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AIBU?

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Original poster

Royal Mail

94 replies

bluebox12 · 10/06/2019 11:15

Hi I know these things have happen and I'm willing to be told to leave it and get over it. There is more to life etc believe me I know.

Should I email them and tell Royal Mail I'm not happy?

My husband has been away for weeks (still has a few to go) and as it was my birthday yesterday had ordered me something to be delivered here. I had no idea what it could be. His big or shall etc.

On Friday I kept a look out for any delivery drivers / post men / couriers.

We have a ring door bell - fully charged. I kept my phone with me whilst home and I can also receive notifications on my Apple watch.

At 1pm I noticed a "while you were out card" from Royal Mail on the floor.

I was disappointed as I was home all day but didn't know if this was the item my husband had sent or something else I had ordered.

I immediately went online to rearrange the delivery for the earliest being today (Monday).

Saturday came and went. No parcels so I was assuming the missed item was the one from my husband (my birthday present).

Just now the postman (not our usual one who usually chats about previous deliveries etc) knocks on the door says hi gives me a parcel.

It's a large pink rectangle box with "Fresh Flowers" written on the box.

Obviously the flowers are dead.

I'm not blaming them. Maybe whoever tried on Friday didn't ring the bell and just knocked. Maybe I didn't hear the knock. However surely you would then try the bell or try a couple of neighbours.

I am in a lot during the day and the post man and couriers often knock on my door with parcels without knocking on the addressee as they know I'm in.

Maybe my immediate neighbours were out but wouldn't you try a couple of others knowing that you had fresh flowers in the box and that by Monday they would be dead?

Also on Saturday I had a knock on the door. I knew the lady as she is a mum at school and I know the house she lives in. We don't have the same surname. She lives at a different number to me and on the next road.

She had both my daughters new and old passports in her hand. Both in separate envelopes with my name and address on.

I know accidents happen but with both these things happening within a day of eachother it's pissed me off.

Having re read what I've just put it does sound petty of me but at the min I'm in a low place and it upset me at the time.

Thanks

OP posts:
TopEndChops · 10/06/2019 15:10

Eliza9919 we are most certainly not all thieving bastards Angry

I aways try to find a neighbour or safe place to deliver fresh flowers. If there really is nowhere I always make sure I tick the - this item is perishable box. However others are not always as conscientious.

Also, we are often faced with customers who request items to be left in unsafe places such as green bins or behind gates - areas that are not secure, then when we do and the item gets stolen they complain about us leaving it where they asked and we risk losing our jobs, so many refuse to do this.

We can't win really Confused

BeamySped · 10/06/2019 15:22

Trust me, been a postman myself, taking a parcel back is the last thing we want to do. I've rang people's door bells plenty of times and nobody's answered, and that's because their bell doesn't work. I always knock after i ring any bell just incase. My advice is ring Royal mail and tell them IF you've somewhere safe to leave it IF you're not in, OR don't hear them knock/ring bell. Maybe tell them to leave it with a neighbour you know might be in. We (postmen) would rather know this info so it makes it easier for us and the costumers. Redelivery means more work for us at the end of the day, so making sure you're in is a priority.

Eliza9919 · 10/06/2019 15:36

@TopEndChops Where is the rest of the OP's parcel then Confused

And all my parcels that never get delivered and the complaints never followed up? I've had the threaten to report it to the police before, before they magically find my parcel at the back of their sorting office. I won't even bother buying anything that could be delivered my RM anymore because I always have problems with it going missing.

Hecateh · 10/06/2019 15:44

I went through a phase when every time I had a parcel delivered by Royal Mail, I would find a card through the letter box when I was in and knew they hadn't rung the bell or even knocked.

I was once there when a card came slowly and quietly through the letter box, left sticking it out. The postman didn't half jump when I opened the door and he had to admit he didn't have my parcel with him.

Luckily I have a brilliant postie now so only have problems when he is on holiday.

Original poster
bluebox12 · 10/06/2019 15:47

To the post men / women on here.

Would you or have you ever taken fresh flowers back to the sorting office?

OP posts:
Original poster
bluebox12 · 10/06/2019 15:52

I don't know if the extra items were actually sent by the florist or lost my Royal Mail.

OP posts:
CharDee · 10/06/2019 16:04

They posted a "Sorry you weren't in card" to me last week. I was in and saw it being posted as I was walking down the stairs. Put my shoes on and ran after him and asked for the package. He said "I haven't got it on me. It's too big to fit through the letterbox." It was too big but not huge or too heavy to put in a bag or even in their van. I was so annoyed that they'd not even bothered to knock and said I'd missed it when they didn't actually have it on them at all!

I have had to complain to Royal Mail a few times since we've moved here. The most recent was due to a passport, bank statement, mortgage statement, council tax bill and birthday card with a voucher in being left on the front step instead of being posted through the letterbox. Never had problems with them before!

