Royal Mail sent item to wrong address: I have been told to deliver it 5 miles away myself

[chimamandafan]

Last week I ordered several items for delivery. This morning I checked the secure bin by the garage, and three had arrived. I took a very quick look at the names/ addresses but as I was expecting all three I didn't check thoroughly. The first two items were as ordered. The third box contained an unidentifiable electrical component, not something I'd ordered. I checked the label on the box and saw that although it's addressed to someone with the same first name as me, and a surname that starts with the same two letters, the surname is different. (Think Donald and Dodson) The first line of the address is very similar (think The Croft and Croft House). The road has been typed in incorrectly on the label: it should be something like Riverside Road but they've typed in Croft again — and I live at Croft House, Croft Lane. Worst of all the postcode is exactly the same as mine except for one letter.

Fine I thought, that can't be far away, so I looked it up. We live in a semi-rural area and although as the crow flies it's only three or four miles to where it should have been delivered, by road it's about 9 miles around lanes, so a round trip of 18 miles and probably at least 40 minutes of my time if I'm lucky. Unfortunately I've got the kitchen fitters here today and tomorrow and they need me to make decisions every few minutes.

I tried to phone Royal Mail and but was stuck in a queue for ages. So I phoned the supplier of the package to ask them what to do. The woman I spoke to assumed I'd deliver it, as it was my error. I said that actually it was the Royal Mail's error initially and suggested I take it to the local Post Office (only 2 miles away) and they could redeliver but she said no, that wouldn't work. She said she couldn't contact the RM direct and ask them to collect and redeliver. She then said she'd phone the woman who'd ordered it and she could come and collect it from me, which I agreed to. She's now just called back to tell me that the woman who ordered the item is on holiday but I could deliver it at a certain date when she's be back. I've said I want to think about the situation.

I don't really see why it's down to me to deliver it or to repackage it and pay the postage to get it delivered to her. AIBU? What would you do?

They’re so cheeky! Absolutely do not deliver it yourself, deliver it to RM, or pay to have it re-delivered!!!
tell them you will hold on to it for x amount of time whilst they arrange for a courier to collect it and redeliver it, say it will be left in x spot for the courier so you don’t have to wait in all day especially, otherwise it will be thrown out.
It was not your error at all and not your responsibility in the slightest.

I’d regard it as entirely not my problem. I’d be happy for someone (recipient, courier, Royal Mail or vendor) to collect it from me at a convenient time - and I’d make them give me a receipt. Or I’d drop it at Royal Mail sorting office/Post Office next time I was there, which might be in a year or two time.

Other than that it’s for the vendor to sort out with the company they elected to use for delivery. I certainly wouldn’t be driving it on a special trip anywhere - my experience is no good deed goes unpunished, these things inevitably turn into a massive headache if I try and be helpful and sort it out myself. So now I don’t.

I'd call the company back and say you're leaving the package on your porch.
It's up to them to either arrange collection or not. You're having nothing more to do with it.

Just seal it up and give it back to the postie, his mistake and he will probably be grateful he can fix it.

You're a nicer person than me for getting as far as contacting the sender. RM have the sender's address on record when sending business parcels so I would also have written 'not known at this address' and given it back to the postman/taken to post office for them to resolve.

I would not be inconveniencing myself or putting myself out of pocket to correct a mistake that was nothing to do to me. Returning is good enough in my eyes

You’ve done more than enough already.

I’d ring the company back, leave your telephone number and say you’ll make it available for collection by whoever they or the customer wish for the next month. After that you’ll be disposing of it.

I wouldn’t make a special trip to the post office or go out of my way to catch the postie (but would give it to him if I was interacting with him anyway).

Royal Mail are doing free parcel pickup currently. Not specifically for this reason but you may be able to fill the form in for them to collect and then explain when they collect. Not 100% sure you will be able to do this as I have only used it for returning items to store but hopefully you should be able to work it.

https://send.royalmail.com/collect/youritems

It's not your responsibility to deliver it. The company who sent it needs to sort it out and take it up with RM.

Tbh I would just take it to the post office and leave it there

I’d seal it back up and take to the RM sorting office next time it’s convenient. Not known at this address.

This ^^

You've done more than enough already by informing the seller that the parcel was delivered to the wrong address.
Given the value of the parcel, the seller should be thanking you profusely and doing whatever they can to ease the process. Also given the value of the parcel I'd be clear that I'm taking no responsibility for keeping the parcel safe and undamaged. That includes attempting to redeliver it. If the component doesn't work/ ends up with the wrong pertson again, you know they'd try to blame you if you've been seen to accept that it's your responsibility to redeliver it.
You could always check with CAB or similar, but I'd just contact the seller in writing, staying you have the parcel and expect them to sort it by (date).