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Legal matters

Postman says he delivered parcel which has never arrived

36 replies

cyberfairy · 18/09/2013 16:53

Fuming about this and would appreciate any advice on what to do next.

Bought an expensive Desigual coat as a treat to myself and after a week of waiting for it, contacted ebay seller who said that it had been tracked as delivered to me! Looked at tracking information and there was a ludicrous circle marked as my signature and it was meant to have been 'delivered' on a day I was working all day.

I contacted the complaints department of Royal Mail and they said they would investigate but today I received an email saying that they had spoken to the postman and he says he delivered it on that day to the girl with 'curly brown hair' he has delivered to previously!

There was no mention made of the silly scrawl signature or the fact I stated I was at work. I have also had my hair blonde for several months although it has been previously brown (amongst other colours) and vaguely curly.

It have made a further complaint but it seems as if it is his word against mine and the police aren't interested as they say it is a Royal Mail internal matter.

I am furious about this and want either my coat back or at least the money it cost me. What can I do next?

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cumfy · 18/09/2013 17:05

There should be a time on the tracking.

Go back to the police with proof/ witness statement(s) of where you were exactly at that time, and insist on giving a statement alleging theft against the postman.

Also raise a complaint with Ebay, indicating police involvement.

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cyberfairy · 18/09/2013 17:23

The post office have never told me when the alleged time of the signature was for despite me asking. I am concerned that I went home at lunch for an hour (work in local school) and they might try to say it was delivered then hence me wanting to know. I will look and see if it was on the original tracking info (thanks, never thought of it being on there!)

Don't think eBay will be interested as it was signed for and delivered- they are not too hot at the best of times with enquiries and complaints. Utterly shocked at my brush-off so will contact police again- suspect that due to my new complaint, they will still see it as internal-such a joke! A bit worried that the person I will be complaining about obviously knows exactly where I live and my name as well :-(
Thanks for help, will go look and see if I can see 'delivery' time.

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cyberfairy · 18/09/2013 17:29

Bugger, it was at nearly 5pm, a time when I'm pretty sure I was at home after work- I was hoping it was at time I had witnesses to prove I was at work- don't want him to get away with this...

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cyberfairy · 18/09/2013 17:30

And obviously, there were no knocks on the door when I was in...

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cumfy · 18/09/2013 21:27

5 pm delivery ?

Sounds very late.

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cyberfairy · 18/09/2013 21:53

I thought that as well- will try to link to the 'signature'...

www.royalmail.com/track-trace/pod-print/KF346098698GB

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JacqueslePeacock · 19/09/2013 15:20

Does that signature actually represent your name/initials (i.e. a forgery)? Or is it someone else's entirely?

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cyberfairy · 19/09/2013 19:23

It in no way represents my name as I sign my signature entirely differently and using actual letters and words! Had email back from Royal Mail washing their hands of my complaint despite not addressing a single question I have raised regarding my hair colour/identity/ signature etc.

Police still not interested until 30 days of a last appeal is raised. It has been an absolute fucking joke. I have made out to be a liar and brushed off with cut and pasted letters despite all my utterly ignored and many times repeated evidence and questions. An utter travesty and not going to let this lie.

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xJadex · 20/09/2013 11:02

I wouldent either, I think this is an absolute joke!! I would feel exactly the same if I was you. I would fight til the end on this one! hope you get this sorted!

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dolcelatte · 20/09/2013 13:32

I have PM'd you - exactly the same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. Where are you based?

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cyberfairy · 20/09/2013 14:03

I am in Lancaster dolcelatte. I am going to go into sorting office with partner on Saturday with a list of questions I want answered that so far have been ignored. I told the police that if the postman was to be believed (and he obviously has been) there must have been a break-in at my house with an imposter at the door and thus this needs looking into and questions asked to postman but they STILL say they can't act.

I am turning into my mum as being a right old battle-axe- more principle at thief and liar getting away with it than the coat right now. Although I really wanted that coat...

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cyberfairy · 20/09/2013 14:04

And thanks xJadex. Will keep you informed but have gone from being confident to utterly shocked and jaded.

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JacqueslePeacock · 20/09/2013 15:42

I meant more, are those your actual initials in the signature? It looks like S then maybe J something...? If they are your initials, it's clear that someone has deliberately impersonated you to take your parcel. If those aren't even your initials, it's possible the parcel was given to someone else altogether to sign for (eg at another house).