Original poster
bluebox12 · 10/06/2019 16:07

They have replied.

They used my maiden name which was strange. But probably irrelevant.

Thank you for your further email.

Can you please provide me with photographic evidence of the card that was left after delivery.

I can confirm that we have spoken to the Delivery Officer concerned who is adamant that he did knock at the address; a knock on the door is acceptable form of attempted delivery, dependant upon the service used, we may not be able to attempt delivery to neighbour.

Once our enquiries are complete, we will furnish you with a written response which we aim to provide to you within 10 working days.

  • My complaint isn't that didn't knock on the door (even though I was in) or that they didn't try my neighbours. It's that the box clearly stated fresh flowers which they knew would die.
OP posts:
SunshineCake · 10/06/2019 16:10

That's not even a personal reply. It looks like a generic response Hmm.

Original poster
bluebox12 · 10/06/2019 16:12

I've not even mentioned the missing items as I'm not sure if they were ordered with the flowers and my husband is at work.

OP posts:
SunshineCake · 10/06/2019 16:14

My reply was from your first email post.

Where could they have got your maiden name from?

TopEndChops · 10/06/2019 16:15

Eliza9919 well as my (small) delivery office isn't responsible for delivering to the whole of the UK I really wouldn't know.
However as the items were presumably coming from different places they may be delivered tomorrow, or weds.

Original poster
bluebox12 · 10/06/2019 16:20

@SunshineCake I thought the their first and second email also looked like a generic standard email too.

@top if that comment was regarding the other items my husband ordered he said he ordered them all from florist at the same time. I'm not sure if they were meant to be packaged separately or not.

OP posts:
TopEndChops · 10/06/2019 16:22

Bluebox12 as a postie I always try to get fresh items (flowers, insects etc) delivered to the customer on the day, if I can't get any answer from neighbours I will look for a safe place to leave them and if all that fails I will mark on the card that the item is perishable.
However, not everybody does this I'm afraid. I know it's not your problem but we are working to ever stricter time constraints and some won't take the extra few minutes to try other houses.
I hope your other parcels turn up tomorrow.

Eliza9919 · 10/06/2019 16:24

The postman didn't half jump when I opened the door and he had to admit he didn't have my parcel with him.

I've heard of this happening loads of times.

Jaxhog · 10/06/2019 16:24

I've used long distance delivery for flowers without a problem. Most use a courier, who will email you to give you a time slot fro delivery. That way you can watch out for them.

Our biggest problem is that they (and RM) often just leave parcels on the doorstep etc. Occasionally in the paper recyling box! Once they left a parcel round the back of the garage. I found it over a year later, long after I'd had a refund.

Original poster
bluebox12 · 10/06/2019 16:24

@TopEndChops thanks x

OP posts:
HJWT · 10/06/2019 16:26

@bluebox12 does the ring doorbell not pink of with movement ??

dudsville · 10/06/2019 16:26

I've actually caught RM leaving me a card. He tried to front it out within "but you're never home!". Not true, we're in 3 out of 6 delivery days per ordinary week.

Original poster
bluebox12 · 10/06/2019 16:26

Yes usually. I also have the motion sensor on too.

OP posts:
ChazmcQueen · 10/06/2019 16:42

Why would a postman not knock the door? Not only does it take longer to write the card than it does someone answer the door, you've then got to carry it around with you for the rest of the loop, put it in the van then book it back in on return to the delivery office. Sounds to me like the postman wasn't heard when knocking the door, which is not his/her fault. I've rang doorbells that haven't worked before and left a card, only to have complaints lodged saying I didn't knock and the doorbell is broke! The postman did his job. Door wasn't answered and returned the parcel to the office. Delivery was made on Monday as per the customers request. Your husband should have informed you he was sending flowers. The royal mail attempted delivery of the parcel on time and followed protocol. It was the customers choice to have it re-delivered, not royal mail's.

EuromumAussiekid · 10/06/2019 16:46

Complain about the passports but just forget about the flowers. They start to die the minute they are picked anyway.

Eliza9919 · 10/06/2019 17:00

Why would a postman not knock the door? Not only does it take longer to write the card than it does someone answer the door, you've then got to carry it around with you for the rest of the loop, put it in the van then book it back in on return to the delivery office.

They write them out before they leave the sorting office and don't take the parcels out on the round with them.

TopEndChops · 10/06/2019 17:25

Eliza you're talking out of your arse, we don't have time to write out a card for every parcel before we leave the office, quite apart from the waste.

TopEndChops · 10/06/2019 17:27

And if we left parcels in the office both us and the manager would soon get the sack.
Offices are cleared every morning, but I sense I'm wasting my breath.

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