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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To call of this postman/woman's job?

39 replies

roadkillbunny · 17/01/2011 21:11

Sorry this may be long I want to try and give all the information.

My Mum bought some new house phones for us for Christmas, she ordered them from BT clearance through there ebay shop on our ebay account using her paypal.

The phones were ordered on Christmas eve, by the 12th of January we still hadn't received them so DH contacted the BT shop and was told they had been dispatched by parcel force reordered delivery on the 4th of January but due to weather and Christmas we should expect a delay and hopefully get them soon.
With still no show by mid-afternoon today, the 17th DH contacted BT again to be told that they had contacted Royal Mail who told them the parcel had been delivered and signed for on the 7th of January and they gave him the tracking number so he could look for himself.

DH emailed me the tracking number and copies of all the emails between him and BT so I could take a look at the so called delivery details. As soon as I saw the signature that had been given for delivery I knew it wasn't mine, it was my initial and surname but it was not my signature, nothing like it. I also checked the date and time and at the time they say it was delivered I was out at toddler group.

So at this point we have a missing parcel, a forged signature and are told that it is the sender (the BT shop) that need to contact royal mail to try and get to the bottom of it while we are left with no goods and short the cost.

Just after I put the children to bed a friend called me and I told her the whole sorry saga and she asks is it possible that it could have been left somewhere as nobody was in when the tried to deliver, I wrack my brain and the only place I could think of the bin by the porch so after I get off the phone I go and look in the bin (it isn't used any more as we got switched to wheelie bins 6 weeks ago and I haven't been to the dump yet)
and low and behold laying at the bottom of my old dirty bin is the package.

The package was in one of those plastic postage bags and the bin it'self didn't have any festering rubbish so luckily the wet and dirt hasn't got in although I haven't opened the parcel yet as I want to keep everything as it was until I am able to contact Royal Mail tomorrow.

I am really angry about the whole thing, not only did the postman leave my parcel in a bin (not a designated place we have ever told them to use and there are at least 2 neighbours on the close I know where in at that time on that day) without a card through the door to tell us that it was there but the thing that has made me the most angry, my signature was forged, last time I checked I am pretty sure that is fraud and illegal.

When I call to complain tomorrow would it be unreasonable for me to call for the person who forged my signature to be sacked?
I am going to insist that a formal investigation takes place and I am kept informed on it's outcomes, I will not be fobbed off with being asked to simply complete a complaints form (quite happy to fill in a formal written complaint but I want to be reassured that action will be taken).
Also would it be unreasonable if I feel Royal Mail don't take this seriously to inform the police? Surely it is against the law to forge a signature?
I am quite sure this wouldn't have been our normal postman as he in the past has either left things with neighbours or put a card through for pick up at depot, I am thinking this may have been a parcel force delivery driver.
I am going to inform the BT shop of all this as I feel they may also want to make a complaint, after all they paid for a service that wasn't given.

OP posts:

Hassled · 17/01/2011 21:15

You can't absolutely prove it was the postman - it could well have been one of the neighbours who then put it in the bin for you and forgot to say anything to you. Does that sound possible?

FudgeGirl · 17/01/2011 21:18

YABVFU

Complain, yes, I completely agree and make it plain that you don't wish to have the parcels left in a safe place if you are out.

But postmen/women/couriers often sign and leave parcels somewhere safe because it saves you having to trek to the sorting office or depot to pick up your parcel. Mine certainly does and I'm grateful for it.

They were definitely wrong not to leave a note, but YAB way OTT to ask for whoever was responsible to be sacked. I really thought you were going to say you had proof they had STOLEN your item! That would deserve the sack!

TBH I don't think they'll entertain a full investigation or a sacking, they will apologise, say "well you've got your phone" and that'll be it.

taintedpaint · 17/01/2011 21:19

I have a feeling this is going to divide opinion.

The signature thing is debatable, it's not impossible (or even unlikely) that your neighbour signed for it and then dropped it into your bin, and not your postman/woman, so to demand a sacking (not that you'd likely get it) would be excessive IMO. Police is definitely excessive. :)

I think you're overthinking this. I get why you're upset, I would be too, but a simple complaint about how this was handled would suffice. Especially since it's entirely possible that the delivery mistake was solely that they didn't leave a card.

GreenEyesandHam · 17/01/2011 21:21

Woooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh

Asking for someone to be sacked?? Why would you want that for someone?

FudgeGirl · 17/01/2011 21:22

Police? Shitting hell, missed that!

You are being way over the top! You have your phones, yes RM or Parcelforce or whoever fucked up, but the police have better things to do.

Shitting hell

charliesmommy · 17/01/2011 21:22

I wouldnt say in the bin was somewhere safe!

I had a courier deliver something to me, they left a note saying they had left it "behind the gate"...

As this gate on the drive is a five bar farm type gate.. it wasnt exactly hidden from view. .. and it wasnt there anymore either.

I wouldnt like to be responsible for someone getting the sack though.

FabbyChic · 17/01/2011 21:24

Unfortunately if you initiate a dispute with PayPal or eBay they will find in the sellers favour as the item has been signed for.

You need to ask BT for the proof of postage to YOU, i.e see a receipt showing that the signature is for your parcel and not someone elses.

McGinger · 17/01/2011 21:25

Our postman will sign for things for us, its very rare and usually in the lead up to Christmas, he then puts a card through the door telling us where the parcel is (with a neighbour or in the recycling bin)

If its to be signed for he shouldn't leave it with anyone, he should take it back to the sorting office.

IMO he is doing us a HUGE favour by signing for the parcel and then saving us the hassle of getting to the sorting office, at the specific opening times, with small people in tow.

So YABU in my opinion, the postman was just trying to be kind to you, though a note through the door advising it was in the bin would have helped.

