In message , at 10:39:00 on
Fri, 6 Aug 2010, David Walters remarked:

It doesn't even work for other delivery companies, who will typically
ask you to go and retrieve a mis-delivered packet at their Stevenage
office, when the Cambridge office is a third of the distance away and in
a town you probably visit quite often - rather than almost never

That might have nothing to do with postcodes or counties. The delivery
company depot is chosen for their convenience and they might use the
Stevenage one because it is bigger and has more capacity than their
Cambridge one, even if the later is nearer.

They might, but it doesn't sound plausible to me.

Nor is it plausible that a plumber would prefer to be called out all the
way from Stevenage, rather than from Cambridge etc etc.

The fact that you have to travel further to collect a parcel doesn't
bother them, you aren't even their customer.

That's the cynical view, but it also means they have to drive further to
deliver it. This is a classic "cockup" situation, arising from the
inappropriate application of postcodes.
--
Roland Perry