Has anyone used AOL's online packet tracking system?

AOL being Assay Office London, in this case.

Just got myself registered for it - here if you're interested - and started using it. Quite impressed with how quickly it is updated - packets checked in are on the system in less than an hour (although I don't know how much less, that's just when I checked); progress through assay & marking are tracked and payment can be made online. At the moment, the system doesn't allow for payment until everything is ready, but I'm told that will be changing in the near future.

Are any of the other assay offices doing a similar thing?

I've been using the Edinburgh Office's online hallmark creation and tracking system for my packages from the start (4 so far) and it sounds like it works in a similar way. I can see when the parcel has been received, opened, etc - think it's great. The only bit that is missing from the Edinburgh offices setup is online payment - they phoned me when the packet was ready for return to get the payment over the phone.

That's so disappointing. I am with the Birmingham Assay Office and they are far from having something like that. I hope they are planning to catch up and implement similar services soon.

What, is *nobody* else using London's system???

AOL phoned me too - the online payment system is there, but they chased first - which was before the packet was ready (after assay though).

I am interested in this Peter.. I have just got my registration, makers mark etc all sorted and set up but haven't plucked up the courage to send anything yet, although I need to be doing very soon. Do you set this up before sending anything in, or do you have to wait until something is in the system? I am a bit new to all of this side of things, so any advice is very welcome. I have read a few other threads about packaging.

Just drop them an email at the link above, they'll sort you out with login details - then you just go ahead & use it once you've got a packet sent in (er - mostly because if there's nothing to track, it's not desperately interesting).

Thanks Peter. I emailed them today and posted the first ever parcel off... now waiting and hoping everything is okay...

Louise