About

My name is Tim McCormack.   From 2004 to 2010 I owned and ran a small and remote Post Office in the Highlands.   Then I made the mistake of buying a bigger one in Duns in the Scottish Borders which my wife and I ran for 4 years until leaving under NT.

So we bought Duns just at the time NT was about to start.  I have been an outspoken critic of that dreadful plan since its inception along with many others.  Time has passed and my own and other’s predictions have come to pass.  Those SPMRs who remain in the network and unable to escape under NT have seen their investments decimated and their income fall rapidly.

Then of course their is the HOL scandal.   SPMRs wrongly accused of theft and jailed while POL remain in denial that there is anything wrong with HOL.   As a former IT consultant I have noted many errors in HOL and have tried to convince Paula Vennells directly that these exist and cause losses to SPMRs on a daily basis.

While there are several online forums where SPMRs discuss such issues there has never been a central depository for such information and with it a timeline.   This blog attempts to do this and over time I hope to look back over the last few years and collate and comment on the issues that have been raised.

12 thoughts on “About”

  1. Hi Tim. I am one of the jfsa bodies caught up in all this. Can I thank you for your formative response to this debacle. It is clear POL are in complete denial about anything and are hiding behind lawyers. My case is a duplicate in many ways to Jo Hamiltons- the similarities are astonishing and no doubt the same applies to many others. I will continue use to watch your blogs with interest.

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  2. Hello again Tim,

    Your statement “have been an outspoken critic of that dreadful (NT) plan since its inception” is somewhat at variance to my own interpretation on hearing POL’s presentation of the way forward back in 2011/12

    I would like to take the opportunity to highlight not only my own growth in income ( forecast minus 32%, reality being an 18% increase under the new “Mains” remuneration rates, I.e. elimination of CTP, but also the outcome of a Local+ within 25 miles of my branch ( Amble )

    An SPM retired with the 28(?) months payment, new operator absorbed a single counter into his established retail business, PO income forecast at between £18 & £21k.
    First 12 months saw PO income at £38k ( or best forecast of twenty one thousand resulted in thirty eight thousand income from single PO “Local+” counter along with “double digit growth” on the retail side.

    I visit branches across the NE of England, as well as the Borders to coach SPMs & their staff on compliance, regulations & best practise.

    I’ve helped around 50 branches in this way.

    There are issues with HOL, there are issues with POL & their relationship with SPMs

    My own “common sense” along with face to face experience leads me to the conclusion that the MAJOR issue lies in SPMs own approach to achieving a profitable business.

    Hope I don’t sound too negative to that which you are trying to achieve, will help in any way I can, but I do come from a different starting point.
    Drive safe
    Bryan
    Amble

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    • Hi Bryan

      There were always going to be winners with NT. I am glad you are one of them. I wouldn’t have been so I left with my 28 months and am ever so glad I did. For one thing had I held on another two years and been forced to leave my compo would have dropped by 40%! But that’s another story.

      Here’s a question I wonder whether or not you know the answer to. When I published the Mains TRPs on the NFSP forum I think early in 2011, George Thomson closed the forum immediately do you know why he did that? I know the answer just wondering if you realise too.

      Cheers, Tim

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  3. “Mains TRP” on Nfsp forum in 2011 ?
    No, am unaware of that.
    Do I know why George Thompson closed down debate?
    No
    I can imagine why but to be honest my view of the motivation of such people as “The President” / ” the boss” was coloured many years ago by seeing first hand the total corruption of those holding sinecures.

    That view has only been reinforced over the past 30 years.

    Integrity, honesty and determination to hold out for the “truth” are rare qualities and have been since time immortal.

    Looking forward to a great Monday, don’t give up
    Bryan
    Amble

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  4. Tim,

    I apologise for not recognising your name albeit your face would probably be familiar to me from Conferences ….of old.

    I didn’t realise that you had developed this site which certainly presents the ‘real’ information far more coherently than any of the other vehicles, either past or present.

    I also left under NT in 2016……….after 106 years in the family. I maintain an unhealthy interest in all things Post Office and would be happy to exchange views …..albeit I am unsure about changing the world order……..but happy to give it a go.

    I am intending to attend some of the court days in London over the next few weeks. Let me know if you are also intending to enjoy the spectacle. Perhaps we could arrange to meet.

    Toby

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  6. Hi Tim – I am one of the founders of The Outcasts Creative – our Theatre Company is taking on the Post Office Scandal as a dark satire piece of theatre. I would love to talk to you about it.

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  7. Hi Tim
    I’m the treasurer of a village shop with an attached Local PO. Our monthly Trading Position normally produces a small deficit which we correct from our shop income. I’ve followed the Scandal and have seen no reference within the trial of any fixes to the Horizon software.
    I would love to hear that we ongoing small shopholders should be safe in the knowledge that this cannot happen again. My poor attempts with POL and NFPMRs has been met with silence so it’s with some relief that I read your blog which tells me that my fear may have some foundation.
    In 2017, I was on duty at the PO counter and in those days each person did a cash dec at th end of their shift. I was horrified to see that I was £200+ down. I printed a transaction log and saw that I had sold 132 large letter stamps – a sale I definitely hadn’t made. I checked the stock and indeed I hadn’t sold any LL stamps.
    I have to conclude that Horizon had inserted that transaction.
    Do you have any evidence that fixes were made or that what existed at the beginning of the scandal still exists now.
    Best wishes
    Jon Banyard

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    • Hi Jon

      You can contact me directly at t.j.mccormack @ outlook.com (removing spaces).

      Please let me know the outcome of the shortage that you noted. Did you have to pay POL anything? On or around 2017 POL were rolling out new hardware including keyboards with built in card readers. There was a known problem with those that could generate false transactions when you were merely reading a card magstripe in.

      My assumption would be that with a spurious stamp sale all you needed to do was to adjust your stock figure and both cash and stock would be corrected.

      At the start of the scandal POL used a version of Horizon that is no longer in use. Since the GLO aka the Horizon Trial SPMRs should not be held liable for unexplainable losses although POL try to do so. If in doubt join the CWU Postmasters branch and they will help you deal with any problems you encounter. The NFSP is a waste of space and don’t imagine POL will try and assist you in any helpful way.

      Cheers, Tim

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      • Hi Tim
        As I recall, I reversed the transaction after I had checked the stock holding and that removed the discrepancy. I don’t think we had a keyboard with a card reader.
        Regards
        Jon

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