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Original poster

Would you complain?????

20 replies

Gwenick · 17/02/2005 11:50

I'm not sure whether to call our local delivery office and complain about our postie. When we first moved here (in September) the posty(ie?) we had was really good, would knock on the door if something wouldn't fit through the letter box and always waited for us to answer the door for recorded delivery items.

HOWEVER, in the last 2 months or so we've had around £250 worth of parcels just left on the doorstep, some of them were things we didn't know were coming so could easily have been 'lost' and we'd never have known about it. And this morning he DID knock, DH went downstairs, switched on the hall light, went and got his keys, was almost to the front door and he obviously got 'bored' of waiting and pushed through a recorded delivery letter (containing my passport!) without waiting.

We've got a door bell (installed 3 months ago) and we're almost always 'up' when he comes so it's not as if he 'may' have been knocking and we haven't heard him (at least not the number of times we've found parcels on the doorstep).

I can't help wondering what would happen if we were away, our front door is only a VERY short distance from the road (victorian terraces). I wouldn't mind as much if he just put a 'couldn't deliver' card through and we had to pick them up but he doesn't he just leaves them outside.

So should I call and complain or not?

OP posts:

LGJ · 17/02/2005 11:53

And then some........

Blackduck · 17/02/2005 11:54

Yes...without a doubt...

Original poster

Gwenick · 17/02/2005 11:54

?????

OP posts:

Original poster

Gwenick · 17/02/2005 11:54

sorry ?????? was aimed at LGJ

OP posts:

Freckle · 17/02/2005 11:55

I would. I keep getting cards through the door saying they've tried to deliver something but we weren't in, when we've been in all the time. On one occasion, he put it through the door and I took it out of his hand! When I opened the door, he look very shamefaced and claimed he'd knocked. Yeah right.

I have an arrangement with our regular postie that he can leave things on our doorstep (we're quite a way from the road) and that our neighbours can sign for parcels for us, but that's mainly because he's terrified of our dog!

However, having an agreed arrangement is one thing, but just leaving stuff through laziness is another.

LGJ · 17/02/2005 11:56

And then some........

In other words complain and then complain some more.........

I can't be the only one who uses that expression, can I ?

Original poster

Gwenick · 17/02/2005 11:59

aha with you now LGJ..........not a phrase I use myself.......

right thanks folks - didn't know whether I was just overreacting (I'm one that's prone to complain at anything LOL) now the fun is to try and find the number LOL

OP posts:

Original poster

Gwenick · 17/02/2005 12:02

ok - now I need your help again - anyone got an idea how I find out who/where to call??? I've looked on the Royal Mail/Post Office websites and an completely bamboozled........I'm in Wellingborough so preferrably would like to talk to the local people!

OP posts:

Merlin · 17/02/2005 12:04

Is there not a number for your local Sorting Office in the phone book? I'm sure they would help you.

Original poster

Gwenick · 17/02/2005 12:05

DH has 'run off' with our phonebook to his office ......I do keep asking him to bring it back but he keeps forgetting

OP posts:

Merlin · 17/02/2005 12:07

Directory enquiries then? Though not sure what the number(s) is these days!!!

Snugs · 17/02/2005 12:10

It's a central complaints dept I think - and I have the address & tel number written down somewhere........

PiccadillyCircus · 17/02/2005 12:11

You could try looking on yell.co.uk - search for sorting office.

Original poster

Gwenick · 17/02/2005 12:14

duh!!! I've just realised how I can find out almost exactly who to contact - my brother has worked for the Royal Mail for nearly 8yrs now (although he's about to 'escape' to train to be a CofSc minister (don't ask LOL).

I'll give him a ring later and he'll no doubt be able to direct me to the number I 'want' but probably won't be able to 'find'

OP posts:

Snugs · 17/02/2005 12:15

Right - the central customer services number is 08457 740 740

Your local delivery office should be listed in the phone book (normally open mornings only).

Or there is this online complaint form.

Original poster

Gwenick · 17/02/2005 12:16

thanks Snugs

OP posts:

Kelly1978 · 17/02/2005 13:08

Hi,
I had this trouble as the letterboxes to our flats are on the road and the postie wud just stick cards in instead of coming round to the door to knock. We were also getting a lot of mail for the wrong adress.
We complained using the online thing, and although the incorrect mail has stopped we were still getting a lot of cards. In the end we put a notice up askign them to please knock, and that seems to have helped a bit.

Mirage · 17/02/2005 20:56

Our post service is rubbish too.I was in the hall the other day & the postman just shoved a card through,saying that they had a parcel,it was too big ect.He didn't knock or ring the bell.I chased him down the street & told him that I'd been there & where was my parcel.He said he didn't have any parcels,so I asked him why he'd put the card through then.He said he hadn't so I showed it to him.He said that it wasn't his writing & was dated the day before.I told him that it most certainly had only been put through my door a few minutes ago & that we would have noticed if it had been there from yesterday.Then he said was I sure?He then said that maybe he could have put it through the door if the postman yesterday hadn't done it,but he still didn't have my parcel.Arghhhhh.And of course,this was 2.30pm & the sorting office shuts at 12pm,so I had to wait until the next day to go & collect it.

Sorry about the rant-I feel better for getting it out of my system.

pixel · 18/02/2005 00:28

We've seen the postman writing the card out before even getting out of the van to ring the doorbell. presumably couldn't be bothered to wait for us to answer. I've also had a card written to say that he tried to deliver at the exact time that I KNOW I was on the doorstep seeing my son onto his school minibus.

Luckily, now we've moved a couple of miles we have a brilliant service. Just goes to show it's down to individual posties being lazy and not just 'local policy'. Let's hope your complaint means your postie bucks his ideas up!

SofiaAmes · 18/02/2005 01:09

Call the central number that snugs has posted. Make sure that you ask for a reference number for the complaint. I complained a few times before realizing that they weren't actually doing anything about it. When I called back, the person asked me for my reference number and said that unless I was given one, the complaint wouldn't have been logged. The next time when I asked for one, I had to repeat my entire complaint again so that the person could actually type it into the computer to be able to come up with a reference number. I got an apology letter and a book of 1st class stamps. (I had complained about misdelivered mail and mail not gettting delievered at all some days). We now have a regular postman and I've worked out an arrangement with him to leave packages even if I'm not home. However, when he does forget, or the saturday postman doesn't leave them, I call up and complain long and loud (managed to con the non-public line phone number for the manager's office at our local post office (as no one answers the other line) out of one of the new posties).

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