I HATE ROYAL MAIL

[bebarkered]

Royal Fail haven't delivered my package that I ordered online 14 days ago. I have telephoned them, and, you can't speak to anyone. I have a tracking number and, I am unable to track it (automated service says "you cannot track this item"). I filled in a contact form online. This is the reply I got from them :

Thanks for contacting Royal Mail

[email protected]
to me
Thank you for contacting us

I’m sorry there was a delay in delivering items of mail and can fully understand your concerns.

Throughout the coronavirus crisis, we’ll continue to deliver the most comprehensive service we can to all our customers. However, along with other organisations, we’re experiencing increased levels of employee absence due to illness and self-isolation.

Despite our best endeavours, it’s likely some areas of the country will experience a reduction in service levels due to coronavirus-related absences at their local mail centre or delivery office. However, your enquiry has been logged under the reference shown above.

I’m sorry for any inconvenience caused and assure you we do all we can to minimise disruption during these unprecedented times. We’re committed to keeping the mail moving – delivering letters and parcels across the UK, including to those who find it difficult to leave their homes.

Thank you for contacting us and I hope this resolves your enquiry. If you need further help, please visit our Help and Support Centre at www.royalmail.com/help or www.royalmail.com/coronavirus.

Regards
Royal Mail

I immediately filled in a second contact form. I've just received a reply. This is what it says :

Thanks for contacting Royal Mail

[email protected]
to me
6 hours agoDetails

Thank you for contacting us.

I’m sorry there was a delay in delivering items of mail and can fully understand your concerns.

Throughout the coronavirus crisis, we’ll continue to deliver the most comprehensive service we can to all our customers. However, along with other organisations, we’re experiencing increased levels of employee absence due to illness and self-isolation.

Despite our best endeavours, it’s likely some areas of the country will experience a reduction in service levels due to coronavirus-related absences at their local mail centre or delivery office. However, your enquiry has been logged under the reference shown above.

I’m sorry for any inconvenience caused and assure you we do all we can to minimise disruption during these unprecedented times. We’re committed to keeping the mail moving – delivering letters and parcels across the UK, including to those who find it difficult to leave their homes.

Thank you for contacting us and I hope this resolves your enquiry. If you need further help, please visit our Help and Support Centre at www.royalmail.com/help or www.royalmail.com/coronavirus.

Regards
Royal Mail

WTAFF?
Has any else experienced this?

Throwaway100000
Thank you again

They were crap even before Corona though, it's just an excuse. It took them over a week to deliver a birthday card at the beginning of the year, and this was first class.

WeeWeegieWumminf
I never once thought about if the seller would be sending it tracked etc. Could kick myself now as I would have happily paid extra for a superior service such as tracked

@tara66

Don't try couriers then - Hermes for example!

I'm lucky because my Hermes driver is great

How big was the bottle of perfume? Perfume is classed as dangerous goods, so you are only allowed to send small bottles through the post I believe, as they are very flammable. It may be that if the item was over the limit and not declared by the sender when they have posted it, RM have intercepted it. If that has happened I think they try to contact the sender.

I think the Royal Mail is fantastic, too.

I think it's amazing that I can post a card in Sussex at 5pm and it arrives at my friend's in Hull the following morning.

I agree with you, OP. Even before Covid they delivered a shit service (not to mention expensive).
I applied (via customer support) for a refund of unused postage purchased on line ONE MONTH ago and have had no joy. That was after clicking the refund button on the website a week previously and following the instructions - I thought the site must be malfunctioning, hence the customer support contact, but clearly they can't be bothered. I will NEVER use RM again.

Royal mail are pretty good.

Hermes are awful. They delivered my parcel to the wrong street. I had to track it down myself. Herme's customer service is awful.

Bebarkered, this is the best ways to send items and be able to track them right through the system.
Yes there is a huge problem in certain parts of the country but where I am most walks are going out daily.

The posties have worked incredibly hard during covid (along with many others), the sheer volume of parcels has been unbelievable!
I hope your parcel turns up soon 😊

They sent something that expensive 2nd class?

She needs to refund you, it's her problem to claim back from RM. I wonder what she said it was when they asked what was in the parcel when delivering it.

