Royal Mail & Parcelforce delay-have you experienced any?

[FrenchBoule]

Not just the Christmas time but this year.
48hrs “guaranteed” parcel took 6 days to arrive, another one nearly 10 days.

I’m still waiting for DS’s books as Christmas presents- one was returned to sender goodness knows for what reason, the other one apologised and asked for patience (a couple of days more).

I bought the books on 3rd of December,surely I waited long enough?

Amazon Prime have been great - ordered very early morning on Saturday and arrived 9am on Sunday last week.

I think it was me who used ‘unacceptable’ but I’ve been waiting over 5 weeks so I’m afraid I do still think that! That allowed plenty of time to account for things taking longer. Obviously I have not been stressing out the postman/post office staff by complaining or trying to chase it up but feeling a bit stressed myself about it

Gamer - Covid test kits and samples, lost, untracked, sent by special delivery yet no tracking info.

We’re not just talking about a few Christmas presents here. We’re talking about Royal Mails role in slowing the rate of infections in the pandemic.

They have failed to bring in sufficient temporary staff to fill in for isolating staff. Lots of other organisations have managed to do this.

They have failed to admit they can no longer track test kits or samples. They have failed to admit they can no longer guarantee any delivery times at all for test kits and samples.

As my earlier post said, it’s not about individual employees failings. It’s the failings of RM.

it’s not about individual employees failings. It’s the failings of RM
This - listened to someone on the Today programme earlier in the week saying that on top of all the covid-related challenges is the fact that Christmas seems to take RM management by surprise every year.
Postman, Hermes and Amazon have been brilliant.

@ohchristmastreeohbigtree

Online retailers why are you still using RM then? Is Hermes not cheaper or another courier? My Hermes orders I've bought have come so quickly and the few I sent have arrived next day when I sent them the slower standard service.

I don't sell much now and I'm only a personal eBay seller, but sending a Hermes I can see is delivered at £2.90 is lot better than £4.10 recorded by RM. I'm guessing businesses get things cheaper than individuals with these 48 hour labels?

If that was directed at me.

Because we have an account to do so with RM.

All orders placed on my website have their postage generated as the customer orders.

We fill 4 sacks on a regular day and have a large lorry come by to collect daily.

I can't change the way my business works for a week.

Loads of delays.

I post 800 items a month using Royal Mail, the past few weeks, I have had lots of complaints of non arrival, having to send replacements.
2nd class mail has been taking 7-8 working days ( normally 2-3), 1st class mail has been taking 4-5 working days ( normally 1-2).

@AutumnDragon same here

Have already dealt with three angry customers this morning.

@motorcyclenumptiness

it’s not about individual employees failings. It’s the failings of RM This - listened to someone on the Today programme earlier in the week saying that on top of all the covid-related challenges is the fact that Christmas seems to take RM management by surprise every year. Postman, Hermes and Amazon have been brilliant.

Yes! This!

My postman is lovely, the staff at the sorting office when I’ve had to pick stuff up have been brilliant, but on the whole, Christmas seems to take RM management by surprise every year

I’ve had stuff from Yodel, DPD, DHL with no issues, Christ even Hermes have got their shit together.

Can I just say that for online businesses there really is no alternative to Royal Mail for anything large letter size. Couriers are not interested in this weight band.

Most customers also want free postage and are just not prepared to pay courier rates.

Thank you @gamerchick

It’s like customers have forgotten about the pandemic.

CatrinVennastin
Can I just say that for online businesses there really is no alternative to Royal Mail for anything large letter size. Couriers are not interested in this weight band.

That's my issue too.
I post mainly large letter- padded envelopes.

Second class is 88p.
No courier company comes close to that price- cheapest I have found is £2.90.

One of my close friends is a postman and he's had the hardest year. Internet and mail order shopping has exploded this year, he hasn't had a break it has been full on since March.

They tried to take on Christmas temps and didn't get enough applicants. They had a positive test result in their sorting office and currently have 18 posties and office staff who had been in contact isolating. Each postie is doing 3 or 4 times their normal round, walking for 10-12 hours a day with a heavy bag. He is knackered.

The thanks they get is people saying that RM is not coming out of this looking good. Shame on you.

I worked for RM for 12 years including delivery and management roles, and would usually be the first to defend them - but l've tried desperately to get a job with them this year and been turned down several times, so they can't be trying that hard to get new staff in!

Yep, posted a parcel to France 10 days ago and the tracking hasn't updated for 6 days. Should've been there within 3-4 days.

My DM posted something to me within UK 1st class and took 6 days.

We send about a thousand parcels a day out at work via parcel force and delays have been no more than usual.

I posted something first class on Tuesday and it arrived yesterday so not bad at all given how busy they are.

Ordered from China 6th December - arrive today by RM. Expected time of delivery Jan. According to tracking it arrived in UK and was processed on the 16th.

On a good note. Ordered a phone case late Wednesday evening. It arrived this morning.

I got my missing parcel today and I also the replacement they sent today too. One post marked the 18th Dec sent, one postmark 2nd December both sent 2st class 🤷‍♀️

1st

Mixed experience here: everything I have ordered or had sent to me has arrived. However I posted out two parcels 2nd class on 14 December and neither of those has arrived yet.

It is what it is - the world won't end if they get there after Christmas. I just hope that they get there eventually!