disappearing royal mail signed for parcel

[Worzel]

Hi all, hope you can help?

I am aware of the 15 working day then put in a claim etc, however this never seems to work out and also isn't helping me right now..

Sent an item 7 working days ago, buyer alerted me it hasn't turned up. I tracked the item and it just says "Your item was posted at blahblah on such and such date & time and is been progressed through our network"

Buyer has checked his sorting office with the tracking number, no sign of it. I'm pretty sure a postman has stolen this, parcels don't just disappear into thin air like this.


Any ideas? anybody had this problem before?

 

[billybob99]

You can't be sure a postman has stolen it, there are many phases in the delivery system, post goes from distribution centre to distribution centre, it could get lost on any part of the journey, most likely, than it getting right to the end of the process and the postman stealing it.

 

[Worzel]

You can't be sure a postman has stolen it, there are many phases in the delivery system, post goes from distribution centre to distribution centre, it could get lost on any part of the journey, most likely, than it getting right to the end of the process and the postman stealing it.

I used to think like this when I started mail order 8 years ago. Believe me things that are tracked, have return addresses on, don't just disappear.

Do a google search of postmen stealing items, it's pretty common. I can't say for sure, but all of my tracked items than went missing, never had anything returned to the massive return address on the large parcel.

 

[billybob99]

No doubt, I've sent stuff with a return label with the address that have never made it back to me, if it is tracked all the way then they must be able to see where it was last scanned in?

 

[kulture]

You have to remember thatthe recorded delivery/signed for service is a NON TRACKED service. It is only scanned on delivery.

 

[Worzel]

Shows as scanned where I sent it with the date and time and nothing since.

A non tracking service with a tracking number? sounds about right

 

[wayzgoose]

Shows as scanned where I sent it with the date and time and nothing since.

A non tracking service with a tracking number? sounds about right

Recorded delivery or confirmed as it's now called, has never been a tracked service. It's only good for confirming a parcel's been delivered and for removing the "my order hasn't arrived" customers.

 

[paulears]

Progressing through the system is just RM speak for not sure where it is. I doubt it's nicked, just lost. One of my parcels got returned to me after 3 months, marked as not collected by customer - who told me they'd been to the depot three times. The annoying thing for me was the compensation based on the cost price, ex VAT and the hassle proving this to them!

 

[beasty]

Things can very easily be sent to the wrong depot, i know as a student we used to lob parcels in to various bins destined for different parts of the country, if you were not quite on form from (DOWN TOWN) the odd one went on a little detour.

Does not mean it is nicked, it might just have gone on a plane to the wrong end of the country and when sorted later it will be returned

Oh yes, customers lie

Oh yes also, the compensation last time I checked was the equivalent of 100 first class stamps (Pretty sure I did not imagine this) I did not bother last time something went missing, if was worth 120quid compensation of 40, could not be arsed, with the hassle

 

[visagephoto]

Shows as scanned where I sent it with the date and time and nothing since.

A non tracking service with a tracking number? sounds about right

I placed an order with Amazon last week and the seller sent me an email complete with a tracking code, confirming that my order had been dispatched. On checking the tracking code on RM's website I was notified that "This item is only tracked once it's delivered".:|

Oh. and I don't believe your parcel was stolen by the postman, It's more likely that it just "fell off the back of a lorry".

 

[paulears]

That's an easy one. They posted it at a Royal Mail depot, not a post office. Believe it or not, the Depots cannot scan post into the system, they write out the paperwork by hand, so shortcircuiting the tracking system. This is why you don't get the post office receipt with tracking number, just the paper card version.

 

[Worzel]

The value was £100, sadly only covered for £40. I won't bother to claim, what's the point? I hear the nightmares people have, is £40 worth losing anymore hair, no.

What is annoying is I paid £4.10 to signed for, if they cocked up that's their problem not mine, I always naively thought the claiming for an item would be much easier for SIGNED for items, apparently not

 

[Jayser100]

Recorded mail is a waste of time and money. You have no chance of successfully claiming your money back. Special Delivery is the only 100% bombproof method.

Years ago I used to send out all of the sunglasses we sell on Recorded Delivery but it caused more problems than it solved, with people claiming they had never had a card through their door etc. and parcels going astray. I don't bother now and we have far less problems. It is actually quite rare for people to pretend they never received a parcel in order to get a second product free, it does happen occasionally but then I just send the new one on a recorded service to make sure they can't pull the same scam again.

Don't waste your time filling in the forms unless the item posted cost YOU a lot of money because your chances of getting compensation are pretty slim. If it is a high value item, maybe you need to consider using a more reliable, if more expensive, method of shipping.

 

[Worzel]

Recorded mail is a waste of time and money. You have no chance of successfully claiming your money back. Special Delivery is the only 100% bombproof method.

