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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to complain about royal mail not delivering my parcels?

51 replies

otchayaniye · 17/07/2011 08:57

even though the postie is deaf?

We live in a building with about 40 apartments and used to have a fantastic postman who would know neighbours and leave parcels with them, come up the lift and knock on our door with Signed For items etc and was generally extremely helpful. He was sacked.

New postman (in last 2 weeks) has left 4 'While You Were Out' cards even though I've been in each time (maternity leave). I caught up with him on the last occasion and gathered that because he is deaf he can't ring our door bells and so leaves all the parcels at the depot (no fun driving there every sodding week with a toddler and no place to park) and just brings the cards. So I will never get a parcel delivered and neither will our neighbours. I do a lot of eBaying and Amazon stuff as I have a toddler and am 8 months pregnant.

I don't get it. It's a breach of contract, surely? Why has the Royal Mail put him on a beat he can't fulfil?

But I can't shrug off the feeling that I'm going to come across as Larry David in a Curb episode.

OP posts:

agedknees · 17/07/2011 13:44

When I phoned to complain about not getting the parcel and was told about the multi occupancy building thing, I did say how is that fair. The lady at RM just kept repeating what is current policy/practice. She said we where lucky to sometimes get posties who do deliver parcels.

Phone your local RM depot and see if you get the same response I did.

zipzap · 17/07/2011 14:46

I used to get this when I lived in a block of flats in London - postman could get into the building but then would leave all the post for the part time building porter to sort out into the pigeon holes, not even letter boxes on the flat doors. But they would bring the pre-completed red forms and no parcels with him.

I rang to complain and was given some guff - even when I pointed out that I was always in so from now on I did want parcels delivered, especially when I had paid for next day delivery. I also asked them to deliver the next day delivery parcel there and then that they hadn't brought with them - so to fulfil their part of their contract and at least attempt to deliver it next day but they refused.

Somewhat more surprisingly I then didn't get any post at all for the next 10 days. And when I comPlained a few months later about non delivery of parcels I ended up not getting any post for a couple of weeks again. Both times I then ended up with lots afterwards, most of which was late. Had the desired effect though as I never complained again....

How about talking to your mp and local paper - might be a good story for a quiet newsweek and something that an mp could do locally for some good local brownie points.

oldraver · 17/07/2011 14:50

When a red card is delivered there is an option to have it delivered at another time. I would do this and see what happens

Original poster

otchayaniye · 17/07/2011 15:17

zipzap. Ha, we're both journalists for the biggest names out there! But no, we can't throw our weight around like that, although I would love to.

I am going to complain by phone, then writing, then contact the regulator.

I do not want to seek redelivery because as far as I'm am concerned I have paid for delivery within x amount of days. If I am in and they have not brought the parcel along and won't come to my door (or ring or whatever) they are in breach of contract.

Multi occupancy means nothing. It has from a legal point of view to be treated as a house.

I am very surprised they have admitted they don't do this over the phone.

OP posts:

RockChick1984 · 17/07/2011 15:37

I had the same problem, live in a flat with mailboxes downstairs and buzzer entry system. When I complained that I'd been in but they hadn't attempted to deliver parcels I was told they aren't expected to knock on or even buzz up to my flat and let me come downstairs, by having all mailboxes downstairs they are only obliged 2 deliver things that will fit in there, and the only way round it is for ALL the residents to get letterboxes put into their own front doors then it will be treated like delivering to a house

FairhairedandFrustrated · 17/07/2011 15:46

Give the story to a fellow journo

I'm a journalist/reporter for a small local paper, it's definitely something we'd be interested in.

Unfortunately i'm not local to you! :)

Mrsxstitch · 17/07/2011 15:50

I just wanted to add that being deaf certainly does not prevent him from ringing doorbells. I know of a delivery man for a pharmacy who is deaf he manages perfectly well.

Don't deliver to multiple occupancy buildings! In some areas that will be the whole round .

alewVera · 17/07/2011 15:58

I don't thinks it's to do with him being deaf. Half the time our postie just delivers the cards, and doesnt bother knocking, and I live in a house!

hermionestranger · 17/07/2011 16:16

I was in a post office a couple of weeks ago, not my usual one I hasten to add, and on the wall was a sign.

"Absolutely no more than 5 parcels at any time, no acceptions . This is because they take too long to process. After all this is a post office and not an ebay office."

acsec · 17/07/2011 16:24

I live in a flat and depending on the postie I either get a 'you were out' card - even when I've been in - they didn't even knock! I've had parcels left under my doormat in the communal stairwell "Oh I bet noone can see that a parcel is left under the mat, they won't notcie that big bump". Parcels have been left with the upstairs neighbour and no card put through my door, luckily she brought it down (but she had opened it!) I ordered a card from funkypigeon and it clearly said on the envelope in big letter "Do not bend" the idiot postie folded it in half and shoved it through the letterbox!!