FabbyChic · 17/01/2011 21:25

Sorry should have read all your post.

Sorry.

perfectstorm · 17/01/2011 21:25

Sorry, but I think you're being a bit bonkers. Your parcel was left hidden in a safe place, and okay the signature is weird - but my postman never gets my signature for signed for things, because he knows I have a toddler and mornings are hell. He gets buzzed in to the communal hallway and leaves them there. I'm grateful for his trust, actually; the sorting office is such a mission. And you don't even know it was the postman?

A complaint, fine, about the signature. But sacked?! Um. Wow.

TheFallenMadonna · 17/01/2011 21:26

Blimey. My postman does this a lot, but she tells me where she's left the parcel. Saves me traipsing along to the post office at the weekend, and mean I don't have to wait for the weekend.

And I think what you do is complain, and then let the organisation's complaints procedure be followed. They can;t vary their procedures according to the vehemence of the complaint I wouldn't have thought.

Guacamole · 17/01/2011 21:27

It's not your place to decide whether someone should lose their job or not... By all means complain, but leave it at that.

perfectstorm · 17/01/2011 21:27

Wasn't the main (wheelie) bin, charliesmommy. It was an old style one by the door. If I expected a parcel then I'd look in such places... as the OP did in fact do.

curlymama · 17/01/2011 21:29

YANBU, although if you complain saying that you want someone to be sacked, they will probably just think you are hysterical and stop taking you seriously.

Postmen do this sort of thing all the time, because they can't be bothered to lug the parcel back to the depo and put it back in the system. It's outrageous, but if they sacked every postie that did this, there would be none left.

They are all wankers imo, they leave things on the doorstep quite regularly at our house, in full view of the road. And our usual few postmen can't be bothered to actually push the letters all the way through the letterbox, so anyone could take them from the outside. It really does happen All The Time.

I would happily complain to the police if I had the time and proof that my signature had been forged.

PaisleyLeaf · 17/01/2011 21:34

I'm grateful to our postie for leaving things in a safe place for us, it really saves on that pesky. nightmare that is getting to the depo at stupid o'clock.
But you should have been left a card.
It's not up to you whether it's a sackable offence. You make your complaint and the company will deal with it as they decide.
Police?

bupcakesandcunting · 17/01/2011 21:35

You are deranged.

HTH.

TrinityMotherOfRhinos · 17/01/2011 21:39

slightly bonkers I feel sorry

I am very pleased when deliveries are left in safe places for me, save an awful lot of hassle

ChilledChick2 · 17/01/2011 21:43

If a parcel isn't signed for and taken in by the person named on the package, I thought the postie is supposed to leave a card/note for the named recipient at that address so the person can ring the post office and arrange to pick up the parcel from the nearest collection office at another date/time.

The postie was totally out of order for forging the signature and for putting your package in the bin.

BTW, I understand your anger and frustration, so on that basis be a pain in the backside and pester them until they get this sorted.

Original poster

roadkillbunny · 17/01/2011 21:44

Okay, I am not saying that I decide that they get the sack, I am angry yes, I want them to do an in investigation yes and only then will it be fully clear what action needs to be taken by royal mail.
I find it strange that people are happy for somebody to forge their signature! It was not a neighbour who signed and put it in the bin, why would a neighbour sign MY name? If it had been signed Joe Blogs I wouldn't be half as angry, the fact is that if the parcel had been stolen or taken by the bin men (it was in a bin after all!) I would have then had to try and prove that it wasn't me who had signed for it, it was a sly move to sign my name rather then a random name, much harder to prove it isn't my signature.
The parcel was sent by recorded delivery for a reason, to ensure the safe delivery of the package by forging my signature and sticking it in a bin without so much as a hand written note to tell me where it was I am lucky that it is okay but the fact it is okay does not make it right.
It would be a massive pain for me to have something need picking up from the depot as I am rural and without transport however that doesn't give somebody the right to forge my signature (it is illegal!) and stick something clearly of some value in a bin without making any effort to inform me of where it was or try delivering to a neighbour. The simple fact it that their own policy's where broken.
I know I can't make anybody lose there job and no I really don't want to make somebody unemployed in this way but surely forging a signature is serious misconduct in their job and they should take responsibility for that!

OP posts:

bupcakesandcunting · 17/01/2011 21:45

I would be so happy if my postie forged my signature and left my stuff somewhere safe. As it is, the silly cockend traipses it back to the P.O and on occasion I have had to pay for the priviledge of collecting my own fucking stuff!

This is the parcel postie BTW, not the letter postie who is lovely.

taintedpaint · 17/01/2011 21:45

Chilled, have you missed the rest of the posts? The OP has no proof at all that the postman/woman actually signed for it.

Are you suggesting that she should actually ask for a sacking and call the police?!

And curly....

charliesmommy · 17/01/2011 21:46

Ahhh sorry, misread a bit...

If it was an empty bin (but clearly not a bin that would be emptied by the binmen) by the porch then tbh I would just be glad that I didnt have to traipse all the way down to the sorting office to collect a parcel.

And in that case, I think you are over-reacting far too much.

BluddyMoFo · 17/01/2011 21:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

taintedpaint · 17/01/2011 21:49

roadkill, take a step back for a moment and think about this. Where is your proof that it was your postie that did it? Seriously. Make a complaint that a card wasn't left by all means (though at this point I wouldn't be surprised if you found that somewhere as well), but don't go all screaming fishwife on them.

Toastiewoastie · 17/01/2011 21:52

Sorting office=hell.

I love my postie. He/she usually uses common sense. It either goes in the out house, or to a neighbour.

YABVVVVVVU.

They should have left you a note though. So perhaps suggest this to the PO.

SACK them! OMG! Harsh!

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