Years ago I used to send out all of the sunglasses we sell on Recorded Delivery but it caused more problems than it solved, with people claiming they had never had a card through their door etc. and parcels going astray. I don't bother now and we have far less problems. It is actually quite rare for people to pretend they never received a parcel in order to get a second product free, it does happen occasionally but then I just send the new one on a recorded service to make sure they can't pull the same scam again.

Don't waste your time filling in the forms unless the item posted cost YOU a lot of money because your chances of getting compensation are pretty slim. If it is a high value item, maybe you need to consider using a more reliable, if more expensive, method of shipping.

You are right, it's only worth about £100 I think. Still very annoying. My problem is I felt I could trust the signed for thing as never really had this happen too much.

For the extra few quid I will send special del next time, I was just to trusting. It's a shocker that your apparently covered, yet people in the post office just laugh that they don't know where it is, and everybody who mentions a claim form tells me not to bother. Pretty disgusting really, we spent alot of money with royal mail

 

[deadgoodundies]

Oh yes also, the compensation last time I checked was the equivalent of 100 first class stamps (Pretty sure I did not imagine this)

Unless you are a business and send via PPI then the compensation for Royal Mail signed for is.................... bugger all.

 

[Anthony Bowen]

Hi all, hope you can help?

I am aware of the 15 working day then put in a claim etc, however this never seems to work out and also isn't helping me right now..

Sent an item 7 working days ago, buyer alerted me it hasn't turned up. I tracked the item and it just says "Your item was posted at blahblah on such and such date & time and is been progressed through our network"

Buyer has checked his sorting office with the tracking number, no sign of it. I'm pretty sure a postman has stolen this, parcels don't just disappear into thin air like this.


Any ideas? anybody had this problem before?

I think you must cross check the address that you might have labeled over the item. If you have mentioned it correctly then there is a possibility of stealing.

 

[SillyJokes]

Agonising over one lost parcel is a pointless exercise which simply costs you heart ache.

The sooner you make sure you are charging enough to cover any occasional losses and learn that a tiny percentage go missing no matter what you do the happier you will be.

 

[Worzel]

Agonising over one lost parcel is a pointless exercise which simply costs you heart ache.

The sooner you make sure you are charging enough to cover any occasional losses and learn that a tiny percentage go missing no matter what you do the happier you will be.

I am covered for this, I sent a replacement via special delivery and am still in Profit.

This doesn't make me feel any better at all. I hate being stolen off in any situation, regardless of being able to replace the item.

I don't bat an eyelid over missing packets, but when they are sent recorded it boils my blood. This parcel was large too, I find it insulting when people use the word LOST. Parcels this size don't get stuck to the bottom of royal mails crappy bags, or even fall out of the holes in them. This parcel was stolen on it's journey.

 

[Anthony Bowen]

I am covered for this, I sent a replacement via special delivery and am still in Profit.

This doesn't make me feel any better at all. I hate being stolen off in any situation, regardless of being able to replace the item.

I don't bat an eyelid over missing packets, but when they are sent recorded it boils my blood. This parcel was large too, I find it insulting when people use the word LOST. Parcels this size don't get stuck to the bottom of royal mails crappy bags, or even fall out of the holes in them. This parcel was stolen on it's journey.

I think anyone will not feel good. If anything has given to be delivered through the mail and will go lost. Even I think no one can bear any kind of stealing in this world if is genuine.

 

[Worzel]

Tracked it again for fun

Item --- was posted at ---- on 21/05/13 and is being progressed through our network for delivery.

 

[roydmoorian]

Tracked it again for fun

Item --- was posted at ---- on 21/05/13 and is being progressed through our network for delivery.

I have one of those (1st class RM recorded) from Feb 2012 ... still in system awaiting delivery apparently

 

[dingbat]

Years ago I used to send out all of the sunglasses we sell on Recorded Delivery but it caused more problems than it solved, with people claiming they had never had a card through their door etc. and parcels going astray. I don't bother now and we have far less problems. It is actually quite rare for people to pretend they never received a parcel in order to get a second product free, it does happen occasionally but then I just send the new one on a recorded service to make sure they can't pull the same scam again.

It depends on the product. If you're sending out Organic toffee to Guardian readers then you'll probably not have many problems of false claims. If you're sending out electronic stuff especially towards a younger market then you'll likely get a fair few.

I had the same problem of cards not being left and also items posted without signatures. I still stick with recorded and think it's worth it for me.

Addition: My postie was writing out the 'we tried to deliver' cards for recorded before doing his round. He would barely knock or not even bother and throw the card through to speed up his round. I believe it was RM policy that once a round had been finished they could go home. Not sure if it still is.

 

[squeekwheel]

In Europe the mail tracking is so much better - in Latvia for example they track all parcels regardless - they don't ask if you want recorded or not - it gets full tracking available to view online throughout the journey of parcel.