The problem is, customers think theirs is the only parcel. If they saw what a couple of tips look like they might think differently and Christmas is coming. It's going to be shit, especially with all the illness on top and people taking time off.

@tara66

Don't try couriers then - Hermes for example!

aaargh - bloody hermes they forever spend the day sending me texts along the lines of "hello, we have your parcel from X, we're going to deliver between 11.23 and 14.22" - followed by "we delivered at 14.20, signed for by your receptionist" - its home, I don't have a fucking receptionist. Get home, item not there, tracking will indicate a delivery an show me a map of where I live. I know where I live, the courier needs the bloody map, not me. Look at tracking - item stated as delivered. Next morning - another sodding text, "hello, we have your parcel from X, we're going to deliver it between 10.26 and 20.25.... Look at tracking - all record of the day before's fiasco will be erased.''

I've known this to repeat for up to four days, and happens with practically every hermes parcel.
Tweet and leave foul reviews for the supplier on Google and TrustPilot etc, and stroppy emails to the supplier.
Royal mail are a delight in comparison.

@bebarkered

AintPageantMaterial I too appreciate the prices etc about Royal Mail. BUT, my item that is "missing" is a £109.50 bottle of perfume. Hence my I Hate Royal Mail title (currently hate them)

If the seller didn't send a parcel of that value by a tracked service she's nuts. She's now down the perfume, the original postage and the full amount that you paid.

Check out the Horizon software scandal about the Royal Mail (I even hate their name). There is a podcast about it called The Great Post Office Trial.
They are to be trusted about as much as the KGB.

I’ve been doing a lot of EBay since lockdown and have been really impressed at the speed with which RM have delivered my stuff. There don’t appear to be any Covid related delays. My best was posting a parcel 2nd class in a sub post office in Highland at 0930 on Monday and it being delivered at 1000 in Carlisle on Tuesday! Hermes OTOH have been very slow; everything has arrived eventually but sometimes over a week from when the seller has said they posted.

I have had deliveries of everything I bought since March, one item went to the next road but was brought round by the person who lived there. I also received their new phone, delivered by DPD who are consistently crap. They looked for the photo of the front door and came to get it.

No problems with RM although our postie is a lazy sod (not just lockdown related, has been getting worse for the last couple of years) so I am used to only getting mail a couple of times a week, and often extra, for the neighbours which I hand back to him the next time I see him, unless I go out. I always wonder if our mail has gone to someone else though.

I use RM a lot as both a buyer and seller and I'd say they're struggling. First class is rarely next day now, 2 days is standard. 3 or 4 not unusual.

Also my post gets later and later used to be mid day, then mid afternoon, now I never see the postie before 5pm. Still get a daily service though which is more than some.

Hopefully there'll be enough people looking for work in the run up to Christmas that they can take a few more on

Seller needs to refund you full amount. It's up to her to either choose an insured method of delivery for the full amount or take the risk if she doesn't. Either way you are not supposed to be out of pocket. Ebay will side with you.

These are unprecedented times OP. RM deliveries are under huge strain due to online shopping, and they are also coordinating the delivery and return of COVID home testing kits which is obviously hugely important right now.

Posties haven’t received the recognition they deserve for working throughout this entire time and keeping things moving. Although not perfect their services are integral.

A small minority of things go missing, a little understanding wouldn’t go amiss considering the circumstances. If your seller didn’t insure the package, your issue is with them.

Your issue isn't with Royal Mail, it's with the seller.

@bebarkered sorry if someone has already asked this but are you sure you haven’t been scammed?

[quote Missandra]@bebarkered sorry if someone has already asked this but are you sure you haven’t been scammed?[/quote]
How so?

Seller didn't send tracked. It hasn't arrived. Ebay will refund if the seller prevaricates.

You’re welcome OP.

Interesting post above re the perfume possibly leaking out and damaging the label. Wouldn’t be surprised if the seller didn’t package it securely, as they couldn’t even be bothered to buy appropriate postage. How tight must you be to use a 2nd class stamp on a £110 sale!

How much did you save on the perfume here compared to RRP? Hope you’re able to purchase elsewhere for a similar price.

@bebarkered I just wondered. I don’t know how eBay works.