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Original poster

Tracking a Royal Mail parcel

9 replies

Marinegreen87 · 30/01/2023 15:41

I am looking to send an item asap using Royal Mail delivery.

i need to be able to track it but ideally don’t want my recipient to know when and where it was sent. Is there any way that they will be able to track the item using info on the parcel / letter? Or will they only be able to track it using a reference number that I have.

OP posts:

roses2 · 30/01/2023 15:43

They can only track it if you give them the reference number. The number will be on the letter/stamp and they will see the number once they receive it. They can't track it before as long as you don't give them the number.

Is this like a legal letter you need to send?

roses2 · 30/01/2023 15:44

They will be able to check the local post office it was sent from using the tracking number. So if you are hiding from someone they will know the area you posted it from.

Original poster

Marinegreen87 · 30/01/2023 15:47

Yes it’s a legal letter. For various reasons it should already have been posted but hasn’t been yet. Is there any way I can send it without them knowing the date of postage?

OP posts:

Knoblauch · 30/01/2023 15:51

When you send it tracked you can enter your own email address to be able to track it your self instead of theirs They will be able to enter the tracking number off the parcel into the Royal Mail site when they receive it though. They will be able to see the parcels 'journey', as in which sorting office it went to etc. I've attached a pic of a recently tracked parcel I had to show what I mean.

blobby10 · 30/01/2023 15:53

Royal Mail Recorded delivery only tracks when the item is delivered. doesn't guarantee delivery in a set time.
Royal Mail Special Delivery should deliver next day AND will get a signature. We use this all the time for work as the RD was so unreliable.

Cheerfulcharlie · 30/01/2023 15:56

Sorry but there is no way to send a tracked letter with Royal Mail without them being able to work out the date it was received by Royal Mail from the tracking number (which is on the label). You could say that you dropped it at the PO before the date RM registered it as being received but you wouldn’t be able to prove it. During the strikes sometimes the date shown on the tracking was a day or two after the date it was received at the PO but this would be unlikely now.

dontgobaconmyheart · 30/01/2023 15:57

They'll only be able to track that which you give them a tracking number for.

The franking marks on parcels and letters do sometimes ultimately disclose whereabouts it came from but that would be the sorting office or area not your own address. There wouldn't be anything you could do about that I wouldn't think.

Original poster

Marinegreen87 · 30/01/2023 15:57

Thanks all. Is my best bet just to send it normally then with second / first stamps? This way it can’t be tracked is that correct. Will there be any kind of date stamp or location stamp on the letter if just sent normally?

OP posts:

JellyBeanFactory · 30/01/2023 16:44

Your stamp will be franked at the sorting office it's despatched from so the recipient will be able to see town/date.

Your best bet is to post it to someone who lives elsewhere, far away, and ask them to send it tracked.

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