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pyrrah · 20/09/2013 15:57

I'm having the exact same issues - after 2 hours battling away with USPS, Parcel Farce and Royal Fail, the latter have told me that they will be able to identify the actual postman who supposedly delivered my parcel last Friday at a time that I can prove I wasn't at home.

Unfortunately I have to get the person who sent the parcel from the USA to open the claim for me and then wait the blasted 30 days.

Just so frustrating and the items are also irreplaceable - pieces of silver designed by my great grandfather, worth very little to someone else even as scrap metal, but worth an enormous amount to me.

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SkodaLabia · 20/09/2013 16:09

I've never lost anything this way, but my next door neighbour was reunited with something after a guy down the street had it delivered to him. He signed for it without reading the name or address, but was honest enough to bring it to her.

Could this have happened to you? Perhaps he thinks he delivered it because he gave it to the wrong house? Know anyone with those initials locally?

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MrsJaqenHgar · 20/09/2013 16:12

If you use Twitter, tweet @RoyalMail. Repeatedly. I've had much better response to complaints via twitter than through customer services.

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cyberfairy · 21/09/2013 07:24

Sorry to hear that pyrrah. I guess I should count my blessings it was just a coat. It seems unlikely postman delivered to another house as only a couple on my street but not impossible I suppose even though he has said he has delivered to my house on numerous occasions.
Definitely doing the Twitter thing. Thanks MrsJaqenHgar Smile

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thereinmadnesslies · 21/09/2013 08:25

We had similar - we got a 'missed delivery' card from RM but the reference, name of postie and date where all just a scrawl. Predicably there was no sign of the parcel at the delivery office, nor were RM interested in checking who the postie was that day and trying to work it out. The parcel was an Adidas London 2012 branded bench coat, for DH who was working with a team. The packaging said Adidas so it would have been pretty obvious what it was - I'm sure the postie stole it. RM just seem to turn a blind eye to theft and the police don't help either.

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MrsJaqenHgar · 21/09/2013 09:34

Just another thought....have you any outhouses, sheds, garages, boiler houses etc? A friend preferred some trainers which were apparently signed for while he was out at work. He got the same response from
RM as you....there's a signature so bog off, basically. Eventually, the company he ordered from replaced the missing and the matter was forgotten about. Until about a year later when a plumber went to service his heating boiler....and found a very dusty parcel containing the missing trainers in the boiler house.

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FluffyDucky · 21/09/2013 20:46

Is your postie a regular one? Is it worth trying to 'catch him' to have a chat?

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cyberfairy · 22/09/2013 15:12

Thanks for replies- scary to hear how many other cases there have been which have not been resolved even though the facts and evidence don't match up. No, MrsJaqenHgar, a small backyard is all we have and postman says he delivered it to 'a person fitting my description' -despite the fact it was not my description.
FluffyDucky- postman certainly fairly regular and familiar looking but I am often out or working at posty times so not often around. He knocked on door the day after I had begin complaints procedure with a parcel and swear he did a double take when he saw my hair colour but can't rely on this as it just might be me being overly suspicious.
thereinmadnesslies- what a crappy thing- it is utterly a joke and amazed at how police are not interested. I work in public sector too but if something goes missing, the police are ring, end of story.

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dolcelatte · 23/09/2013 08:17

I have thought of making a claim in the small claims court, but RM don't have a contract like other suppliers, so it is more difficult. I did ask the regular postie who suggested the gardener might have signed for it - he didn't! I haven't decided whether to take it further because it is just more aggravation. My missing item cost £166.

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isisisis · 23/09/2013 08:37

There's some form of ombudsman service for Royal Mail that you can go to once you've exhausted there complaints system.
We used it last year when we got a little red card through the door but when we went to collect from the delivery office they couldn't find it. We gave them ages to try & find it but they couldn't & customer services couldn't do anything as I didn't know what was in the parcel ( its the first question on there form and they couldn't possibly go any further without filling it out)
I took lots of letters but eventually the ombudsman awarded us £50. Still don't know what was in the parcel.

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Merrylegs · 23/09/2013 08:41

Why didn't you ask him when he knocked on the door? Have a conversation with him about it. Start off by saying something like 'I'm really confused about this parcel you said I'd signed for.' Keep it low key. Don't accuse him. Just be kind of puzzled.

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cyberfairy · 23/09/2013 16:11

I didn't know if was the same delivery man though as we have a few come to the street and I am often out and thus just go to parcel office thus did not ask. Not heard anything as yet from appeal and will look up ombudsman. Cheers. I would continue to fight dolcalette for the pure principle of it!

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