Signed-for delivery: why bother?

[RegimentalSturgeon]

I posted a package to a friend, not high monetary value but hand-knitted stuff so kind of important), and was upsold ‘signed for’ delivery (effectively +£1.50 to normal first class). Package should have arrived today, but apparently hadn’t when I spoke to friend this evening. Except when she checked behind the bin, it had. She was home, and downstairs, all day.
This is not the first time this has happened, she tells me. So is there any point at all in paying for ‘signed for’?

This is not the first time this has happened, she tells me. So is there any point at all in paying for ‘signed for’?

Generally speaking yes there is a point but your friend needs to complain to Royal Mail about this particular Postman/woman because clearly they're not doing their job.

My friend's DD delivers for RM and she says they're often under massive pressure from their managers to deliver a ridiculous amount of parcels within a very short time frame. She gets in trouble if she returns to the depot with undelivered parcels and yet if she stays out longer, they won't pay her for the extra time.

But really the more complaints the better, as hopefully it'll make RM think twice about the shoddy way they treat their staff.

I disagree with @IPM - royal mail will not accept a complaint from your friend. Their contract is with you, you are the customer. Put in a complaint and ask fir a refund of the extra money because you didn't get the enhanced service you paid for.

Whilst the OP definitely needs to complain too, of course they'll accept a complaint from a resident about their Postman/woman leaving their parcels behind the bin instead of knocking at the door.

Good point, thank you. Not worth the effort for the amount, but I wanted to see if experiences were similar.

Or getting a message to say they tried to deliver but you weren’t home when you were in all day and the ring doorbell shows no one came to your door all day. I don’t mind them being unable to deliver when they said so much it’s the lying that really gets to me.

Sadly I think these days the signed for service is purely about additional insurance. You need Special Delivery if you want to be sure you’ll get it delivered properly.