to think Royal Mail are discriminating agaisnt us because we live in a flat.

[mileend2bermondsey]

Okay, several times I have been in my flat all day, gone downstairs and checked our post box and found a 'sorry you wern't in' card because either the mail is special delivery and requires a signature or too large to fit in the post box. Now I have been in all day and they have made no attempt to buzz up to the flat.

Yesterday I heard the post man doing his rounds for the complex so went downstairs to pick up a package I was waiting for only to find 'sorry you wern't in' the post man was still in the complex so I went and asked him if I could have my package and he didn't have it with him! He says they never carry packages for flats as they don't have the time to ring the bell, wait for the person etc. AIBU to think that is really not my problem? Surely people who live in flats are paying the same rates as everyone else and desrve the same service? So it meant I had to wait until today, walk a mile and back to the depot on my day off.

Also when we get recorded sign for mail (not the more expensive special delivery one) the post man will sign it and shove it through the post box. This isn't okay is it? It is supposed to be signed by the intended recipient. The post box is in a communal courtyard and can be accessed by anyone shoving their hand through the post box (this is how I empty ours as I lost the key!) so he could sign for it, someone else knicks it and I'd be left with no proof I didn't recieve it.

Younarw right incredible annoying. I'm in a flat often mount postman will ask me to come down to collect a parcel it's a good 40metres walk down the hall then down a lift while you have a small baby and in your pjs. They don't ask people in houses to walk to the end of their street because they don't want to walk 40m down the road then up the path.

If anything it saves their legs over all if they can delivery 40 flats mail in one foyer unless theirs a parcel.

You could put a note on post box saying parcels please ring do not leave in box or complain to the post office

The postman at our previous house would never carry parcels and just put a note through the door. I complained in the end and she started to bring them to the house. I appreciate that it must be annoying when people are out at work (although we frequently worked from home do would be available) but surely it is part of the job?

We're in a house and can't get parcels delivered. Recently we weren't even getting a card, so regular postie (for letters) back off hols noticed a bunch of parcels for us and other neighbours and warned us all to collect. Just as well, as something that had sat there for almost 3 weeks was about to go back to the USA!!

On at least three occasions I have watched the postman walk up our path and stick a 'sorry you weren't in' card through the door. When I've run out to say 'I'm here, where's my parcel?' I've been told 'I haven't got it, you'll have to collect it.'

My DP is a postie and he absolutely does attempt to deliver everything. He is always moaning to me about how much longer is round is now that they have to try the door and then try all neighbours in an effort to deliver fewer of those cards. The management are really on them not to bring mail back to the office.

The job is actually really high pressured and I can see why people might cut corners, which is absolutely not acceptable but DP has seen loads of people crack under the stress from the management.

Yanbu- it's reached a point where I have all parcels delivered to my work address or my mum's because I know they will never ever get delivered to my flat

If it's signed for, deny all knowledge and ask to see the signature.

yes i often have time locked written on my post as the post person doesn't came when the security door is open for trades every morning until at least 12pm, this is really irritating especially if i'm waiting for a parcel or an important letter!!
also i regularly get post for other streets but with the same door number, can post people not actually read these days!!

Red - I wouldn't even mind to go downstairs to pick it up. I just want them to actually have the package with them and at least attempt to deliver it!

Sherazade - I think this is the point I'm getting to, too.

It's not just Royal Mail either. I've had deliveries from Hermes and Yodel logged as 'attempted but failed delivery' on days when I've been at home but nobody has buzzed up to our flat. I've had two parcels returned to the sender recently after supposedly being attempted about 7 times but I know for a fact they never even bothered! Royal Mail tends to be better though and the postman does bring parcels up and we always have to sign for recorded deliveries.

Royal Mail are actually the best of a bad bunch done get me started on yodel and Hermes

yep I had this at our old place.
waited in for something I knew was arriving that day and postie put a red card through, I opened the door and asked for the parcel and he didn't have it with him!

Yep, really annoying. Though, our worst time was when we lived in an ordinary house - I was studying so usually at home, and used to dash out to the postman when I heard him slip the 'sorry you were out' thing through the box (he never knocked) until eventually he yelled at me. I complained and really hope he got sacked - he certainly got moved off our round, and the person after was better, so worth complaining.

Christ that sounds awful. If they did that here I would never get a parcel as I always just arrange re delivery and never go to sorting office.

They leave the parcels at the depot, card-drop and run at houses too, I've had it happen a couple of times. Other delivery companies are as bad, probably worse though tbh. I've had the card-drop and run happen to me with a book that was essential for an essay due in the next day. I wouldn't be fobbed off with their offer to redeliver or allow me to collect the next day that time, it took my best, most insistent and persuasive complaining, but I managed to get the book delivered to my hand about two hours later.

The thing to do is complain, every time, spelling out what you want them to do firmly and politely, every time.

Parcels get delivered to my mum's house quite easily. I think it's because the house is next to where they park, so it's not far to carry.

Definately complain and keep doing it EVERY SINGLE TIME. It does work.

Well, they're privatised now, this sort of thing was always going to happen more often.

I remember several years ago one time when I went home for lunch and our postman recognised me as he drove out of our road and I cycled past, and he stopped to hand over the parcel he'd just put a card through the letter box for.

I expect if they were to do things like that nowadays it would put them too far behind as they're not given the time when management roster the deliveries.

There's a complaints procedure at royal mail. I've used it and its incredibly effective!

My issue was that the postmen kept giving me mail for our neighbours. Usually, he'd just be one house out (so 11 would get 13, 13 would get 15, 15 would get 17 etc) but sometimes it would be the right number but the wrong street. I kept pointing it out and the postmen kept treating it as a one-off, even though it happened almost every day. It had been going on for at least 5 years one of the neighbours told me.

So, i looked on the Royal Mail's site and they were boasting about how few complaints they get for mis-delivered mail against a huge number of deliveries. That really got my back up, so I decided to help make their statistics a bit more accurate and I filed a complaint.

It took perseverance but the complaints did work. They kept fixing the issue, then when they took the special monitoring away, the problem would start again (and then I would complain again). I think i complained about 5 separate incidents before they finally fixed it for once and for all - and now my neighbours don't have to rely on each other to get our mail.

I strongly recommend complaining. They really do not like it because it messes up their stats, so they will make an effort to fix it.