Chances of being allowed to collect a parcel without the red card?

[Mimmosaa]

My friend who lives abroad kindly sent me a parcel a couple of weeks ago, unbeknownst to me. She sent it to my old address.

She’s just messaged to tell me that she thinks from the tracking that the parcel has gone missing, and sent me a photo of the postage form and gave me the tracking number. (she doesn’t speak English)

I saw from the form it was sent to our old address and can see from tracking that no one was in so it’s been taken to a post office.

Clearly, I have ID and a tracking number but I don’t have the red delivery card that it says I need to have - and can’t get it!

Do I have any hope of being allowed to collect the parcel?

Possibly, do you have proof of address at that address? Items are supposed to be delivered to the person not the address (which is why forwarding works) but it might be more straightforward if you have ID for the old address. You'll need photo ID anyway.

If noone collects it it will be returned to sender, i think.

I don’t think they will hand over the parcel without the card, OP. Have you asked the people who live at your old address if they have the card?

(Have you contacted Royal Mail to ask?)

Yes, I luckily still have my driving licence with that address on.

I don’t have a clue who lives there now (rented) and no I haven’t contacted Royal Mail, cos it’s a Sunday and cos I don’t want to encounter ‘computer says no’ before I know what the chances are!

I tried once, it was a resounding no. (Even with both passport and driving licence with me.)

You'd be better off going to your old house and asking the new occupier.

There's no harm in trying, I have definitely collected in the past without one as they didn't leave one! I just had the tracking number and ID, proof of address.

According to the RM website, it’s a definite no without the card, but you may be able to rearrange the delivery, with the tracking number, and proof of address. So that will be your best option.

Gah - good call on being able to arrange a redelivery but a new hurdle - I only have the foreign format tracking number, not the one that was assigned to it when it landed in the UK. The tracking website used to tell you what the ‘new’ tracking number was but it doesn’t seem to do that any more! And when I enter the foreign format tracking number for redelivery it says it’s not recognised…

Ah, there is an option to say ‘I don’t have tracking number.’

Ok - I’ll try in person on Tuesday and if not I will try the redelivery!

Thank you for the suggestions all 😊

Get it re delivered to your correct address using the online form

But Royal Mail might be able to help with that from their systems.

An update - as I know we all love one - incredibly, my old landlord very kindly went to retrieve the card, meaning I was able to collect the parcel today! A very happy ending all round!

Aww great, that’s good news, pleased you got your parcel OP.