a crackdown.
You’re unlikely to be affected if you only sell a handful of second-hand items online each year – generally, only business sellers trading for profit might need to pay tax.
A tax-free allowance of £1,000 has been in place since 2017 for business sellers trading for profit – the only time that an individual personal item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is a profit from the sale.
However, firms now have to pass on your data to HMRC if you sell 30 or more items a year or earn over £1,700.
It is part of a wider tax crackdown to help ensure that those who boost their income via side hustles pay up what they owe.
While your data won’t be shared with HMRC if you earn between £1,000 and £1,700, you’ll still need to pay tax as normal.
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the account @royalmail, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up a whopping 791,600 views in just 19 hours.
Social media users were in hysterics at the unique ways of packaging, particularly the water bottle.
Can anyone beat the bottle?
TIkTok user
One person said: “The BOTTLE no I cannot.”
Another added: “The water bottle is INSANE.”
A third commented: “Can anyone beat the bottle?”
Meanwhile, someone else penned: “There’s me being paranoid about using a bag for life.”
At the same time, many Vinted shoppers took to the comments to reveal the strange ways in which their parcels had arrived.
One user claimed: “I got a Vinted parcel in a cat food box once.”
Once I got a t-shirt in a bag of crisps
TikTok user
A second explained: “My mother had a headband come in a pizza box.”
A third wrote: “I once had a necklace packaged in a medicine box.”
Whilst another user revealed: “I had a t-shirt coming in a Mr Kippling box.”
Meanwhile, someone else chimed in: “Once I got a t-shirt in a bag of crisps…. bringing reuse and recycle to the next level.”
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