The postman should at least check I open the door before marking a parcel as “signed for”, right?

[feesh]

I’m so angry. I had a Boots order allegedly out for delivery on Saturday, but it never showed up. Then I woke up at 7am today to a text to say my parcel had been delivered and signed for at 6.21am, so I ran downstairs and checked outside, but it wasn’t there.

It was a signed for delivery because it contained some much-needed medication. I am currently quarantining (recently arrived from abroad), so I’m not allowed out.

I just don’t understand why they wouldn’t at least check that I opened the door before marking it as signed for and walking off.
Someone has obviously stolen it, and I don’t know what to do. It also contained eczema cream for my son, which we ran out of on Saturday so I’m absolutely desperate for it.

I contacted the Royal Mail, but they won’t deal with me as I am not the sender, and I have to wait until the Boots customer services line opens at 9am.

I don’t know what I’m posting for really! A rant! Advice?! Has this happened to anyone else? Surely it’s not OK that the postman did this?

I similar happen last week but the parcel was delivered later the same day. The wording on the tracking website said something like 'recorded as signed for at delivery office' at 7:20 in the morning, it was delivered at 2pm. Hopefully something like that has happened with yours and it will turn up.

Some are doing it because of COVID but it’s inconsistent. We’ve had some parcels during lockdown go back to the sorting office when we didn’t answer the door, but most are left or pushed through the letterbox. If they’re just leaving it then they at least ring the bell.

Well normally I want them to do this and I have a note on my door suggesting they do, but it is a risk so they ought not to.

In this case perhaps he did wait and handed it to someone at an entirely different address. I have had trouble with Royal Mail and the postman not bothering to look at the address properly.

Boots will understand and send out a new package, but it's not good I know.

Is there anywhere else they could have put it?

Think that's normal during this pandemic. Every parcel I have had has been left, apart from dpd, who take a photo of the open door.

That's completely unacceptable op.

6.21am? How early is your mailman? Round here the mailman and mailwomen leave the depo around 8am and I get my mail delivered around 9.30am.
It has been a bit all over the place during COVID 19 and mail has arrived as late as 4pm.
Does it definitely say it has been delivered with a signature block and signature in it?

Argh I'm so sorry OP. I hope Boots can do an emergency reorder for you.

I had one abandoned on the doorstep the other day while I was out, which must have stood there for several hours. The email confirming delivery stated 'handed to the recipient', a straight out lie. I also would have been stuffed if anyone walking past had taken it.

I think the culture of Covid where it's become normal to put the parcel on the doorstep, knock on the door and leave, and not need to get physical signatures, has set up some bad habits and shortcuts.

Urgh that is so annoying! Every parcel I've had delivered through lockdown, the delivery driver has knocked, stood back and then left it on the ground for me once I've opened the door!
That said, around 6am seems particularly early for a delivery - as another post mentions, have you checked to see if wasn't signed as accepted at the sorting office? I'm sure the Royal Mail policy is to deliver between 7-3pm (up to 4pm in rural areas).

Unfortunately, if it has been taken or lost, it will probably take days to sort out. Is there anyway you could reorder whilst waiting for it to be sorted?

@ineedaholidaynow

Is there anywhere else they could have put it?

No, we are mid terrace and there’s no public access to the back garden. My doorstep is right on the roadside, so it’s well dodgy to leave it here.

And no, I’m sure the post doesn’t normally come this early. It’s really weird. I’m hoping it’s a glitch in the matrix and it will show up on his later rounds.

I checked the Royal Mail tracking website, and there is a photo of the signature (it’s just a scrawl that says COVID, for obvious reasons) but I just can’t get my head around the fact that they don’t actually check that the front door has been opened and the parcel has been acknowledged before walking off and declaring the job done.

That's rubbish, op. My postman did this, he assumed we were in and just left it on front door. Luckily our neighbours spotted it and brought it in. He dies normally hammer on the door, but this time we were out.

If it was signed for at 6:20 it must be something they do before they leave the depot.

If they need to do it for every parcel it's probably easier to do all the signed for bits all in one go at the start of the day.

OK, thanks everyone - I think you’re all correct - it’s at the depot! Thank you so much, I knew posting here would help.

It was signed for at the DO - that’s delivery office, right? PHEW!

Have you received it yet?

Nope!

I had some letterbox flowers delivered on Friday, my Mum has just passed away so we were at my Mum and Dad's house with my Dad helping him with a few bits. They had just been left on the doorstep too, it was a lovely Amazon delivery lady, who phoned me to see where to leave another parcel, who moved them from view for me.

I think it's the standard Royal Mail thing at the moment, they really need to change this.

What I've noticed over the last two weeks is delivery men - but mainly the royal mail - acting like lockdown is over and trying to hand me stuff as normal! And I'm in the North West, which is still one of the areas with the highest infection rates....

Happened three times today. A Amazon Prime Now delivery, DPD and the postman. As I told each of them (through the door), I tested positive for Covid on Friday so it was up to them if they wanted to risk it...

I have been really shocked at how lax it has all become.

Boots stuff finally came today. I guess our local sorting office is struggling.

I had a small package from Amazon Prime which actually came through the letterbox. The information on Amazon said 'Signed for by recipient'