Royal Mail employees are not the greatest!

Andrewofgg · 17/07/2011 17:07

hermionestranger If that was a sub post-office - and it's the sort of thing that happens there - I would take six parcels with post pre-printed and make it quite clear that unless they were taken I would take it up with the local Postmaster or whatever gender-neutral title is used these days. If you run a sub post-office you have to take the rough with the smooth -and be polite to the people who bring you the rough.

Orbinator · 17/07/2011 17:09

OP I have had exactly the same thing happen this week! I have 3 postmen (goodness knows why?!). They all know that I am on mat leave and was in, and yet whichever had the 4 parcels that came for me on Thursday didn't even bother ringing the bell, I just got a card through telling me I have to go and collect them (4 mile round trip and I don't drive). Usually I would use the redelivery service on line, but because there were 4 parcels they didn't even bother putting the numbers on so I can't use this service! There is no way at 40 weeks I'll be walking 4 miles or spending out on a taxi but at the same time if I don't collect within a week they send it back to the sender...eBay items you then have to repay postage. Very very [anger]

Collaborate · 17/07/2011 17:15

Some RM and DHL delivery drivers must really enjoy their work - reliving their childhood japes of ringing door bells then sodding off.

peeriebear · 17/07/2011 17:26

Yesterday the postie shoved a letter through our door at the speed of light. I saw why when i got there- it was soaked through and torn because it was wet. It was a driving qualification certificate and licence DH was waiting for for his work. We had to dry it flat on the oven top and it will need taping back together. FFS yes, it was raining yesterday.

peeriebear · 17/07/2011 17:27

OOps pressed send too soon! Meant to say yes, it was raining yesterday but that doesn't mean my mail is to get so soaked it's ruined!

zipzap · 17/07/2011 19:30

Otcha could you point some of your neighbours in the direction of a local paper or give it to a junior reporter as a pet project to investigate 'as something you've heard people are having problems with' but without mentioning names?

Not that I'd love to see the royal mail get their comeuppance in the press (local or national) oh no sirree I'm not still bitter about their crap service or the fact that, as mail wasn't delivered, it used to get nicked in the lobby... Well not that much anymore...

pinkcupcakefairy · 17/07/2011 20:02

I had the opposite problem this week. My parcel was delivered when I was at work (I was expecting it 2 days later) and it was just left on my doorstep, no attempt at hiding it at all. I couldn't belive it when I got home and found it.

Original poster

otchayaniye · 17/07/2011 20:54

"After all this is a post office and not an ebay office"

And how do you think RM earns revenue and employees get paid at all. Direct mail and eBay traffic. Otherwise it couldn't continue AT ALL on the declining volumes of ordinary post (I boringly know this as I'm a business journalist and have from time to time covered the mail as an organisation)

That makes me very angry.

OP posts:

Orbinator · 18/07/2011 09:29

Personally I'd much rather they left it on my porch - they know I am in after all - and usually put this on the address when buying things online. They actually told my partner that they won't do this any more as they aren't allowed to in case it gets stolen. Seems to be one rule for one postie and another for another though. Would prob help if they took the undelivered parcels to the CLOSEST post office rather than back to the sorting office. At least I have a chance of staggering into town and back rather than trekking X-country!

MackerelOfFact · 18/07/2011 11:45

Royal Mail are shocking. I've stopped getting things delivered at home at all because of the rude and abusive postie. I get everything sent to work now and then have to grapple with it on the train home, but it's better than getting an earful of abuse off the postman at 7am because I won't leave my DCs by themselves in the flat to descend 4 flights of stairs and collect the parcel which I have paid to have delivered to my front fecking door. And breathe.

MackerelOfFact · 18/07/2011 11:46

Their complaints department are cack too BTW.

LadyClariceCannockMonty · 18/07/2011 11:54

Fecking complain. I hate them. Make sure you make it clear that you have no problem with the postman per se ? just that his own situation clearly means that he needs to be put on a different work route that doesn't cause him problems.

They did the card-through-the-door thing while I was at home once with something I needed desperately, and that day, for work, and it cost me time, money and stress to replace the item myself so I could meet my work deadline. I complained and escalated it all the way up to the so-called 'independent' Postal Complaints Commission and they stonewalled me all the fucking way. Never acknowledged that they'd made a mistake, let alone offered compensation.

hester · 18/07/2011 12:04

And have you ever tried their online redirection service? Or pursuing a complaint through their call centre [shudders with raised blood pressure at the memory]

ThePrincessRoyalFiggyrolls · 18/07/2011 12:11

Well I have just had a card put through the door (I wasn't here to be fair!) however it is being delivered to our local post office, except that the local post office actually closed a year ago so who knows where it is and it was something that I could really do with too.

Orbinator · 18/07/2011 14:40

Othchay yes - spam/junk mail comes through my door without any trouble at all and with alarming regularity. After watching Panorama last week I do find that comment about eBay amusing!

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