Mailbridge
For the Provision of Mail Forwarding, serving 'Liveaboard' and 'Continuous Cruising' Narrowboaters

P: Synergistic House, Welshampton, Ellesmere, Shropshire, SY12 0PH.
T: 01948 710925      F: 07006 009803     M: 07887 644135
E: admin@mailbridge.co.uk

Which of our Gold, Silver, or Bronze schemes you join will depend very much on your intended travelling lifestyle.  The level of service is to the same high standard whichever service system you choose. The difference relates merely to the duration of the contract, the way you pay, and how much you pay. Perhaps unusually our 'GOLD' service works out at the cheapest option, on a monthly cost basis.  Why not ring us for a chat about your own specific requirements - we are a small family business, and know about narrowboat life - we will help if we can.

So how does the service work (this description applies to each of the schemes we operate) ....... 

Description of Service: Mail is received at Synergistic House for clients, then held by us as appropriate until it can be redirected on to you at a temporary UK Poste Restante (or other UK address).  You, the client, advise us of that temporary address from time to time, week to week, as and when you work out where you will be on the canal system. The service can generally be adapted to suit the individual requirements of each client (eg destruction of obvious junk mail). 

To prevent fraud, each client is allocated a security client registration number and we will prearrange with you a 'secret question and answer' known only to 'Mailbridge' and you the individual client - so when you contact us we can make sure that it is indeed you that we are dealing with.

We require an advance payment of a 'Balancing Fee' - what is it for........   

'Balancing Fee' Requirements: A minimum 'balancing fee' of £20 is payable at the start of each of the scheme contracts. This money is used by 'Mailbridge' to pay for the ancillary costs of redirection.  Of course these payments are made and accounted for - at cost - and will only be used for these ancillary costs mentioned.  If and when the 'balance' of the 'balancing fee' we hold for a client falls below £5, we will require a top up of £20 to be paid as an ongoing 'balancing fee'.  If, for any part of the contract period, the client's forwarding address is to be outside the UK, we will require the 'balancing fee' amount to be increased to a level of £50 - because all the additional cost of forwarding mail abroad. 

Mailbridge undertakes to properly account for such 'balancing fee' payments received from clients.  The balance of 'balancing fee' remaining will be repaid to clients on termination of contract. If a contract is being renewed, any remaining balancing fee is carried forward from the old contract to the new contract.

So which of the services would suit you, the client, best ......... 

MAILBRIDGE BRONZE SERVICE: Designed specifically for those living just temporarily aboard. 
Cost of Bronze Service: Monthly Fee of £15, payable in advance by cheque or monthly standing order, for either a couple or for a single person. Service can only commence each month, once the relevant monthly payment funds are cleared through our bankers.  
'Balancing Fee' Requirements for Bronze Service: Minimum of £20, payable in advance. £20 top up required when 'balance' falls below £5. In both cases the figure of £20 is increased to £50, where client's forwarding address is outside the UK.

MAILBRIDGE SILVER SERVICE: Designed for those who will be living aboard a cruising narrowboat for at least six months of the year. 
Cost of Silver Service: Advance fee based on an amount of £12 per month (minimum of six months) payable in advance, for a couple (or family) living/cruising together.  The advance fee for a single person is based on an amount of £10 per month (minimum of six months) payable in advance. Payment can be by cheque or by single standing order.  For a six month contract, this would mean an advance payment of either £72 or £60 depending on whether for a couple or single person.  If clients know they are to be away cruising for, say, 7 months we merely calculate the advance fee on the same £12 or £10 per month basis, multiplied by the number of months (eg £84 or £70).  Service can only commence once payment funds are cleared through our bankers.  
'Balancing Fee' Requirements for Silver Service: As specified under the Bronze service.

MAILBRIDGE GOLD SERVICE: Designed specifically for those who will be living aboard a cruising narrowboat throughout the year. 
Cost of Gold Service: Annual Fee of £120, payable in advance, for a couple (or family) living/cruising together.  The annual advance fee for a single person is £96. Payment can be by cheque or by single annual standing order.  Service can only commence once payment funds are cleared through our bankers.  
'Balancing Fee' Requirements for Gold Service: As specified under the Bronze service.

What to do next - Please do read the conditions of contract shown on our web page entitled 'Legal Stuff' 

Then if you are happy that you would like to use our service give us a ring - as a family business we do prefer to speak individually with clients before starting a contract. Once we have had that chat, we may invite you to complete and sign an application form, which can be printed off from this website, to start a 'mailbridge' contract. If you have decided to proceed we will have, at the same time, discussed your 'security question' and allocated a 'security client registration number'. 

Once we have finalised the above issues we will await for payment to activate your 'mailbridge' contract. Once activated we will contact you and suggest that you arrange for your contacts to be told of your new 'mailbridge address'. You, the client,  will be responsible for advising your family, friends, and other contacts, of your new address.