Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

To wonder why I couldn't collect a parcel for my other half!!

100 replies

whydoibothersometimes · 21/11/2013 18:55

Got a card through front door saying a parcel was attempted to be delivered and had been left at my local post office for collection. Take the card (which only said first line of address, no name) and proof of address with me. Lady takes card after checking proof of I.d, goes to check parcel and says I can't give you the parcel it's in a completely different name. I say the name I know it must be, she's says yes, but I can't let you collect it. Aibu to think, the name is obviously not on the card put through the door and I quite obviously live in the same house as the person the parcel is for! So if I would have been at home the delivery bloke would have handed it to me and let me sign for it. So really don't understand why she had to be such a jobs worth about it? It's so frustrating because my bloke is working all week and sat and sun all day then all week next week and sat, so actually won't be able to get to the post office himself to get it.

OP posts:

TheDoctrineOfWho · 21/11/2013 20:02

And if there's no name, you take all the IDs

BenNJerry · 21/11/2013 20:03

Or you can phone up and ask who the parcel is addressed to before you go...

Tullahulla · 21/11/2013 20:04

Or you can just find out who in your family ordered a parcel.

Dunno why some folk like to make life difficult for themselves

BenNJerry · 21/11/2013 20:04

Imagine if a bank didn't ask you for ID when you went in. There could be something valuable in the parcel, we can't just hand it over to anybody.

Tullahulla · 21/11/2013 20:07

That's a good example Ben about the bank.

It's just the same, parcels have valuables in them.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 21/11/2013 20:10

YAbu
Not a jobs worth.
Was the parcel addressed to you?
Er, no.

So it wasn't your parcel was it?

Annoying, sure.
But beggars belief that you don't understand why someone couldn't give you a parcel that isn't yours.

peppapigmustdie · 21/11/2013 20:13

I remember one day when an old lady had lost her Post Office card and needed her pension. I spent half an hour convincing the helpline to give me a code to issue a new one even though the poor woman couldn't remember her security information. I did this and then had no lunch break as the boss deemed that as my time off. I did this to make her life as difficult as possible obviously. If I had been a jobsworth then I would have told her she had to ring herself and didn't know the answers she would need to wait 3 to 4 days for her new card and therefore access to money. Is that what you mean trifle

Tullahulla · 21/11/2013 20:17

Maybe a bit of clarification is needed seeing as its coming up to our busiest time.

Royal mail set the rules regarding posting and collecting mail, if we don't follow the rules, then we're in trouble and can have our ability to accept mail taken from us, probably resulting in job losses as this is a big part of the PO business.

I'd like to keep my job thanks very much, so I'll keep sticking to the rules!

When you get a blue card through your door, it's parcelforce and we have an agreement that they will drop you parcel with us.

I'd you get a red card, royal mail have tried to deliver something, but that will be taken back to the sorting office, unless you arrange a local collect to the nearest PO.

All we are is agents for these companies, following their rules and taking all the flack for it!

Tullahulla · 21/11/2013 20:20

Peppy, tried that too for customers. I had one wee woman in yesterday to pick up her pension, I'd paid her on Monday and she couldn't remember, so had brought no money for her milk and tea bags. I paid for them out of my own pocket so she didn't go without.

I could go on all night with my 'jobsworth' tales.

starsandunicorns · 21/11/2013 20:22

Simple thing to do is talk to your oh or family members in your house and ask whos expecting a parcel and if you know you get parcels for your dc from family get them to address the packet in this format

A Smith
C/O Mrs Smith
10 jobsworth Road
Timbucktoo

Choose yourself or your other half to be the C/O so you only need to take 2 ids
Its not hard and makes life easier for you and Royal Mail at this busy time

But again the broad postie family is getting slatted which is not fair as most are friendly and work bloody hard in all weathers im speaking from someone who has worked with post for over 20 years

peppapigmustdie · 21/11/2013 20:22

Tallulah I don't even work in a PO anymore but have worked for both Crown for a decent wage and then WH Smith branch on min wage but it pissess me off when clerks are slagged off for trying to keep their jobs and follow, as you know strictly enforced rules. They are not guidelines they are rules.

starsandunicorns · 21/11/2013 20:25

Tullahulla

friday16 · 21/11/2013 20:26

Simple thing to do is talk to your oh or family members in your house and ask whos expecting a parcel

Yeah, because at Christmas when assorted friends and relatives send parcels addressed to various household members, that's absolutely straightforward.

Tullahulla · 21/11/2013 20:27

For all us jobsworths

TheRealAmandaClarke · 21/11/2013 20:29

Oh good tip. Thanks starsandunicorns

Post is a pain.
Signing for stuff is a pain. I wish they could just leave it in the porch. Or behind the bins. I'm sure it'd be fine

Tullahulla · 21/11/2013 20:29

Well instead of making life difficult Friday, phone the PO and ask what name in on the parcel, so you know who's ID to take.

Jeez!

ProfYaffle · 21/11/2013 20:33

Our PO has recently got really strict about id etc when collecting parcels. iirc you can take your oh's id and collect on their behalf with it. I've had to tell my Mum to stop addressing post to the dc though as I'd need to find their nhs cards before I could collect it!

peppapigmustdie · 21/11/2013 20:34

Tallulah this is my first year for 10 years not being in the PO at Christmas, so glad especially with all the new rules about batteries and so on! Good luck to you and all the other jobsworths

starsandunicorns · 21/11/2013 20:34

Friday are you telling me you dont speak to these family members via email text phone call all year round but you get presents from them pick up the phone write a roundrobin email to say that parcels need to be addressed a certin way if ypu moved I am sure you would tell them your new address

sapphirestar · 21/11/2013 20:36

Well done Tullahulla, we also have a little old lady who doesn't remember collecting her pension even hours before. We now have a contact number for her daughter but we never ring it, we just sit being jobsworths and tell an elderly lady who is losing her memory that she can't have her money

Tullahulla · 21/11/2013 20:37

Aw peppa, am a envious of that. It is a stressful time for us and the customers, but by god does your shift go in quick!

Stars we are fighting a losing battle here

peppapigmustdie · 21/11/2013 20:37

stars you are like the Post Office clerks cheerleader on this thread

toffeesponge · 21/11/2013 20:38

Book to have it redelivered.

Tullahulla · 21/11/2013 20:40

Sapphire, that's a brilliant idea.
We have loads like that, bloody shame that others in the queue don't have the patience to stand there and wait till we try and explain to them.

We'll be old ourselves one day.

BenNJerry · 21/11/2013 20:42

Don't get me started on the batteries rules! Only just gone back after maternity leave...

Flip

1 2 3 4

Swipe left for the next trending thread